PM Lawrence Wong at the Debate on the President's Address 2025

Mr Speaker Sir.

This new term of Government marks the beginning of a new chapter in the story of our island-nation. 

Singaporeans have placed their trust in me and my PAP team.

They have returned my Government with a strengthened mandate.

They have chosen all of us to be their voices in Parliament.

It is now our duty, and responsibility – on both sides of the aisle, Office Holders as well as Backbenchers – to live up to that trust. 

President Tharman has set out the challenges ahead and the key priorities for this term of Government.

Members have raised many issues in this Debate and also shared useful ideas and suggestions.

The Government will study all of your feedback.

Today, I want to take a step back and speak about the larger mission before us.

As we move beyond SG60.

And as the world around us undergoes profound changes. 

We must ask ourselves:

What kind of Singapore are we building?

What kind of future do we want?

How do we ensure better lives for our children and grandchildren?

The past 60 years have been a miracle.  

When our founding leaders embarked on the journey of an independent Singapore, it felt like the most unpromising of start-ups. 

They would have been astonished at what Singapore has become today.

From Third World to First, we have lifted the lives of Singaporeans beyond the wildest dreams of our Pioneer Generation.

We created opportunities for all, and improved living standards across the board. We enjoyed decades of peace and progress – of stability, harmony and unity. 

Some now ask: can this miracle continue? 

We know the headwinds are stronger.

The external environment is more contested, more unpredictable and more challenging for small states like Singapore.

Our economy is maturing and our population is ageing, so growth will inevitably slow.

And many young people worry that they may not do better than their parents.

In the past, when education levels were lower, securing paper qualifications was seen as a sure ticket to success. Now almost all have tertiary education, and half the cohort have university degrees.

So competition has intensified.

Young people sometimes feel like they are trapped in a relentless rat race – from classroom to the workplace.

They also worry that society is becoming more stratified.

That the rich and wealthy are pulling ahead, while others struggle to keep up.

Social media amplifies these anxieties, triggering constant comparisons and envy.

All this is not unique to Singapore.

Across the world, younger people are reporting higher levels of anxiety, and responding in different ways.

In China – there is the phenomenon of tang ping or lying flat.

In Japan – they talk about hikikomori, not leaving the house.

In Europe and America – there is “quiet quitting”, “downshifting”, the “great resignation”, and so on.

Here in Singapore, we must do everything we can to defy this global trend.  We cannot let our young people down. They are our future.

Our Commitment to the Next Generation

So my team and I make this pledge to our youth – and to the generations that follow.

We will build Singapore with you in mind.

We will strive to create more fulfilling lives – for you.

And not just for a few among you – but for all of you.

We have new ideas and plans to achieve this. 

Through Forward Singapore, we have set out our shared goals.

To keep social mobility alive – so the escalator keeps moving, and everyone has the opportunity to rise over time. 

To strengthen our safety nets – so that no one falls through the cracks.

And to deepen our sense of solidarity – so we bridge differences and remain one united people. So let me elaborate on each of these in turn.

Enhancing Mobility

First, we will do more to keep the escalator moving and help every Singaporean realise their full potential.

We have seen how other societies have become stratified increasingly, with privilege becoming more entrenched. 

In extreme cases, your caste and your social class determine who you are, what you can do, and what you can become.

Even in meritocratic societies, we see admissions to universities or top jobs in the public and private sectors dominated by those from privileged backgrounds.

Governments everywhere try to rectify this.

For example, I read recently that the UK government announced that civil service internships will be reserved for students from “lower socio-economic backgrounds” – defined as what jobs their parents did when they were 14. So if you come from a working class family, you get a civil service internship. Otherwise, you will not get a chance.

These are well-intentioned efforts.

But they often fail to work as intended.

And sometimes, they even create new distortions.

Fortunately, Singapore starts from a stronger position. 

But we cannot stand still.

We have to tilt the balance continually.

And keep opportunities open at every stage of life.

So we will invest more in the early years. Because as several Members have highlighted in this debate, opportunity gaps are opening up earlier – due to the advantages that better off parents confer on their children.  And if we do not close these gaps early, they will only widen.

