Govt to play bigger role in building fair and just society
PM signals change in approach in his National Day message
By Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 9 Aug 2013
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday signalled a shift in Singapore's approach to nation building, as he assured Singaporeans they will always have a stake in the country, and ample chances to make good in life.
The Government will play a bigger role to build a fair and just society and help everyone succeed, he said in his National Day message, outlining the thinking behind policy changes expected in next week's National Day Rally.
"Our road ahead will be different from the road we have travelled. So we must reassess our position, review our direction, and refresh our strategies to thrive," he said, in a message recorded at the new SAFRA Toa Payoh clubhouse and broadcast last night.
Giving the broad strokes of the changes, he said the Government will do more to help children from less well-off families get off to a good start from pre-school, the elderly cope with health-care costs and every family own a Housing Board flat. It will give low-income workers a better deal through Workfare, which tops up their wages.
But even as the Government does more, and the country finds a new balance between the individual, community and the state, each one must still do his best, and be self-reliant and resourceful. "Singapore can only succeed if each one of us contributes his part," he said.
The Prime Minister laid out the reasons for the change in approach, which other ministers have also pointed to in their speeches and this year's Budget.
The Prime Minister laid out the reasons for the change in approach, which other ministers have also pointed to in their speeches and this year's Budget.
The world is changing fast and unpredictably. Jobs have become less secure and wages are rising more slowly or even stagnating. Families are working harder and parents worry for their children's future. As for Singapore, its economy is maturing, its population ageing and its society has become more diverse.
Against that backdrop, the year-long Our Singapore Conversation exercise has helped "to crystallise what Singaporeans aspire to", Mr Lee said.
What they seek is a Singapore that gives its people opportunities to succeed and live fulfilling lives, which defines success more broadly, with social safety nets that give peace of mind and where people help each other.
The Government will work to realise these aspirations, he said, but it also needs to ensure Singapore stays ahead of the competition and maintains its standing in the world.
To do so, the country must remain united and get its politics right, he said, reiterating a point he made at a recent forum.
"We must always have able, honest and committed leaders, who can be trusted to serve Singaporeans. We need a good government that thinks and plans ahead, and more importantly feels for our concerns and hopes," he said.
WE WILL FOSTER A MORE EQUAL SOCIETY: PM
The Government will also play a bigger role to build a fair and just society. We will do more to enable every Singaporean to succeed, through education and lifelong learning. We will keep avenues to rise wide open to all. We will help those from families with less get off to a good start in life, beginning from pre-school. We will tackle the cost of living, for example health-care costs, especially for the elderly. We will foster a more equal society, by helping every family afford their own HDB flat, and giving low-income workers a better deal through Workfare. In Singapore, everyone will always have a stake in this country, and ample chances to make good in life.
The Government will also play a bigger role to build a fair and just society. We will do more to enable every Singaporean to succeed, through education and lifelong learning. We will keep avenues to rise wide open to all. We will help those from families with less get off to a good start in life, beginning from pre-school. We will tackle the cost of living, for example health-care costs, especially for the elderly. We will foster a more equal society, by helping every family afford their own HDB flat, and giving low-income workers a better deal through Workfare. In Singapore, everyone will always have a stake in this country, and ample chances to make good in life.
MPs cheer push to narrow inequality
They welcome policy shift to ensure a more inclusive society
By Elgin Toh, The Straits Times, 9 Aug 2013
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong's pledge in his National Day message that the State would play a bigger role to build a fair and just society was welcomed on both sides of the political divide.
The persistently high income inequality here was probably the primary factor that led the Government to decide to embark on this course, several Members of Parliament said.
They welcome policy shift to ensure a more inclusive society
By Elgin Toh, The Straits Times, 9 Aug 2013
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong's pledge in his National Day message that the State would play a bigger role to build a fair and just society was welcomed on both sides of the political divide.
The persistently high income inequality here was probably the primary factor that led the Government to decide to embark on this course, several Members of Parliament said.
"The better off were benefiting more than people in the bottom rungs of society. So there was a recognition that we couldn't just leave it to meritocracy any more," said People's Action Party MP Inderjit Singh.
