Singapore's next-decade roadmap to be charted in 'Forward Singapore' agenda: Lawrence Wong
SINGAPORE'S roadmap for the next decade and beyond will be outlined in a "Forward Singapore" agenda that its fourth-generation (4G) leadership will develop to refresh the Republic's social compact, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.
"We will engage stakeholders from every sphere – unions, the people and private sectors. We will seek to hear your thoughts on the economy, healthcare, housing, education, and many other areas including how we can continue to support and uplift every worker," said Wong, who was 2 weeks ago identified as leader of the 4G team and Singapore's de facto prime minister-in-waiting.
Speaking to union leaders in his maiden speech at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) May Day Rally at Downtown East, Wong said that apart from considering what needs to be done differently, the team will also affirm what is being done well and how things can be done even better.
"To be clear: this is not just about what the government can do for you, but also – as we learnt in the pandemic – what we can all do for one another; and how we can all, collectively, contribute toward building a better society that embodies the values we stand for."
This comes after both the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war – 2 major turning points in history that will take Singapore into a "new and different world" – point to a need for a broader look at Singapore's objectives and priorities, said Wong.
This means the country must consider how it wants to collectively renew and strengthen its social compact and how it wants to define its mission of building Singapore for the next bound.
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Wong said he does not know if the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) will win the next General Election, which must be held by November 2025, or if he will still be in office in 2040, when Singapore celebrates 75 years of independence.
"But I give you my word: whatever lies ahead, I will give every ounce of my strength to this movement, together with my comrades in the 4G team," he said. "We will do whatever it takes to strengthen the PAP-NTUC symbiotic relationship and our tripartite partnership to keep Singapore special and build a better Singapore in SG75."
The Forward Singapore exercise will be launched formally soon, said Wong, adding that he is seeking the labour movement's full participation and support for this exercise.
"The NTUC embodies the aspirations and concerns of all our workers. We wouldn't be here today without the NTUC and we cannot get to a better place tomorrow without your support," he said.
Wong contrasted the close and strong partnership between the PAP and NTUC against the often discordant relationship between their counterparts in the United States, having just returned from a working trip to the latter.
From its early years, Singapore forged its distinctive model of tripartism, which Wong said remains "the cornerstone of the Singapore Way" today.
"We may have differing interests from time to time, but we do not clash and grind against each other in a zero-sum game. Instead, we learn to accommodate, to give-and-take and find common ground," he said.
This builds closer relationships and strengthens trust, allowing the country to move forward together, he added.
Wong, who turns 50 this year, said his generation has benefited directly from tripartism, even if they did not live through Singapore's founding years, which saw fierce political battles and race riots fought in the 1960s.
"Instead, we experienced directly how progressive social and economic policies could uplift everyone – everyone regardless of race, language or religion, regardless of social background," he said, adding that his own life illustrates this, as someone who came from "an ordinary heartland family in Marine Parade".
Noting that Singapore's pioneers enabled his generation to do better than their parents, Wong said he and his 4G team want to ensure the same for the next generation.
"We want those who come after us to also benefit from inclusion, from opportunities, from many more expanding pathways to success and fulfilment," he said.
But Singapore, like many other countries, is facing significant challenges ahead even while the Covid-19 pandemic is not over, he said.
Rapid digitalisation is disrupting industries amid a more fractured world order, even while Singapore wrestles with other issues such as its ageing population and its more diverse society.
In other countries, people respond with nativism and xenophobia, and politicians exploit the grievances of various groups to sow discord, he said.
No one can guarantee that Singapore will do well in this "more uncertain and volatile future", given that large economies like the US and the European Union are also struggling to solve these problems.
"But what gives me confidence is what we have been through these last 2 years," said Wong, who also co-chairs Singapore's Covid-19 multi-ministry taskforce.
Singapore lacks the resources of larger countries, having to import vaccines, food and many other essential supplies, but it was able to adapt quickly to protect lives and livelihoods as its people kept their faith, solidarity and trust in one another.
"That's how we attained good outcomes – we’ve kept Covid-19 deaths at one of the lowest rates in the world, and we've enabled employment and incomes to recover quickly to pre-Covid levels already," he said.
"The lesson should be clear to all of us: we will achieve more when we stand together as one united people."
Earlier, Wong was welcomed on stage by NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng, who gave his commitment to strengthening not just tripartism, but also the symbiotic relationship between the labour movement and the PAP, adding that this creates "win-win outcomes" for everyone.
"Each generation of PAP leadership has taken pains to know NTUC's needs better, and we will likewise give the PAP the assurance that NTUC will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the PAP leadership so that we can do the very best for our country and for workers alike," said the labour chief.
He outlined the ways in which NTUC has been championing the interests of workers from different segments, including lower-wage workers, working mothers, freelancers, as well as professionals, managers and executives (PMEs).
It will next focus on young workers aged 25 and below, through a youth taskforce that will co-create programmes to better serve them.
At the same time, NTUC has taken immediate steps to allay concerns about the rising cost of living, even as efforts to upskill workers with the help of the labour movement's company training and transformation committees continue.
Said Ng: "Regardless of what may be the political situation or social situation, NTUC and our labour movement must always remember to anchor on our core purposes to advance the interests of workers, to create a better living, better standard of life through the 3 Ws: better wages, better welfare and better work prospects."
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