National Day Rally 2026

PM spoke in Malay and Mandarin, followed by English.

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A Changed World. A Stronger Singapore.

Introduction

My fellow Singaporeans

Let me start tonight with the world around us – because it has changed, and it continues to change fast.

Across the globe, the rules and norms that underpinned stability and prosperity for decades are being over-turned.

One key reason is that the balance of power in the world is shifting. The US remains the world’s leading power. But China has risen rapidly and is now a peer competitor with deep capabilities in many areas. Neither can overpower the other. And yet neither can walk away from the other. So they are learning how to live with a new reality: competing fiercely, while trying to avoid confrontation and outright conflict.

But the world is not shaped by America and China alone. Europe remains a major force. India is rising rapidly. Many middle powers are asserting their interests more actively.

So power is becoming dispersed.

Different centres are jostling for influence, competing for markets, technology, resources, and increasingly, over who sets the rules of the game.

We see this clearly in the global trading system. For decades, countries lowered their barriers and opened up their economies. Tariffs came down. Supply chains stretched across borders. All this was underpinned by a common framework of rules through the WTO and other global institutions. Companies assumed that if one supplier failed, another would easily step in. That was the world we knew. Now all that is changing.

Covid was a wake-up call. Suppliers we could count on before stopped delivering. Suddenly everyone was scrambling for masks, medical supplies and vaccines. And as you would recall, even basic items like toilet paper!

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposed another vulnerability – the danger of depending too heavily on a single supplier.

Europe felt this most acutely when Russia cut off gas supplies.

Now we are dealing with a major crisis in the Middle East. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted. This has exposed vulnerabilities in energy, food and other critical supplies.

Countries have learnt from these crises. Security now weighs much more heavily in their economic decisions. Governments are increasingly using trade, technology and investment to advance their strategic and security objectives.

Look at what has happened with tariffs. Last year the US imposed its “Liberation Day” tariffs. Their courts later ruled these to be unlawful. But the US administration found another way to re-impose tariffs – this time over the alleged use of forced labour.

Now we all agree there should be no place for forced labour. This is a global problem. The better way to tackle it is through international cooperation and common standards – not tariffs. But the US now expects countries to have domestic measures to stop imported goods made with forced labour.

More recently, the US has also raised concerns about Chinese goods being routed through other countries, especially in Southeast Asia, to circumvent its tariff. Here too the principle is clear. There are established rules of origin for international trade. You cannot just route goods through another country to disguise where they actually come from.

Singapore takes both issues seriously. We have clear rules and laws in place. We enforce them and we expect companies operating here to comply. We will not allow Singapore to be used as a conduit for illegal trade practices. If there is credible evidence of wrongdoing, we will investigate and we will take action.

But we must also be realistic about what Singapore can do on our own. We are a major centre for re-exports and transhipment. Goods pass through Singapore from all over the world. We cannot possibly trace and verify the entire supply chain behind every product that passes through our shores.

So we will continue engaging the US and explaining our position.

But we should recognise the larger reality. Trade is no longer as free as it once was. Trade is no longer about economics alone. It is increasingly shaped by security considerations. And we should expect more of such changes to come.

Tariffs are only one symptom. They reflect deeper tensions around the world. Great power competition is intensifying. There are major conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. They may seem far away and separate from us, but the conflicts do not always stay neatly contained. Other powers can get drawn in – because of their alliances, their interests, or simply because events force their hand. New technologies add to the risks: cheap drones can now inflict serious damage, even against much more powerful forces.

So put all this together, and the risks of miscalculation and escalation are much higher. A regional conflict can quickly become something bigger. One side takes an action. The other side responds. Each thinks it is acting defensively. But step by step, the conflict can widen far beyond what anyone originally intended. No one wants another world war. But history reminds us: major wars rarely begin because they were planned. They happen because events spiral out of control. We all hope never to see a global conflict in our lifetimes. But we cannot ignore the growing risks.

We are also seeing more pressure below the threshold of open war. Economic coercion, foreign interference, disinformation campaigns, and cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure. People call these grey-zone tactics. You may not see troops crossing borders. But the damage can be just as real.

So this is our world today – more contested, more unstable and more dangerous than before.

And these are not temporary disruptions.

This is the new normal that Singapore will have to endure and survive for many years to come.

Our response cannot be to retreat and turn inward.

We have succeeded by connecting to and creating value for the world. We play a vital role in global supply chains. We are a major hub for business and finance. We bring together markets, capital, talent and ideas.

All of these strengths depend on one thing: Trust. Countries trust us. Businesses trust us. Investors trust us. They know Singapore is a place where the rule of law prevails, institutions are strong, and contracts and commitments are honoured. When Singapore gives our word, we keep it. And in a world where trust is becoming harder to find, this remains one of our greatest strengths.