Mr Yee Jenn Jong of the Workers' Party said the policies of the past decade, which were too competitive, had left some groups of Singaporeans behind.
"It is positive that the PAP is finally recognising that our country has gone quite far to an extreme, and that it's time to moderate it," said the Non-Constituency MP.
Another reason put forward for the Government choosing to play a bigger role is that it now has the wherewithal to do so.
Said Mr Liang Eng Hwa, a PAP MP: "If we don't have the resources, then even if you acknowledge the problem, you can't do anything about it. But we are fortunate that we have the resources today to act and to act decisively."
Dr Vincent Chua added that the family is now under stress and is less able to help its own members like it did in the past.
"Prices have gone up faster than real wages and many families increasingly cannot solve all their own problems. So the State is now filling that gap," said the sociologist from the National University of Singapore.
In his televised speech last night, PM Lee identified four areas in which the Government's role will grow: education (including pre-school), health care, public housing and Workfare, which both supplements the incomes of low-wage earners and subsidises their training.
Dr Chua said this indicated that the Government was willing to set into motion "large policy levers" to tackle inequality.
Mr Lee's comments are the latest in a series of statements and actions by the PAP leadership on forging a more inclusive society.
In April, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the Cabinet had moved to the left of centre, compared to the more centrist position it occupied when he entered politics in 2001.
Mr Tharman also unveiled in February a Budget that was described by many as a "Robin Hood" one. It raised financial aid for the poor as well as taxes on luxury housing and cars.
But PAP MPs yesterday said that becoming a welfare state in the European sense was not the intention of the Government.
"There has to be a balance," said Mr Singh. "If the people then expect the State to be responsible for too much, we can go the way of some governments in the West, which have become bankrupt."
Mr Liang added: "We just have to watch the numbers closely to make sure these policies are sustainable over the long term."
* Real wages already adjusted for prices -Ministry of Finance
Economy to grow 2.5% to 3.5%
By Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 9 Aug 2013
THE Singapore economy is likely to grow by a faster-than-expected 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent this year, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.
The full-year gross domestic product (GDP) figure was revised upwards from 1 per cent to 3 per cent as the economy expanded 2 per cent in the first half of the year.
By Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 9 Aug 2013
THE Singapore economy is likely to grow by a faster-than-expected 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent this year, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.
The full-year gross domestic product (GDP) figure was revised upwards from 1 per cent to 3 per cent as the economy expanded 2 per cent in the first half of the year.
"The economy is holding steady amidst global uncertainties. We are attracting more quality investments. Unemployment remains low," Mr Lee said in his National Day message.
But he added Singapore must maintain investor confidence and stay open for business even as it tightens up on foreign workers and immigrants.
Economists largely expected the upward revision in GDP, with a likely boost coming from services.
CIMB economist Song Seng Wun said: "Growth momentum picked up in the second quarter and should carry on into the second half of the year."
United Overseas Bank economist Francis Tan said the economy could grow as fast as 5 per cent in the second half.
Strengthen spirit of togetherness for a brighter future
This is the text of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Message 2013 delivered yesterday evening
The Straits Times, 9 Aug 2013
MY FELLOW Singaporeans,
I am speaking to you from the new Safra clubhouse in Toa Payoh. This is where Safra built its very first clubhouse in 1975. We have just rebuilt it with better facilities for NSmen (national servicemen) and your families. It is a small gesture to thank you for your many contributions and sacrifices. It is also an example of how we are upgrading our amenities and environment as Singapore develops, year by year.
We have made steady progress this past year. We have cleared the queue for HDB (Housing Board) flats, stabilised BTO (Build-to-Order flat) prices and tightened up on property speculation and excessive borrowing. We have added more buses and increased the number of bus routes.
We are trying out free early morning MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) rides into the city. We will add more trains to the existing lines. Phase 1 of the Downtown Line will open in December, and more MRT lines after that. We also celebrated several successes in the arts and sports, including our LionsXII team winning the Malaysian Super League.