We will expand KidStart and enhance ComLink+ – so that more families get help earlier, and more children gain a stronger footing in life.

We will deepen support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Today, enrolment in preschool is near universal.

But attendance is less regular among the children from lower-income families. 

We will redouble our efforts – and work closely with parents, pre-school operators and social service agencies to ensure these children get the consistent support they need to thrive. 

We will not only do more, but we will also take actions across agencies with a more integrated family-centric approach, which several Members also spoke about. 

In schools, we will continue to press ahead with reforms.

We have changed how the PSLE is graded – it is no longer graded on a curve as Members know. It is about your own achievement, not about how well you did relative to your peers.

In secondary schools, we have replaced streaming with Full-Subject Based Banding.  

Students are in mixed-form classes.

And they take subjects at different levels, according to their abilities.

But I know for many parents, education still feels like an arms race.

It is the PSLE season now. 

We all know of friends who are taking leave from work to help their children prepare for the PSLE exam.

When you speak to each parent, they often tell you the same thing: they wish they could cut back on the endless tuition, and give their children more space to grow up and play.

Yet everyone hesitates to take that step. Why?

Because deep down, they worry: what if my child loses out?  

So many families feel they are stuck on a treadmill – running harder and harder, in a bid to avoid falling behind. 

We must break this cycle.

So we will do more in this term.

To reduce the stakes of single exams.

To further broaden our definitions of success.

And to give every child the chance to discover and develop their strengths – be it in languages, sciences, sports, arts or technical skills.

I feel strongly about this as a result of my own personal experiences. 

My friends and I in school did not grow up with family advantages or a head-start in life. 

But education was our great leveller.

It gave us opportunities that we would not otherwise have had, the courage to dream, and the chance to pursue our aspirations.

And I want every parent and child to feel the same – that education is not a burden, but a springboard. A place where our children can learn, grow, discover their strengths, and reach for better opportunities.

But education reforms alone are not enough to accomplish the transformation we seek.

Because if employers still cling to narrow academic criteria to judge ability, then the arms race will simply shift from schools to workplaces.

Parents will continue to feel that grades are the only ticket to success.

I remember when we had the “Our Singapore Conversation” some years back, someone told us – I am glad you are trying to make every school a good school, but you cannot succeed, unless every job is a good job. And that person is right.

So we must change how we hire and promote. This is not at all an easy task – but we have already started. 

It means recognising that people have different gifts and strengths.

Some may excel in mathematics but not in languages, or vice versa.

Others may struggle in written exams, but thrive in practical problem-solving. 

And if we only use general academic results to sort out talent, we will undervalue many capable Singaporeans. We will miss out the many other competencies and intelligences that exist among us, and that are just as important. So we are changing.

Take the public service for example.

Academic results are no longer the be-all and end-all. They are just one part of the overall assessment. 

For recruitment, we are using more skills-based assessments.

In some roles, we have stopped looking at grades altogether. For example, GovTech engineers are recruited through coding and problem-solving tests and interviews – because what matters is not your paper qualifications, but whether you can do the work. 

Once you enter the Public Service, how well you do does not depend on your grades or school. It depends on your qualities, your contributions, and your performance on the job. 

The private sector is changing too.

One CEO shared with me: he used to insist on top academic credentials.

But he soon realised that academic credentials did not predict subsequent success in the company.

What was more important, was the individual’s attitude and mindset – their ability to learn, adapt, and work with others.

So these changes are happening, but clearly there is still a long way for us to go. Nevertheless, step by step, we will move more towards skills-based hiring and progression – because what matters most is not where you started from, but what you can do and how far you are willing to go. 

Valuing every job also means narrowing the gaps in how different professions are recognised and rewarded. This too is not easy, but we have been working on this for some time, and we too have been making progress. 

For example, we have substantially raised the salaries of pre-school teachers and allied health professionals – vital roles that were once undervalued.  

We will continue to professionalise other skilled trades, including those that are considered “blue-collar” work. 