So we will build on this trust and deepen our links with the world. As countries pull apart, we will build more connections, not fewer. We will reach out to more partners, make ourselves even more relevant, and create more opportunities for Singaporeans.

Next year, Singapore will take on the Chairmanship of ASEAN. We will do everything we can to strengthen ASEAN centrality and unity, deepen regional integration, and make ASEAN a more effective single market. We will also strengthen partnerships beyond our region – bring diverse partners together, build common ground, and keep channels for dialogue and cooperation open.

Even as we work with others, we cannot assume that they will come to our rescue when troubles come.

Ultimately, we must be able to stand on our own, and take care of our own.

So when the Middle East crisis broke out, we moved quickly. We brought stranded Singaporeans back home. We acted to secure essential supplies. And we’ve rolled out two support packages for workers, households and businesses.

Our immediate priority has been to steady the ship and help Singaporeans through this period of turbulence.

But we must go beyond that. And prepare for the deeper changes to come.

So tonight I want to share how we will do this.

We will harness the power of new technology – but do so on our own terms.

We will give families greater support and confidence for the future.

We will stay open and connected, while keeping our society cohesive and united.

And we will keep planning and building for the long term.

These are not separate agendas. They are all part of one larger mission: to keep Singapore trusted, relevant and resilient, ready for whatever lies ahead.

Embracing Technology on our Own Terms

Staying relevant means adapting to change.

Singapore has done this through every major technological shift. We did so during industrialisation. Then came computers and the internet. Each time, we mastered new technologies, attracted leading companies here, built up our own capabilities, and equipped Singaporeans with new skills. And that is how we created better jobs and new opportunities for our people.

Today we are in the midst of another technological revolution.

Last year, I spoke about the rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence. In just one year, the technology has moved even faster than many expected. We started with AI that could answer questions. Now we have AI agents that can carry out tasks on our behalf.

And the technology can make a big difference, especially for small businesses. AI can give them capabilities that were once available only to much larger firms. Take entrepreneur Gisele Woon. She started MagicPainters as a face-painting service for children. Over time she grew it into an events company for families. It is still a small operation – run mainly by Gisele, together with her husband. But now they can use AI agents to take care of the routine work – from marketing to operations. And that gives them more time to focus on growing the business, and, importantly, to spend with their daughter. So that is the power of AI – it can enable SMEs to think bigger, move faster, and achieve much more with fewer resources.

Technology can also improve our lives in direct ways.

Take healthcare. Many of us know we should exercise more. But we do not always know where to start or how to keep it up. So through Healthier SG, we are using AI to create personalised exercise plans for Singaporeans. Steven Chan is one of those benefitting. He is nearing 50, and feels that age is starting to catch up with him. So he worked with his GP to set his health goals. The AI tool suggested specific exercises and built him a customised routine. Now, Steven is getting fitter – and soon, he’ll be able to keep up with his son! Keep it up, Steven!

AI is also helping us detect diseases more accurately. One application is breast cancer screening. Reading a mammogram is not always straightforward. Dense tissue and tumours can look similar – they both show up as white, as you can see on the screen. So it is difficult to spot a tumour. But missing something like this can have life-changing consequences and this is where AI can help. It can act as another pair of highly trained eyes for our radiologists. This reduces their workload, and can help them detect cancers faster and more accurately.

We are also making good progress in genomics. Our genome is like a biological blueprint. It contains information that shapes many of our characteristics, including our risk of developing certain diseases. Twenty years ago, it would cost tens of millions to sequence a person’s genome. Today it can be done for just a few hundred dollars. This can transform how we prevent and treat disease. Genetic testing can help doctors identify patients with a higher inherited risk of certain diseases – including cancers and high cholesterol. And if we know these risks earlier, we can act earlier. And in some cases, we may even prevent serious disease altogether. Ong Ye Kung tells me MOH has already started several pilot projects. And we plan to do more in the years ahead.

These are exciting advances. And we want to make full use of them.

But technological change can also affect jobs and livelihoods.

We have seen this before.

More than 10 years ago, ride hailing apps came to Singapore. Some cities tried to keep out these apps. We took a different approach. We welcomed the innovation. At the same time, we put in place rules to ensure fair competition and support drivers through the transition. Very quickly, the taxi industry adapted. Today, commuters enjoy greater convenience, while drivers have more flexibility and new ways to earn a living.

So that experience gives us confidence as we move into another transformation: autonomous vehicles or AVs. We are now trialling AVs in Punggol. The response has been very encouraging. Let me show you a video. As you can see, residents want more routes, more pick-up points and even 24-hour service to eat prata! We want to do more too. But we have to proceed step by step. Because we need to build confidence in the technology, and safety remains our first priority.

But once the technology is proven, we intend to scale it up. Because we need solutions, new solutions to meet our growing transport needs. It is becoming harder to recruit bus captains. And our taxi workforce is ageing – two-thirds of taxi drivers are already 60 and above. AVs can help ease these manpower constraints, meet growing transport needs, and keep services reliable.

