Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is also the acting Prime Minister for this week, had a closed-door dialogue with 400 representatives from various fields and organisations in Singapore.

Here's a summary to his 45-minute speech that sheds some light into how he intends to lead Singapore in this brave new world.

https://mothership.sg/2019/06/heng-swee-keat-dialogue-partner-singaporeans-4g

After his speech, Heng proceeded with a dialogue that drew a significant number of questions and feedback with regards to environmental concerns.

In the middle of the dialogue, Heng remarked, "interesting that so many Singaporeans are interested".

Questions posed ranged from local biodiversity conservation, partnerships to the urgency in taking action on climate change.

Working with Singaporeans on environmental issues

One of main takeaways of Heng's speech is how he intends for the relationship between the 4G leadership and Singaporeans to be collaborative, aptly summed up by the "working with you, for you, for Singapore" remark.

In one of the themes, Heng focused on how Singapore can remain a resilient nation. He identified climate change as one of the major developments globally and is one of the "long term existential threats" that Singapore needs to confront together as a nation.

The environment has become the priority for some Singaporeans.

Heng mentioned the Friends of Ubin Network as an example of a partnership between residents, youths, researchers and volunteers to invent initiatives to make Pulau Ubin a vibrant place with its rich heritage and nature.

One of the initiatives includes a code of conduct coined as the 'Ubin Way'.

Better partnerships

On partnerships, a senior lecturer from NUS Department of Biological Sciences, N Sivasothi, shared feedback based on his years of experience in conservation work.

Sivasothi raised the issue that government agencies working with nature communities can be more well-trained to understand the dynamics between stakeholders better to ensure meaningful engagements.

Heng replied that it is a learning process for both sides.

He added that if the ideas given by nature enthusiasts are better, the government will accept them.

However, Heng qualified that not every idea will be adopted in full as agencies might have a broader set of considerations.

Local biodiversity is important

Heng also acknowledged the importance of local biodiversity and said that the government is doing a "reasonable job at keeping local forests".

However, local primatologist Andie Ang highlighted that Singapore can work towards seeing all native wildlife as equal as "plants and animals are also Singaporeans".

She cited a recent sighting of otters in the CBD area as an example of how Singaporeans reacted differently to otters as compared to wild boars or monkeys entering urban spaces.

Ang calls for greater empathy towards all kinds of wildlife so as to live harmoniously with nature.

"It's on the radar"

Sadhana Rai, a lawyer providing pro-bono services, suggested elevating actions on environmental issues to a pillar of defence to signal the urgency of doing so as compared to just paying "lip service".

The "Total Defence" strategy in Singapore encompasses six key pillars – military, civil, economic, social, psychological and digital defence – and focuses on the need for each Singaporean to play his or her part to defend Singapore.

Karl Png, an National University of Singapore (NUS) student from an environmental biology interest group, asked how can Singapore contribute to ending the extinction crisis faced by millions of species.

In response, Heng said that global environmental concerns like mass extinction and sustainability are on the Singapore government's radar.

He cited committing to Paris agreement and the sustainable development goals as an example of how Singapore should contribute.

Heng also mentioned the introduction of green bonds as a form of "progress" in "this work of generations".

Heng also addressed a diverse set of questions from the floor at the dialogue which overran for at least half an hour.

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Top photo by Charis Chan.