Together with the labour movement, industry, and Institutes of Higher Learning, we will create more structured career and learning pathways – so that tradespeople and essential workers can advance, grow their skills and be recognised for their contributions.

Pay matters, but ultimately this is not just about pay; it is also about mindset – a whole of society mindset. Much depends on how society as a whole views the different pathways that people choose.

Let me give you an example. In the past, parents resisted when their children wanted to pursue careers in fields like sports and culinary arts.

Many young people would take a more conventional path first to please their parents, and then only chased their passions later. I know of many friends who did that.

Today, more parents embrace such choices – because society now celebrates our athletes, our chefs, and our artists. We take pride when their achievements put Singapore on the world map.

So yes, progress has been made.  Yet we all know that there remain vocations where pay is not the main issue – rather it is societal recognition and respect that continue to lag behind.

So while the Government will do our part, the deeper change must come from society. We must move from a narrow meritocracy based solely on grades, to a broader and more inclusive one. Steps which we have been making already over the years, but we must continue to move more in this direction.

A broader and more inclusive meritocracy that encourages excellence in every field.

That values a diversity of abilities and talents.

That accords dignity and respect to all forms of work, and to the people who carry them out.

And that is how we can keep social mobility alive – so every Singaporean can rise on the strength of their contributions and will be respected.

Building a Vibrant Economy

The shift towards more pathways to success must be underpinned by a strong and dynamic economy. 

And to be clear, economic growth is not about chasing GDP. 

It is about uplifting lives.

And creating a wide range of jobs and opportunities for all Singaporeans.

So we will redouble our efforts to keep our economy competitive and vibrant.

This is even more urgent in an increasingly fragmented global economy, with more barriers to trade.

And that is why the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce and the Economic Strategy Review committees are studying how Singapore can navigate the challenges that have come thick and fast in the past few months.

For the last 60 years, multi-national enterprises have been a key driver of our economy.

They remain critical anchors – in sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals and finance.

And we have to keep attracting new investments from leading global companies, so that Singapore can stay plugged into the frontiers of innovation.

At the same time, we must work harder to energise our enterprise eco-system.

We want to make Singapore a more attractive place for start-ups and emerging companies. Be it here or overseas.

So these can be home-grown firms looking to venture abroad, or overseas growth companies seeking a base in Asia.

These are the companies that will shape our future success.

And to do this well, we will need a different approach.

Because not all enterprises will succeed.

Some will fail. And fail spectacularly. When they do, there will inevitably be calls for the Government to step in. I am sure from both sides of the House, from the Workers’ Party and the PAP, asking the Government to do more.

And perhaps, from time to time we will, but if we try too hard to shield every company, we risk ending up with more “zombie firms” – propped up artificially, stifling renewal and enterprise dynamism. And that is not the path we want to take.

So we must be prepared for more churn. And we should not only celebrate success stories, but also learn to embrace failures and setbacks. Because it is only through constant experimentation that more innovative companies can emerge.

The process will be uncomfortable, even unsettling. But it is necessary to create new value, and ultimately to create new and better jobs for Singaporeans.

So let me be clear: our focus must always be on the worker, not the job. Companies may fail. Jobs may disappear. But every worker matters, every citizen matters; and no one will be left behind.

Providing Sufficient Assurances

In this fast-changing world with greater churn, we also need to offer Singaporeans sufficient assurances – so they can deal with the disruptions with a greater sense of confidence and security. 

And that means making sure that their essential needs are taken care of – quality education, healthcare and housing for example, must remain accessible and affordable.

Housing was one of the biggest concerns in the last term.

Because Covid disrupted construction and the supply of new homes.

But since then, we have ramped up supply.

Today there is a healthy pipeline of new BTO flats as well as land for new private properties.

There are still concerns around housing, but I am confident the situation will steadily improve with the additional supply.

So we will not only catch up with demand, but build ahead of it – so there will be more BTOs with shorter waiting times, and we will be able to give Singaporeans greater assurance when planning for their homes.

At the same time, we must update our systems to reflect demographic changes, especially increased lifespans. 

