President's Speech

Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion. Over the course of this week, many have spoken about how we can become a "we first" society. Many have suggestions on how our Government can do more or better.

On behalf of the Government, I would like to thank everyone for your suggestions. Our Public Service will certainly study all these suggestions and especially the new ideas.

As I listened to all the speeches, it struck me that all of us share pretty much the same objectives. We want a fairer society, we want to give opportunities to everyone regardless of their background. We want a Singapore that will not only survive, but thrive. And, most importantly, we want to give our best to the next generation. We may differ here and there on some details and those we can discuss.

Sometimes, our differences are not as large as we make them out to be and certainly, none of us have a monopoly on care, compassion or fairness. I think that we can agree. But ultimately, true victory for us is not about winning arguments in this House. True victory for us is winning the trust of our people, uplifting lives and delivering a better future for all of us; or in Chinese, we would say: "口舌之争, 胜负一时, 行动耕耘, 造就一世", which means, arguments bring momentary victory; actions forge lifetime success.

As the Prime Minister has said during his National Day Rally speech, a "we first" society is not something that the Government can force or direct. It will be up to all of us, as fellow Singaporeans, to encourage each other to step forward and take responsibility for one another. As mentioned, “we first” does not mean there being no place for individual aspirations or expressions. Instead, it is about mobilising the full spectrum of our society’s capabilities, creativity and commitment to overcome our challenges ahead.

Our Government will continue to lead where it must and can. We will strive to do more and do better. But having said that, we are realistic enough to know that our Government cannot do it all, and certainly not alone. We aspire to evolve from delivering for Singaporeans to also delivering with Singaporeans. I always remember this that was taught to me since young. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Together, we can overcome anything.

In his speech earlier, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim spoke about chess and its life lessons for his son and Singapore. It inspired me to think about the game of weiqi, a board game played with white and black pieces. The aim of the game is to fence off more territory than the opponent. However, unlike chess, weiqi pieces are all the same and are used similarly in the game. Just like the weiqi pieces, our individual efforts may be insignificant, but together, all of us play a part and any one of us can be that strategic piece in the evolving formation to win the game as the circumstances evolve. Perhaps, that is the Singapore that we can all aspire to.

Today, I will share my reflections on ways we can deliver with our people and progress towards a "we first" society. Let me first start with security. The world has changed, yes. The world will change even more and faster in the years to come. We must prepare ourselves for a much wider range of scenarios than ever before, including dangerous discontinuities. We should not count on assumptions that have guided us for decades, nor should we expect other countries to respect international laws and norms as in the past.

The question is: how do we anticipate, pre-empt and respond collectively? I say collectively, because I think all of us can and need to contribute. And if I may, I can suggest four lines of effort for all of us. First, understand the world deeply; second, create propositions for us to remain relevant; third, maintain our cohesion; and fourth, uphold our principles.

Let me begin with understanding the world deeply. Compared to the past, we all can now access much more information and travel more widely. However, we must not fall into the trap of our own echo chamber to confirm our own biases. There will also be no shortage of external influences that attempt to shape our views and hopefully our positions. To safeguard ourselves from being pulled apart in different directions, we will need to understand our own national interests, read and think deeply, speak widely to different people to understand their perspectives and agenda and also to access content with discernment. We have seen this being played out over the Russian-Ukraine conflict, the situation in the Middle East and even closer to home, in the conflicts and contestations that have happened of late.

Only when we deeply understand ourselves and the world we are operating in, can we come up with propositions that are relevant for our partners so that we can be of value-add in the relationship. It is a discipline to not just view or read what the search engine algorithms throw at us. It is also a discipline to seek out fresh perspectives with all the people we meet in our travels, to hopefully bring back new ideas and stress test our own assumptions.

And this is why I have consistently encouraged our students in the Institutes of Higher Learning and our Public Service officers who have the opportunity to travel overseas, to go beyond the beaten path, go beyond the guided tour that the Embassy can organise. I do not need them to write long reports when they come back. Just come back with a fresh perspective, a new idea that can enrich us.

I learned this when I was younger and I was deployed to Indonesia after the Fall of Suharto, where our greatest fear was what would happen to this big country. We made it a discipline to travel out of Jakarta at least seven days a month. We made sure that we covered as many provinces and as many regional commands as we could, making new friends, understanding the diversity of perspective and never kid ourselves that just because we have been to Jakarta and Bali, that therefore we seem to understand Indonesia.

And today, that same principle must apply – just because we have been to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, it does not mean that we understand China; and just by going to California and New York does not make us an expert in the US. With my recent trips to both China and the US, we could understand and appreciate the diversity of views and the complex dynamics even within their own country. If we do not understand or appreciate this deeply, we cannot come up with value propositions that will make us relevant.

However, while we adapt our approaches, we must remain a consistent and principled partner where we can continuously strengthen our relevance for others to want to partner us. I am sure we want to partner everybody, but that is different from other people wanting to partner us. And this applies in the security and economics domains.

While we will not take sides, we must take positions based on principles, principles that best promote Singapore's long-term survival and success. We are ultimately responsible for our own destiny. But we must earn our right to determine that destiny. Only when we are successful, can we have the right to choose our path and not be held ransom or hostage by others. Then, we can truly say that we will neither be bribed nor bullied. That is something that we have to earn.