At the same time, we know AVs are a major concern for many taxi and private-hire drivers. For them, driving is their livelihood. So even as we scale up AVs, we will do so progressively. We will not let adoption run ahead of our ability to retrain and support affected drivers, and help them move into new jobs.

So that is how we manage the impact of technological change on jobs. We do not hold back new technologies simply because they are disruptive. But neither do we leave affected workers to fend for themselves. We support our workers through the transition. We will ensure that every worker shares in the fruits of Singapore’s progress.

Jobs are not the only concern.

As technology becomes more powerful, we also have to guard against risks that are harder to predict.

We are already seeing signs of this with AI. Recently, OpenAI tested and trained one of its agents. It was given certain tasks to complete. But it went beyond the test environment, escaped into the wider internet, and broke into the systems of another company. No one told the AI agent to attack the company. But in trying to complete its tasks, the agent did things which its developers did not want it to do.

Developments like this are unsettling. AI agents are becoming more capable very quickly. They will be able to do more on our behalf, with less human supervision. That brings enormous possibilities. But when things go wrong, the consequences can be very serious.

Ideally, countries should work together to set common rules and safeguards. Unfortunately, this is getting harder. Because the major powers want to move faster and gain an advantage over their competitors. But we must keep trying to find common ground.

And Singapore will do our part. We will bring countries and companies together. And build coalitions around practical safeguards.

We will also take action at home. We will not embrace new technologies blindly. We will anticipate the risks, and put appropriate safeguards in place. And we will always ensure that people remain in control.

Our experience with social media shows why this matters. When social media first emerged, we saw its promise. It created new opportunities. It connected families and friends.

But some of the downsides only became clear over time. Today, one in six young people aged 10 to 24 in Singapore show signs of problematic social media use. For some the problem can be severe – they spend six or seven hours a day on social media, sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable. Their brains are still developing. They are more susceptible to social pressures and more easily hooked by features designed to keep them constantly engaged.

In fact, on paper, most social media platforms already set a minimum age of 13.

But enforcement is largely left to the platforms themselves. And today they mostly rely on users to declare their own ages. And we know this is not working well. When I visit primary schools, I am struck by how many children are already active on social media.

So, we will require the platforms to do more. Self-declaration is just not good enough. They will have to put in place robust and reliable checks. So that the minimum age is properly set and enforced, and our children are genuinely protected.

Even for teenagers aged 13 and above, social media can have negative effects. For them, our immediate priority is to make social media safer by design. Many social media platforms are designed with features to keep users endlessly scrolling, clicking and coming back for more. These features are hard enough for adults to resist. For teenagers, the risks are greater. So we will require stronger safeguards to be built in for young users. And if a platform wants to serve young users in Singapore, it must meet these requirements. If its safeguards remain inadequate, we will consider additional restrictions – including raising the minimum age for access to that platform beyond 13.

Business. Healthcare. Transport. Social Media. These are very different areas. But our approach to technological change is the same. We will seize the opportunities. We will manage the disruption. And where there are real risks to our people and society, we will put safeguards in place.

This approach is grounded in our own experience.

Through every major technological shift, we have embraced change on our own terms, built new capabilities and emerged stronger.

We have done it before. And we will do it again.

Family

When we think about what matters most to Singaporeans, family is at the heart of it.

Families are where our children are nurtured, values are shaped, and lifelong bonds are formed. They are also where we care for one another across generations.

No other institution can replace the family. And that is why nothing matters more than helping families thrive. Because Singapore’s future will only be as strong as the families that build it.

But today, families everywhere are under growing pressure. Young couples hesitate to start a family. They worry about the responsibilities and costs. Parents face a different set of worries. Every day is a balancing act – between work and family, between earning a living and caring for loved ones. Beyond these practical challenges, many also worry about the future their children will inherit, and whether they are doing enough to help them succeed.

These concerns are real. I have heard them from many parents. My colleagues have heard them too.

That is why Indranee has been leading an inter-agency workgroup to review how we can support families better.

The work is still ongoing. We are aiming for more than incremental improvements or changes to individual schemes. We want to make a fundamental shift in how we support families. Today, much of our support is concentrated around the birth of a child. Instead, we want to support parents more consistently throughout the journey of raising their children. The workgroup has come up with some good proposals. So tonight let me give you a sneak preview.  

I will start with something every parent wishes they had more of – time.

One of the greatest gifts we can give parents is more time with their children.

Over the years we have significantly expanded paid parental leave. Today parents receive up to 30 weeks of government-paid leave, that is: 16 weeks of maternity leave, 4 weeks of paternity leave and 10 weeks of shared parental leave. When you add it all up, that is seven and a half months of paid leave. It is a lot. Can we go further? I will not rule it out. But these leave arrangements have just been introduced, and employers do need time to adapt. So we will let these changes settle in first.

