To Remember Rajaratnam - Cultural Centre

IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE LATE RAJARATNAM:

To rename University Cultural Centre to Rajaratnam Cultural Centre

Mr S.Rajaratnam, passed away peacefully on 22nd Feb 2005. This was the man who put heart and soul into penning the Singapore Pledge of allegiancer Singapore as well, as Culture Minister in the turbulent years of 1959 to 1965, through racial riots, merger with Malaysia and then independence.

I am starting this in hope of getting our University Cultural Centre to be renamed in remembrance of the late S.Rajaratnam - Our forefather of Singapore. This is appropriate as Rajaratnam was Singapore's first Minister for Culture, and I sincerely hope we have a building to remember this great man.

For all present and future Singaporeans, this can be the final tribute we can pay.


Thank you
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Words that he said:
In 1983, Mr Rajaratnam said: "Singapore run only by PhD's would be my vision of a purgatory. Equally, a government run by road sweepers can be no less a terrifying place to live in."

"Singapore is prosperous and people are leaving us alone because we are strong and nobody disturbs...

"Even elephants do not disturb a hornet's nest. The hornets are very small but if you go and disturb the hornets' nests, all the hornets join together and can make life miserable - no animal ever disturbs an hornet's nest though the nest is very small.

"Certainly all of us who went into politics believed in it that we can create a Singapore where race, religion, language does not matter.

"What matters is that we are one people and if you know there's a song we have. It goes something like, I cannot remember - "We are Singapore and these are my friends." - This is why I am here tonight."