AFFORDABLE and accessible public housing as well as ensuring adequate CPF savings for older workers are among the topics that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will address when he delivers this year’s National Day Rally on Aug 20.

He gave a preview of the rally – widely seen as the most important political speech of the year in Singapore – in his National Day Message on Tuesday (Aug 8), during which he also spoke about inflation and the recent high-profile incidents involving members of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

In the pre-recorded message that was televised on the eve of National Day, Lee said that good and affordable public housing remains one “major aspiration” of Singaporeans.

He noted that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has been building flats in both mature and non-mature estates.

For the former, these have better amenities and locations, which mean they are in higher demand and generally cost more. Homes in non-mature estates, however, have less comprehensive amenities or less central locations. As such, they cost less.

But as the government continues to develop more public housing, there will be fewer undeveloped sites left for such new estates, noted the prime minister. Existing non-mature estates are also steadily maturing, as their transport links and amenities improve.

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“So in time to come, more and more new HDB flats will be built in existing estates,” said Lee. “Such flats will naturally be in greater demand. Their launch prices and resale prices will reflect that.”

Nevertheless, the government will still ensure that public housing is accessible and affordable for Singaporeans of all income groups, said Lee. “We must also keep our housing schemes fair and inclusive for all. This is how we keep our national housing story going strong for current and future generations,” he said.

The government is thus looking into how to adjust HDB’s housing schemes to achieve these goals, with the prime minister adding that he will share some of these ideas at the National Day Rally.

Helping seniors in their golden years is another area which Lee will address in the rally speech, with one key focus being how to ensure older workers have enough Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings for their retirement.

While the government has progressively enhanced the CPF system over the years and provided targeted assistance to lower-income workers, some older workers in their 50s and 60s still have not built up enough CPF savings for retirement, said Lee.

“(They) can do with some extra help. I will talk about this at the rally,” he said.

But while the government can provide some additional help to this group of workers, it can only be part of the solution to ensuring retirement adequacy in old age, he stressed.

“Each of us also has to do our part to stay healthy and well. Better health is better wealth,” he said.

Even as the government addresses the long-term challenges facing Singapore, it is also mindful of the immediate and pressing problem of inflation, which remains a problem for both households and businesses, said Lee.

“The storm may not blow over soon. But however long it lasts, you know this government will weather it with you,” he said, noting support measures, such as the Assurance Package, that have been rolled out to cushion the impact, especially for middle and lower-income households.

In his message, Lee also addressed the recent series of cases involving PAP ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs). These include the resignation of former speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui, as well as the ongoing Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) graft probe involving Transport Minister S Iswaran.

“Some have asked what these incidents say about the government,” said Lee. “My answer is this: Such issues come up from time to time. When they do, we deal with them properly and transparently.”

In all these cases, the government “sought to do the right thing, protect the integrity of our system of government, and carry through everything that needed to be done” for the good of the country, said Lee.

“Let there be no doubt; my government is determined to keep our system free of corruption and wrongdoing,” he said. “We will maintain our high standards of honesty, integrity and propriety... This is how we can preserve, protect and strengthen the trust that Singaporeans have in the government and the Singapore system.”

Ensuring the public’s trust in the government is what led Singapore to weather through the Covid-19 pandemic, and is what “allows political leaders to work closely with Singaporeans to deliver a better life for all”, said Lee.

On that note, Lee said that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the fourth-generation leaders will soon wrap up the Forward Singapore feedback exercise, which will address how the government plans to refresh the social compact.

“Singapore turns 58 this year. Our nation may be young, but it has seen its fair share of challenges. Yet each time, the Singapore spirit shone through, and we emerged stronger and more united. I am confident this spirit will continue to hold us together, even amid troubling times,” said Lee.

“This National Day, as we look back on how far we have come, we can also look forward with hope. The best chapters of the Singapore story are yet to be written.”