From the ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio... it's the Prime Minister's National Day Rally 2017!

For those of you who were watching football, hanging out with friends, or knocking back a few drinks, here's a summary of three big topics PM Lee Hsien Loong talked about for NDR 2017.

1. Preschool (a.k.a Sex)

PM Lee noted that preschool has enormous benefits on a child's early development. Not only do children pick up language skills more quickly, they also learn social and emotional skills by interacting with others.

He announced three new initiatives as part of the government's focus on preschool education:

1. There's a shortage of preschool places for kids four years old and below. Within the next five years, the government will create an additional 40,000 new preschool places for them, bringing the total number up to 200,000.
2. For kids aged 5 and 6, or the K1 or K2 level, there are already enough places for them. Hence, the focus will be on improving quality over quantity and raising their education standards.
3. A new centralised National Institute of Early Childhood Development  will be set up. PM Lee hopes that by ensuring good job prospects and professional development, more talented people will consider a career in the preschool sector.

Show me the money

All in all, the government has doubled its spending on preschool from S$360 million in 2012 to S$840 million in 2017. With the new initiatives, it will double spending again to reach S$1.7 billion in 2022.

But it's not all about the money. Ensuring that every child can develop the best they can in their early years will help social mobility, which in turns sustains a fair and just society. With the extra support for preschool, it should be easier to start a family.

"All this will be for naught unless young couples do their part. Please have more babies," PM said.

So what are you waiting for? Find a small space and get cracking.

2. Diabetes (a.k.a Premature death)

Here's the good news: Singaporeans' life expectancy is one of the highest in the world at 82 years.

Here's the bad news: A long life doesn't always mean a good quality one. After all, what good is having a long life if you're in pain and suffering?

About 3 out of 10 Singaporeans aged 60 and above have diabetes. Since we're likely to live that long, it means that almost a third of us are at risk.

If you break it down further by race for the over 60s: 2.5 out of 10 Chinese will get diabetes, 5 out of 10 Malays and 6 out of 10 Indians.

"When it comes to diabetes, Singapore is almost the world champion -- just behind the US," PM quipped.

That's a title we could do without.

Alright, we heard you. But what can we do?

Four things, actually:

1. See a doctor: They didn't study all those years for nothing. Go for a checkup and follow their instructions.
2. Exercise: Join a dance class, cycle to work, take up muay thai, it really doesn't matter. Just be more active.
3. Diet: He knows it's not easy. When the Cabinet was served brown rice for lunch, some of them skipped the lunch and ate white rice afterwards. Don't be like them, choose healthier alternatives even if you have to da bao your lunch.
4. Cut out the sugar: Sugar, not fat, might be the real cause of obesity, and it's definitely a contributor to diabetes. Skip the extra soft drink and save a life.

PM rattled off a long list of side effects, from increased risk of death, loss of limbs, going blind, and even impotence (which impedes making babies for Singapore).

If that scares you, get off your fat behind and do something about it before it's too late. The government can only nag at you for so long.

3. Smart Nation (a.k.a. The rise of the machines)

The government has been banging on about something called the Smart Nation for quite some time now. But what does it mean, really?

Simply put, it's about integrating IT into all aspects of life -- not just for work, video games or school, but everything.

For example, PM announced a new GovTech initiative set to be rolled out in October 2017, the Parking.sg app.

The days when you need to tear paper coupons, or rush back to your car to add more coupons before the aunty slaps you with a fine are numbered. With the app, you can do it remotely, and pay for the exact length of time you parked.

PM also told a story about Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say queuing up to buy chestnuts from a roadside hawker in Shanghai. Lim noticed the customers in front of him waving their handphones and taking their chestnuts without paying. He thought there must be some kind of special offer going on.

When it was his turn, Lim said he didn't need the special offer, and would pay by cash. The chestnut seller stared at him and pointed to a QR code.

"He was the suaku one!" said PM.

While a humorous story, it carried the subtle implication that if a roadside hawker in China can master cashless payments, why not Singapore, the self-proclaimed IT hub?

I'll be watching you

IT technology can also help public security, such as the case of the Boston Marathon Bombings in 2013. The authorities combined the use of CCTV footage and social media videos to quickly identify and track down the suspects.

Drawing lessons from the Little India riot,  the government is not only installing more CCTVs but also looking at combining all the various sources of data, like hotel and LTA cameras and social media videos, to respond more quickly and effectively to the next major incident.

In the retail space, with more people ordering their stuff online, we might soon be able to make mundane purchases like groceries online too. The key thing is that brick-and-mortar stores (and therefore jobs) will not be replaced if they can adapt to the changing environment.

PM Lee noted the increased demand for tech-savvy workers like engineers, programmers, and data analysts, which is one direct way of how a Smart Nation will create new jobs and opportunities for both young and old.

The government is offering scholarships and sponsorships, and also pushing ahead with the SkillsFuture initiative to help the workforce thrive and ride the wave of this revolution.

Use them, or risk getting left behind.

Interested to provide feedback on NDR?

Don’t waste your National Day Rally 2017 thoughts. The govt wants to know.

Top image from PMO's YouTube Channel