I spoke about healthcare at the NDR, and we will have lots to do in this area through Healthier SG, Age Well SG, and Age Well Neighbourhoods.

In this term, we will also take steps to strengthen retirement adequacy.

We are studying what further moves we can make. 

In particular, we want to help Singaporeans save more during their working lives, so that they have enough to meet their basic retirement needs for life, for a longer life.

And for those who despite their best efforts cannot build up a sufficient nest egg, we will provide additional support – so that every Singaporean can retire with dignity.

We will also continue to strengthen our safety nets for those who need more help.

For children with special needs.

We will provide more support in their education.

And help make their transition to adulthood and work smoother.

For people with disabilities. 

We will give them more opportunities to pursue their aspirations.

And lead fulfilling lives. 

For those who encounter setbacks.  We will help them get back on their feet. 

Because setbacks are part of life. 

And in Singapore, everyone is due second and third chances.  

That is why we introduced programmes like the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme – it has just started, but we will make this a far better scheme than the unemployment insurance found elsewhere.

All of these measures are helping to bring down income inequality in Singapore. 

Our Gini coefficient is now at its lowest in more than two decades.

Previously, the Gini was measured only on income from work.

DOS, the Department of Statistics, has since updated the measure to include income from all other sources, like rental and investments.  

The full data will be published soon. But I will share the headline findings with this House first.

The revised Gini coefficient comes out slightly higher – 0.38 compared to 0.36 after taxes and transfers.

We had expected this, but what matters more is the trend. Even with the revised measure, the Gini continues to move downwards. So inequality in Singapore is narrowing.

And we are determined to keep it that way.

We have ways to mitigate wealth inequality in Singapore.

A large share of household wealth here is tied up in property.
So we have progressive taxes on property, and stamp duties on property transactions, to ensure those with more contribute more.   

But it is not just on the tax side, we also have transfers. Wealth transfers for those with less.

Through public housing – to help lower-income families own their homes.

Through regular top-ups to CPF accounts.

And through new initiatives like the ITE Progression Award, which gives a head-start to ITE graduates who complete their diplomas.

So taken together, our measures are helping to narrow both income and wealth inequality. And we will press on, and continue to innovate in our social policies.

So that at every stage of life, Singaporeans feel assured, supported and confident about the future.

So that opportunities and progress will always be fairly shared across our society. 

Strengthening Solidarity

As we work towards a fairer society, we must also accept a basic truth: not every journey will reach the same destination. 

Even if we succeed in levelling the starting point for everyone, some skills and talents will always be more in demand than others. 

Some jobs will command higher pay.

That is reality. 

And that is why those who do better must never forget this: no one succeeds alone. 

Opportunities do not come from individual effort alone.

They come from the broader system – from the teachers who nurtured you, the workers who keep our city running, and the safe and stable environment that society as a whole provides.

So every successful and fortunate person in Singapore owes a debt to the community. 

Those who are more successful should therefore contribute more – not just in taxes, but also in compassion and care. Because no taxation system, however progressive, can legislate the spirit of solidarity. That must come from within each of us. It must come from the heart, and it must be nurtured by a culture that puts “We” before “Me”. 

And that is why I spoke about a “We First” society – it is one that strives for the collective good, not just self-interest. It is one that values solidarity even as we recognise our individual differences.

To be clear, “We First” does not mean suppressing the “Me”.

It means the “Me” can only thrive when the “We” is strong.

So we need to embrace our individuality, and help everyone be the best possible versions of themselves. 

At the same time, we have to look out for one another and lift each other up. 

Only then can we be greater than the sum of our parts.

This “We First” spirit of solidarity is not new. This is how our forefathers of different origins, languages and religions came together to forge One Singapore.

And over the decades, through painstaking and patient effort, we have built up this social capital. And today the bonds among Singaporeans are stronger than ever. 

But we cannot be complacent. 

And I will share with you findings from recent surveys. They show for example:

That only one in three young Singaporeans had ever volunteered.

That more than half said most of their friends were from the same socio-economic group or race as them.