Foreign policy is not about balancing, calibrating and remaining neutral. Being neutral and principled are two different concepts. Neutrality is especially a dangerous concept for small states. Trying to maintain neutrality and balancing without principles, will only invite contesting larger powers to put more pressure on us to try and shift our "balancing point".

You can imagine if two giants are pulling at us and if we are just trying to maintain neutral, when one side squeezes us a bit harder, we move a bit to that side. What would the other side do? It would just encourage them to squeeze us just as hard so that we move back to the balancing position.

And that is why I always encourage all Singaporeans to make a nuanced but important distinction. Not saying that we are neutral, but that we are principled.

How then, can we remain relevant and earn our right to be principled, and be valued on the global stage? We need to have our own perspectives and not be a mouthpiece or proxy for others. We need to develop capabilities that cannot be easily replicated by others – the ability to think and execute long-term, the ability to build trust internally and externally, and the ability to foster cohesion amidst diversity. But ultimately, we need real capabilities, in all domains from economics to defence, for others to see value in working with us.

External parties have asked me what makes the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) strong. Our disciplined investment in equipment and people over the years have certainly helped. But to me, the biggest advantage the SAF has over many others is that we can draw upon the talent and energies of our entire nation. The best operational and technical ideas do not just come from our regulars, technicians or scientists. They come from all over, our Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs), NSmen and even pre-enlistees.

Today if you fly the unmanned aerial vehicles in the SAF, you will see them using a console that is exactly like the Playstation console. This idea came about many years ago from our pre-enlistees. They helped us to design the systems even before they came into NS. And when they came into NS, the system was ready for them.

When I was a young officer, the first person to introduce computers into our battle planning process was not a regular. He was an NSman working at Apple and he was wondering why we were still using pen and paper. That is the power of the SAF, drawn from our people. This is the concept of all of us chipping in, a mindset of delivering with to build defence capabilities ahead of time.

For Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the SAF, we will continue to spend wisely and consistently as warfare is redefined, we will make judicious decisions on what to buy, what to build and what to co-develop with partners. We will also need to evolve our capability development and acquisition processes to deliver at speed. Timeliness, rather than perfection, matters more very often.

By strengthening our indigenous capacities and developing unique value propositions, we will position ourself as a partner of choice in the capability development, technological innovation and supply chain resilience. Today, this is exactly what DSO National Laboratories (DSO), Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), and ST Engineering are doing. We aim to go beyond a buyer-seller relationship whenever we deal with others.

Ultimately, our strongest defence and our strongest deterrence is not any weapon system, it is our collective will to fight for what we believe in. Together, we must contribute as a whole of nation to safeguard our future. Every one of us is in some way MINDEF and everyone one of us is also an ambassador, a little ambassador, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when we interact with the rest of the world. We share with the world what we stand for, how we do business and why they should trust in us.

Let me now move to economics, which is not so different. We also must earn our keep. No one deals with Singapore out of charity or sympathy. We also need to create our own value propositions. This means deeply understanding market needs and identifying what I call "acupuncture points" that make it harder for people to bypass us.

Many Members in this House will be familiar with our experiences during COVID-19. I was then the Minister for Trade and Industry. During the crucial moments, very often my team and I have to call up partners to ask for essentials, to ask for people to sell us essentials. Even if we had or more money than others, we did not always get what we wanted. Only when we had what our partners needed, could we trade for what we wanted. It is a lesson that is seared in the minds of all the officers of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) for generations to come. That is why when the Economic Development Board (EDB) goes out and compete for investment, it is not just about making more money only. It is about making ourselves as a critical node that cannot be easily bypassed, so that in times of need, we will have what others need, in order to get what we want.

For our economy to be more resilient, many have talked about the need to diversify. Yes, we agree. However, we must also be aware that diversification comes with risks, it requires resources and it requires our ability to attract and work with talent beyond our own. Imagine if Singapore only focused on one or two sectors. Then surely, we will have enough of our own people to staff all of those positions in that one or two sectors and achieve critical mass. But when we say that we want to diversify our economy for us to be more resilient, when we say that we want to give more options to our younger generation to chase their dreams in diverse sectors, then we need many more sectors. We have to admit that it will not be easy for us to achieve critical mass in all of these sectors unless we are able to network with the global talent to compliment the best in Singapore.

This is why we must continue our efforts to make sure that we remain an attractive partner for others to want to work with us. We must continue to grow our homegrown talent so that we can remain an attractive partner. If we do not have people that can match up to the best in the world, I am not sure many people will want to partner us.

But there is also an opportunity amidst the crisis now. As the world becomes a more dangerous place, our attractiveness to talent can actually reinforce our competitiveness. This is an opportunity for us. But we will need to carefully balance our needs of integration with competitiveness. It is not a binary option of zero or one. It is about balance. And this will be a topic I am sure we will come back to in this House for many more times to come. It is about balance and never about a binary option.

On the other hand, when long standing platforms or networks no longer work, we will have to set up alternative networks to uphold a more integrated global trading and investment system.

Many years ago, we pioneered comprehensive Free Trade Agreements that went beyond traditional tariff reductions to encompass services, investment and regulatory cooperation. When the digital economy demanded fresh approaches, we led the creation of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), establishing new standards for cross-border data flows, digital trade and technological cooperation.

