Debate on President's Address

Order read for the Resumption of Debate on Question [14 May 2018].

"That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to:

'We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which she delivered on behalf of the Government at the Opening of the Second Session of this Parliament.'." – [Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling.]

Question again proposed.

Mr Speaker: Mr Seah Kian Peng.

12.22 pm

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Speaker, Sir, the call for bold ideas by the President has received widespread response. In a sense, this is not surprising – good ideas are the product of long reflection and examination, but they are also, sometimes, the result of an urgent felt need, some local knowledge from ground experience or even strong emotional response.

As we have seen in the past few days, bold ideas are not in short supply. But sieving them through the good from the not so practical or reckless ones, the strong from the popular and perhaps, even more difficult: implementing these ideas, if not flawlessly, then at least successfully, is far more difficult.

It is far easier to write a policy paper than to actually make the policy happen. I say this not to belittle the role of bold ideas but to argue their limitations. We ought not to let ideas be our masters but think more deeply about their weight and impact. That is, we should worry less about what we do than why we do them.

Today, Mr Speaker, Sir, I argue one simple idea, which is to rethink the way we evaluate ideas.

We need to rethink the role of the market and of economic reasoning. For a long time, the economic reasoning that our Government applied to public policies have stood us in good stead. Whether in healthcare, housing or the management of much of our social policy, such reasoning has allowed us to make good use of our resources.

The magic words in any policy was whether it was "sustainable", that is, whether it would "pay for itself". A long-term reliance on Government funding is sometimes the kiss of death for a good idea. For, if the idea was good, surely, money can be found from the market.

But economic reasoning is empty without a moral foundation. Such foundations cannot and do not exist without a conversation about values – not just what is cheap, but what is right; not just about generating income, but about giving meaning. For too long, we have made decisions based more on an economic compass, as if the use of $1 has the moral equivalence of the loss of another. Sir, it is time we recognised that money is merely a proxy for value and, at times, a very bad one.

We need regulations on responsible use of funds, on fiscal prudence, good procurement but, equally, we ought to be having a conversation about reciprocity, trust and relationships.

Teachers know this. They know the magic of little gestures of a sticker with a thumbs-up stuck on an untidy worksheet for encouragement for a little child who handed in his homework despite family difficulties; a treat of a small snack; a lift to school to a pupil who otherwise would not want to come. Teachers who have all these years paid for all forms of Children's Day treats and surprises for our children, all these things which cost them no small amount of money, and yet, whose value transcends price. Teachers who have bought their own red pens to mark the test papers of all our children, they do not think that "the Ministry of Education (MOE) does not pay for red pens". Let me use instead the whiteboard markers which they do pay for. They do not think "I should means-test the kids and give treats only to those who cannot afford it".

It is laughable and an insult to think that they do this in exchange for free parking. So, of course, the withdrawal of free parking would not make teachers any less likely to do the many incredible, unpriced things they do. Rather, it is a reciprocity and a give and take which I feel we have lost by insisting on this strict calculus of benefits.

Using a clean wage argument implies that all the years of free parking had tarred teachers with an "unclean" wage. Sir, I do not want to belabour parking any further. Teachers, I think, have accepted this and have moved on. But something still sits uncomfortably on this matter for me.

And I want to address this squarely: not all Government policies have a complete recourse to dollars and cents. We need, within our current structures, to make more room from the lexicon of morality, duty, relationships and trust. This is not an appeal to populism. Rather, it is an appeal to the ideas of justice and community that have informed Singapore public policymaking at the start of our journey 53 years ago.

The first practical implication of my idea: this reform must start at the Ministry of Finance (MOF), responsible for so many of our policy levers – a reform that requires an explicit recognition of the limits of price, cost and expenditure as a proxy for value, and to allow for greater use of discretion by public officers in recognising moral reasoning as a legitimate form of argumentation.

Sir, I use the decision to charge parking to illustrate the kinds of conversations that we ought to be having. Thinking about the issue using a pure economic lens is, I argue, a mistake, as is the reduction of "clean wage" – surely a moral idea – to a mere tableau of taxable benefits.

Without this lexicon, we will not be able to address the greatest problems that have arisen in our time. The current debate has framed it as a problem of inequality but that risks mere description without a thesis. We might better frame it as a problem of an overweening dominance of economic magical thinking, a problem which, again, could be addressed by recalibrating the balance between the economics and the morality of our public actions.

Sir, many have spoken about the need for equality, but we have spoken mainly within the current framework of providing everyone with equal opportunities. While it is true that inequality is lower today than at the start of Singapore's journey, we also worry that the stratification today is higher than it was in the past, a point which Minister Ong Ye Kung highlighted in his speech on Wednesday.

And so, our measures must be correspondingly more aggressive, and we must slant inequality the other way. John Rawls famously said that we must try our best to treat people as equally as possible and any inequality ought to be to the benefit of the least advantaged.

But today, where inequality exists, we must go further. And in a country where socialism is not a dirty word but a founding philosophy, we must be prepared to do more for equality. So, I suggest that we must increasingly and continually treat people as unequally as practicable, so as to provide the largest advantages to the disadvantaged.

We must make sure that a boy born to poor parents must have more from the state than one born from the rich. I have said before in this House that this compensates for such matters as luck in birth and circumstances and I still hold that view even more strongly today. In the past, it used to be that a degree was a tried and tested way to climb up the ladder. Today, more and more of us, Ministers included, have said that a degree is not the only way.

In the United States (US), the higher education premium has not increased for the past 10 years. But here is the rub. When the premium on higher education falls, it is replaced by more varied paths, and decision-making always levies a higher cognitive tax on the poor. We must make sure that the transition to the new economic structure benefits the least advantaged in our society.

At the same time, I know that we need to be sensitive to the accusations of unfairness, that it is unfair that the people who pay taxes get the least out of the system, that Singapore ought to be a country for all, rather than always take from one side and giving to the other.

And yet this is the truth of a nation – those who have more bear a larger burden. It is how we tie to one another as Singaporeans, confident that whoever falls upon hard times, rich or poor, they will have a helping hand. This is our only safety net against fate and bad luck, whether in bad health or accidents. Incidentally, this also includes many external events outside our control. Economic storms can wipe out fortunes, making the rich today the destitute tomorrow.

Hence, my second suggestion for reform – we need more aggressively progressive policies, to ask more from the rich, and lessen the burden on the poor. All in the recognition that in the veil of ignorance, luck and chance attend to all men and women, and all Singaporeans need to stick together through thick and thin.

I do not mean this to say that we need a minimum wage, or universal welfare. Quite the opposite. We need a partnership of all Singaporeans, for a deeper engagement with Singaporeans with different needs, to negotiate paths through the complexity of our interests.

Mr Speaker, the rebalancing of economic with moral reasoning also leads us to see the injustice that we continue to be complicit in, by using up environmental capital meant for future generations.

Sir, you will see that Singapore is changing. Our temperatures are getting more extreme. And within the past few months alone, I think we have seen unusually cool and unusually warm days. This is a significant problem and not one that we can solve alone. But we can certainly make a start. For example, in changing the way we live, and spend resources, in making changes to our diet, for one, and our energy consumption for another.

We need to make sure that the capital that we rely on today still remains for the needs of tomorrow. In this, we require both morality and economics to work together, for capital to power clean technology for the future, as well as a massive change in consumer behaviour today.

So, my third and final idea for reform – let us start an environmental behavioural change that will tackle the largest environmental problems of our times. To lower our carbon emissions with our energy efficiency and allow Singapore to impact the world by making it bluer, greener and less polluted.

This is an issue which remains under-invested today, especially in the social sciences, and I urge the Government to invest in a research fund on environmental behaviour and change.

So, Mr Speaker, Sir, mine is a simple idea. We need to insert and steer our values into the national conversation about prosperity and growth. We need to balance the economic reasoning with moral reasoning. We need to make what is cheap, efficient and quick to what is fair, just and right.

It may be that there is no one policy, no matter how bold, that will address the most pressing problems of our times. It may be that Singapore today is a problem for the foxes rather than hedgehogs, but we need first to recognise that foxes speak the multi-tonal language of values, rather than the universal language of money. We must, therefore, make language of morality our vernacular in policy matters. Sir, I support the Motion.

Mr Speaker: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sun Xueling.

12.35 pm

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for National Development (Ms Sun Xueling): Mr Speaker, recently a resident came to see me at my Meet-the-People session describing his experience when he went to apply for a licence. He could not speak English, and apparently the staff at the counter did not understand him and told him to stand aside while they served others. Eventually, he said, they told him to leave. Over and over, the resident described to me his encounter. How he felt the counter staff looked down on him, how others in the queue became aware of his inability to speak English. I explained to my resident that I would write an appeal for him with regard to his licence application. But over and over, he continued to describe his encounter to me. He could not stop. Every look he thought he saw, every tone he heard, every slight he felt, his dignity, Mr Speaker, had been hurt.

I thought back about the President's speech. We have programmes to build a fair and just society. I welcome and support these programmes. But to my resident whose dignity had been hurt, what is a fair and just society? We are all born with a sense of dignity. Some describe dignity as a sense of being valued, a feeling of being respected, a sensation of esteem of self-worth. It is tied to our self-identity, to the things that matter to us, and it is reinforced daily on how others react to us. When our dignity is maintained and our self-worth reinforced through words or deeds, we are at peace with ourselves and with society. When our dignity is threatened and our self-worth questioned, we may react in anger against those who look down on us. We may also become depressed, or demotivated.

