‘Forward Singapore’ roadmap to engage Singaporeans through 6 pillars: Lawrence Wong

THE nationwide Forward Singapore exercise, which aims to review and refresh the country’s social compact, will be organised along 6 pillars, each headed by fourth generation (4G) leaders.

Wong, who is also Finance Minister, will be the overall lead, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).

The pillar leads will engage Singaporeans to understand their concerns and explore trade-offs involved in policy shifts. The process may see them reviewing and updating policies, as well as establishing new partnerships with stakeholders to implement the changes.

Spanning a year, the Forward Singapore exercise will conclude with the publication of a report in mid-2023, which will set out policy recommendations and highlight how different segments of society can contribute towards these shared goals.

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng, who was present at the launch, welcomed the exercise as it “answers to the workers’ interests and supports our own work at NTUC (National Trades Union Congress) to champion the interests of workers”.

“What we are doing at NTUC is to understand their aspirations and needs, and... champion these areas where we want to forge a more inclusive, fairer and hopefully greener Singapore,” said Ng, who is also one of the pillar leads for economy and jobs.

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Speaking to union representatives at the launch event, Wong outlined external trends that have led to the fraying of social compacts and fractured societies elsewhere in the world, such as in Europe and North America, where people feel let down by the system, leading to the growth of extremist political parties.

Explaining the need to refresh Singapore’s social compact, Wong defined the social compact as a shared understanding of how everyone in society relates to each other, as well as the respective roles and responsibilities of various groups.

“A social compact that is deemed fair by all segments of society strengthens social capital and fosters trust, and enables us to progress together as a nation,” said Wong. “That’s why it’s so important to refresh and update our social compact, so it remains fit for our changing context and circumstances.”

While Singapore’s situation is not as dire as many other countries, the country is now at a crossroads, he said.

Although the government had expected a strong recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, it now faces strong headwinds, with the war in Europe fuelling global inflation and a possible recession – if not stagflation – as well as rising geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions, he said.

At the same time, there are domestic worries: a rapidly ageing population, a concern that social mobility is slowing, and anxieties about being displaced, he added.

“I understand your concerns,” he told the union representatives at the Labour Movement Conversation event organised by the NTUC.

“Our students feel pigeon-holed in a system where the stakes are high from very early in their lives. Our graduates and workers are anxious about their careers, and worry they will be priced out of the property market. Our older workers sometimes struggle to be considered for new jobs after being displaced or retrenched,” he said.

“Sometimes, those who do not meet the traditional yardsticks of merit may find opportunities closed to them. They may feel beaten down by early failure, and feel discouraged from trying again,” he added.

He said that he hoped there could be “honest conversations” about these “genuine struggles” and how they can be tackled together.

The bottom line, he said, is that the world and the society has changed and will continue to change. Noting that it cannot be “business as usual”, Wong said the stable state of affairs Singaporeans now enjoy can be easily disrupted. If the social compact fails, a large segment of Singaporeans would feel estranged from the rest of society, leading to a nasty and polarised politics.

“Conversely, if we strengthen our social compact, we can turn each set of challenges into opportunities,” said Wong. “We can find the silver lining in whatever comes our way. We can be a bastion of stability and opportunity in this world and leave behind a better Singapore for tomorrow.”

This is why the 4G team believes it should reflect take a step back to reflect on where Singapore is, where it wants to be and how to get there.

In a preview of how Singapore's social compact might evolve, Wong spoke of strengthening the progressive system of taxes and transfers; making meritocracy more open and compassionate with further investment in pre-school education; and giving more help to workers in difficult times.

All this will require more resources, which is why Singapore "must also collectively determine" how much more the government should spend, and on what, as well as how much more people are prepared to pay to fund this.

These decisions will result in some trade-offs, and Food Drinks Allied Workers Union president Julie Cheong asked how the government intends to balance the needs of various stakeholders.

To this, Wong said that is why Singapore must continue to work towards its long-term goals, even as it seeks to address the more immediate concerns of Covid-19 and the rising cost of living.

Doing so will ensure that the city-state is in a better position to seize opportunities in the post-pandemic world.

“We must focus on the immediate, but we must also accelerate, not slow down, our reforms, continue to push even harder, work even harder to be more productive, more innovative.... If we can do that, then it makes it easier to address some of the trade-offs that you talked about,” said the minister.

Wong added that inertia and complacency are obstacles to progress and change, so mindsets have to shift as well as to embrace challenges head-on.

“In some ways, challenges are a very powerful motivator for us to keep on doing better. That is what the Singapore story has always been about - transform our challenges into our strengths,” he said.

“Forward Singapore will be a major undertaking of the 4G team. It is an exercise that we are both excited and honoured to lead,” he added. “You have my word that we are sincere and committed to listening to and partnering with Singaporeans.”

“We will build on the momentum we have gained, and apply the lessons we have learnt over the years. We will engage in good faith, consider all ideas, and work alongside our people to achieve our shared aspirations.”