As the support for free trade and globalisation fray, we will work with like-minded partners to create new plurilateral and multilateral networks. For example, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong has just announced the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership to support open and fair trade. This is our little contribution to try and uphold the Global Free Trade Order which is in our interest.

As tariffs and retaliatory tariffs reshape trade and investment flows, there is also an opportunity for us if we can position ourselves as a reliable and resilient partner. Many companies are now talking about their "plus one" strategy. We aim to be their "plus one". We can expect to win some and lose some. However, I believe we can still be net positive if we play to our strengths. We have seen this already being played out in various sectors that are visited in the aerospace Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO), semi-conductor sector. We win some, we lose some, but we can be net positive.

To do so, we will double down on our man-made competitive advantages. It is often said that Singapore has no natural resources, but Singapore has many man-made competitive advantages. First, we will continue to invest in our education and workforce – not just for the first 15 years, but for the next 50 years when they are beyond the school years, by uplifting everyone to embrace the latest technological tools to enhance our productivity. AI is part of this important effort where we have the programme called “AI for Everyone”. Just as what we have done for the computerisation drive in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

Second, our ability to uphold the rule of law for investors to have the confidence to mobilise their capital, aggregate their talent and protect their IP here will remain important and more so than ever before.

Third, having a stable Government and forward-looking Public Service, so that investors can be confident that we think and execute long-term. This is especially for investments like pharmaceuticals and semi-conductors that require a long gestation period.

To conclude this section, may I also say that actually, we are all also part of the Economic Development Board (EDB) and MTI. Whenever we interact with people overseas, we will also need to pitch for Singapore. I can understand the concerns that many of us have in the job security front. But the best strategy for us is to make sure that we continue to attract good quality investments so that our people can continue to have the diverse opportunities that they would aspire towards. And all of us, at every opportunity, will have to chip in. And that is why we say we are all part of MTI and EDB.

On the social side, let me say that Singapore's success has never been about economic growth alone. Ultimately, economic growth needs to translate into growing the overall pie for Singaporeans, creating good jobs and enabling all Singaporeans to improve our lives. Every one of us aspire to do better. We also want our next generation to do even better than ourselves. It is only human nature for parents and grandparents to want to give our best that we can do for our children and grandchildren.

However, we must not forget that our successes are not just because of our hard work and abilities. It is built upon our society and the help that we receive along the way which enable us to achieve what we have. And therefore, when we are successful, all of us must remember that we have responsibilities towards those who are further behind.

As societies mature and become more developed, there is always the risk that resources, as well as disadvantages, get passed on from generation to generation. This accentuates inequality and reduces social mobility, and stratification happens. We see this happening in many countries throughout history. But I think all of us in this House would be united in saying that we do not want to see this happening in Singapore. This is what makes Singapore special. And therefore, the more successful we are, the greater the dangers we face, and the more we need to double and re-double our efforts to break this inter-generational transfer of disadvantage, which many Members have spoken about. As Minister Desmond Lee has spoken yesterday, we will do what we can as a Government, we will try to do more and do better.

Over the years, as Minister Desmond Lee has said, we have rolled out various programmes: KidSTART, UPLIFT, Comcare, ComLink+. You name it, we will try it.

We are doing this not just only in the early years of a child's life. We are systematically combing through the entire life cycle of a person to see how we can help everyone who needs the help to break that cycle. It is never-ending work. In fact, the more successful we are, the more we need to try.

But we must also see things in context. Our challenge is not so much that the people in our society are left behind, that they are not catching up with the world. If you look at the statistics, our challenge is slightly different from others. Our challenge is that our gap is not a result of the bottom falling way off the chart. In fact, 80% of our students are above the global average; 90% of our students are above the global average in terms of maths and science. Our gap is the result of the top being even further.

That tells us two things. First, we should never cap the top, but we must keep lifting the bottom. Second, we must not make our own children feel that just because they are relatively behind, that somehow they have failed themselves or failed us. Our average is way beyond the global average. Even the students from our so-called neighbourhood schools, as some of you would describe them, are generally above the global average.

We hosted the International Summit of the Teaching Profession last year. When other people host us, they showed us their best school. One school. When we hosted them, we showed them 10 schools every day. Any school that they chose, we would allow them to walk into the school. Many of them asked us, "Are you showing us your best school?" We said, "No, we are just showing you the diversity of our schools. We will show you schools from Raffles Institution to Northlight, because all of them will have different challenges and we will have different curricula for all of them." In fact, one remarked that he was most impressed, because in Singapore, your zip code does not determine or overwrite your genetic code, as in some other countries.

But having said this, we are not done. All these programmes by themselves will not be enough. Each of us, even those of us who may not feel that we have the most, can and must contribute in our own ways to support those with less and to uplift the less privileged to keep our society mobile. This is why we mobilise the time, talent and treasures of people to complement what the Government and taxation already do. This reminds all of us that we have agency and responsibility towards one another.

As we hear the calls to do more for various groups, each one meritorious in its own right, we must also be clear-eyed that because resources are finite, we will need to come to a societal consensus about who we should help more. This means that some of us will have to moderate our expectations, because there are others who need help more than we do.