I would say, that how we recognise one another's needs for dignity and protect it, has implications for how fair and just our society is perceived to be and for social harmony. To achieve a sense of fairness and justness, Government policies which preserve meritocracy, equality and promote self-help are important. To a large extent, our Government policies strive to create equality in our society by making sure that all citizens have access to education, medical care, basic home ownership and jobs. This allows everyone to have the basics to live a life with dignity. And even for those who drop out or have fallen behind, there are Government schemes to provide them an opportunity to get back on again.

For instance, we have the Fresh Start Housing Scheme which aims to help second-timer families with children and who live in public rental flats own a flat again. And should new gaps appear in society, Government policies will be looked at again to deal with new issues and new inequalities which may come about.

But apart from good policies which strive to create equality, we should also be mindful of the processes and social interactions which can affect an individual's sense of dignity. For example, when the vulnerable and the needy go to Government agencies for help, are our processes sensitive to their needs? Do we make them feel that they are valued citizens, albeit they need help at this juncture? Are we mindful of the constraints that they face? I believe that every time a citizen comes forward to seek help, it is a moment in his life where we could help effect change. A moment where we could try to right life's inequalities, a moment where we could make an individual feel that he is respected and valued, regardless of his station in life. These are moments where we can uplift our citizens and show that we are a caring society.

I subsequently met the same resident I mentioned earlier a month later at a block visit. He shared with me happily that his licence application had been approved. I may never know the exact details of his original encounter. Nevertheless, it seemed to me to be quite a straightforward application. So, the unhappy incident could have been due to a breakdown in communication arising from language difficulties.

This episode taught me that in our interactions with our fellow men, we need to put ourselves in their shoes, speak the language they speak, consider the options put to them to their world view. Sometimes, it is not so much what we do, but how we do it that matters. But creating an environment where people feel that they are respected and their sense of dignity is upheld, is not just the role of the Government.

The Prime Minister, in his speech on Wednesday, spoke about social cues and social markers. That they become ways to pigeonhole or exclude others knowingly or unknowingly. This is where each of us can play a role, that we not become a perpetrator of such social markers. Instead, we should treat those around us, our fellow men, with mutual respect and compassion. It is only when mutual respect becomes part of our bigger culture that we can be assured that every citizen feels valued and respected just being part of our society.

For instance, in our everyday interactions when we come across a service staff, a cleaner, a waiter, do we acknowledge their presence, smile at them and thank them for their work? When we walk into a shop, are we considerate to the shop assistants? This goes beyond superficial manners. It is genuine respect for someone else's work and consideration for someone else's dignity. And to our young, do we show them through our words and our actions that we value them regardless of what school they go to, how well they do in school and that we respect them as multi-dimensional individuals with various different potentials?

When we have compassion and mutual respect for our fellow men and we demonstrate it through our words and our deeds, we uphold their dignity and we make a statement about what we hold dear in our society, that regardless of what life has in store for individuals and its infinitely varied and unequal economic outcomes, everyone has a place in Singapore society. No one is any less equal. When we respect one another and treat one another with civility and dignity, this mutuality of respect becomes a powerful anchoring force, providing assurance to every individual that he is loved and accepted. This brings people close together because they know that they are accepted, come what may. And this is the antithesis to social markers which serve to divide and to differentiate.

Mr Speaker, there are uncertain times ahead with global trade being threatened and our economy undergoing economic restructuring. There will be new winners and new losers in a new paradigm. Inequality can become a serious issue, and social stratification can break the social compact in Singapore. Amidst this tidal wave of change, individuals will be seeking new anchors to preserve their world view and their sense of self-worth as jobs are disrupted and skills have to be relearnt. How we manage this transition together and how we help others around us will be a true mark of our compassion for our fellow men and our resilience as a nation. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: Mr Speaker, recently at my Meet-the-People session, a resident, Mr Wong, came to see me. He said he had an unhappy experience not too long ago when applying for a certain licence. He said that because he could not speak English, the staff at the counter could not understand him and asked him to stand aside. The staff then started to serve other residents and later tried to talk him into leaving.

Mr Wong recounted his encounter over and over and could not get over it. He felt that the staff looked down on him. He also felt that people around him also started to look down on him after knowing that he could not speak English. He felt that he has lost face.

Although I could not verify what exactly was the attitude of the staff at that time, according to Mr Wong, the expression and the look of the people around him have hurt his dignity.

Mr Speaker, what is dignity? Some say dignity is a sense of being respected and valued. It is the indication of self-esteem and self-worthiness. In this society, only when the dignity of each person is protected can people feel a sense of belonging and the whole society be cohesive.

For over 50 years after Independence, there are many welcome policies that look after the dignity of our residents, for example, the housing, MediSave and Baby Bonus policies.

At the juncture of this new era, it is even more important to protect the dignity of individuals. Currently, Singapore is facing the potential threat of global trade wars and the challenge of economic restructuring.

Amidst this tidal wave of change, many professions will be disrupted and new winners and losers will emerge. At this time, Singaporeans will need psychological and spiritual anchors. When faced with failure and humiliation, can we still maintain an optimistic and a positive mindset? Can we still maintain our confidence and courage?

I think this will require our society to be more inclusive.

In the past few days, Ministers and Members of Parliament talked about social inequality. To solve the issue of inequality, for sure, Government policies will play a role. However, we also need to realise that inequality is usually a perception. Even if we have the right policy, if we do not respect one another, people will not feel real equality.

Coming back to the story of Mr Wong, I learned that his application was approved within a short period of time. In fact, his application was a rather simple process. The unhappiness before was likely a result of miscommunication. Sometimes, certain words we utter and certain body language could affect others profoundly. He may feel that his dignity is hurt and the society is unfair to him.

When communicating and interacting with residents, if we could pay attention to details and be sensitive to one another's needs, unnecessary misunderstandings could be avoided. Each time we meet a resident, it provides us a valuable opportunity to help him, an opportunity to correct his perception of imbalances in life, and even an opportunity to change his life. Hence, we should treasure each opportunity when we meet the residents and make an effort to attend to the details, so that they truly feel that Singapore is a country with a human touch.

Meanwhile, if each of us, regardless of race, religion and language, can have enough cultural confidence and leave some space for one another, then we will be able to feel that this is an equal and inclusive society.

Mr Speaker, for every resident in difficulty, I would like to say to him that "Perhaps, I am not able to really feel the pain you are going through, perhaps I cannot fully understand the choices you have made, but I respect you always. Let me hear you, let me help you, let us work together and move forward hand in hand".

Mr Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.

12.49 pm

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to thank the President for her speech which outlined the direction that the 4G leaders would be taking our country. My speech will focus on forging a strong national identity through four key areas. First, virtual world to real world; second, volunteerism/community involvement; third, sense of belonging; fourth, foreign policy.

We are today moving into an era where many things we see and do are unthinkable just a decade ago. We are in the age of disruptive technology. People can sit at home and let their fingers do the walking and talking. It can create social isolation. But we can turn these technological tools to our advantage.

We often talk about the disappearing kampung spirit. In fact, this kampung spirit has moved to the virtual world. They take a different form, that is all. There are so many kampungs in our Whatsapp and Facebook chat groups. Some chats have groups with as many as 50 to 60 people, or as few as 10 or less. These private app chats are today’s mini kampungs where people communicate, share opinions, comments, news, videos and so on.

Data from Statista, the Statistics Portal, showed, as of the third quarter of 2017, the most popular social network was WhatsApp with a 73% penetration rate. In 2016, Singapore had 3.3 million social network users. This figure is projected to grow to 3.6 million social media users in 2021.

So, I would call this the era of GenApps, a time when what is unthinkable today can be tomorrow’s reality. But to forge a strong Singapore identity, groups in the virtual world should move to the real world. To all chat groups, I make this call to not just stay in the virtual world. Please come forward and join our community when we celebrate our National Day and other festive celebrations. At such events and at subsequent events, we meet one another, get to know one another better, share our common interests and forge deep bonds. Because of this relationship, we share joys and, should a crisis arise, you and I, our actions and reactions, our response to the call for help, would be more robust. This is the Singapore Spirit.

My second point. Another platform that we can promote and forge a common identity is through volunteerism. I urge everyone, whether you are in school, a youth, a working adult or a retiree, we can all make our contributions. There is a role for everyone. The energy and the commitment you bring will no doubt improve many lives. We derive deep satisfaction through meaningful interactions, build up our circle of friends, join in the various activities and build up a sense of belonging to the community. People who volunteer together, play together and participate in activities together will build interpersonal relationships, trust and attachment to one another.

Our Government has done much to invest in the physical infrastructure for our community. As a community, we can do even more to benefit our people in building and strengthening heartware. We can provide the emotional support to bring our people together. In my Henderson Dawson division, I have a regular coordinating meeting with all the Government agencies, community partners, business groups and volunteer groups where we share information about who, what and how we are helping residents in need. This helps us to address gaps, duplication, so that limited resources can be spread to more beneficiaries and holistic help can be provided and urgent cases attended to quickly. Thus, instead of each organisation working in silos, we work together. Instead of solely depending on the Government to help, the community is involved. In addition, we provide a platform for our beneficiaries to volunteer, as this gives them a sense of pride and dignity where they are also contributing to the community.

Third point. Speaking of pride and dignity, the Government can do well to offer our seniors career opportunities, especially the female workforce. It is an area where we can tap on our readily available workforce. There is a growing pool of retirees whom we should look to rely on as a good source to meet our skilled manpower needs. Many of our retirees are healthy, well-educated, well-informed and with good work ethos. Can they not have a second career opportunity to pursue their dreams?