 But there is one area where we can do more now – and that is childcare leave.

Today, childcare leave is not tied to the number of children you have. It is the same whether you have one child or more.

Every working parent now receives: 6 days if their youngest child is 6 years old or below, 2 days if their youngest child is 7 to 12 years old. That is for every working parent.

Many parents tell us this is not enough. Because having more children means greater caregiving responsibilities. And older children still need their parents – the needs are different, but they do not go away. So parents often end up using their own annual leave.

So we will increase childcare leave. And we will do it such that the more children you have, the more leave you will get. So here is what the new arrangement looks like. Every working parent will get: 8 days with one child, aged 12  and below, 10 days with two children, aged 12 and below, and 12 days with three or more children.

When you add it up, the increase is significant. Take a working couple with three primary school children. Today they receive 4 days of childcare leave. With these changes, they will receive 24 days. This will give parents more time and much greater flexibility to care for their children.

Today, the financial cost of child-related leave is shared between the Government and employers.

We have reviewed this arrangement.

I have decided that the Government will cover the cost of all statutory child-related leave, up to the reimbursement limit.

This will reduce, of course, the financial burden on employers.

And with the government paying for the leave, let us be very clear – employers should be more supportive of employees who are parents.

So I ask all employers to do your part: Support parents in your organisations and give them confidence to take the leave they are entitled to. Help them settle back into work afterwards. Make sure that becoming a parent never becomes a disadvantage in someone’s career.

Remember: parents who feel supported are better able to give their best – at home and at work.

That is good for families, good for employers and good for Singapore!

The second area is financial support.

Today, we have several different schemes and ways to support parents – like the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, the Child Development Account, and the Large Family Scheme. Most of the support comes when a child is born. And the support varies depending on the birth order of the child. So the schemes have become quite complex, and many parents find it hard to understand.

So we will make several changes. We will make things simpler. Every child will receive the same level of support. And we will provide more support – not just at birth but throughout the years, as children grow up.

And here is how it will work.

Every newborn will receive a Baby Gift of $10,000. A MediSave grant of $5,000. A Child Development Account with an initial grant of $5,000 and a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to another $5,000. This is what you get at birth. But the support will not stop there. Every child will continue to get annual Child Credits of $2,000 every year, from age 1 all the way to age 16. They will also get Edusave top-ups every year in primary and also in secondary school. At 17, they will get a further top-up of $10,000 into their Post-Secondary Education Account.

So taken together, every Singaporean child will receive almost $70,000 in direct financial support as they grow up.

Because every child receives the same support, families with more children will naturally receive more support overall.

The third area is preschool and care arrangements. The early years in a child’s life matter greatly. They shape how children learn, grow and thrive. That is why, over the years, we have steadily expanded this sector – we now have an extensive network of Anchor and Partner Operators, as well as MOE Kindergartens. Now we are ready to go further – and Goh Pei Ming, who is part of the workgroup, has been leading this work in MSF.

Today, government-supported centres have enough places for about 80% of preschoolers. We already provide significant subsidies, especially for working mothers and lower-income families. That has made preschool more affordable for them. But above a certain income level, childcare costs can still be substantial. Families can pay nearly $600 a month for full-day childcare, and more than $1,000 a month for infant care.

So we will change our approach.

We will bring our support for government-supported preschools closer to how we support primary education. Today Singaporeans enjoy affordable primary education – regardless of household income, and regardless of whether both parents are working. Likewise, we want every Singaporean child to have access to quality preschool at fees that families can comfortably afford. So we aim to reduce full-day childcare fees to $150 a month. And infant care fees to $300 a month. So, these lower fees will apply to every Singaporean child, regardless of household income. Lower-income families will continue to get additional subsidies, and pay even less.

We will need a few years to get there. We want the lower fees to be more widely available. So we first need to significantly expand the network of government-supported operators. We will provide support to operators who are keen to come onboard and meet our requirements. As the network expands, we will progressively bring fees down. Our goal is clear: quality, affordable preschool should be within every family's budget, and easily accessible in every neighbourhood.

With these changes, the government will absorb a much larger share of childcare and preschool costs. But I believe this is one of the best investments we can make. Because every child in Singapore, regardless of their family’s circumstances, deserves a good start in life.

And our support will continue as children grow older. Demand for student care is rising. Every primary school now has provision for student care. But we can and we will do more. We will expand capacity, improve the quality of care, and keep fees affordable. We will also work with selected centres outside schools, to provide more options for parents.

Finally, housing.

Over the years, we have steadily increased housing supply.

Today we see encouraging results. Success rates for booking BTO flats are higher. Waiting times are shorter. And the resale market has stabilised.

These improvements give us confidence to do more.

These days, Singaporeans are marrying later. By the time they settle down, many are further along in their careers and earning more. So more young couples are crossing the current income ceilings.

We want to ensure that the vast majority of Singaporean couples can continue to have access to subsidised public housing.

