GIVEN the string of past national conversations, it might be easy for cynics to dismiss Forward Singapore as just another refreshed, feel-good exercise in public consultation.

Of course, it is prudent to reserve judgement until it’s clearer how the conversation develops, as well as the eventual policy recommendations. For now, Forward Singapore is perhaps most interesting as a glimpse of the fourth generation leadership’s own views, with hints of this in Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s speech at the launch on Tuesday.

One aspect is a “more open and compassionate meritocracy”, as Wong put it. In the past, the focus tended to be on helping low-income workers get “better” jobs. Even while upholding the pursuit of improvement, however, Wong makes a case for valuing “every worker in every profession and every field”.