Everyone gets help, everyone gets something. But not all of us will get the same. I am sure Members of the House also agree with me that it also does not make sense for all of us to get the same. Different strokes for different folks, each according to our needs. I think all of us can agree on this. So, let us not be divided by invidious comparisons when this is actually executed.

I am sure Members of the House would have this experience going around in your hawker centres and markets. Very often, someone would come up and ask, "Minister or MP, why is it this month, I did not get this payout that my neighbour got?" You can try your very best to explain why, but unfortunately, we are all humans and very often, invidious comparisons set in. If we are true to what we believe, that we should do more to help those with less, then when we execute this, we must also help to explain this to everyone.

In Singapore, we do not have a single yardstick for success. When I was the Minister for Education, I have seen the diversity of talents among Singaporeans, and this is what makes our country resilient and special. As a society, we must truly respect and reward the diversity of strengths and celebrate excellence in multiple fields. For many of us, all this have been said very often. What can we do? I have two humble suggestions. Maybe it is useful for us to start our conversations with our children, not with: "What grades did you get in school? How did you score compared to your peers?"

I have always asked two questions whenever I meet the students when I was Minister for Education. First question is, "Can you tell me what makes you special?" Because you can score however many "As" that you have, but if throughout the education process, you do not know what are your strengths and weaknesses are, and what makes you special, then I do not think we have succeeded. And for a child to know that he or she has something special is very important. It can be a life changing experience.

When I was in school, I thought my mathematics was so-so. One day, my teacher told me, "Your mathematics is quite good!" Suddenly, I was like, "Wow, my mathematics is quite good. I must study harder." Simple words, changed my life.

The other question that I think we can encourage ourselves to ask our children, especially during Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali is, not so much, "What have you achieved?", but "Where would you like to make a contribution?" For every Singaporean child growing up to know that, regardless of your station in life, you can make a contribution because you have something special in you, and collectively each of us, just like the weiqi pieces, we will come up with that winning formulation.

So, let us respect the diversity of talents and let us encourage our children to understand what makes them special, and how each and every one of them can make a special contribution.

Beyond Government policies and institutions, such as the Ethnic Integration Policy, NS and our schools, I think many Members have also highlighted the need for us to enhance our interactions, so that we truly get out of our comfort zone to get to know people who are different from us. And more importantly, through this process, to try and find common ground, based on mutual respect. This is something that is a work in progress and something that as MPs, we all need to do.

HDB can build us the most beautiful houses and towns, but it is us, the residents who will build the most heartwarming homes and communities. So, let us not be trapped by this incessant comparison among ourselves. Yes, look at the right side of the bell curve to try to aspire to do better, but never forget our responsibility to those who are on the left side of the bell curve.

Let me move on to the issue of governance. Singapore has done reasonably well by most measures, but we must never be complacent. Our accomplishments are not predictions for future successes. And there are many matrices of whether a country, a government has done well. Sometimes, we get a good ranking – let it not get into our head. Sometimes, we do not get such a good ranking – it is time for introspection, but also never let it get into our hearts and wear us down. There will always be room for us to improve. But what is most important is for us to have the confidence and the conviction to do what we think is right for our people, by our people and to see it through.

There is no shortage of good ideas on what other countries, our country, can do. But one of the most difficult things is to execute the average ideas consistently. Having average ideas executed consistently will beat that brilliant idea that is a flash in the pan. In Singapore, we have the privilege of being able to execute this consistently for many years.

That was what I shared with my overseas counterparts when I was in MOE. They always thought that Singapore has some brilliant technology or system, but the truth is, whatever MOE can deliver today, we thank our predecessors who have seen it through consistently for us.

However, let us not be complacent. Take the example of the adoption of technology, digitalisation and AI. Countries that once trailed us are now seizing opportunities to build momentum and to leapfrog ahead, and a key advantage being that they have fewer legacy systems. This is a stark reminder to us that if we stand still, we will fall behind. Therefore, the Public Service will endeavour not just to do things better, we also need to do better things with our finite resources.

An example is the way that the Government is serving citizens and businesses. Whether it is our ServiceSG centres, Municipal Services Office or the new SME Pro-Enterprise office, these are just ways that we are working across Government to make services simpler, more connected and more helpful to our people and businesses. Each of these reflect our determination to deliver greater value and to do better things with our finite resources.

On the other hand, we must not copy blindly, but be bold enough to look for our own solutions. Our founding leaders and the Pioneer Generation did exactly that, from introducing National Service to safeguard our sovereignty and security, to setting up the EDB to attract investment and the HDB to provide affordable and quality homes. We did not copy others, but we found our own way.

Even for something like the CPF, we have continuously evolved it over the years, expanding from retirement savings to meet housing and healthcare needs, while providing stronger safety nets for our elderly and vulnerable.

Each of these decisions took courage, clarity of vision, a willingness to chart our path and the conviction to see it through. It is not just as simple as just plucking an idea from some other country and copying it.

I come now to the most difficult challenge. Delivering with our people will require a new approach from our Government and a new understanding with our people. Delivering with our people means that our Government must be prepared to engage even before all policy details have been finalised internally. On the other hand, our people must also accept that not everyone's idea will be adopted in full or in part.