I had shared this anecdote in the Budget Debate. But a good story is one that deserves to be retold. One of my residents, Mdm Maureen Tan, aged 69, living in Strathmore Avenue used to work as a personal assistant in a bank. At the same time, she had always cared for her grandchildren and even helped to babysit her neighbours’ children whenever she had the time. After her retirement, she became a full-time caregiver to her two grandchildren. Her neighbours knew she doted on children and would occasionally ask her to babysit for them when they had errands to run.

Last year, Maureen approached the Henderson Dawson PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkletots Childcare Centre and volunteered her services. As the teachers saw she had so much love for the children, the centre offered her a job. She now interacts with the children, keeps them comfortable and showers them with all her tender love and care.

Maureen has been working in the Henderson Dawson PCF Centre since February 2017 and enjoying every day of it. At 69, she is healthy, experienced and very committed. She sees her work with PCF as a second career. She will be very happy if she can be offered a career path, so that she can develop herself. I believe the Government can offer retirees like Mdm Maureen Tan a second career and develop a career path for them. In doing so, we give our seniors a sense of belonging and participation in the new chapters of the Singapore story.

Fourth point: foreign policy. Another area where we can strengthen our identity is to help educate our people on the many things that our leaders are doing in the field of foreign policy. We need to explain in simple terms the areas that our Government is doing in foreign affairs which are often not understood by the man-in-the-street. For example, how decisions at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits impact our lives or, how our participation in international treaties and agreements, such as free trade agreements (FTAs) or the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, impacts on our lives; how important it is to be chosen as host to the Trump-Kim Jong-un Summit. The current Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) website offers information but on very few subjects and it is more event-based. The ASEAN page gives some exposure to the grouping, but it is still very limited to the history and the deliberations and events.

In this information age, I would like to propose to MFA to set up a portal and provide bite-size information on our foreign policies where our people can look up on the Government's stand and understand why certain decisions are made and why certain comments are made. This can deepen our understanding of our foreign policies, and our man-in-the-street can be our ambassadors of our foreign policies, too. This, I feel, can help our people forge an even stronger Singaporean identity. Sir, in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: Mr Speaker, another area where we can strengthen our identity is to help educate our people on the many things that our leaders are doing in the field of foreign policy. We need to explain in simple terms the areas that our Government is doing in foreign affairs which are often not understood by the man-in-the-street. For example, how decisions at ASEAN summits impact our lives. Or how our participation in international treaties and agreements, such as FTAs or the Paris Agreement on Climate Change impacts on our lives. How important is it to be chosen as host to the Trump-Kim Jong-un Summit?

In this information age, I would like to propose to MFA to set up a portal and provide bite-size information on our foreign policies where our people can look up on our stand and understand why certain decisions are made and why certain comments are made. This can deepen our understanding of our foreign policies and our man-in-the-street can be ambassadors of our foreign policies, too. This, I feel, can help our people forge an even stronger Singaporean identity.

(In English) Mr Speaker, Sir, our fourth generation (4G) leaders are very well-versed on the powers of effective and timely communication in this information age. However, the need to garner the views of non-government organisations (NGOs), voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) and volunteer groups in the community is very important. This is so that everyone has a sense of participation and involvement in all that we are doing. It also helps in getting the buy-in from the ground. I look forward to our new leaders working with all Singaporeans to take us to the next level. Sir, I support the Motion.

Mr Speaker: Minister Indranee Rajah.

1.00 pm

The Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Education, Finance and Law (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, today, I wish to speak about what it means to be Singaporean. Every once in a while, the topic of the Singapore Identity comes up. Often, it is couched as a question: do we have a defining identity in view of our relatively short history? At other times, it is an expression of angst. We point to kiasuism, competitiveness and stress, and we ask ourselves are these all there is to us? We are known to be pragmatic, logical and rational but this also prompts us to wonder: “Are we all head and no heart?”

When I came to the Chamber just now, I found on my seat a brown envelope from Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin. She had inserted inside a copy of the letter from the National University of Singapore (NUS) students of Tembusu College to the fourth Prime Minister of Singapore that was widely publicised. In that letter, the students expressed their concerns, their hopes, their fears, many of those related to the Singapore Identity.

The question of the Singapore Identity is particularly pertinent as we enter a new phase of the Singapore Story. A new global situation is emerging.

Politically, we see the rise of China, the introspection of America, new tensions in the Middle East, Britain’s exit from the European Union, and, closer to home, a new situation in Malaysia. The global economic centre of gravity is shifting to Asia. Technology is penetrating lives and changing lifestyles, disrupting old jobs and creating new ones. It is triggering innovation and posing fresh conundrums.

Socially, we and the rest of the world are grappling with income inequality, social stratification and the dangers of polarisation. Our population is ageing; new births are not replacing the ones who pass on; and amidst all these, the ever-present shadow of terrorism.

Against this backdrop, the following questions arise: do we, this generation of Singaporeans, have what it takes to deal with these challenges and come out ahead? In this time of change, what anchors us? Who are we and what do we stand for? What kind of future do we want to make for ourselves? These questions go to the very heart of our identity.

We do have a unique identity and defining characteristics. We sometimes forget, but our history is not short. We achieved Independence in 1965. Raffles founded modern Singapore in 1819. But our story actually stretches far back to 1299, to the first founding by Sang Nila Utama. It is a 700-year journey through time and space that has made us the people that we are and given us the attributes that are now part of our uniquely Singaporean DNA.

From the 14th century, Singapura emerged as a thriving emporium built on regional trade. Open trade and commerce have always been in our lifeblood. That remains true today. Singapore declined in the early 1700s due to the rise and relocation of other economic centres in the region. That is an early lesson on what happens when you are overtaken by competition. You lose your relevance and slide into obscurity.

The founding by Raffles in 1819 gave us a new lease of life. The bold move to make Singapore a free port and an open centre of free trade not only re-established our economic importance, but it took us beyond the region, plugging us into global trade for the very first time. This global connection has carried on to the present day and continues to shape our economic outlook.

It also led to the coming of many peoples and the establishment of many cultures – the beginnings of our multiculturalism.

Over the next 150 years, sojourners became settlers. People sank roots. We were not yet one people; not yet a nation. But from a harbour, Singapore was becoming home.

As a colony, Singapore grew in economic and strategic importance. But in the 1940s, the winds of war swept the world and we were not spared. The year 1941 saw the fall of Singapore, an ignominious blow to the invincibility of the British Empire. It shattered forever the idea of the inevitability of colonial rule. The Japanese Occupation was a period of subjugation and suffering, sacrifice and bloodshed, experienced directly by our parents and grandparents. That is why, even to this day, the word "Syonan" evokes strong reactions.

With the end of WWII, came a global tide of anti-colonialism and the rise of nation states. Our response? The upswell of a strong nationalist spirit, and a fierce desire for the right to determine our own future. Next came the turbulent years of internal self-government, merger, Separation and, finally, Independence. In just 24 years, we made the tumultuous transition from subjugation to sovereignty. Our hopes and dreams for the future were captured in the Proclamation of Independence, which said: "...Singapore shall be forever a sovereign democratic and independent nation, founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of her people in a more just and equal society.”

That was the day we became One People. A Nation. Sovereign. You could say that that was also the day that a nascent Singapore Identity emerged, shaped by the events of the preceding centuries, and to be further forged and honed in the next 50 years, as we made the journey from Third World to First.

Who then are we, the people who have made this journey? Well, we are a people with a strong sense of self-determination. Our history has made us so. We have a deep and abiding belief that our future should be charted, not by others, but by ourselves, and on our own terms. Our Independence was hard won. We will preserve and protect that inalienable right.

This is why the President’s Address makes securing Singapore’s place in the world one of our priorities. This is also why we do not allow external interference with our politics.

As a small country, we are often subject to external pressures. Countries larger and more powerful than us may, from time to time, try to dictate what we should do. However, we will act only in accordance with the best interests of Singapore. This takes courage, deftness and a healthy sense of realism. These, too, are our attributes.

We wish to be friends with all. But we will defend ourselves if the need arises. We advance and defend our right to self-determination through diplomacy and deterrence. That is why we act on principle and support a rules-based international order, where states must act in accordance with agreed rules and not purely on the basis of might or size. And that is why we have the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), and that is why we support National Service (NS).

Long before multiculturalism became a buzzword, we made it part of our identity as a nation. The power of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's words in 1965 still resonates today, when he said: "We are going to have a multiracial nation in Singapore. We will set the example. This is not a Malay nation; this is not a Chinese nation; this is not an Indian nation. Everybody will have his place: equal; language, culture, religion."

To be Singaporean is to accept that all can practise their faiths, as long as you do not do harm to others. To be Singaporean is to be able to have your own distinct racial identity while, at the same time, being part of a larger Singaporean family, and sharing a broader national identity with many other races. To be Singaporean is to be able to appreciate and celebrate other cultures, while retaining your own. To be Singaporean is also to be part of a uniquely Singaporean culture: Singlish, eating at hawker centres, the concept of "choping", especially with a packet of tissue paper, our habit of calling everyone Auntie or Uncle, whether or not they are related to us; our preferred dress style – casual wear and slippers. And when you say "fun shot", every Singaporean immediately knows they must put their thumbs up! These are things which cut across all ethnicities.

At the core of our Singaporean identity is our values. More than anything else, it is our values that define us: family, kindness, inclusiveness; honesty, integrity and anti-corruption; meritocracy and the aspiration for equality; justice, fairness and rule of law.

