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Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong explained how the government will set out to help Singaporeans succeed while they face the "stark realities of the world" and the other "formidable challenges" Singapore faces post-Covid.

Wong said in parliament on Apr. 17 that the government will be reviewing policies across all areas through the Forward Singapore exercise to ensure that the "broad middle of society" will see continued improvements in their lives while closing the gap for the disadvantaged.

On the first day of the debate on the President’s Address, Wong laid out the five key shifts for Singapore's new social compact as it embarks on the next stage of nation-building:

• A new approach to skills
• A new definition of success
• A new approach to social support
• A new approach to caring for our seniors
• A renewed commitment to one another

A cradle-to-grave learning society for success

Wong said skills were the lynchpin to lifelong success, and the journey starts early in life.

Reminds S'poreans that "we are more than our grades"

To help Singaporeans build this lifelong success, Wong noted that the government will be scaling up programmes such as KidSTART, and stepping up resources for Ministry of Education kindergartens and government-funded pre-schools.

He explained that while schools already provide a comprehensive system to help children with different learning needs to develop and grow, there was a deeper challenge in Singapore's education system.

"Our concept of meritocracy remains too narrow", said Wong, who added that

"Many feel caught in a rat race from a young age – under pressure to get the best grades, get into what they perceive to be the best schools, so they can get the best university places. Many parents, too, are anxious about their children’s future. Some go to great lengths to maximise their children’s chances to get into brand-name schools, even preschools."

Wong fully agreed with DPM Heng Swee Keat that "Every School is a Good School" and reminded everyone that "we are more than our grades" and "more than the schools we go to".

"How do we achieve this? A key mindset shift is to recognise that formal education early in life is not the endpoint of our meritocracy."

Education must be lifelong

He added that education cannot "just be confined to the first 25 years of our lives" and that learning must be a "continuous journey".

Wong stated that the government will work on strengthening SkillsFuture by reducing the costs and barriers to training, curating courses and working with businesses to help workers find time to train.

He said businesses not only have to invest in the growth of their companies, but they must also shift from hiring credentials to hiring skills.

"Some other nations aspire to create a welfare society, from cradle to grave. We will aspire to create in Singapore a full-fledged Learning Society – from cradle to grave. That is how we will become a people ready for the future, and equipped to succeed."

Success should not be only paycheck or property

Wong said that success meant many things to different people, but society had seemed to converge on material definitions, the size of one's paycheck or property.

Embrace wider definitions of success

He explained that Singapore needs to collectively adopt and embrace wider definitions of success, striving to be a meritocracy where everyone can be the "best version of themselves".

"Our economic structures, remuneration, and career prospects in various professions must also be consistent with what we value."

The government will consider ways to "tilt the scales" and narrow the wage gap across professions, such as by professionalising skilled trades like electricians and plumbers.

Wage gap cannot be closed completely but can narrow

He explained that while the wage gap between lower-wage and median workers could not be closed completely, efforts to uplift lower-wage workers, such as Workfare and the Progressive Wage Model, could prevent them from diverging too far.

Wong also pleaded to all Singaporeans that for a new definition of success to be a reality, Singaporeans as consumers "must be willing to bear a higher cost for the goods and services we consume".

"I know this is not an easy ask, given the rising cost of living. But we will do our best to manage the pace of change, and to help everyone, especially our lower- and middle-income families, adjust to this new environment. I might add too: All will gain when even the most vulnerable among us become better off. We will become a better people, a more just and more equal society."

Fight against inequality

Wong said that in a more uncertain world, Singapore has to relook at how it approached social support to ensure the broad middle and vulnerable would not "fall by the wayside or be left behind".

Shift to social empowerment for the vulnerable

The government has been shifting from social assistance to social empowerment to not only help people tide through difficulty, but also boost their sense of drive and purpose, strengthen their sense of agency and take ownership over their circumstances.

For persons with disabilities, the government will adopt new ways of caring for and empowering them to reduce the financial burden on parents and help them contribute to society when they reach adulthood.

Wong called for all Singaporeans to fight against the ills of inequality.

"Singapore must never succumb to the kind of harsh inequality we see in so many other parts of the world."

He continued by stating that the broad middle is no less important, and they can be confident of meeting their needs at every stage of life, "even in the face of setbacks".

Basic needs of S'poreans will continue to be met

Wong listed the three basic needs of all Singaporeans — housing, education, and healthcare — and acknowledged that housing is top-of-mind.

He reiterated that the government is ramping up the supply of BTO flats and assured that affordable and accessible public housing will always be a key pillar of Singapore's social compact.

Wong added that the government has been helping the unemployed through schemes such as ComCare and the Covid Recovery Grant, which uphold the "ethos of work and self-reliance".

He said that the government will consider doing more to support displaced workers but avoid giving generous benefits such that it becomes more attractive to stay unemployed than get back into the workforce.

On this, Wong said that the government will look at a targeted re-employment scheme.

Singaporeans of every generation

Wong reminded Singaporeans that Singapore has a rapidly ageing population, and a new, sustainable approach was required.

He explained that Healthier SG signalled a shift from treating illness to promoting health, reducing the need for medical intervention and hospitalisation downstream.

Wong added that care needed to go beyond physical health, and helping them be cared for in their homes rather than in nursing homes will help them remain active and purposeful in their golden years.

To achieve this, the government will be investing in more infrastructure, such as:

• Building more Community Care Apartments
• Expanding the network of Active Ageing Centres
• Improving access to home-based care services
• Working with community partners to prevent social isolation and loneliness.

Wong said seniors also need to be confident in meeting their retirement needs, which Singapore can achieve through the various CPF schemes.

Wong assured younger Singaporeans that their needs in old age would also be met through CPF as long as they worked and contributed to their CPF consistently.

And for those without the ability to work, "we will find other ways to look after your retirement needs".

"This is our promise to Singaporeans of every generation".

We and Us, not I and Me

Wong said that underlying the refreshed social compact is:

"We need to be less about ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘mine’, more about ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘ours'"

A social compact was not just what Government would do for people but what Singaporeans would do for one another.

A refreshed social compact is about "the Government, businesses, unions, workers, the community, and civil society all doing their part for fellow Singaporeans.

He said a way to realise this is to nurture a boarder culture of philanthropy and volunteerism: taking responsibility for each other, especially helping those with less.

"This goes beyond money: it includes investing time and effort in nurturing others – from mentoring the young to providing those from disadvantaged circumstances with access to networks and opportunities."

Up to S'poreans to turn S'pore into an endearing home

Wong said that while the government will not stop developing Singapore's urban infrastructure, "it is up to Singaporeans to contribute their own passions and energies to turn our city into an endearing home."

He said that becoming the best home is also about the intangibles, such as embracing a more holistic way of life — working out flexible work arrangements, treating ourselves and one another with greater kindness and compassion etc.

Wong said Singapore has always been and will be a work in progress.

"It has been a relentless effort over the decades. We will never stop improving – not just for ourselves but also for future generations. This ethos of building for the future, rather than burdening, weighing down our descendants, is key to Singapore’s success."

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Top image via Lawrence Wong/Facebook