What’s your ideal Singapore?
For Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, the ideal Singapore is a home where everyone is accepted, valued, treated equally with respect, no matter the background or station in life.
He posted this reflection on Facebook on May 16, 2022 on the tail end of the long weekend, adding: “My hope is that as one united people, we can build a home where everyone can live with dignity, and grow and flourish in our own way.”
He then ended the post with #ForwardSingapore.
What is “Forward Singapore”?
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong first announced the “Forward Singapore” agenda, which he said will set out the roadmap for Singapore for the next decade and beyond, during the May Day Rally.
He added that the agenda will be a major undertaking of the 4G team and will formally launch the exercise soon.
Understanding that there’s much more to be done for Singapore and Singaporeans despite the many measures to help families in this year’s Budget, he and the 4G team will lead this exercise to refresh Singapore’s social compact through engagement with “stakeholders from every sphere”.
“We will consider what we need to do differently; but also affirm what is being done well; and how we can do it even better,” he added.
Responses from the public
Several Facebook users also commented on his post, sharing with the minister their version of an ideal Singapore.
The Party’s mission
Forward Singapore will continue the Party’s mission of building a fair and just society where the benefits of progress are spread widely to all.
The consultative approach of engaging various stakeholders also means that while the Government can do many things, it shouldn’t do everything for everyone.
Instead, one should look to the Government as the engine, propelling Singapore forward, but with the Government consulting Singaporeans and thus setting the direction together.
A clue of such a potential collaborative model appeared in his May Day Rally speech: “To be clear: this is not just about what the Government can do for you; but also, as we learnt throughout this pandemic – what we can all do for one another; and how we can all, collectively, contribute toward building a better society that embodies the values we stand for.”
Cover photo credit: Lawrence Wong Facebook page