Outgoing PM Goh in last address to nation

Описание: (8 Aug 2004)

1. Exterior shot of café
2. People watching outgoing Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on monitor
3. Monitor
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Goh Chok Tong, outgoing Singaporean Prime Minister:
"Uur society is more compassionate, open and gracious. We have inducted a younger group of capable leaders. As a people, our bonds have deepened. As a nation we are maturing. We are now more confident of who we are and what we stand for."
5. People in cafe
6. Monitor
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Goh Chok Tong, outgoing Singaporean Prime Minister:
"I have piloted Singapore for more than 14 years. Everything is in good working order. The economy is growing strongly. Growth in the first half (of the year) was 10 percent - for the whole year we can expect growth to be between eight and nine percent. Now is a good time for me to hand over the controls to a new captain and his crew."
8. People in café looking at monitor
9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Goh Chok Tong, outgoing Singaporean Prime Minister:
"It was a frightening time. A good number of our loved ones died. This was my saddest moment in government. But our collective response to SARS and other crises strengthened my confidence in Singapore's future. We went through fire together."
10. People looking at monitor
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Goh Chok Tong, outgoing Singaporean Prime Minister:
"The discovery of the Jemaah Islamiyah network after 9/11 shocked our people. I was worried that it could break the trust between our muslim and other communities."
12. Full frame shot of monitor
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop: Simon Leng, Singaporean:
"I find that he's more compassionate and his values towards family, upbringing, morals - I like his way of protecting the approach to any subject that is being put to the citizens. I like the consultative approach.
14. Street scene
15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop: KC Leng, Singaporean:
"Singapore has been progressing and prospering during his tenure."
16. Street scene

STORYLINE:

In his final speech as Singapore's leader on Sunday, outgoing Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong encouraged more public involvement in shaping the city-state's future, echoing recent comments from officials that the government is moving away from its authoritarian past.

On Thursday, Goh, who became prime minister in 1990, will hand power over to his deputy Lee Hsien Loong, the son of the city-state's founding father Lee Kuan Yew.

Goh's comments come after a string of speeches from senior officials that the government was moving away from the authoritarian style of the elder Lee, who ruled the city-state with an tight grip while overseeing its transformation from a colonial backwater to a modern nation.

Goh also said Sunday that Lee, 52, had asked him to remain in the Cabinet, although his role remains unclear.

He added Singapore's economy grew 10 percent in the first half of the year, and predicted the city-state would see 8 percent to 9 percent growth for the full year.

"Now is a good time for me to hand over the controls to a new captain and his crew," he said.

Reflecting on 14 years in charge of the Southeast Asian city-state, Goh said his toughest time was during last year's severe acute respiratory syndrome crisis which killed 33 and sickened 238 while crippling the economy.

He also presided over the country's worst economic downturn in 2001 and the arrests of over 30 alleged Islamic terrorists linked to al-Qaida who threatened to blow up the US Embassy and other Western targets.

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