Because of our values, our hallmark is trust. People know they can trust us. In global and regional trade, many accord a premium to dealing with Singaporean businesses. Multinational corporations (MNCs) set up shop here and investors invest because they know we can be trusted. As a country and as a people, our brand is trustworthiness, reliability.

We are a committed people. When we say we will do something, we will. Our biggest commitment is closely interwoven with our identity. That is to be found in the pledge. What is the pledge but a commitment, by every Singaporean to one another, to build a better life together? In the pledge: we affirm our unity; we define the kind of society we want to build together – democratic, based on justice and equality; we set out our goals – happiness, prosperity and progress for everyone. This is instilled in every Singaporean schoolchild, every adult. Anyone who becomes a citizen must take that pledge as one of the first acts of citizenship and understand, through the pledge, what it means to be Singaporean.

The pursuit of excellence is also part of our identity. This is a function of our size and lack of natural resources. If we want anyone to pay attention to us, if we want to have a place at the international table, if we are to secure our position in the world, then we have to be better than merely good. We have to be exceptional. And through our combined efforts as a people, we are.

We are a tiny island of 719 square kilometres. We have a population of 5.5 million, of which 3.4 million are citizens. There are 193 member states in the United Nations. Almost all of them are bigger, more populous and far more generously endowed with natural resources than we are. Yet, we make our mark internationally.

Hub status. Singapore is the world’s busiest transshipment hub. In 2016, PSA Singapore was ranked Best Container Terminal Asia. Changi Airport, in 2018, it was voted the World’s Best Airport for the sixth consecutive year. Singapore Airlines (SIA) is the No 1 airline in the world. Singapore is the third most preferred seat of arbitration globally. Singapore is the fourth top financial centre in the world.

In global mobility, the Singapore passport is the most powerful in the world in terms of global mobility. Our water story has been an amazing one. We have taken the little we have and made it robust and sustainable. Singapore is a world leader in water recycling. In the 2017 benchmarking exercise by the European Benchmarking Co-operation Foundation, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) was ranked in the top 10% of water utilities benchmarked for (a) compliance with applicable standards for drinking water tests, and (b) wastewater treatment plant compliance with discharge standards. We have one of the lowest unaccounted-for-water (UFW) rates in the world. PUB received the Stockholm Industry Water Award in 2007 and was named Water Agency of the Year in 2006 for being an exemplary model of integrated water management.

Music, Art and Sport. Over the years, Singapore has had many child prodigies in music. The most recent is 11-year-old violinist Chloe Chua, who won first prize in the junior division of the Menuhin Competition, the Olympics of violin. Our designers are dressing Hollywood stars – Dzojchen’s suits are worn by Robert Downey Jr, Chadwick Boseman and Nick Jonas. So, when Ironman is not in his iron armour, he is in a Singapore suit! Heliopolis Accessories’ clutch bags have been worn by Emma Roberts and Janelle Monáe.

Our sportsmen and women have done us proud. Joseph Schooling won our first Olympic gold medal. Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh – gold and bronze medals at the 2016 Paralympics. Jason Chee, table tennis gold at the ASEAN Paralympic Games. And we have scaled Everest – Dr Kumaran Rasappan and also Nur Yusina Ya’akob, the first Malay/Muslim woman from Singapore, to reach the world’s highest peak.

And we are not doing too badly in the fun stakes. Zouk is among the top clubs in the world. And The Manhattan Bar at the Regent Hotel is Asia’s No 1 for the second year running, not bad for a small little red dot that you can barely find on any world map. And this is not even the full list of our achievements. There are more which I will mention later.

Some of you may have felt slightly uncomfortable during my recitation of this long list of achievements. If so, you are displaying another very Singaporean trait, which is modesty. We are not given to blowing our own trumpet or puffing ourselves up. If anything, we are embarrassed by praise and accolades. We tend to duck our heads and mumble something about just doing our duty. But this is not about chest thumping or bragging. This is about understanding the significance of what I have just listed.

Those things could not have been achieved by any single person, organisation or the Government acting alone. Those were achieved by the collective effort of Singaporeans, each contributing in different ways. To have been able to achieve all those things despite the odds, despite our size, despite our lack of resources, tells you something about us. It tells you, we are determined. It tells you, we are resilient. We do not give up, not even when faced by seemingly insurmountable obstacles. We will turn a weakness into strength.

It tells you that we are resourceful and entrepreneurial. We are the kind of people who will create something out of nothing, based just on the power of an idea. It tells you we are innovative, able to adapt, to break new ground. If there is a worthy challenge, we will rise to the occasion and meet it.

We were once told that we were just a little red dot, a remark that was meant to put us in our place and remind us how small we are. Instead, we took that label and we turned it into a badge of pride and a mark of excellence.

But being Singaporean is not just about achievements. Our achievements are the manifestation of something much deeper and more fundamental – care. Above all, to be Singaporean is to care. To be Singaporean is to care about family, about others, about country. In this debate, much has been said about social mobility, inequality and the lack of social mixing. These are real concerns.

However, in the context of identity, the real point to note is not that this is becoming a problem. We know that it is a problem. The real point to note is that we care that it is becoming a problem and we are determined to do something about it. That is the essence of being Singaporean. We care enough to want to do something. If we see something wrong, our first instinct is to help, to fix it, to improve the situation.

Take education. We care about our people. We care about our children and their future. We want every child to fulfil his or her fullest potential, to give every child the opportunity to succeed, irrespective of starting point. And that is the reason why we put so much emphasis on education.

Our 15-year-olds are No 1 in the world for Mathematics, Science and reading in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015, an international benchmarking test dubbed the World Cup for Education. Our students are also the world’s No 1 for problem solving through teamwork. That is PISA 2015’s Study on Collaborative Problem Solving. Likewise, our Primary 4 and Secondary 2 students are the world’s No 1 in Mathematics and Science. And this includes progress made by academically weaker students. That is from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015. Our Primary 4 students are No 2 in the world for Reading.

Again, I cite this data not for the sake of trumpet blowing, but to ask people to look at the story that this data tells you. The data tells the story of how, over the years, our educators have built an exceptional education system where our students outperform their peers internationally. This was and continues to be driven not by a desire to top the rankings but by the desire to ensure that our children succeed, and to give them the best chance to navigate the future and to help them be the best that they can be.

In this regard, I was struck by what the former Director-General of Education Ms Ho Peng said in her speech at the Appreciation Dinner upon her retirement. She said: "We never went out to be a world-class education system but, through good thinking, planning and sheer hard work, we woke up one day to the realisation that we were regarded as world-class. The idea took some getting used to – and I hope never. Because education is such a complex business, it is, after all, to mould the future of our nation, that we must never be complacent, to always keep on our toes, to be forward-looking and yet, remain connected with the ground, the voices of students, teachers, school leaders, parents and the community." That is how our educators see their mission.

Yes, there is anxiety about stress and competitiveness. There is also a need to shift the focus from an over-emphasis on academics to embrace a broader skills approach. We have been working on that. We have made several moves in the last few years, and we will do more. But this, too, is an example of our Singaporeanness; we are never content to rest on our laurels. We will continually try to do better.

We care about adults, too. We worry for those who may lose their jobs to technology. We want our people to be fully employed. We want them to be able to cope with change so that they can secure their livelihoods, and care is the driving impetus behind SkillsFuture and Adapt and Grow.

We care about whether our people have jobs. We know and we understand the concerns about cost of living. However, we recognise that the best way to address this is by generating economic activity with real wage increases and real productivity so that our people can earn more in real terms. So, that is where we direct our efforts.

Singapore is the top investment destination in Asia and second in the world. We are the second most competitive economy in the world. Second among 190 economies for ease of doing business. We are top in Asia for best protection of intellectual property (IP). We are top in Asia for innovation.

Again, what story do these survey results tell? It is certainly not about growth for growth’s sake. What that data reflects is the enormous continuing effort that goes into trying to keep Singapore the best place to do business so that foreign investments will flow in, so that companies are anchored here, to make us a global exchange for goods and services. Why? For one purpose: to generate opportunities and jobs for our people so that we can make a better living.

Health. We care about our people's health. We are first in the world for life expectancy at birth, both sexes; first in the world for health-related sustainable development; second in the world for healthcare efficiency; and healthiest country in Asia and fourth in the world. I am not sure how many other countries’ prime ministers tell you to eat brown rice!

Again, this data speaks of our concern that our people should lead long and healthy lives. It is testament to the work that goes in to ensure that we are healthy and that, if for any reason we fall ill, Singaporeans can get the best possible healthcare.

Housing. We care that our people have good homes, to have a place where they can bring up their families. We have 90.7% home ownership, of which, 80% is public housing. The home ownership rate among resident households for Housing and Development Board flats is 92.1%.

In the last decade, we have expanded our social networks, increased social programmes and increased social expenditure. That includes the Pioneer Generation Package, the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), Silver Support, ComCare, MediShield Life, to name just a few – again, because we care.

Singaporeans are a caring people. We have big hearts. This can be seen in many ways, for example, our response to the tsunami in 2004 and the Nepal earthquake in 2015. Our volunteerism rate has grown over the years from one in 10 individuals (9%) volunteering in 2000 to one in three (35%) volunteering in 2016. Total volunteer hours have almost doubled from 66 million hours in 2014 to 121 million hours in 2016.