So we will raise the income ceiling. For BTO flats: it will go up from $14,000 to $16,000. For Executive Condos: from $16,000 to $18,000.

We will also do more to help first-timer families with children secure a flat sooner. Today we already give priority to couples who are engaged as well as married couples. But once you have children, I believe you should receive even greater priority. So we will give first-timer families applying for a new flat one additional ballot chance – for every child they have, or are expecting. This will significantly improve their chances of getting a flat. So the more children you have, the more ballot chances you will receive – because we want to help growing families secure a home sooner.

I also want to address the concerns of larger families. Under our new approach, larger families will automatically receive more financial support. But some needs grow more sharply as families get bigger.

So we will do more in these specific areas. First, an additional MediSave top-up, to help with your healthcare expenses. Second, more help with your transport needs, because getting around becomes more costly with a bigger family. Third, larger families often want bigger homes, which cost more. So I have asked Chee Hong Tat to consider additional housing support for larger families.

Let me sum up what all this means for Singaporean families.

Take parents Muhammad Zahari and Nurul Dini. They have three young children, two in primary school. In the past, when much of our support was focussed on the birth of a child, they would not have benefited. But under our new approach, we will continue to support them as their children grow. So over the next decade, they will receive nearly $7,000 a year in financial support – through primary school, and well into secondary school. Both Zahari and Dini work full-time. Zahari helps run Lorong AI, which is our national AI collaboration hub. Dini is a secondary school teacher. Like many young parents, they know how demanding it can be to juggle careers and family. But for Zahari, parenthood also brings joy and a sense of purpose. He says it has changed him – motivating him to do more, to grow, and to become a better person. So we asked him what advice would he give young couples thinking about having children. His answer was simple: just go for it!

Ultimately, of course, the decision to have children is a deeply personal one. Policies alone cannot make this happen. But what we can do is make it easier for Singaporeans who want children to start and raise a family.

And we want every family to know: if you choose to have children, the Government will stand with you.

We will provide more support, and over more years.

And we will walk alongside parents throughout the journey of raising their children.

Tonight, I have shared some of the workgroup’s key recommendations. It is a sneak preview like I said; the team is still working through the details. And developing other ideas to better support married couples and families. We will share more in the coming months, including at next year's Budget.

Our work does not stop with families raising young children.

Last year I spoke about Age Well SG and our plans to help seniors age well in their own homes and communities. As Singaporeans live longer, staying healthy is most important. At the same time, we want our seniors to enjoy their retirement with peace of mind. So we are looking at several ways to help: for those who want to keep working, we will help them stay active and continue contributing. We will give seniors with healthy balances more flexibility in using MediSave to meet their healthcare needs. And we will make it easier for seniors to unlock the values of their homes for retirement, while continuing to live in them. Several ministries are working on this package of measures, and they will share more when ready.

We also want persons with disabilities to have every opportunity to lead fulfilling lives and realise their potential. So we will make the transition from school to work smoother. We will expand employment opportunities. And we will strengthen access to care and community support.

And to our singles – we have not forgotten you. Many of you are caring for ageing parents or supporting your families in different ways. I know housing remains an important concern. Tonight, I have focussed on families with children. But we are looking at how we can better support singles too. And we intend to take further steps within this term of Government.

We are putting real resources behind all of these plans because supporting families and Singaporeans through every stage of life is a national priority.

And this goes beyond policies and support. We want to foster a more family-friendly society – in our workplaces, our communities, and in the way we support one another.

I met a young couple recently, and they said to me: “There is no such thing  as a self-made family”. Indeed, raising a family takes more than parents. It takes grandparents and relatives, friends and neighbours, employers and the wider community.

That is the Singapore we want to build; where families are supported by the people around them. And where every Singaporean knows they will not have to face life’s challenges alone.

Staying Open and Connected

Despite all that we do to support families, we have to be realistic – our Total Fertility Rate is still likely to fall far short of replacement.

We are not alone in this.

It is a challenge confronting virtually every society today.

If we relied only on births, our citizen population will shrink. We would age more rapidly. And there would be fewer younger Singaporeans to support a growing number of seniors.

Over time, this would have profound consequences – for our economy, our society, and our ability to keep Singapore going.

And that is why for many years, we have supplemented our population by welcoming new citizens.

This is not new. Singapore has always been shaped by immigration. Throughout our history, people have come from around the world, contributed to our economy and society, and made Singapore their home. Nearly all of us have parents, grandparents or great-grandparents who came to Singapore from somewhere else.

Earlier this year, I visited the revamped Malay Heritage Centre in Kampong Glam. Its galleries tell the story of a people shaped by journeys across the Malay Archipelago. And that story is not unique to our Malay community. The Chinese came from different provinces across China and our Indian forebears arrived from across the subcontinent. Others came from the Middle East, Europe and many other parts of the world.