Let me share a little vignette I learnt from Minister Vivian Balakrishnan when I took over, the then-Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, from him. The first thing he told me was, "Chun Sing, when you become the Minister, you must consult widely. But remember, after you have consulted 100 people and you have chosen your idea, you must go back to the other 99 to explain to them why their ideas were not chosen. Each of them must be convinced why their ideas were not chosen after they have given you their feedback". That was 14 or 15 years ago. I think that still applies today.

All of us will contribute ideas just like in this House, but not all ideas may be implemented in full or in part. And we will debate it. We will take collective decisions and we hope that we will move forward in the right spirit.

The other thing is this: as we evolve our processes and services at speed to achieve timeliness and relevance, we must also accept that we may not always achieve that perfect or flawless product or policy, if there was ever such a thing. What matters most is to learn and keep improving fast, rather than to let the pursuit of perfection paralyse us from timely deployment of new solutions.

This is the spirit that CPF Board and Government Technology Agency (GovTech) have taken. No one in CPF Board or GovTech will claim that their product is perfect or flawless. They all know that they have to keep improving, but they all know that they have to be timely and relevant in their delivery.

As the challenges confronting Singapore are multi-dimensional, we will also need the Public Service to acquire new capabilities. The Public Service will continue to remain open and attract diverse talent, including mid-careerists, and provide opportunities for officers to gain exposure to the private and people sectors. Now increasingly important, we must also expose our officers to the International Organisations to understand how the world is evolving and we must secure a place at the table where international rules are made. Otherwise, as the saying goes, we are either at the table or on the menu.

From the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the 1970s to the recent debate on climate change, the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction and the cyber domains, many new rules are made on the international front. We will need our people to be au fait with the developments in order to secure our interest.

Next, after hearing all the many good ideas, this Government will have the difficult task of balancing our public finances. We have been fortunate so far that we have been able to afford what we wanted to, while delivering high quality services, because we run a tight ship. We have been prudent with our spending, saving a little year after year, invested these savings wisely and gradually built up our Reserves; and instituted rigorous safeguards to protect the Reserves, making sure that we only spent the money that we really needed to.

However, just as over the course of this week's debate, we have heard many new ideas, many new demands and all of that will ultimately translate into some form of resources needs. Hence, in this House, we must be judicious in deciding how to spend our public funds and be honest with ourselves about the trade-offs. Everything we want to do more of, means something less for either current or future needs. We should not and cannot pretend that there is somehow, somewhere a free lunch. We must also be honest with our own residents where those trade-offs are.

It also means making difficult political decisions, such as raising taxes when we need to, as we have done for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) increases to ensure that our revenues continue to keep up with our spending needs. I can understand. I can appreciate the calls for us to spend more, given our challenges. But I am always reminded of this. Let us think about it. Where did our Reserves come from?

Our forefathers started saving in the 1960s. In the 1960s, we had the British withdrawal east of the Suez Canal. My grandmother and her family lost their job overnight from Sembawang Naval Base. In the 1970s, we had two oil crises. In the 1980s, we had the economic recession. In the 1990s, we had the Asian Financial Crisis. In the 2000s, we had the Global Financial Crisis. And of course, we had Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and COVID-19.

Were those not tough times? Did any of our Pioneers say that life was too hard and therefore we would not save for the next generation? No, they did not. No matter how tough those times were and arguably there were moments that were even tougher than now, they have made it a point to save up for us. Today, we are benefiting from this. I think it is only responsible of us to similarly hold on to this spirit.

Of course, the Government will do what we can to spend carefully to take care of this generation but let us not forget that we must also take care of future generations, although they are not here to cast their votes. This is what makes Singapore special – that we do not define success by how well we do for ourselves in this generation only. We define our success by how well we enable the next generation to do even better than us.

Changi Airport's Terminal 1 (T1), T2 and T3 that we enjoy now were built by the previous generation for us. And now, we are building T5 for the next generation. This is the spirit of Singapore. In the many Committees of Supply debate that I have attended in this House, we have not had to make very difficult decisions on what to cut in order to fund what we want to do more. We have been fortunate. We have a growing pie.

But it is not the natural order of things in most countries. Even so, we should maintain our discipline. Every grant, expenditure and subsidy has a long tail. Once committed, they will be hard to remove. In Budget speak, or in Ministry of Finance speak, we must not use up our white space, our future spending capacity, without considering the need to cater to unforeseen circumstances, which will certainly happen from time to time, be it COVID-19 or SARS.

This is where we go back to where we started. We must focus on growing the overall economic pie for us to have the options and the luxury to make easier decisions.

The challenges ahead will be different from those in the past, but the core principles remain: to anticipate change, to be bold, innovative and pragmatic in finding solutions that work for us and keep building a fair, strong, united Singapore for generations to come.

Mr Speaker, Singapore has come a long way in the 60 years since our Independence. Our Pioneer Generation and founding leaders have built a nation upon the foundations of conviction, not convenience. From the very beginning we have faced challenges head on, never shirking our responsibility to one another, nor to future generations. Together we have weathered storms, overcome adversity and emerged stronger each time. Through crises such as the Asian Financial Crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, we stood together – Government, businesses, community, students – supporting one another, overcoming challenges and always promising one another that we will emerge stronger. These experiences have shown that our strength lies in our unity and our ability to trust and work with one another.