But our other Singaporean trait is that we are also pragmatic. It is not enough to simply care. Empathy without outcomes achieves little. Care has to be deliverable and sustainable, both operationally and financially. And that is the other part of our identity, too, that is, making sure that things actually get done. We work hard to translate care into reality. And that is why the Singapore Tourism Board tagline is "Passion made Possible", accompanied by the trust mark.

For us, it is not enough to get things done just for today. We are also a people who think about tomorrow, about the future of our children and the future of Singapore, our country. The Committee on the Future Economy and its work is about the future, as, indeed, is this debate. Our preoccupation with the future is driven by our sense of duty and stewardship, that we must not only tend to our own generation but plant seeds that will bear fruit for the next.

We are green, we care about our environment and we love nature. Long before the green movement, we had annual tree planting. From a Garden City, we have moved to being a City in a Garden. Our Botanical Gardens is a World Heritage Site. We have Gardens by the Bay, the upcoming Rainforest Park at Mandai. We are a Permanent Observer of the Artic Council. And we have designated this year as the Year of Climate Action.

We love animals. It is not only dogs and cats. Just look at our response to the animals which share our urban home – otters, owls, woodpeckers. Campus Creatures is a popular Facebook page on animals seen around our schools, junior colleges, polytechnics and universities. Animal rescue and shelters are gaining more prominence.

We are foodies. We love, love, love our food! Before we have finished one meal, we are discussing the next! We have our traditional hawker food, but young Singaporeans are coming up with creative new concepts. There is Baomakers by Pang Su Yi. That is traditional kong bak bao, but with innovative new fillings of salted egg yolk, chicken and prawn, chilli crab, crispy chicken with Japanese tartar sauce. Windowsill Pies, set up by brothers Jonathan and Sean Gwee – yummalicious sweet pies. There is the Hainanese chicken rice and laksa potato chips by F.EAST, a Singapore husband and wife team – Lee Yue Jer and Kee Vern Cheng. And salted egg yolk fishskin and chips from Golden Duck by Singaporean duo Jonathan Shen and Christopher Hwang. In fact, we have taken to putting salted egg yolk on just about everything! It is fast becoming part of the Singapore food scene. And, for those who have not tried the Golden Duck’s fishskin and chips, I have arranged for Parliament to put some packets in the Members’ Room during the break.

Then, we have a uniquely Singaporean sense of humour. Think Phua Chu Kang, the Noose and, more currently, the Ryan Sylvia YouTube Channel.

We are by no means perfect. We are champion complainers, although Ministers from other countries have assured me that we do not have a monopoly on this! We can sometimes be inconsiderate and selfish. And yes, we are kiasu; we are impatient. But overall, our positive attributes far outweigh our negative ones.

We value every individual. But what makes us truly unique is our strong sense of unity.

Singapore is exceptional not because everyone is a superstar. If you ask Singaporeans, many will say they are just ordinary people doing ordinary things. But we are exceptional – and we have achieved extraordinary things – because of our unity, the way in which we pull together.

Members will recall Our Singapore Conversation, which distilled the five things that mattered most to Singaporeans. One of these was “Kampung Spirit”. Why is that so important? It is because what keeps us going, what makes us able to take on all the challenges that we face – and there are many – is the knowledge that we are there for one another, supporting one another, leaving no one behind.

The Singapore Story is still being written. It must be written by all Singaporeans. But let me make a special call out to the young who are just starting out. You must help to write the next chapter. Earlier generations have done much. Now, it is your turn. You have the qualities, the values and the opportunity to do so. To the students of Tembusu College, not all the answers are clear right now because the story is being written. But you will be part of that story and you will write that story, together with the 4G leadership and with your fellow Singaporeans.

No matter what our background, each of us has a role to play. Each has something to contribute to make Singapore a better place. As in an orchestra, each instrument, taken alone, may not sound very musical. But, together, they produce a soaring symphony.

Together, we are exceptional. Together, we have achieved what we have. Together, we have beaten seemingly impossible odds time and time again. Together, then, is how we must tackle the future. And we will succeed because of who and what we are –Singaporean. Thank you, Mr Speaker. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker: I believe all Members are getting hungry. So, you would be glad to know I will be making some adjustments. Ms Rahayu Mahzam stands between us and tea break.

1.30 pm

Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Thank you, Speaker, for the challenge, and apologies to the House. Mr Speaker, Sir, allow me to begin my speech in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: This year, President Halimah Yacob delivered her maiden President’s Address. For me, it was a proud moment and a source of inspiration. Seeing a Malay lady as the President delivering an address charting the direction of our country, made me really think about progress in Singapore. In Singapore, a woman can occupy the highest position in society. In Singapore, a minority race can have the same status as the other races. In Singapore, if we are willing to work hard, there are pathways and opportunities to keep progressing.

I admit, and I am aware, that not everyone has the same situation in life. For instance, a particular family’s financial situation and the lack of social networks and social capital, can definitely impact one’s direction in life. Those who come from low-income families generally need to work harder compared to those who come from wealthy families. This turns the pursuit of progress into an unfair competition. This year’s President's Address has certainly outlined inequality as an issue that we must overcome. I am heartened to see the Government giving due attention to this issue and making it a national priority.

I recall when I was a student, and when there was an opportunity to take part in a study visit overseas, I did not even think about participating because I knew the cost was high and my parents could not afford it.

Overseas programmes are not necessarily a priority, but such activities, which are done outside the classroom, are opportunities to gain new experiences and knowledge. Each student should be able to grab any opportunity in the course of his or her education, regardless of background.

Life is different now. Many parents may be able to afford to provide more for their children. However, we must make sure that no one is left behind.

Now, there is an Opportunity Fund, a fund that can be used for beneficial co-curricular activities to further develop students from low-income families. I hope that the administration of this fund can be enhanced to ensure that students are aware of the various opportunities that are available and that more students can benefit from this fund.

We also have the KidSTART programme, which is a pilot programme that aims to provide comprehensive support to low-income families. It is hoped that this will increase the potential of children from such families, and these children will have the same opportunities as children from other families. I truly welcome this effort. However, I hope that this programme can be developed even more quickly so that it can benefit more families. I would like to also suggest that the Ministry look at how this programme can be right-scaled so that certain aspects can be replicated and applied to children from middle-income families. The reason is that although parents from this group may be able to afford certain things for their children, the cost of living may affect their ability to provide additional things. It will be good if support can also be rendered to these families.

The Government may be able to implement certain policies and programmes but, in the end, all of us play a role in ensuring that our society can progress together. We must make use of the available opportunities, provide support and assistance where possible, and work together to enhance the standard of living of all Singaporeans.

(In English): Mr Speaker, allow me to continue in English. Many of my esteemed colleagues in this House had shared their insights from their interactions and discussions with residents and other groups of people. Allow me to add to this and share some of my insights.

For one, the people want an efficient Government, one that responds to issues quickly and solves all problems immediately. The people I spoke to lamented about transportation woes, problems with shared bicycles, danger imposed by personal mobility devices. Whilst they acknowledge the current efforts in place to resolve the issues, many hope for a faster solution.

Secondly, there is a desire for the Government to allow for space to dissent and disagree. Some shared that the Government should not be high-handed in its approach in responding to criticism, and that there should be better acceptance of its inadequacies and a willingness to change and do better.

Above all, the people want to be assured that the Government is a compassionate one, one that would fight for its people, be on their side and do right by them. It seems that unpopular decisions like the Goods and Services Tax increases, imposing car park charges on teachers, no matter how logical they may sound, make people wonder if the Government has heard the people and really care. For some people, the many lofty plans and policies will not matter if at the end of the day it does not make their lives better.

The expectation on the Government is very high. As it should be, I feel. Our people deserve the best. The previous generation of leaders set high standards of efficiency, of integrity and we should build on these standards.

However, the challenge faced by the new generation of leaders is great. Issues about maintaining or, in fact, earning and building trust have surfaced. There are vocal groups who may be in the minority, but their dissent is strong and their views are amplified through social media. The landscape of information flow has changed. We all have confirmation biases and social media helps create echo chambers where already-held beliefs, no matter how unreasonable they may be, are reinforced.

It is an uphill battle, but I have faith in the leadership. I am heartened by the candour and humility of the Government. Over the last few days of this debate, I have heard the acknowledgement and acceptance of the people’s grievances, their feedback, and the plan and determination to do better. I have also personally seen the leadership at work with the people and even behind closed-door discussions. There is an earnest desire to engage, to lay out the various tradeoffs and explain why some things can or cannot be done. There is an earnest effort to review and make changes, where appropriate, to help ease difficulties. But there is also courage to make the right decisions, to make unpopular decisions, and to do what is important and right for Singapore. I feel that it is this earnestness and courage that define this current Government. Clearly, there is just no short cut to this except the hard work of engaging and helping each group, each person, each individual, and in earning their trust and respect, one heart at a time.

I also have faith in our people. As Minister Indranee articulately put it just now, it is our values that define us, and I believe that our values will guide us through any turning points in our journey as we continue writing our Singapore Story. The story of the resilience, grit and determination of our forefathers will continue to live in us. I have faith in our collective wisdom to choose what is best for the country in the long run, not just for the short term, and to distinguish the truth from falsehoods, to appreciate sincerity and hard work in building Singapore and to find common ground in the midst of many differing views.

Mr Speaker, I trust I have completed in good time. I support this Motion.

Mr Speaker: Well done! Order. I think we all need a tea break now. I suspend the Sitting. And just to show a little bit more care, I will take the Chair at 2.05 pm. Order.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 1.40 pm until 2.05 pm.

Sitting resumed at 2.05 pm.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

President's Speech – Address of Thanks

Debate resumed.