They spoke different languages. They brought different customs and traditions. But they all came here in search of a better life.

Here in Singapore, they built homes. They built businesses. They built communities. But most of all, they built Singapore.

Today, newcomers continue to be part of our Singapore story.

Some are our family members. As more Singaporeans study and work overseas, more are forming relationships across borders. One in every three marriages now is between a Singaporean and a non-citizen. So more families are blending cultures, traditions and experiences in new ways.

Others come here to work. They bring skills, experience and expertise that we need. They work alongside Singaporeans and help our companies and industries grow. And over time, some decide to stay and put down roots here.

Take George Wall and Chika Imakita. George was born in England, and Chika in Japan. They met in Singapore in 2011, fell in love, got married here and decided to make Singapore their home. They immersed themselves in our community – volunteering, mentoring young people, and even serving in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Volunteer Corps. Last year, they became Singapore citizens. Congratulations George and Chika!

Their story is not unique. Every year, many others make the same commitment.

For the first generation, it may take time to fully settle in.

But for the next generation, Singapore is the home they grow up in. They attend our schools and they make lifelong friends with Singaporeans from different backgrounds.

And our young men serve National Service (NS) together. In every cohort of NS enlistees, we see many Permanent Residents and naturalised citizens. They come from different backgrounds. But once they put on the uniform, those differences matter much less. They train together. They serve together. They stand ready to defend one another and our country.

One of them is Yashwanth Naga Sai – or Sai, as his friends call him. He became a citizen just before he enlisted. He excelled in training and even volunteered to extend his NS to help his unit prepare for a major combat evaluation. Earlier this year, he was named NSF of the Year! In fact, Sai could not be here tonight because he is overseas, training with his unit, continuing to do his part for Singapore. Thank you Sai, for your service!

That is why being Singaporean has never been about ancestry or where your family first came from. It has always been about commitment. A commitment to put Singapore first. A commitment to our values and way of life. And a belief that, whatever our backgrounds, our future is ours to build together.

These convictions are captured in our National Pledge. This year, we mark its 60^th anniversary. When it was written in 1966, Singapore was barely a year old. Our Pledge is more than words. It is a promise. A promise to build a democratic society based on justice and equality. A promise to become one united people regardless of race, language or religion.

Generation after generation, we have kept that promise.

Sixty years later, we are no longer the fragile nation of 1965. But we remain a small country, navigating a far more turbulent world. And the ideals expressed in our Pledge matter more than ever.

So when people come here, embrace our ideals and values, and make the promise of our Pledge their own, they do not weaken our identity. They strengthen it. They bring fresh perspectives and new energy. They contribute to our communities. They add to the Singapore story, just like the generations before them did.

And this is how we will continue to welcome newcomers into our Singapore family.

Our aim is to refresh our citizen population at a measured and sustainable pace.

At the same time, we will continue to manage the size of our foreign workforce. We welcome foreign manpower to complement our local workforce and support our economy. But we do so in a careful and controlled way. We will always ensure that Singaporeans remain the majority in our own country.

All this means that in the coming years, our overall population will grow more slowly. And our labour force will grow more slowly too.

We often hear from businesses asking the government to ease foreign worker policies, especially in the services sector. They say: “These are jobs Singaporeans do not want to do, so why not allow more foreign workers?”. But work permit holders are already the largest group of foreign pass holders in Singapore. So even a modest easing of our policies could lead to a significant increase in numbers. And that is not the path we want to take.

So we have to adapt to these realities.

Going forward, more of our growth must come from technology and productivity – and from enabling every Singaporean to realise their full potential.

At the same time, as we stay open, Singaporeans must feel that the Singapore we know and cherish, will endure.

And let me assure everyone: our multi-racial and multi-religious character will remain.

Every community will continue to have its place in Singapore – its language, culture and traditions.

And that is why we will continue to broadly maintain our current ethnic balance. This has served Singapore well and it continues to give every community confidence – that their place, representation and voice in Singapore remain secure.

At the same time, we will keep working at integration and this works both ways. Newcomers must make every effort to fit in. Singaporeans must also reach out with open hearts.

Starting life in a new country is never easy.

Those of us who have studied or worked abroad know that feeling well. Like Dwen Hwee. As a student in England, she remembers how warmly her classmates welcomed her and made her feel at home. So when she returned to Singapore, she decided to pay that kindness forward. And she makes the effort to introduce her foreign colleagues to our food, traditions and festivals. She even led a mixed team of local and international colleagues to take part in the Chingay Parade! Well done and thank you, Dwen!

Through such simple acts of kindness, strangers become neighbours. Neighbours become friends. And some, in time, become fellow Singaporeans.

So our population will continue to evolve. Newcomers will become part of our society, and new generations will grow up together.

But what makes us Singaporean will endure. Our shared identity and values. Our commitment to one another. And our Pledge, which binds us together as one united people.

