Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng wraps up Budget 2026: Long speeches, being succinct & duty of MPs

"We must leave the world in no doubt of our commitment to do what is best for Singapore," Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng reminded parliamentarians in his Budget 2026 wrap-up speech on Mar. 6.

He was speaking to round up almost two weeks of parliamentary debate following the passing of the S$200 billion budget, the largest to date.

This year's Budget is the first for this term of government, following the 2025 general election.

Less is more: Speaker of Parliament

According to Seah, the time taken for this year's Budget and Committee of Supply debate was 12 per cent more than last year, even though the number of cuts was a third fewer.

The Budget 2025 debate saw 600 cuts filed and went on for 49 hours.

The marathon debates this year also saw Seah remaining in his seat for a record six hours and 10 minutes on one occasion, and the House taking only a single official break.

The long sittings were done to allow MPs to seek clarifications within the allotted debate time, Seah explained.

On the topic regarding time, he took the chance to denounce "long-winded speeches".

He said: "As members know, I am a big advocate of the maxim, 'Less is more'."

"Some members were able to deliver crisp responses and ask succinct clarifications – others were as they say a bit “cheong hei” (“long winded”)," he quipped.

Seah also joked about cutting MPs off mid-speech by turning their microphones off.

He added: "Some members also wondered whether my magic ‘mute the microphone’ button was functioning properly, and as quite a few members found out, it is in good working order."

Importance of speeches and debates

Seah also addressed the importance of being succinct and the role of speeches and debate in the House.

"As Speaker, here is my advice — Parliamentary speeches are not an exercise in word count. It is not how many words you use or how fast you speak, but clarity and importance of your main message."

Being succinct is even more important for political office holders, Seah said, as they must use their time to tell Singaporeans the "hard truths" and explain how the ministry's plans will improve their lives.

The true meaning of debate, Seah said, was in the how and why of disagreement.

"This is not merely a partisan disagreement, but a disagreement about ideas which we have seen within the same party, as well as across party lines," Seah noted.

Keeping Singaporeans in mind

"Parliament functions best when we come with sound arguments and good intentions," the Speaker said.

This is especially pertinent as Singapore must "brace for greater volatility and unpredictability".

"There will be more debates, more bills to pass and more challenges ahead," he said,

Singapore's "prosperity" was earned through hard work and must not be taken for granted, he told MPs.

He then reminded them to "keep our eyes on the horizon that is the Singaporean people".

"We must leave the world in no doubt of our commitment to do what is best for Singapore. Only then can we secure our future together in a changed world," Seah said in closing.

Seah pointed out that this year's Budget received unanimous support from both sides of the House, something that's rare in "most countries".

He also noted that this year's debate took place during Ramadan, and recognised the commitment of Muslim MPs.

Top image via MDDI / YouTube