August 23, 10:54 PM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 In this year's National Day Rally (NDR), held once again at Ang Mo Kio's ITE College Central, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong touched on three hot button issues likely to take centre stage next month (wink wink):
- Housing
- Education
- Population
Here's all you need to know about his English rally speech in one and a half minutes and seven key points:
Photo courtesy of MCI.
1) He recounted the details of the SG50 National Day Parade, focusing on the pioneer participants:
He talked about what the first NDP was like, and named some of the pioneer soldiers who marched in the Vintage parade segment.
2) He said three factors have led Singapore to where it is now, 50 years on from independence:
i. Building ourselves as a multi-racial society.
Photo courtesy of NDP 2015 Publications Committee.
Among the points raised here, he said the introduction of GRCs ensured there was minority representation in parliament. He acknowledged that critics have said he is making too big a deal of the issue of racial and religious harmony, but stressed that race and religion are "always sensitive matters, especially for us". He added that "we are always at risk of deep fault lines opening up".
ii. Creating a culture of self-reliance and mutual support
PM Lee said it's important for Singaporeans to remain robust, tough, able to take hard knocks and striving to be better. He said:
If you work hard, you should do well — and that is good for you. But at the same time, if you do well, we expect you to help others, and everyone has to work together so that we succeed as Team Singapore.
He also mentioned the Tanjong Katong Primary School tragedy in Mount Kinabalu that resulted in the loss of 10 lives — seven students, two teachers and a guide.
It will take us a long time to get over this tragedy, but we have to go on with adventure learning, take necessary safety precautions, but keep on pushing our limits, to bring up a generation who will grow up tough and able to work closely together.
iii. Keeping faith between the government and the people
He said the government has "kept its politics honest", and has upheld standards of no corruption or dishonesty.
He brought up the issue of immigration and foreigners as a "tough issue" that has come up in recent years, saying the government needs Singaporeans' support to deal with it.
3) He reminded us that we need to bear in mind our place on the regional and world stage:
PM Lee cited an example where an Indonesian official said of the haze, "I would only consider apologising (for the haze) if Singapore and Malaysia are thankful for the oxygen they enjoy (courtesy of Indonesian forests) for 11 months (each year)!"
He said the late Lee Kuan Yew took great pains, even in his advanced age, to stress the importance of being aware of events unfolding overseas, and to understand their impact on Singapore.
4) Key carrots dangled announcements in housing:
Photo: PM Lee's Facebook page
i. The income ceiling will be raised from $10,000 to $12,000 for HDB flats, and from $12,000 to $14,000 for ECs, so that more households can buy HDB and ECs.
ii. The government will raise the household income ceiling for Special CPF Housing Grants (SHG) from $6,500 to $8,500 so that two-thirds of all first-timer households will qualify. The maximum SHG will be doubled from $20,000 to $40,000.
iii. Fresh Start Housing Scheme: It will help second-timer rental households own a 2-room flat. The flat will have a shorter lease and stricter conditions on resale. A Fresh Start Grant will be provided to help pay for the flat.
iv. New Proximity Housing Grant will be granted to couples who buy resale homes near their parents, or to parents who buy resale flats with or near their married children.
5) In education:
i. The multiple campuses of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) will be centralised in Punggol.
6) Many carrots dangled announcements made in population:
Photo courtesy of MCI
i. Re-employment age will be raised from 65 to 67 by 2017.
ii. Baby Bonus will be increased, and also extended to every child, not just the first four (we were surprised to learn these stopped at the fourth child, actually). Kicked in from January 1 this year.
iii. Paternity leave to be doubled to two weeks, with the government paying for the second week. Companies allowed to volunteer to offer this so they will have time to adjust, although the civil and public service will start right away. Kicked in from January 1 this year.
iv. CPF Medisave grant for newborns will be increased and will cover MediShield Life premiums until age 21, with recommended vaccinations covered as well. Kicked in from January 1 this year too.
7) He shares the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's thoughts on SG100:
PM Lee said that nobody can be sure or promise that Singapore will still be doing well come SG100.
After Lee Kuan Yew passed away, one of his friends wrote to PM Lee.
At each of the gatherings, it had become a tradition to ask the founding PM “Will there be a Singapore many years from now?”
Once, he said “Maybe”. On another, he said, “Yes, if there is no corruption”.
However, the last meeting was different. The friend described a dinner conversation that took place during a gathering of Lee and his old friends in January 2015, shortly before he was hospitalised.
His friends had asked him: “Will there be a Singapore 50 years from now?”
He said: “Of course there will be … even better!”
Related articles:
The great National Day Rally Drinking Game 2015
Everything you need to know about the NDR (Malay) speech in 60 seconds
Everything you need to know about the NDR (Chinese) speech in 60 seconds
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