Future Plans

Realising our aspirations for Singapore requires us to think beyond the immediate horizon.

This is especially important when it comes to land. On this tiny island, every piece of land matters. We need space for homes and jobs, transport and infrastructure. At the same time, we cherish our green spaces, our biodiversity and places with heritage and history. Sometimes difficult choices and trade-offs have to be made. Where development is necessary, we study the impact carefully, make adjustments and minimise the disruption.

Today, nearly half of Singapore is covered in greenery. And we are not stopping here. We are expanding our green spaces. We are strengthening our native biodiversity. And as temperatures rise around the world, our greenery helps keep our city cooler and more liveable. Our pioneers set out to build a Garden City. Now, we are taking that vision further – to become a City in Nature.

To do all this well, we have to plan far ahead. We cannot wait until we run out of space. We must create new options for future generations. So they too will have room to grow, while preserving what is precious about Singapore.

That has always been the Singapore way. We plan not just for the next five or 10 years. We plan 50, 70, even 100 years ahead. We plan with every Singaporean – born and not yet born – in mind.

Tonight, I want to show you how we are creating some of these new possibilities – by looking beyond our main island, to our outer islands.

Take what we did with these islands in the West.

Soon after independence, we started developing these islands. Refineries and oil storage facilities were built on three of them. And we became a major oil refining centre. But our pioneers did not stop there. They asked: what should come next? Could we create even more value from every barrel of oil? So that led to a bold idea – to build an entire petrochemical industry alongside the refineries.

To do so we needed more space. So we reclaimed more land. We merged several islands together. And we created Jurong island.

Today, Jurong Island is a global energy and chemicals hub.

That investment has delivered lasting benefits for Singapore. It created many good jobs. It anchored important industries here. It made Singapore a critical node in global energy flows. All that has strengthened our energy security and resilience – something we have seen time and again, most recently amid the disruptions in the Middle East.

Jurong Island was the result of bold decisions, careful planning and sustained investment over many decades.

Now, it is our turn to think just as boldly, and build for the next generation.

South of Jurong Island lies another cluster of islands. There is Semakau, which houses our offshore landfill. Bukom, where our first refinery still operates. Pulau Sudong. And a few smaller islands here.

Over the coming decades, we intend to merge several of these islands into one larger island – just as we did to create Jurong Island. This new island will not just be for petrochemicals. It can support a new generation of industries, including advanced manufacturing facilities. It can accommodate new power generation infrastructure to meet Singapore’s future needs. Sudong now has an airstrip that the SAF uses during emergencies. So Chan Chun Sing has reminded me – do not forget the SAF. Indeed, we will make sure there is space for that too. These are long-term plans. We are studying them carefully. Jurong Island shaped our economy for the last 50 years. This new western island can help shape Singapore for the next 50 years and beyond.

Next, let us look at Sentosa. Its last major transformation was more than 15 years ago, with Resorts World and Universal Studios. It is time for another major refresh.

We want to bring people closer to nature. So we will enhance Sentosa’s beaches and waterfront. Part of Sentosa’s western coastline over here is not accessible to the public. This area is home to rich marine life and unique geology – including distinctive coastal cliffs. We will improve access, while preserving its natural character. So that more Singaporeans can discover a side of Sentosa they have never seen before.

Next to Sentosa, there is Pulau Brani, and we have an opportunity to transform it once port operations move out. We can create entirely new attractions and experiences in Brani. NTUC will build its new Downtown South resort there. We will reclaim some land to better connect Brani and Sentosa. So together, Sentosa and Brani will become one integrated destination – they will transform our southern waterfront and offer even more for Singaporeans and visitors to see, do and enjoy.

Next, Long Island. This part of Singapore is especially meaningful to me, because my parents bought their HDB flat in Marine Parade in the early 70s. They would often tell me that much of the land around us used to be sea. In fact, my grandfather made a living in those very waters – as a fisherman off Kampong Amber. At that time, some people worried that homes built on reclaimed land would sink. Today these homes are highly sought after – because it is hard to find HDB flats so close to the sea. One day, Long Island will become another new waterfront for future generations. They will live there, raise their families there, and perhaps tell their own children that this, too, was once part of the sea.

Finally, Pulau Tekong.

Tekong is our largest outlying island. It used to be two islands, Tekong Kecil and Tekong Besar. We have reclaimed land around Tekong Besar. And the polder around Tekong Kecil is completed. So the two are now connected. And there is more to come. Because we have further reclamation plans for the southern part of Tekong.

All that means more training space for the SAF.

Even after meeting the SAF’s needs, there will still be around 500 hectares available for future civilian uses. That is about the size of Toa Payoh town. We have not decided what to use this land for. And we do not have to decide now. What matters is that we have the space, and that gives us valuable options for the future.

As we develop these islands, we must also bring them closer to the rest of Singapore.

Long Island will be a seamless extension of our existing coastline.

