Chee Hong Tat adds 'providing affordable & accessible housing' to MND's mission statement to state commitment

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat announced a refreshed vision for the Ministry of National Development (MND) at the MND Edge Scholarship Presentation Ceremony on Jul. 14.

New key pillar in mission statement

MND's mission statement is to develop world-class infrastructure, create a vibrant, resilient and sustainable living environment, as well as to build resilient and cohesive communities.

In his speech, Chee stated that MND would be adding one more key pillar to their mission: providing affordable and accessible housing.

He reiterated that this is not something new to MND, where "homeownership has been the cornerstone of [their] public housing policy".

The reason for the addition of the new pillar is to "explicitly state" MND's long-standing commitment to providing public housing that is within reach for all Singaporeans, and ensure that it remains a clear and visible part of MND's mission.

"It is therefore important to explicitly state this commitment in our mission statement, to remind ourselves and also future cohorts of colleagues in the MND family," he said.

Four questions

In his speech, Chee implored scholarship recipients to reflect on four questions.

1. How to strike the right balance between meeting the unlimited wants of today, and setting aside enough land to meet the uncertain challenges of tomorrow?

2. How to keep housing affordable and accessible, even as land becomes scarcer and demand grows?

3. How to transform Built Environment sector to be more productive, sustainable, and resilient?

4. How to "build, plan, and develop" in a sustainable manner, given the looming threat of climate change?

Giving examples for what MND has done to answer these questions so far, he implored the scholars to think of new ways to tackle these questions.

MND Edge Scholarship

The MND Edge Scholarship is a joint initiative between MND and its statutory boards.

There are a total of 38 scholarship recipients under the MND Edge Scholarship for 2025, of which 26 are currently pursuing undergraduate studies and 12 are pursuing their postgraduate studies.

Scholarship recipients will embark on a career with MND upon completion of their studies and play a part in shaping policies that will advance Singapore's national interests and shape the future landscape of Singapore.

Top photo via Mothership