We worry about these trends: because if we know less of one another, if we have less in common, then we risk seeing each other not as fellow citizens, but as competitors, as people from different tribes.

And competition can easily turn into envy, resentment and division.

So we must work harder to create more spaces and opportunities to mix and interact – be it at schools, in the workplace, or in our neighbourhoods. It will take the concerted effort of everyone, generation after generation, to make sure that our diversity adds and does not subtract.

Sometimes we overdo it, and the efforts become contrived.

The older Members of this House will remember when PA started the Community Games back in 2012, it required teams to include Members of different races. That was the rule to take part in a community game.

But some groups signed up “phantom players” just to meet the quota.

The intent was good, but the outcome fell short. 

And it is easy to look back and laugh at what happened then. But we all know that fostering more of such interactions is very hard to do. And at the same time, it cannot be left to chance.

Since then, we have learnt better how to do this.

Today PA organises more sports and activities that more naturally bring residents together – regardless of age, race, or background.

We have merged Residents’ and Neighbourhood Committees into Residents’ Networks, so that people from public housing and private property can interact more freely.  

And as a Government, we will continue to work hard to build up our social capital, to bind communities together, to connect us each to each, regardless of race, language or religion – and I might add also, regardless of socio-economic background.

At the same time the whole society must make an effort. Singaporeans need to step out of our comfort zone, learn from all other cultures and interact with people from different backgrounds.

These may seem like small steps. But over time, they help to strengthen our social fabric. Because trust grows from these everyday encounters – eating together, celebrating one another’s festivals, or simply knowing your neighbour.

There is no doubt that our shared Singaporean identity has grown stronger these last 60 years.

In his speech, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Pritam Singh said that being a member of a racial and religious group and our identity as Singaporeans are both “equally important”.

Indeed, we all have multiple identities. And we celebrate these.

But we should be clear-eyed about our present realities. In fact, a recent IPS survey showed that amongst some groups of Singaporeans, their religion ranks higher than their Singaporean nationality in determining their self-identity.

And that is why race and religion, if exploited, can easily arouse passions and tear apart the very fabric of our society.

We see this happening in so many other countries, and Singapore is not immune to these powerful forces. 

In fact, we had a close call in the recent General Election.

External elements sought to exploit our differences to divide and weaken us.

In one instance, they attacked the credibility of certain candidates because these candidates allegedly failed to advocate the rights of a particular religious community. In another instance, they praised a candidate for arguing against the separation of religion and politics.

But it was not just foreign interference.

At home, we also had Singaporeans who exhorted certain groups to vote along racial and religious lines.

They said – vote for this candidate because he or she is a better representative of your race or your religion.

Or they compared two candidates, and said – vote this person because he or she has been a more vocal champion for your race or your religion.

And these narratives were not just seen online, they were heard on the ground.

That is why I spoke out then, in the middle of the campaign – not as a Party leader, but as Prime Minister – to make clear that race and religion must never be weaponised in our politics.

Thankfully, many Singaporeans rejected the calls to vote along racial and religious lines.

They voted for the candidate that they felt was best for Singapore, regardless of race or religion.

But make no mistake – had the election outcomes rewarded those who had pushed people to vote for racial and religious reasons, it would have caused a serious fissure in Singapore society. 

Other racial and religious groups would have mobilised to protect their own interests in the future election.

This would have jeopardised the harmonious, multi-racial and multi-religious society that took us 60 years to build.

Looking ahead, as elections become more tightly contested, the temptation to play this card will only grow.

So, we must find ways to guard against this. 

And we have to see how all of us, as Members of this House, can reaffirm our commitment to serve all Singaporeans, regardless of race or religion, and forswear the use of racial and religious appeals in elections.

Mr Speaker, “one united people, regardless of race, language or religion” is not just a line in our Pledge.

It is the foundation of our independence. It is the reason why Singapore became independent.

It is the bedrock of our nationhood.

Let us all never forget this.

Constructive Politics in Singapore

Our unity and the trust we have with one another also depends on how we conduct our politics – the way we debate, disagree and decide as a country. 