Mr Speaker: Minister Heng Swee Keat.

The Minister for Finance (Mr Heng Swee Keat): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion. Over these past five days, Members have shared their concerns and also their hopes for Singapore and Singaporeans. Members of Parliament spoke about the immediate issues that Singaporeans are concerned with, such as jobs, cost of living, inequality. These are important. I am glad Members are listening to and reflecting the feelings of their residents.

We hear you. We are taking action to address our people's needs and concerns, including the cost of living. I explained in this year's Budget some of the measures that we are taking to meet the immediate concerns of Singaporeans. Members of Parliament also spoke about our longer-term challenges: geopolitical and economic shifts in our region and the world, technological advances and disruptions that will transform how we live and work, and new social divides that test our cohesion.

These long-term issues, too, are important. We must not only navigate the choppy waters that are immediately around us, but have a sense of where we are going, where we are headed towards. When it comes to the longer-term challenges, we are taking action, we are working to secure opportunities for our people. Our Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) and Community Networks for Seniors, among other things, are major initiatives in this regard.

Each generation must forge its own way forward. As the Prime Minister put it, a Government must govern.

Today, I would like to share some thoughts on how we can take Singapore and Singaporeans into the future. There are two vital parts to this: how we continue bringing out the best in our people; and, how we continue building a culture of partnership and trust in Singapore.

First, how will we continue bringing out the best in our people? This is the central question that should occupy each generation of leaders because Singaporeans are at the heart of everything this Government does. This stays constant, whichever the generation of leadership: 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G or 10G.

What does change are the circumstances. New circumstances call for new approaches from us. So, each successive generation must ask anew: how do we bring out the best in our people? How do we make life even better for our people?

Since 1965, we have delivered better lives. Singaporeans of all backgrounds enjoy a safe and secure environment, home ownership, world-class education and good job opportunities. Our people lead fulfilling lives and age with dignity, with the assurance of good quality and affordable healthcare. A child born in Singapore today has one of the best odds in the world of having a safe, healthy and fulfilling life.

We are at a more advanced stage of development now. With better lives, come bigger dreams. Can we do better to support our people? We can, and we must. In every sphere, from healthcare to education, from the economy to the creation of jobs, transport to security, we will push the bounds to continue to better the lives of all Singaporeans

Minister Ong Ye Kung spoke about how we must strive ceaselessly to tackle inequality so that Singapore remains a place of opportunities for all. Minister Ng Chee Meng set out how we will better support vulnerable workers so that they can face change with confidence. Minister Lawrence Wong described our city of tomorrow, one that embraces the future and is more innovative, inclusive and resilient.

I first said, "Every School a Good School" in this House. After I did, some Members of Parliament (MPs) said, "every hawker centre a good hawker centre" and "Every MP a good MP". Every school a good school is about bringing out the best in every child. This is what our schools have been doing, recognising that every child is unique.

How have we been working towards this? Through a combination of hard and soft ways. Resource each school well; fire up educators with a sense of mission and purpose; create diverse pathways and programmes that cater to the different interests and talents of our children.

Equally important is how we have built on one another's work, and this came through very clearly whenever I discuss with Education Ministers at that time with ministers around the world. In MOE, I was fortunate that past Ministers for Education, including Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Dr Ng Eng Hen in this House, passed to me and my team a strong foundation to build upon. I am glad that Minister Ng Chee Meng, and now Minister Ong Ye Kung have continued to build on this.

We are now taking this same aspiration beyond our schools to our whole economy and society. Just as we run our schools to bring out the best in every child, we can shape our economy and society to give every Singaporean the opportunities, skills and competencies to fulfill their potential.

Minister Chan Chun Sing spoke of Singapore Unlimited. Indeed, this is how we can broaden opportunities for our people. Minister Josephine Teo at the Ministry of Manpower and Minister Ng Chee Meng at the National Trades Union Congress are building on what their predecessors have built, by enabling workers to adapt and grow, and providing extra support for low-wage workers, mature workers and middle-aged middle-income workers.

Bringing out the best in our people is not just about helping Singaporeans to make a good life, to make the grade or make a living. It is about supporting Singaporeans to make a good life and to make a difference. For this reason, it is not only what we know or what we can do that matters. It is what we are made of, what we stand for, that counts.

Minister Indranee Rajah spoke on our values and how they define us as a people. Minister Masagos Zulkifli called for us to grow not just any meritocracy, but our Singapore brand of meritocracy where the successful give back to society, where we share common experiences, and where Government policies enable our people to move up.

There are some values and instincts that are intrinsic to the Singaporean. If we are to bring out the best in every Singaporean, we must stay true to these values. Our existing values of thrift, hard work, resourcefulness and resilience serve us well and we must uphold them. In a new world of greater change, we will need a new emphasis on our values and develop 21st century competencies. From our founding, we have been open to goods, ideas and peoples from around the world.

Going forward, we must also be open to change. And not only to the change that comes to us, but go out and actively engage with it, seek our place amidst the change. This means keeping a sense of adventure about new possibilities and having courage in the face of challenges. We have always embraced our wealth of cultures, languages and religions, and turned this diversity into a strength.

Going forward, I hope we also treat the growing diversity of perspectives, causes and success pathways as our endowment to treasure and nurture. Our Pioneers, in a spirit of self-determination, fought hard for us to be masters of our own destiny. Going forward, we must stay united against new forces, new fault lines, that may divide us. We must discern and guard against misinformation, stay aware of what is happening around the world, understand and defend what Singapore stands for. And when we chart our way together, we must do so with a respect for the truth and a sense of responsibility to one another.

To bring out the best in our people, we must continually find ways to respect, encourage and support Singaporeans to give expression to our values, whether it is through acts of service, such as Values-in-Action education and philanthropic programmes to act on their care and compassion for others; through platforms, such as the Global Innovation Alliance for our people to venture out into the world, to innovate and create value; or through opportunities, like Our Singapore Fund, to celebrate our identity, cultures and all that make being Singaporean special.

Our goal is to spark Singaporeans' sense of wonder and curiosity when young. Let us fire up their passion to explore and discover, and encourage them to invent and innovate, throughout their lives. We should move away from an over-emphasis on grades, build on the strengths and interests of each child, and develop each to his or her fullest potential. We must strive for multiple ladders of success, multiple peaks of excellence. This will take time, but we must continue to persevere.

Life is full of wonders and possibilities. To be Singaporean must mean to have the opportunities and abilities to see, seize and seek more of life's possibilities. Our goal must be to make this true for every Singaporean. That is how we will continue bringing out the best in our people.

Next, I would like to speak about building a culture of partnership and trust to keep Singapore a special place for all of us. Singapore can have a place in the world only as long as we stand for something special, and only as long as we stand united. We can stand for something special if we draw together the most of everyone's diverse strengths, from across all parts of our society. This takes a pervasive culture of partnership. And we can only stand together if we have strong bonds of trust among us.

Partnership and trust work together, nourish each other. The more we partner one another, the better we understand one another, the more the trust will grow. With more trust, we partner and work together more readily. A unity of purpose grows out of our diversity of strengths, through partnership. And unity matters. Other countries watch us. If there are divisions, these will be exploited. You see this in many parts of the world. If we stand united, we stand tall among nations.

In this House, we have Government MPs, Opposition MPs, Nominated MPs and Non-Constituency MPs. We engage in vigorous debate, as we should. But when it comes to the crunch, there must be no doubt about one thing: that every single one of us is totally committed to the long-term interests of Singapore and Singaporeans. Whatever our views, let us come together to safeguard our sovereignty and serve the long-term interests of Singapore and Singaporeans.

President Halimah has called for us to foster a deeper people-Government partnership. This partnership must be sincere and grounded in trust, with all stakeholders playing meaningful and complementary roles. Each generation of leaders has worked to strengthen the people-and-Government and people-to-people partnerships, building trust between the Government and the people and among all parts of our society. At critical junctures, we came together to chart our course for the future – The Next Lap in 1991, Singapore 21 in 1999, Remaking Singapore in 2002. More recently, Our Singapore Conversation, SG50, SGfuture. The 4G political leadership is committed to building this partnership and growing the trust.

The Prime Minister said that we need new ideas, new bonds and new connections in every generation. The public is interested in how the 4G political leadership is taking shape. They recognise, rightly, that this is important for our country's future.

To build new ideas, new bonds and new connections, we must also develop leadership in all parts of our society. As our challenges become more complex, the Government will not have all the answers. We need to harness the diverse strengths of our society, through leaders at different levels in different parts of our society. By working together, we can achieve something greater than the sum of our parts.

So, we must go beyond political leadership, to develop and embrace leadership in every part of society – from our unions and trade associations to NGOs and VWOs. And we must be united by a sense of common purpose and galvanise whole-of-nation efforts to take Singapore forward.

Leadership in every part of society will define the quality of our partnerships. It is only when all parts step up, that we can best draw from diverse strengths across society to make a difference.

My own interactions with leadership in all parts of society has been enriching and humbling. Our Singapore Conversation and SG50 introduced me to leaders from many fields. They care deeply about an issue or a group of people, take proactive steps to make things better. This is leadership. More than that, they appreciate different points of view, engage in honest dialogue and work together with other groups. This is partnership.

The Committee on the Future Economy and now the Future Economy Council are energised and strengthened by the contributions of leaders in business, unions and academia. Mr Thomas Chua, Assoc Prof Randolph Tan and our Labour Members have been involved, and they can attest. Many private sector leaders are also working closely together with our political leaders in a number of focused committees to develop and act on this.

