SINGAPORE'S future depends on renewing and enlarging its elite group, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

This elite group has to be open and inclusive, absorbing younger talent.

And it must share a sense of purpose and be responsible for the whole society, he said at the NUS Society Lecture yesterday.

He stressed the need for a meritocracy. We must develop talent from poorer families, through scholarships and bursaries. But we should recognise not only scholars. Some of our most successful entrepreneurs never went to university.

PM Lee said: 'Our doors must always be open to those who have taken alternative routes to success.

'We must consciously minimise the social distance between those at the top and the general population,' he added.

The political leaders set the tone, he said.

'We dress down; we do not wear expensive designer suits; and we have our meals in hawker centres. We must maintain this informal tone in order to keep this an egalitarian society.'