Sentosa is already well-connected. Today, visitors can get there by cable car, the gateway bridge, and the monorail. But as we add new attractions, we will need more capacity and more ways to get around. So we will develop a new people mover system connecting the mainland, Sentosa and Brani. We are also exploring a water taxi service. All this will make it easier to get to and move around Sentosa and Brani.

On the western side. There is already a causeway linking mainland to Jurong Island. It is heavily utilised. So we will build a second road link. And we will build a new link connecting Jurong Island with the new western island.

Tekong is different. There is still no land connection to the mainland. In the past, we relied on this to get there – RPLs, standing room only, and no air-con! Today recruits travel by fast craft and in much greater comfort. But getting to Tekong still means taking a boat.

The obvious solution is to build bridges.

But that would cut across busy shipping channels.

So if we cannot go over the sea, we will try to go under it. We are studying the feasibility of building undersea tunnels. We have experience building underground road tunnels. But we have never built undersea tunnels of this scale. It will be a major engineering undertaking. But if we can do it, it will bring our outer islands much closer to the rest of Singapore. And one day, our recruits may have an even easier journey to Tekong!

All of these projects will take decades to complete. They will require resources, planning, and investment over many terms of government. That is what long-term planning is about. Our pioneers built Jurong Island long before anyone could see what it could become. They planned and built for our generation. And now we will do so for the generations that follow.

That is how every generation has strengthened Singapore.

And that is how our children and grandchildren will inherit a Singapore with more space, more opportunities, and even greater possibilities than what we have today.

Conclusion

The years ahead will test Singapore in new ways.

We cannot choose the world we live in.

But we can choose how we respond.

That choice has always defined us. We face challenges with courage and grit. We adapt instead of standing still. We stand together instead of turning on one another.

That is who we are.

Let me share the stories of three Singaporeans who show us what this means.

Take Ervin Han.

I first met Ervin back in 2015, together with a group of film-makers. They had produced a series of short films to celebrate Singapore’s 50^th birthday. Ervin made a short animated film called “The Violin”.

That short film planted the seed for something bigger. Over the next 10 years, Ervin worked on a feature film. Along the way, he encountered many setbacks – Covid, partners pulled out, and production plans changed. But he adapted, pressed on, and eventually produced a full-length animated feature called “The Violinist”. It tells the story of a young girl living through the Japanese Occupation in Singapore.

This is a Singapore story – co-directed by Ervin Han, with original music by composer Ricky Ho, and voiced by Singaporean actors. But they did not do it alone. They worked with artists and animators from around the world. Together, they created something distinctly Singaporean, with universal appeal.

This year, the film competed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival – it is regarded as the world’s most prestigious festival for animated films.

It became the first Singapore-produced film ever to win the festival’s top prize.

Congratulations Ervin! You have done Singapore proud.

You see that same determination in Shaik Nifael Nazeemuddin.

He left school when he was 17.

His father told him: “If you do not want to study, then you have to work”.

So Shaik found a job cleaning grease traps. It was hard and dirty work. But he decided: whatever the job, he would do it well. So he learnt the trade, and steadily took on more responsibilities. Years later, Shaik decided he was ready to strike out on his own. A businessman saw something in him and backed him to start his own company. Shaik seized the opportunity. And today, he runs a multi-million dollar waste-management business – it is one of Singapore’s fastest growing companies. But Shaik has never forgotten how he started. When people ask him what he does, he still proudly tells them, “I clean longkangs”. Well done, Shaik – and keep reaching higher!

And there is Sheila Khoo. Sheila was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when she was young. She struggled in school, was bullied, and dropped out of secondary school twice. She later tried polytechnic, but dropped out too. But she never gave up on herself. Her interest in Japanese opened new doors. It led her into translation work, where she discovered what she was capable of, and gradually rebuilt her confidence. Three years ago, she decided to give education another chance. This time, with the support of her lecturers and friends, she flourished. And this year, she graduated valedictorian of her School at Republic Polytechnic. She will soon head to NTU (Nanyang Technological University) to study computer science on a full scholarship. Sheila, thank you for inspiring us all!

Ervin, Shaik and Sheila remind us what the Singapore spirit is about. It is the courage to press on, even when the road is long. The belief that where we start need not determine how far we can go. And the commitment to stand by one another every step of the way.

This spirit has brought Singapore this far.

And it will continue to carry us forward.

It will help build a Singapore that brings out the best in each of us. Where hard work opens new opportunities. Where everyone has the chance to fulfil their potential. Where we stand together and help one another succeed.

We cannot know what challenges lie ahead.

There will be difficulties we cannot foresee and tests we cannot yet imagine.

But if we stay united, keep faith with one another, and hold fast to the values that have brought us this far, I am confident we will rise to every challenge – and we will prevail.

Let us go forward together – and build a brighter future and a stronger Singapore.

Majulah Singapura!

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