PM Lawrence Wong at the Youth Policy Forum Dialogue (Aug 2024)

Good morning everyone and very good to join this session. Thank you to NYC for inviting me. I just had the National Day Rally last week. I do not know if you had the chance to listen to some of it or all of it, but a key focus in my speech last week was about refreshing our Singapore Dream. I think we have reached a stage where many Singaporeans, young and old, feel that we can move to a different path in our next bound. What would this new path entail? 

Based on the Forward Singapore exercise which we had conducted earlier, where we listened and engaged many Singaporeans, young and old, I think there is a collective sense that we want a refreshed Singapore Dream. A Singapore where everyone can find their own path and be the best possible version of themselves. A Singapore where we can all flourish and thrive in our own ways, on our own terms. Ways that are less prescribed and more open. And I think that resonates with many Singaporeans. 

We hope we can all move together towards that Singapore. And I think all of you as young people will play a key role in shaping this new future for yourself. Each one of you has different abilities and talents. There is no need to compare with one another. There is no need to feel like, this person did this and therefore I must feel pressure to also do the same thing. Because really, we all have different abilities, different strengths, different learning journeys as well. Everyone should feel the freedom, the space to find your own path in life. And then to work hard, excel, strive and be the best that you can be in whatever you choose. 

And if you have that attitude, if you have that mindset, the government will want to support you in whatever you are doing. It can be arts, it can be sports, you want to be a researcher, you want to be in business, whatever it is, we help you to develop, grow and be the best possible version of yourself. We want to encourage all of you to chase your rainbow, and we will be there to support you and cheer for you every step of the way. So that is for you. 

But life should not just revolve around me, myself and I. I think if we go with that kind of an attitude, we will never be happy, and we will never be satisfied. We will never be content if it is all about me, me, me, because ultimately, fulfilment comes through us serving a higher purpose and a greater calling. The second part of this refreshed dream is about what we can do for our fellow citizens, for our society and for our country. What can all of us do for Singapore and our fellow Singaporeans? 

And there too, we want to provide more opportunities for young people like yourselves to do something concrete, practical and to be able to play a role in shaping the future of Singapore, contributing to causes that you care deeply about. That is why we provide many opportunities for youth to contribute, to participate and to take action. To do something concrete that you feel strongly about. 

Over the years, the platforms have evolved, and the most recent idea that we have are these Youth Panels. I am not sure if we had the chance to look at the exhibits behind, but I am sure later on, many of you will, where we have got more than 80 young people involved in these Youth Panels, and even more being engaged. They revolve around four topics which young people care about – financial, security, jobs, sustainability and tech. And these are important topics. They have drilled down into key questions, and they importantly come up with recommendations which the government will consider very seriously. 

I think they have done a lot of work – there are students, there are people who are working, they are even people in NS, but they have taken time off to work on these issues. I think we should once again give them a big round of applause to recognise them. The Youth Panels are just one way in which we can get young people like yourselves involved. This round is a start. We will think about future rounds. We will think about future platforms, opportunities for you, and there will be many more. But the point is, there will be a way for young people like yourselves to contribute, not just for your own goals, not just for your own aspirations, but to larger public life. To shaping the society that we want to have in Singapore.

To wrap up my brief remarks, I think at the end of the day, we should feel happy that what we have in Singapore is very precious. If you look around the world, there are societies facing far more challenges than what we have here in Singapore, and that should make us feel comforted, it should make us feel fortunate. Does it mean that what we have here is perfect? Of course not. It is not perfect. Can it be better? Certainly. 

While we are blessed, we should not be complacent. We should not rest on our laurels. We should keep on striving and wanting to make Singapore better, and that spirit of striving for excellence for ourselves, but also for our fellow citizens and for our country, that spirit is what keeps Singapore going. And I hope all of you will embrace that same spirit as our forefathers have, and continue to strive, work hard, excel at everything you do, and also at the same time, strive to make this little red dot shine even more brightly. Thank you very much.

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