Recently, I gave out scholarships to this year's Public Service Commission (PSC) and MINDEF scholarship recipients. I shared with them this simple message: "When I was awarded the scholarship, it was SG23. Nobody told me the challenges ahead". Now we are in SG60. I told this generation of scholarship holders, "You are taking up the scholarship at SG60. Your job is to get us to SG100 and beyond". I also told them, "If you have a doubt, there is a cooling-off period. You can don't take up the scholarship".

None of them flinched. I am proud of them, because I did not promise them that if they get a scholarship with the PSC or MINDEF, that life would be a bed of roses. There is nothing that guarantees that we would get to SG100. I also told them that, well, if I am so lucky to be able to see the fireworks at the Padang on 9 August 2065, maybe they can spare me a pair of National Day Parade tickets.

To take Singapore to SG100 and beyond, we will need leaders at every level of society – a nation of lions led by lions – to have a strong sense of mission and the gumption to defy the odds, to remember our vulnerabilities as a nation but never be shackled by them; a people who dares to dream and innovate, and are willing to match our aspirations with our perspirations.

Last but not least, we will live by these values that we will put our collective before self, putting the "we" before "me" and taking care of one another, so that we can be truly proud that if you want to have the best opportunities in life, anywhere in the world, you want to be born in Singapore.

I thank all Members for your vigorous and constructive debate over the course of this week. Your insights and ideas will help shape our policies and programmes going forward. As we chart our path towards SG100 and beyond, let us stand united in purpose in this House. For there will be no challenge too great, too daunting that we cannot overcome together.

Our commitment is, as everyone has said, is to build a better future for everyone, including those Singaporeans who are yet to be born. Together, we will write the next chapter of Singapore's history. This Government will not only deliver for Singaporeans. This Government will deliver with Singaporeans. [Applause.]

Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. Before I proceed, may I first convey my gratitude for the privilege of moving the Motion of Thanks to the President for the speech delivered on behalf of the Government at the opening of the First Session of this 15th Parliament. It is a great honour to move this Motion and an equal privilege to round up this debate as we begin the new term. I also would like to thank all Members of this House. Over the past five days, 81 Members have spoken in support of the Motion, including our Prime Minister Mr Lawrence Wong; among them were also 32 newly elected Members delivering their maiden speeches.

I have been heartened by the depth of conviction and the clarity of purpose in these speeches and together they reflect our collective resolve to improve the lives of Singaporeans and to advance the progress of our nation as one united people, something that was shared by Minister Chan Chun Sing just now.

Mr Speaker, the President's address reminded us of the profound transitions of our time, a world in flux, both globally and at home. He set out four key challenges and reminded us that our path forward depends on unity, nurturing a "we first" society built on trust, resilience and a shared purpose. As I listen to the many thoughtful speeches delivered, similar to what Minister Chan has mentioned earlier, it became clear that certain themes resonated strongly. And hence, I had to quickly remove quite a lot of my paragraphs – thanks to Minister Chan.

In closing, I will draw out these key themes. Firstly, there is collective agreement from the speeches that the changes before us are not just transient headwinds, but as the President reminded us, they are fundamental shifts in the tide that will shape Singapore's future. This span geopolitics, the economy, technology and demographics, and they will test us deeply.

Senior Minister of State Sim Ann spoke of great power, contestation, rising protectionism and geopolitical conflicts. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong reminded us that countries are turning inwards while transformative technologies such as AI, coupled with our limits on land, carbon and energy, demand fresh thinking. Ms Tin Pei Ling emphasised the need for Singapore to remain relevant. Ms He Ting Ru cautioned that past performance is no guarantee of future success.

The Leader of Opposition pointed to the weight of international and domestic pressures. Mr Yip Hon Weng reminded us that defence and diplomacy are the twin pillars of our survival and Mr Vikram Nair shared the need for allies and self-reliance on defence.

This shared recognition of change matters. Transformation begins with recognition of the urgency to change. Knowing we cannot stand still. From the speeches, there is consensus: that transformation is needed in our economy, whether it is jobs, education and social safety nets. Not because they are not working, but because we need to prepare for the challenges ahead. And we must act decisively together.

Many Members stressed that the scale of change requires us to rethink fundamentals: our economy, job design, education, child-raising, transportation, housing and senior care. I thank Deputy Prime Minister Gan for affirming the point I raised on strengthening existing industries, while seizing new areas of growth. He spoke of securing footholds in emerging sectors and making Singapore a “home for leading firms.” Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Shawn Huang pointed to intelligent robotics as another exciting frontier.

Labour MP, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, Senior Minister of State Desmond Tan, Minister of State Desmond Choo and Dr Wan Rizal emphasised that unions will support workers through job redesign, upskilling, and reskilling, ensuring no one is left behind. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon spoke of the importance of tripartism in making transformation possible.

In education, Ms Goh Hanyan and Mr Goh Pei Ming urged a relook at how we raise our children and review our exam system, a call echoed by Mr Darryl David and supported by Minister Desmond Lee.

We face huge uncertainty and we must transform to survive. But as Mr Shawn Loh observed, the President's address over the past two decades have consistently emphasised these same enduring themes: global uncertainty, economic vitality, care for an ageing population, building an inclusive society and then, keeping Singapore united. What makes it different today?