Just last week, I shared what we are working on with an eminent visitor from a very advanced economy. When I described to him what we were doing with our ITMs, how we will bring in people together, he lamented that, "We are not even thinking about these issues, much less to bring people together". And he ended up our discussion by saying, "This is why I am so impressed with Singapore and this is how you are going to stay successful". So, I think what we have achieved is not something to be taken for granted and that it is not the natural order of things. We must continue to nurture this very carefully.

In fact, in our discussions, businesses, unions, experts, they develop new products, new business models to take their sectors forward. And this is an exercise of leadership. And with the experience they gained, they give back to the Future Economy process with ideas, feedback, even training programmes, to level up across the board. And this is partnership in action.

Whenever I join our charities and VWOs for their events, I meet passionate leaders who are actively building a more caring and cohesive community, showing leadership. Indeed, many Members of this House are serving your residents and Singapore in more ways than one, and through your own active philanthropic work – Ms Denise Phua at the Autism Resource Centre; Ms Rahayu Mahzam with the Malay Youth Literary Association; Ms Chia Yong Yong with the Society for the Physically Disabled; Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan with organisations in the legal field; and Mr Louis Ng at the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), and many other Members – it would not be possible to mention every one. But this list shows how much all of you care. More and more, I see different charity organisations coming together to do more together, and businesses are doing skills-based volunteering, lending their unique strengths to charities. And all this shows partnership in action.

All this to the benefit of the whole society. And all this is possible because every individual, each organisation, is able to develop to the best in the first place. And this is something special and valuable that we must build upon.

I am sure Members of this House all want to see more of such leadership in all parts of our society, and partnership among all parts of our society. The Government will nurture this, even as we do our part to give support where it can make a difference, and to foster a stronger partnership between the Government and the people.

The Community Network for Seniors (CNS) is a good example of how we can partner one another to tackle one of our key challenges – an ageing society. CNS brings together Government agencies, VWOs and community groups as one team to help our seniors stay active and well.

The idea of partnership may appear simple, but the potential for this partnership to touch lives – about a million seniors by 2030 – is significant. CNS is evolutionary in design but revolutionary in impact. It is an example of the kind of boldness that President Halimah has called for.

It will be a big step forward in building a caring society. It will be a big step, too, in building our Singapore culture of partnership and trust.

And partnership and trust extend beyond our shores. We need to work closely together with our immediate neighbours, and strengthen our relations with ASEAN members and all our major partners. Singapore is ASEAN Chair this year and the Prime Minister has chaired some very significant meetings. We are using this opportunity to work together with our neighbours and to make our contribution towards a more integrated, innovative and resilient ASEAN.

I recently chaired the ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Singapore, and co-chaired the ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Manila with the Korean Deputy Prime Minister. These were very successful meetings that bring forward our partnership in the region. And I am very encouraged by our enthusiasm to find ways and means to cooperate and partner one another. It augers well for the future of our region and for the future of Asia.

Members of the House have shared what we see are the key issues for our society in the years ahead, and what we would like to build for our future Singapore. You have raised important questions, issues and ideas, and we must take them beyond this Chamber. Singapore belongs to all Singaporeans, and we need a whole-of-Singapore effort to take this journey forward.

We will partner Singaporeans each step of the way in our journey of building our future Singapore. The 4G leadership will listen with humility and respect. We will consider all views with an open mind and adjust our course accordingly. We will communicate the thinking behind our decisions clearly. We will bring Singaporeans together and give everyone a role to turn ideas into concrete action.

The 4G leaders and MPs will launch a series of discussions with different groups of Singaporeans to kickstart this process. We will share our ideas and seek Singaporeans' views on them. In doing so, we capture the wider range of views and perspectives in our diverse society.

We will reach out to Singaporeans at different stages of life. Young Singaporeans are already coming forward through the ongoing Youth Conversations. Their views are important because they are our future. But we want to hear from others like the Generation X, Baby Boomers and Pioneers, too.

We will reach out to different segments of society – people in different occupations who have different interests and passions and who are contributing back to society in different ways. We will reach out to our workers through the unions. We will reach out to our communities through the grassroots and Community Development Councils. Beyond these efforts, we want to reach out directly to volunteer groups, hobby groups and others who are actively contributing to society in their own ways.

As there has been a variety of views shared in this House, we will take stock of them in the coming weeks, before providing further details on a discussion series.

Through our discussions, we will share our ideas and seek your views. We will build trust and ambition for Singapore and foster a common purpose. We will galvanise action and partnerships across society towards our common goals. Mr Speaker, Sir, I will say a few words in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: The building of our nation and homes are interconnected. We are able to build our homes and families only if the nation is strong. In turn, the development of our nation is dependent on our people.

We can only live and work in contentment and achieve happiness if our nation is prosperous and stable. The future of Singapore lies in the hands of all Singaporeans. The younger generation, in particular, has the responsibility of creating new possibilities for Singapore.

The rapidly changing external environment and new technologies bring challenges, but also opportunities. We will create the best conditions for Singaporeans to succeed, help them to seize opportunities, bring out the best in them, so that they can achieve their potential and aspirations.

We believe that every profession produces top talents. We hope that more successful people and leaders from different parts of society will come together to build our nation. We also hope that Singaporeans can demonstrate the spirit of “One For All, All For One”, and strengthen social cohesion.

The 4G leaders and MPs will continue to engage our people and consider all views with an open mind. We will conduct a series of discussions, strengthen communication with different segments of the society, including charities and community organisations.

The 4G leaders will remain true to our conviction, improve the lives of our people, and put the well-being of Singaporeans as a top priority. In doing so, the partnership and trust between the Government and the people will deepen.

As long as Singaporeans stand united, both during good and tough times, and work together towards our common goal, we will build a better Singapore.

(In English): The President has laid out the 4G leadership’s agenda for the coming years. Singaporeans want to be involved in this. We can face the future well if we continue to bring out the best in our people, and if all of us pull together in this spirit of partnership.

I have shared with the House our plans to engage Singaporeans in a series of discussions, and to give everyone a role to turn good ideas into actions. Mr Speaker, Sir, may I conclude with a line from our national anthem: "marilah kita bersatu, dengan semangat yang baru". Come, let us unite in a new spirit.

It has been decades since the National Anthem was composed. Today, we sing these lyrics in a profoundly changed world. Yet, the call has rung true across the generations and sounds just as clarion for ours. For our generation, unity is just as important as ever. For our generation, our new spirit must be one of greater partnership and trust. Let us unite in this new spirit of partnership and trust. Let us strive together as one people, united in our values, undivided in our diversity, giving our best as one for Singapore and Singaporeans. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker: Miss Cheryl Chan.

2.34 pm

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (Fengshan): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to round up this Debate on the Address of Thanks to the President. Over the past few days, 70 Members, including the Prime Minister, have passionately shared their vision and views, and actively debated on what is next for Singapore.

Members have covered several key themes around the President’s Address: a vibrant economy with equal job opportunities, social mobility and reducing inequality, building an inclusive society, visible leadership in building trust and strong partnerships between the Government and the people.

We acknowledge that Singapore is in an advanced stage of development. So, for the next 50 years, how can we do better as an economy, as a society, as one people and one nation?

Let me now broadly sum up the views from Members who have spoken in this Debate.

First, our future economy. With changing times, our future economy cannot simply be a measure of employment and gross domestic product growth. Our future economic metrics need to reflect societal trends and performance, such as sustainable income of the workforce, retirement adequacy, quality of life and intergenerational wealth transfer.

Singapore’s early economic focus was on industrialisation and job creation. Through an open economy and thriving on multilaterism, as Mr Vikram Nair said, we have made progress and continue to shift our focus to adapt to industry needs of the time. We have since moved from mass manufacturing to high technology manufacturing; and now we are embarking on industry value-add and digitalisation. With the ITMs and SkillsFuture, we are steadfast in our efforts to transform the sectors, upgrade our workers’ skills and create new opportunities, abreast with the future economy.

Tripartism has played a significant role in our economy in the past decades. Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Thanaletchimi have called for tripartism to help our workers to embark on the transformation journey at a faster pace and operationalise the ITMs. It is time to galvanise actions that create impactful initiatives on the ground. As with all efforts, they must ultimately translate into tangible jobs, reasonable real wage increases and skills that are relevant to changing business environment. We want quality and inclusive economic growth that can help provide jobs and help with the cost of living, as shared by Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Zainal Sapari.

We need to break new grounds, build new capabilities and transform vision into reality. New partnerships of public and private service model have to be forged. Support has to be given to prevent unfair practices against small businesses. This new world and its changes impact not only our citizens and businesses but also the regulators and the Government. They, too, need to adapt to social, political and global market dynamics. They must be more agile. Speed and mindset shift are essential.

Mr Patrick Tay, Mr Ang Hin Kee and Mr Desmond Choo urged the Government to study how the new models of technology like artificial intelligence will impact our workforce and the need for new legal framework around it. Similarly, human resource support for freelancers and new models of contract workers that Mr Ang Hin Kee and I shared. This calls for boldness in the way we do things. Such bold shifts could mean a deviation from what we know best – the structured processes, well-trotted known sectors, MNCs and strict compliance.

In my speech, I suggested to create an ecosystem of industries with more small and medium enterprises abroad, a point that was also alluded to by Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Teo Ser Luck and Mr Thomas Chua. They further added that we need an effective trade mission, local trade associations and chambers to do more in implementing ITMs, to help our companies hunt better as a pack overseas and overcome the steep learning curve while venturing into foreign emerging markets.

