The PAP held its annual convention at Big Box in Jurong East earlier today (Nov. 19).

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke at the event which was attended by about 2,000 activists.

The topics that he addressed included public transportation, the economy, taxes, and foreign relations.

Here's what you need to know about these topics in his speech.

1. MRT incidents have hurt public confidence

PM Lee addressed the public transportation system for the first time since the recent train collision at Joo Koon station.

Noting the collision and other recent incidents, such as the tunnel flooding between Bishan and Braddell stations, PM Lee acknowledged that these incidents "loom large in the public consciousness"  and public confidence has been hurt.

He said that the issue is a very complicated one to solve, but voiced his support for Minister for Transport (MOT) Khaw Boon Wan and his team at both the MOT and the Land Transport Authority, were "extremely disappointed" with the recent incidents.

Nevertheless, he stressed the need to "learn the right lessons from (the incidents), get to the root of the problems and put things right".

He also said that the train delays "should go away" in a year following the full completion of the signalling system upgrade on the North-South East-West Lines.

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2. Raising taxes is inevitable

The government is making heavy investments on the economy, infrastructure and social services and safety nets for the future, but it needs to be sure that it can afford them.

On this note, PM Lee made the point that it is a matter of when and not if taxes will be raised.

However, he also said that the Government will explain to Singaporeans what the money is needed for and show how it will benefit the young and old "well before the time comes".

3. PAP needs to maintain the public's trust

The trust between Singapore and the PAP was built over more than 60 years. It was done by the ruling party working with Singaporeans, delivering results and working through difficult policies such as National Service and the Goods and Services Tax.

This trust must never be taken for granted or frittered away. To implement its policies, PAP also need the people's support.

This does not mean the Government does only popular things. While making hard choices, it has to be upfront with the people and convince them that policies are in their interests.

In the coming years, this trust will be tested and will be more important than ever amid social and economic disruptions afflicting the world.

PM Lee said that Singapore must avoid the fate in western democracies, where the trust between mainstream political parties and the people has essentially broken down, and the parties "no longer seem to represent the common man’s interests".

"We must never let this happen in Singapore. The PAP must always pursue policies which benefit the broad majority of Singaporeans. "

"The PAP must always hold the ground, stay close to Singaporeans and maintain their trust and confidence."

4. Economic growth may be higher than forecasted

On Singapore's economy, PM Lee said that Singapore's economic growth in 2017 could exceed 3 per cent, which is higher than the forecasted range of 2 to 3 per cent.

Despite this, however, the job is not done because the upswing is cyclical, and plans to restructure to economy must be pressed on by the government.

The government is currently using the three strategies of skills upgrading, job matching and job creation to help workers.

5. Foreign relations update

Noting his visits to China and the U.S. in recent months, PM Lee pointed out that Singapore had good relations with both countries.

He said that while there will always be ups and downs in Singapore's relations with other countries, our fundamental approach will not change.

"Where relations are going well, we should not take them for granted. More importantly, when relations are down, we must not get flustered or cower."

More importantly, PM Lee said that no foreign country should influence domestic politics.

“No foreign country should ever influence our domestic debate and politics, or divide and weaken us, either openly or covertly. Singaporeans have to understand our core interests.”

On Malaysia, he pointed out that he wasn't sure what Malaysia's motive is to raise the Pedra Branca issue again, even though it had already been settled many years ago at the International Court of Justice, but added that it might have something to do with the upcoming Malaysian General Elections.

As for Indonesia, PM Lee noted that politicians in the country had been talking about taking their airspace back from Singapore with regard to the Flight Information Region (FIR), which is for managing air traffic.

“Who controls the FIR is a technical matter of making the best arrangements for air safety, but it has been politicized and made into an issue of sovereignty and national pride. That makes it much harder to solve.”

Nevertheless, Singapore's relations are still good with Malaysia and Indonesia, he stressed.

Top image screenshot from PAP Facebook.