The key point is this: as a small nation, we will always face these enduring challenges and emerging trends. We must be ready to pivot, ready to adapt and ready to transform as circumstances evolve. Our survival depends on staying agile, nimble and ever ready to renew ourselves. This acceptance of constant transformation is not optional. It is the very foundation of Singapore’s survival and progress.

The second theme is the diversity of support across society. While we agree transformation is necessary, Members also recognised that it brings both anxiety and hope. Above all, there was consensus that growth must never come at the expense of leaving anyone behind.

For our youths, Miss Rachel Ong, Minister of State Dinesh Vasu Dash and Mr Ng Shi Xuan spoke of creating safe avenues for expression and more community-driven care. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan and Minister of State Goh Pei Ming highlighted learning through play, while Mr David Hoe suggested “curiosity credits” to spark exploration.

Mr Jackson Lam and Mr Darryl David stressed the need to support marginalised youth and equip them with the skills for the global economy. Together with Ms Jessica Tan, I also called for structured apprenticeships to bridge technical learning with real-world experience. Ms Lee Hui Ying added that even more "senior youths" in their 20s face the burdens of adulting as they enter the workforce. "Senior youths" is a new term that I learnt yesterday. Unfortunately, I no longer fall within the group.

For workers, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State Desmond Tan, Minister of State Desmond Choo and Mr Patrick Tay spoke of securing good jobs, upskilling, "skills-first Singapore" and ensuring a "just transition" with AI, automation and leveraging on the wisdom of senior workers. Mr Henry Kwek talked about turning technology disruption into opportunities for all.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Dr Wan Rizal highlighted the recognition of lower-wage and platform workers, while Ms Gho Sze Kee, Ms Eileen Chong, Ms Poh Li San, myself and others raised support for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and young graduates.

For our seniors, Mr Alex Yeo, Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Saktiandi Supaat raised concerns on retirement adequacy and dignified living. Mr Cai Yinzhou proposed the formation of the elder corp to leverage on the skills and wisdom of seniors. Ms Choo Pei Ling spoke about healthcare and support for those living with illnesses. Families too were highlighted by Ms Cassandra Lee, Minister of State Jasmin Lau and Ms Valerie Lee, who spoke of the struggles of working parents and the sandwich generation. Ms Elysa Chen and Ms Diana Pang shared the need for stronger support for caregivers. As Ms Valerie Lee memorably said, we must build a society where “caregiving is supported, not merely tolerated.” Ms Denise Phua shared the need for mandating inclusive designs and deliberately designing in opportunities for the special need individuals, one which I also mentioned in investing in inclusive technology.

Members also raised wider issues: Dr Hamid Razak and Ms Nadia Samdin on mental health, Mr Edward Chia and myself on SME costs of doing business, Mr Shawn Loh on growing our local MNCs, Mr Victor Lye on hawkers, and Mr Gabriel Lam and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua on giving second chances. On sustainability, Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad, Ms Nadia Samdin and Ms Valerie Lee called for protecting our environment and strengthening food and water resilience. Even support for animals found a voice through Ms Lee Hui Ying and others.

Mr Speaker, this breadth of voices is worth a mention and it shows that while transformation brings anxiety, it also carries hope. Every segment of our society – the youths, the workers, our special needs individuals, seniors, families, businesses small and large, and even our natural environment – has found representation in this Chamber. That is the strength of our Parliament: no group forgotten, every voice heard. Inclusiveness and care must guide us as we move forward.

The third theme is that in almost every speech, as Minister Chan Chun Sing has mentioned, MPs spoke about more can be done, and there are three variants of it. More can be done, full stop; more can be done with a suggestion; more can be done with a suggestion and something that we do less of. And more can be done not because nothing is being done, but because Members believe more is required. Whether it is in preschool education, youth development, worker upskilling, supporting businesses, addressing the cost of living, or helping young parents and the sandwich generation, or caring for seniors and in providing humanitarian support such as in Gaza as shared by Member Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim. I may have missed it, but I did not hear anyone calling for less to be done.

The question then is: if everyone wants more, how do we sustain it, especially as costs rise, from healthcare to infrastructure and social spending? One answer must be in continually growing our economy, so that the pie expands and every Singaporean receives a fairer share, with those in greater need receiving stronger support. Some Members cautioned against “growing GDP at all costs.” From the speeches heard here, this is not what anyone is advocating.

Mr Speaker, this is the essence of our compact: to build a growing and inclusive economy that uplifts all, and ensures those with less are never left behind. Growth is not an end in itself. It is the means by which we create resources to care for every member of our society. By enlarging opportunity and walking this journey together, we give every generation not just hope, but the confidence that tomorrow will be a better day than today.

With a larger pie, it brings me to the fourth theme that was common across all the speeches, on how to distribute the pie fairly. Mr Fadli Fawzi reminded us of the dangers of meritocracy, where some may be left behind. Ms Mariam Jaafar and Mr Xie Yao Quan stressed that while meritocracy is not perfect, in Ms Mariam’s words, "We must continue to refine it, to strengthen it and to make sure meritocracy in Singapore remains fair and real – not just in principle, but in practice."