That is what constructive politics in Singapore is about.

Our society is maturing, and our politics will evolve too.

And so I welcome the Opposition presence in Parliament.

In this General Election, Singaporeans have chosen to send both PAP and Workers’ Party MPs here, and both sides have a duty to serve Singaporeans faithfully.

For the PAP, we do not assume we are automatically entitled to govern, just because we have done so since self-government. 

Our right to lead must be earned – by working hard and delivering results that improve the lives of Singaporeans.

Doing well in one election does not guarantee success in the next. 

Every election is a new test, and we must take nothing for granted. 

In this term of government, I fully expect the Workers’ Party to keep us on our toes – raising questions, scrutinising our policies and holding us accountable.  This is their role as the Opposition, and I am sure they will play it vigorously.

The Workers’ Party will try to build up its ranks and grow its presence in Parliament over time, as any political party would.

One day, it will want to take over from the PAP as the ruling party, even if it may not say so openly now. 

That is the nature of political competition.

But in the end, be it the PAP, the WP or any other political party, we are all servants of the people. The final word rests with them. And I believe Singaporeans are discerning voters – they will decide which parties deserve their trust, both in government and in opposition.

If any party falls short of the public’s high expectation and standards, there will surely be consequences. Privilege given today can easily be taken tomorrow.

So let us all conduct our politics – with seriousness, with integrity, and with a deep sense of responsibility for the longer-term interests of our nation. 

And that is how I hope our politics will evolve, and our democracy can strengthen over time. 

Governing for Singaporeans, and with Singaporeans

Besides welcoming diverse views in Parliament, the Government will do more to engage and involve Singaporeans outside of this House. 

As I said in the Rally last month, we do not just want to do things for Singaporeans; we also want to do things with Singaporeans.   

So I invite all Singaporeans to join us – to connect, collaborate and shape our future together. 

We already have many channels for public consultations.

We will continue with all these. But we will also go further. 

We will open up new opportunities for Singaporeans to have deeper conversations and engagements.

To shape the character of our neighbourhoods and estates, for example.

To be directly involved in policy making, through Citizens’ Panels, that is one possible channel.

And to help set new norms on major issues like education, multi-culturalism, or how we raise our children in this digital age. In particular, we want to involve our young people. They have energy, ideas and a strong sense of purpose. 

So, we will give them more platforms to step forward, contribute and make their voices count.

This has already started. In 2023, we set up Youth Panels to study issues that young Singaporeans care about. 

They shared their ideas with me at the inaugural Youth Policy Forum last year; many of their recommendations were constructive and thoughtful, and we have taken them on board.

Next year, we will launch the second round of Youth Panels, and I look forward to more ideas from our young people.

So, to all young Singaporeans I say: we will not let you down. We are building Singapore for you, and with you.

And you too have a part to play. Work with us to secure a brighter future for yourself and your fellow citizens. 

Do not settle for anything less.

The future is not cast in stone. It is something you create.

And we need you, our young Singaporeans, to be the authors of this next chapter; to write what must become your Singapore Story.

So be bold in chasing your dreams.  Seize the opportunities before you.  There will be setbacks along the way, but you will never face them alone. Embrace the failures as well as the successes. For it is often at the edge of our comfort zones that we learn, grow and become the best versions of ourselves. 

And most important of all, remember this: success is not just about what we achieve alone, but what we build together. True fulfilment comes from creating a society where every Singaporean can stand tall, and we can all move forward as one people. 

Conclusion

This is what has defined us for the last 60 years – a Singapore Spirit rooted in trust, solidarity and resilience. And it is this same spirit that will carry us into the future. 

Mr Speaker, I set out the broad strokes of a new direction for our next chapter, of a new vision for Singapore. I hope every Singaporean can get behind this shared endeavour.

Together, let us build a Singapore that remains a land of endless possibilities.  A home where every generation does better than the one before. And a nation that continues to shine brightly – for the next 60 years, and for the generations beyond.

Mr Speaker, I support the motion. Thank you.

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