Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his 2025 National Day Rally speeches in the evening of Aug. 17 at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Headquarters in Ang Mo Kio.
He began with Malay and Mandarin speeches before concluding with an English speech.
PM Wong first shared that Singapore's 60th year of independence is a milestone which "marks the start of a new chapter in our Singapore's story".
He also thanked Singaporeans for their support during the recent General Election, which saw the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) winning a supermajority of the seats.
"We stand where we are today, only because of the grit, courage, and sacrifices of those who came before us— especially our Pioneer and Merdeka Generations. We honour all of you, and thank you for your many contributions."
"Now it's our turn. To carry forward what we've inherited to write the next chapter of our Singapore story together."
"The next chapter opens in a more troubled and turbulent world," PM Wong said.
"Tonight, I want to speak about how we can chart our course through this complex new era."
Here are the key announcements from his speeches:
Economy
PM Wong addressed the U.S. Liberation Day tariffs, which saw the superpower imposing a 10 per cent tariff on Singapore.
He pointed out that there will be more trade barriers in the world, and a small and open economy like Singapore will feel its pinch.
Singapore has convened the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, to review and refresh the country's economic strategies.
The government's ultimate priority, PM Wong said, is jobs — helping Singaporeans seize job opportunities, ramping up job matching services, and bringing more career fairs into tertiary institutions.
One area of focus that Singapore will prioritise is innovation and technology, which PM Wong said "can sustainably raise our productivity and improve our lives".
"With each new wave of technology, we adapted. We upgraded. We lifted the whole country up."
Artificial Intelligence
AI in the economy
With that said, PM Wong acknowledged that the world is entering into a new era driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
AI is advancing at a fast pace and will only get better.
It is crucial to utilise AI as a "game changer" to raise productivity and create new value throughout every part of the economy, PM Wong said.
However, he assured that embracing AI and technology does not mean Singapore will "lose sight of [its] key priority".
The government will always place Singapore at the centre and will not rush to adopt new technology.
It will also be working closely with unions and workers, as well as redesigning jobs, equipping and empowering workers.
AI and digital resilience for the young
The use of AI by students is an emerging problem, as students may over-rely on AI and take shortcuts instead of putting in the effort to learn and master their fundamentals.
However, the world is living in a digital age, and we must make full use of available technologies.
The key is to strike the right balance between protecting the young and empowering them with the benefits of technology.
The government is currently studying closely the experiences of other countries that have passed new laws to tighten access to the internet and social media for their children.
Fight against vapes
PM Wong said that the government will "take much tougher actions against vaping", which he identified as a "serious concern".
Many of these vapes contain addictive and harmful substances such as etomidate, PM Wong said.
Even though vaping is banned in Singapore, PM Wong pointed out that people are still smuggling vapes and are finding ways to get around the laws.
"So far, we've treated vaping like tobacco. At most, we impose a fine. But that's no longer enough," PM Wong said.
"We will treat this as a drug issue, and impose much stiffer penalties. This means jail sentences and more severe punishments for those who sell vapes with harmful substances."
New government-funded traineeships for ITE, polytechnic & university graduates
In the wake of current economic uncertainty, the government will be launching a new government-funded traineeship programme for ITE, polytechnic, and university graduates.
This will give fresh graduates the opportunity to gain real-world experience and continuously sharpen their skills, so that when the economy recovered, they would be in a better position to secure full-time jobs.
The programme will be scaled up if the economy worsens.
More details will be shared by the Taskforce soon.
Islamic College
Speaking in Malay at the rally, PM Wong said that the new Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) will have its own campus located next to the new Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) campus in Rochor.
SCIS and SUSS will be housed in their own buildings and share facilities.
The SCIS campus will feature unique Islamic architectural elements and dedicated facilities to meet its students' needs.
Students will also have access to both Islamic studies facilities and shared campus amenities, including SUSS's social science library resources and recreational spaces.
Care and support for the seniors
The government will continue to do more to support the seniors.
One major issue includes tackling long-term care and living arrangements.
One solution is Community Care Apartments or CCAs, which are HDB flats that combine housing with care arrangements for seniors.
More CCAs across HDB towns will be built over the coming years.
However, CCAs cannot be the main solution.
Hence, the government will take essential elements from CCA and apply the same thinking to the wider neighbourhood to support seniors where they are.
This includes making physical touchpoints more accessible to seniors, expanding home-based services, and bringing healthcare services closer to seniors.
PM said that the government will launch Age Well Neighbourhoods, starting with Toa Payoh.
Northern Plan
The government will be rejuvenating and refreshing the northern part of Singapore.
PM Wong highlighted three areas in the North— Woodlands, Kranji, and Sembawang.
Woodlands will see a redevelopment of the Woodlands Checkpoint, the opening of Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link by the end of next year, and the development of around 4,000 HDB units.
Kranji will see the building of a new public housing estate and a new MRT Station at Sungei Kadut, which will be an interchange connecting the North-South Line and Downtown Line.
Sembawang and Sembawang Shipyard will see a new community space for gatherings with family, friends, and loved ones.
We-First society
To keep Singapore going, the country must become a "We-First" society, said PM Wong.
"If everyone only thinks about 'me', and puts 'me' ahead of 'we', then we are finished. Society will fray, and things will fall apart," PM Wong said.
Instead, everyone does their part as a "we", to care, contribute, and look out for one another, then the "me" will naturally thrive and flourish.
PM Wong said:
"Because when the whole is strong, each of us becomes stronger too. That’s how we strengthen the Singapore Spirit. And so we have to do more to encourage Singaporeans to step forward, to take responsibility for one another, and to shape the character and future of our society."
"That’s how my team and I intend to lead. Not just doing things for Singaporeans – but doing things with Singaporeans," said PM Wong.
Top image via Lawrence Wong 黄循财/YouTube
