Podcast: Key challenges to Singapore’s continued economic success

WHAT keeps a policymaker awake at night? K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, discusses exactly that in the latest episode of Lens on Singapore. 

With refreshing frankness and clarity, the minister shares his fears of the challenges that loom ahead for Singapore. The underlying reality is that Singapore’s success is not intrinsic, and the competition is redoubling efforts to match and ultimately surpass the island nation. 

While the government attempts to galvanise Singapore, other challenges are on the horizon. Threats to social cohesion from new bad actors, as well as fault lines from old problems, may undermine attempts to rally the nation behind a new phase of nation building. These are only some of the issues discussed. 

Here are highlights of the minister’s comments, edited and condensed.

Challenges to our future economic success

Within Singapore and outside, Singaporeans are very hardworking, and they’re very intense and focused. So I wouldn’t say they are complacent. But they may not be aware of some of the things that policymakers are - the regional situation, issues relating to terrorism, some aspects of economic competition.

Many jobs can be done outside of Singapore, they can be done in the virtual space, and there is competition from AI. So, we have got to have a conversation about all of this.

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Rising threat of religiosity

Over the years, the events in the Middle East, the wars, the Palestinian situation, the rise of ISIS, Al-Qaeda, have contributed to a wave of extremist propaganda. You also have a wave of extremist right-wing propaganda, for example, it was a right-wing extremist who went into the mosque in New Zealand and killed many Muslims. So, you have extremism increasing on all sides.

I’m not talking about any particular religion, because when you look around the region, you see different religions. So, it is going to polarise societies; and when you get polarisation, you’re going to get violent incidents.

What role does national media play in all this

The media’s role is to inform, educate - rationally and reasonably. It is important for Singapore that we have national newspapers, which focus on national issues and allow people to have conversations on these various issues.

Each of us will have our individual perspectives and individual interests, but on some issues, I think the media plays a part in trying to flush consensus, by getting conversations, debates and discussions going.