For all these to work, it boils down to a key element in our economy – talent. To build a future workforce, we have to cultivate and attract talents. Mr Saktiandi Supaat reinforced the importance of having labour laws that can ensure fair and inclusive employment practices to protect our local talents. Ms Foo Mee Har and Assoc Prof Randolph Tan suggested a differentiated intake approach of talents to help businesses, tap on technology to identify the future skills landscape and why the need for equality of opportunity through our industry transformation push.

To cultivate such a workforce, it has to begin young and it starts from our education. We must develop students with varied abilities, not just knowledge but applied learning and emotional quotient that make each individual holistic. Such soft skills of empathy and character building are ever more critical as Er Dr Lee Bee Wah and Miss Cheng Li Hui highlighted.

As the saying goes, "All roads lead to Rome". So do the pathways of our students. We should enable diversity in their learning process and broaden the definition of success. Reward them for having learnt and not "mugged". Appreciate each child for their values and their demonstrable soft skills. In the long run, such students would intrinsically have embraced the concept of lifelong learning and are always skillfully deployable in different fields. Lifelong learning must also continue beyond tertiary education, as pointed out by Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Denise Phua.

With digitalisation and an immense economy outside Singapore, all talents – local and global – are not bounded by geography. Minister Chan Chun Sing rightly pointed out that we need to have the skillsets and mindsets to compete internationally. As we build local talents, we need to be mindful that we include global talents, too, particularly from fields that we currently lack. There must be a balance to address the immediate and long-term needs. I see the key role of the Government in ensuring there is cross-cultural learning and knowledge transfer to gradually build our local talents over the long haul.

Not many economies in the world have evolved at our pace or are as well-organised as us. But having a good start is only the beginning. Looking at the growth and rapid advancement of ASEAN countries and other economies like China, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. I hope we continue to sprint, to create and be a creative inventor or early adopter in the race, and not a follower. So, we must embrace emerging technology, turn them into useful innovations, and nurture new markets in our Smart Nation and beyond.

Mr Henry Kwek suggested harnessing the value of data and digitalisation to create a single national digital platform where businesses can find new opportunities. Ms Tin Pei Ling also highlighted that we must not neglect our seniors in the digitalisation process. Instead, we should engender smart communities to support digital access programmes that can help the needy and vulnerable.

To achieve all these, our economy needs to continuously create sufficient diversity and attractive jobs, provide work-life balance and develop a positive work culture to appeal to a young and dynamic workforce. After all, it takes a motivated and innovative society to produce outstanding results, as Mr Faisal Manap emphasised. So, let us continue to enlarge our economic pie to ensure there will be more opportunities for our people to pursue, and more outcomes for our people to share.

Second, our future society. We must strive to do good together and further ensure we can reduce income inequality and enhance social mobility throughout all segments. This topic was vigorously debated upon by Mr Ang Wei Neng, Mr Png Eng Huat, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and many more other Members I cannot mention in detail here. I agree with Minister Ong Ye Kung that we have unfinished business of tackling inequality and it requires ceaseless efforts and drive and continued refinement as we progress in our nationhood building, be it through education, jobs, housing or urban planning. Our future city should be one that embraces diverse ideals and uplifts our fellow citizens from different backgrounds, a society where every generation has equal opportunities to achieve their dreams better than the previous generation.

Whilst finance, family conditions and job cycle vary for every individual, the duty of the Government is to ensure that every citizen has a place in the country, a home to live in, and every child grows up with equal access to education, jobs and a safe environment. But these do not occur by chance. Meticulous planning, social strategies in place and precise execution are necessary.

Social cohesion in Singapore was brought about by many factors. We need to continue to work on and strengthen the values that define us as a society. Values of social good, what it takes to be an active citizen, how do we give and share with others – these are areas that we should promote, as noted by Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Azmoon Ahmad, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mr Chong Kee Hiong. We need to get the basics of the society right and not discard what works just to be bold. Only a good society with strong values and virtues can withstand the test of time. This is a point that Mr Seah Kian Peng also referred to.

Further, I say that the Government and the people should begin making our own Tetris safety net. A Tetris safety net is one weaved from layers of support, one that is expandable in scope and one that is fundamentally stronger when the layers fall in place. It takes many hands to further ensure that no one is left behind.

I appreciate what Mr Louis Ng’s father has taught him, "There is beauty in giving than receiving." Many Members suggested, too, that we must encourage the spirit of community giving. We are fortunate today that we have volunteers, social workers and civil society activists; people who have stood up for causes, listened to other people, gave back and helped others. But we will always have a need for more such helping hands in our society.

While the lower-income group is always supported, we have to begin considering expanding our reach in different aspects to give more protection and peace of mind to a burgeoning middle class. This explains why it is even more pertinent that we continue to work on options to cater for everyone.

From education, healthcare, social networks, housing and integration policies, I hope that, with the additional resources in place, more people can benefit from the assistance available, more can express their individualism, achieve success of their own definition, and eventually pay it forward to help others along.

Third, we must strive to do more together as one people, one nation. There is much we want to achieve in the second term of this Government for our people, with our people. But we need to set our sights way beyond the current time, because nation-building is a journey with no end.

A common thread amongst every theme that we touch upon as a Government is people. As Minister Heng Swee Keat just said, people are at the heart and core of every policy and implementation that we do. How do we bring out the best in our people? This is also a point that is made by Mr Alex Yam, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin. In Singapore, people are and will always remain our most precious asset. They represent the talent, the essence of our society, and our hope for the future.

I share what fellow Members have raised. We are here to build a home, a home that brings happiness, warmth, developments and one that allows every elderly, especially the seniors ahead to age in a dignified way. Family units remain as the bedrock of our society and is our first line of support. But the people in our community can make a difference to our lives, too. They can become the extended family – neighbours and volunteers who help other needy families, seniors, working mothers, families with few dependants. This, in the words of Ms Joan Pereira, and also described by Minister Indranee Rajah, is the true kampung spirit we have – the care for the people around us. Each action, each step, is a sign of strength, unity and hope to fellow Singaporeans.

In all that we do, as a citizen, student, parent, caregiver, worker or employer, we must always bear in mind the goal of making this country a more inclusive one. From inclusive growth to inclusive learning to inclusive workplace, we should rally behaviours that promote meritocracy, diversity and inclusion. And encourage social norms, adoption of standards for age-friendly, women-friendly, worker inclusive workplaces, as advocated by Dr Amy Khor, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, Mr Heng Chee How and Ms Low Yen Ling. Mr Darryl David also added how we can provide education support for neuro-divergent students and one which I strongly support, too. Dr Chia Shi-Lu spoke about the need to further bridge the gaps in healthcare services for senior patients, individuals with mental health needs, and strengthening our primary healthcare.

As we strive to do well as an economy and do good as a society, the process is just as important as the outcome, exactly what Ms Sun Xueling mentioned earlier. I trust the Government will strive to constantly work and give of their best to Singaporeans. As we have heard from Members in this House, leadership, teamwork, empathy and trust are very important characteristics to have in our 4G leaders.

The Government must strengthen the engagement with our people so that there will be a greater sense of alignment of concerns and aspirations, and a stronger sense of shared ownership. The need to work together as a team, to listen with compassion and humility, open to alternative views, deepen engagement and build trust with the people was strongly echoed by Mr Christopher de Souza, Mr Pritam Singh, Mr Ganesh Rajaram, Mr Murali Pillai, Ms Chia Yong Yong and Mr Kok Heng Leun.

As citizens, we should also share our views and ideas, endeavour to work with the Government in the spirit of encouragement and experimentation for an optimum outcome each time. We must create our future Singapore together, because Singapore belongs to all of us. We can best succeed when we share this journey together.

Mr Speaker, let me end by sharing a story. I brought my parents to the Frances Yip concert last month. Before the close of the concert, Frances introduced a Singaporean songwriter and music producer, Mr Eric Ng, on stage. Eric went on to share his background and talked about his career and how he got into this industry. In all his excitement, he told us that it really started because of a mentor who was willing to give him that first opportunity that truly, indeed, became his first big break into the music industry. He seized the moment and sincerely appealed to all in the audience. This was what he said, “Most of you present here tonight, I believe, are Singaporeans. For what I have been through, I know it would not have been possible without my teacher and a mentor who gave me the opportunity. So, here with me tonight, I have here my own mentees and potentials who will become big in this industry. Thus, I am appealing to all of you to do the same and support local talents. Give these talents a chance, because I know they will make their mark someday.”

His appeal was a simple one, but it moved me. It made me reflect and think. Yes, actually many of us should really be doing this for our fellow Singaporeans, be it mentorship, guidance, giving and sharing our experiences and knowledge. This is the spirit we want to have in Singapore. We are able to build things together, look out for one another, not judging others by their backgrounds, but actually treating them with dignity and giving them a chance based on their merits.

So, looking ahead, what do we aspire to have in Singapore? I say one where we share common values and spaces, one where many voices are represented, and, certainly, one that enables social mobility and continued equitable wealth distribution. In short, it is a place where we find anchors in a country that we are truly proud to call our home. [Applause.]

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

"That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to:

'We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which she delivered on behalf of the Government at the Opening of the Second Session of this Parliament.'."

Mr Speaker: Before we proceed to the Second Reading, I would like to remind Members, while I appreciate the familiarity and camaraderie that all of you share, do refrain from addressing fellow Members by their first name. So, do address one another a bit more formally. Order. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Orders of the day.