SINGAPORE - Singapore relies heavily on immigrants and foreign workers – who raise political sensitivities in many societies – to top up its population base and talent pool, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The inflow and integration of new arrivals must therefore be managed with the “utmost sensitivity and caution, to ensure the flows are balanced and sustainable”, noted SM Lee.

“But we must also stand firmly against nativism and xenophobia, and welcome the new arrivals to become part of our extended family,” he said in a speech at a dinner hosted by the Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda) and 14 other Indian community organisations on Jan 11.

SM Lee said Singaporeans should help these new arrivals adapt progressively to the way things are done here, and to the country’s social norms at ethos. It is an ongoing process that takes time, but gradually they will integrate into the local community, he added.

“This is how earlier generations became Indian Singaporeans, and it will happen with this generation, and with new arrivals from other groups and places too,” he said.

This is how the Singaporean identity can be sustained and enriched, and the way to build a cohesive and inclusive society that is “connected to the world, strengthened and not divided by our diversity”, he said.

SM Lee was addressing around 2,000 guests, including Cabinet Ministers, MPs, Indian leaders and volunteers who attended the appreciation dinner at Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Grand Ballroom.

A tribute video was screened, and organisers gifted him intricately designed elephant sculptures as a token of appreciation for his support for the Indian community during his tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2024.

SM Lee said the Indian community has progressed with the nation, and made considerable contributions in many fields.

While the community may be small, it has played a full role in Singaporean society and worked with other communities to contribute in many ways, he added.

This shows the success of Singapore’s multiracial model, which has created full and equal opportunities, a harmonious society and better lives for all, including the minority communities, SM Lee said.

He acknowledged the migrants from many parts of the Indian subcontinent – including Tamils, Malayalees, Telugus, Sindhis, Punjabis, Bengalis, and Sinhalese – who came to modern Singapore in its earliest days in search of a better future, a...