We are tackling longer-term issues too, especially marriage and parenthood, as well as population. The White Paper on Population in January provoked strong reactions, but the debate helped us to understand the issues better.
We face difficult choices: We need foreign workers to serve our economy and Singaporeans' needs, and immigrants to make up for our shortfall of babies. But we also worry about crowding and congestion, and maintaining our Singaporean identity.
So we are feeling our way forward carefully, conscious both of our needs and our limits, and seeking the best outcome for Singaporeans.
Our economy is holding steady amidst global uncertainties. We are attracting more quality investments. Unemployment remains low. We grew by 2 per cent in the first half of 2013, and expect to grow by 2.5-3.5 per cent this year, higher than previously expected.
Even as we tighten up on foreign workers and immigration, we must maintain investor confidence and keep Singapore open for business.
The world is changing rapidly and unpredictably. Technology is transforming our lives. Societies everywhere feel under pressure: Jobs have become less secure, wages are rising more slowly or even stagnating, families are working harder, and parents worry whether their children will do better than themselves.
Singapore is changing too. The economy is maturing and our population is ageing. Different groups in society now have more diverse and even conflicting interests. Older Singaporeans worry about health care and costs of living. Younger ones aspire to wider education opportunities and more affordable homes.
Our road ahead will be different from the road we have travelled. So we must reassess our position, review our direction, and refresh our strategies to thrive in this new world.
In my (National Day) message last year, I said that Singapore should always be our best home, with heart and hope. We launched Our Singapore Conversation to define our shared future together. Many have participated actively and passionately. We heard many valuable suggestions. Thank you for taking part in this effort.
Our Singapore Conversation has helped us crystallise what we aspire to: A Singapore which gives its citizens opportunities to succeed and live fulfilling lives. A nation which defines success in many ways, and offers multiple paths to many peaks. A society with safety nets that give people peace of mind. A community where the disadvantaged get help, and those who have done well, in turn, do more to help others.
We will set goals and work out plans to realise these aspirations. We must match these aspirations against the world we live in - our competition, our opportunities, and our potential as a people.
Today, Singapore stands tall internationally. Many countries admire us. Developed countries and emerging economies want to pick up ideas from us. Every citizen gains from our strong Singapore brand - our workers enjoy a premium in wages, and our people studying and working abroad are welcomed and respected.
At the same time, other countries are rapidly progressing and catching up. We must stay ahead of the competition, and maintain our standing in the world.
To succeed under changed circumstances, we must adapt our basic approach to nation building. We must strike a new balance between the roles of the individual, the community and the state.
We must strengthen our sense of community. We need to give greater mutual support to one another - helping the less fortunate in big ways and small; volunteering for causes that we care about; organising ourselves to work for the common good.
We already do this, especially during crises. When dengue and the haze threatened us, we stood together and took care of one another.
That is Singapore - not just separate individuals, but a community with a shared purpose and a sense of collective responsibility, taking the initiative to help one another in good times and bad. We need to strengthen this spirit of togetherness.
The Government will also play a bigger role to build a fair and just society. We will do more to enable every Singaporean to succeed, through education and lifelong learning. We will keep avenues to rise wide open to all. We will help those from families with less get off to a good start in life, beginning from pre-school.
We will tackle the cost of living, for example, health-care costs, especially for the elderly. We will foster a more equal society, by helping every family afford their own HDB flat, and giving low-income workers a better deal through Workfare.
In Singapore, everyone will always have a stake in this country, and ample chances to make good in life. But remember: Each one of us must still do our best, and be self-reliant and resourceful, because Singapore can only succeed if each one of us contributes his part.
At the same time, all this is only possible if we are one united people, and not divided by race, social class, or political faction.
We must always have able, honest and committed leaders, who can be trusted to serve Singaporeans. We need a good government that thinks and plans ahead, and, more importantly, feels for our concerns and hopes. That is the way to build a better Singapore - together.
We have come a long way, but our best years are ahead of us. We have the power to shape our destiny and write a new chapter in the Singapore story. Let us stand together, and dedicate ourselves to building in Singapore a brighter future for all.
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