Addressing the nation at his first National Day Rally (NDR), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong jokingly called it “my turn to be your housing agent” when he gave us a sneak preview of upcoming BTO projects. Housing was not the only thing being launched, however.
With each policy announcement, PM Wong showed us how a refreshed Singapore Dream is within reach if we are willing to reset policies and attitudes.
The personal touch was clear right from the get-go. PM Wong’s anecdote about driving his parents to their wits end with his refusal to attend kindergarten is every parent’s nightmare. Eventually, a PAP Kindergarten set up in Marine Parade turned things around. It was near PM Wong’s home. He liked his teachers and settled in well. We can all relate to the struggle, parents and children alike.
But the story holds greater importance. It highlights the planning and care the PAP government has taken, decade upon decade, to improve the lives of Singaporeans. A tradition that PM Wong, a beneficiary of these past policies, intends to continue.
“We will be prudent…to uphold the fundamentals that have served us well and remain relevant to us. But…we will be bold. We will look for fresh and better solutions and choose the best way forward for our nation,” said PM Wong.
And as this NDR has shown, PM Wong and his 4G team have found a balance between the bold and the prudent, demonstrating that there are no sacred cows in the push towards a refreshed Singapore Dream.
It starts with the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which provides temporary financial support for retrenched workers or those who lost their jobs when their company go under. The sum is modest (up to $6,000 over 6 months). It also comes with the caveat that recipients must use this time to take up training, career coaching and job-matching services.
The passing resemblance to unemployment insurance is, well, passing. For one, the government will pay for this support. Some previous proposals from opposition parties, placed the financial burden on individual Singaporeans, who would have had to pay their own unemployment insurance premiums, even if they never got retrenched or laid off.
Of course, while many of these same opposition parties are now eager to claim credit, unemployment support schemes had already been mooted and discussed in Parliament long before by PAP MPs. Liang Eng Hwa and Halimah Yacob had championed allowance and support schemes for the unemployed as far back as 2009 and 2011.
For the record, if credit must be given to the first person to suggest the idea, the Opposition might want to credit David Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer in Edwardian Britain, who mooted the idea in 1911. As then-Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam suggested in 2020, no one should assume that they have a monopoly over compassion.
And compassion is what drives the Jobseekers Support scheme. Compassion, while retaining cherished Singaporean characteristics of resilience and self-improvement. Bold and prudent.
With the rapid external challenges now confronting Singapore, our people must be supported. “Rapid technological disruptions…will transform how we learn and work,” said PM Wong.
Unfortunately, such changes will also render many jobs obsolete. In implementing this social safety trampoline at this juncture, the PAP is doing what all responsible governments do. Reassuring its citizens with a continuing social compact. The PAP government will have their back in times of need.
Bold moves to break old mindsets extends to our long-standing challenge of a falling fertility rate. PM Wong introduced a new Shared Parental Leave scheme that will provide mothers and fathers 10 more weeks of paid leave to spend with their newborn children.
Again, this additional leave will be paid for by the government. This will take the financial burden off our businesses, many of them SMEs.
This is a shining example of the PAP government finding the resources needed to solve this existential issue. It is a matter of survival for all of us as Singaporeans. Giving more paid leave is the right step in the right direction towards changing attitudes about shared parenting, and helps new fathers bond with their children.
As for education, bold changes are coming as well. The Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will be discontinued. In its place will be programmes in all schools that can stretch high achieving students.
The announcement comes hot on the heels of policy changes that include doing away with the PSLE T-score, removing secondary school streaming and massive investments in arts and sports. We are on the right path to a more egalitarian society with multiple pathways for every Singaporean to thrive and succeed.
Housing is the final piece of the puzzle. Like their married counterparts, singles will now get priority access to public housing if they live near their parents. Meanwhile, housing grants will be increased to help lower-income groups climb the housing ladder. There are also plans to build more HDB flats in prime areas dominated by private housing, such as Tanjong Rhu and Marina South.
The message is clear. “We will make sure that there is a HDB flat that is within your budget in every region,” said PM Wong. The promise continues the PAP government’s fundamental and unchanging determination to build a country of homeowners. And as the country matures, it is also about putting in place a housing system that is fair and inclusive. One that promotes social cohesion so that no part of Singapore becomes an exclusive enclave of the rich.
With a series of bold and prudent strokes at his first National Day Rally, PM Wong has laid a convincing roadmap for the next phase of our society. We are creating more opportunities, challenging our prejudices and making society a fairer and more inclusive place for all. But it does not mean we abandon the fundamental values that has made our Singapore great.
“We are not trying to grow at all costs, nor to grow for its own sake.” said PM Wong. “We seek economic growth, because that is how we create more opportunities and a better quality of life for all Singaporeans.”
“We have heard from many Singaporeans, especially the younger ones. They do not want to be caught in a constant cycle of comparisons based on narrow definitions of success.
“They seek a more inclusive society…to pursue their chosen paths. They hope for a more caring and gracious society – where there is more support for Singaporeans to get over setbacks in life,” said PM Wong.
A clear vision clearly articulated. By a leadership and party that stand firmly on the side of Singaporeans.
For that, we have much to be optimistic about, now and for the future.
Photo Source: PMO
