In his May Day rally speech as leader of the 4G team, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong vowed to give his all for the labour movement and build a better Singapore together with the 4G team.
Using Singapore’s 75th birthday in 2040 as an intermediate milestone, he said he doesn’t know if PAP will win the next election or whether he will still be in office in 2040 but he will give his all come what may.
“I give you my word whatever lies ahead, I will give every ounce of my strength to this movement together with my comrades in the 4G team. We will do whatever it takes to strengthen the PAP-NTUC symbiotic relationship and our tripartite partnership and to keep Singapore special and build a better Singapore in SG75,” he said to thunderous applause from the 900 unionists in attendance.
Refreshing Singapore’s social compact with “Forward Singapore”
He also announced the “Forward Singapore” exercise, which will be led by him and the 4G team.
“The 4G team and I will lead an exercise to refresh our social compact. We will engage stakeholders from every sphere: unions and people in private sectors. We will seek to hear your thoughts on the economy, healthcare, housing, education and many other areas including how we can continue to support and uplift every worker,” he said.
He noted that while the Government made several moves in this year’s Budget, there’s much more to be done.
With major turning points in history such as Covid-19 and the Ukraine war taking Singapore into a new and different world, and a new generation of Singaporeans who desire more diversity and checks and balances, the Government must take a broader look at the objectives and priorities and consider how we would want to strengthen our social compact, he said.
Minister Wong described the exercise as a major undertaking of the 4G team and will formally launch this exercise soon.
Tripartism remains cornerstone of the Singapore Way
In his speech, he also took time to reiterate the importance of tripartism and how it remains a cornerstone of the Singapore Way.
“We may have differing interests from time to time, but we will not clash and grind against each other in a zero-sum game. Instead, we learn to accommodate, to give and take, and find common ground. And in the process, we build closer relationships with one another and we strengthen trust as we move forward together.”
He added that the PAP Government will continue to support and strengthen the NTUC and he’s confident that the labour movement will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the PAP Government.
“We can take heart that we are moving forward from a strong foundation with trusted partners like the NTUC who share with us the unwavering conviction that we must always do right by Singapore and our fellow Singaporeans.”