As our Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said, "we cannot stand still" and we must "tilt the balance continually" to keep society fair. It is a continuous work in progress. This means upholding the principle that those with less should receive more. We already see this in schemes like KidStart, ComCare+, UPLIFT, financial assistance schemes, rental flats and the multiple education pathways – all designed to level the playing field. As Ms Mariam Jaafar, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan, Mr Darryl David, Mr Gerald Giam and Mr David Hoe have highlighted, our youths may begin from different starting points, but we must ensure that they all have equal opportunities to succeed. The landing point is clear: a fairer society is one where those with less are given more, so everyone has a real chance to move up in life.

Mr Speaker, having spoken about growing the pie and distributing it fairly, let me turn to how we defined success, another point that has been elaborated by Minister Chan Chun Sing, so I will keep it short. Some Members reminded us that success cannot be measured by GDP or wealth alone, but by ensuring every Singaporean has the chance to move up. True success means that a child born into a less advantaged family can still aspire, work hard and achieve his or her dreams. Recognising different starting points, many MPs defined success as those with less must be given more to ensure equal opportunity.

Others called for a broader and more inclusive definition of success, that success should not be defined narrowly by grades or income, something which we have been working on, but also by diverse pathways, whether in arts, sports, caregiving, or technical trades. I thank Acting Minister David Neo for noting that children participating in other co-curricular activities may also be recognised with Colours Awards. I do hope mountain biking and cycling is considered too.

Success must also be measured in the well-being of families and communities: affordable housing, accessible healthcare and the dignity of work. Success in Singapore must be more than individual achievement. It must be a collective, where communities thrive together, when those with less are given more and when every Singaporean has the opportunity to live a fulfilling life.

Mr Speaker, over the past five days, much has been said about "we first." As the Prime Minister puts it, "we first" does not mean suppressing the "me." Members here have shared many examples of how "we first" can begin from something as simple as helping a neighbour, volunteering at a home, or when individuals, employers, communities and businesses come together for the common good. Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi shared "we first" as a powerful enabler that can strengthen cohesion and bolster unity and this is the cornerstone of a caring and values-driven society. Something which Dr Charlene Chen shared where kindness must be lived in every sphere of life.

"We first" means a society that strives for a collective good, not self-interest even as we recognise differences. Our commitment to "we first" will always be tested. The recent incident of suspicious parcels sent to places of worship reminds us that there will always be those who try to magnify our differences and sow division. The only way forward is for us to stay strong, deepen our solidarity and care for one another, building a Singapore where every citizen belongs. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] "Giving more to those who have less" and the spirit of "we first" are not something new to our community. It has been ingrained in us from the beginning.

As other speakers had previously shared, our Malay/Muslim community continues to excel – whether in terms of education, employability, or our professionals who now receive recognition on the world stage. However, this effort is still ongoing and there is so much more that we can achieve together.

All these could not be accomplished through individual achievement alone. It stems from community support that constantly helps one another. Established programmes such as the TTFS which covers tertiary education fees, Mathematics Classes for preschool children, Project Dian which assists families in rental flats, and Mendaki's Tuition Scheme for our children – all these exist because the community works hand in hand to help those who are disadvantaged.

At the grassroots level, many volunteers in our Malay/Muslim community also contribute their time and energy. In Pasir Ris-Changi, for example, programmes like Hash Tech provide opportunities for students to understand data and generative artificial intelligence – the very technology that is shaping our world today. In my previous speech, I also shared how students from Muhammadiyah Welfare Home were able to learn robotics through guidance from engineers in our professional networks.

This is what "we first" is all about – a community that puts the collective good above all else, instead of just self-interest. I would like to call upon more members of our community to join these volunteering opportunities. Let us continue to work together to build a more caring, more empowered and more united community.

(In English): Mr Speaker, allow me to draw the threads together as we head towards the end. Over these five days, six themes have emerged clearly. Firstly, our survival depends on staying agile, nimble and ever ready to renew ourselves. This is the very foundation of Singapore’s survival and progress.

Second, while transformation brings anxieties, it also carries hope. Every segment of society – youths, workers, persons with disabilities, seniors, families, businesses and even our natural environment – has representation in this Chamber. To be inclusive, we must continue to make these voices heard.

Thirdly, growing our economy is not mutually exclusive to caring for our people. Growth is not an end in itself. It is the means by which we create resources to care for every member of our society.

Fourth, a fairer society is one where those with less are given more, so everyone has a real chance to move up in life.

Fifth, we have already embraced and must continue to embrace the different definitions of success, beyond grades or income, to include dignity, opportunity and quality of life.

And lastly, that all this is anchored on "we first", the conviction that progress must be shared, and Singapore is strongest when we stand together.

Mr Speaker, we cannot choose the challenges of our time, but we can choose how we respond. Let us respond with courage, with care and with confidence. Let us renew our compact, not just with words but with deeds. Let us build a Singapore that is not only successful, but also one that is just, compassionate and united. A Singapore where every citizen has reason to hope, every family has reason to strive and every generation has reason to believe that tomorrow will be better than today.

I call upon all the Members of this House, on both sides of the aisle, backbenchers and frontbenchers, to join me in thanking the President for his Address. Majulah Singapura. [Applause.]