EACH GENERATION’S OWN CRISIS
Earlier in his speech, Mr Wong laid out how the government intends to help Singapore “take charge of our own destiny” instead of sitting back and resigning itself to “being mere bystanders in a world shaped by others”.
He charted Singapore’s approach in shaping its future, laying out plans for the economy, young people, seniors, climate change as well as land development.
But “good plans and strategies are just the first step”, he said.
“What matters just as much – and even more – is the collective will of our people. We must believe in one another. We must have the conviction that our best days lie ahead.
“That’s the Singapore spirit that binds us together and propels us forward,” he said.
The country’s pioneer generation embodied such a spirit, going through immense hardship and facing trials and tribulations together in the nation’s early years, said Mr Wong.
“In doing so, they grew closer as one people. Their experiences gave them a deep sense of shared purpose and common destiny. They looked out not just for themselves, but also for one another,” he said.
Mr Wong noted that later generations did not go through the same “crucible of hardship”, adding that today’s Singapore is the only one the younger generations have ever known.
“They may still hear stories from their grandparents, or their great-grandparents, if they are lucky. But with each passing generation, those stories become more distant and less vivid,” said Mr Wong.
While the COVID-19 pandemic was “the crisis of our generation”, it cannot compare with what the country’s pioneers went through, such as war, poverty, deprivation and riots, said Mr Wong.
Nevertheless, Singaporeans stood together and looked out for each other, making it through the crisis not just due to government measures, but because of a Singapore spirit, he said.
“COVID is over. It feels like a bad dream, we want to forget it and put it behind us. But the spirit we summoned then must not fade,” said Mr Wong.
“It shouldn’t be something that emerges only during a crisis. We must keep this spirit alive through good times and bad, and make it part of how we live and relate to one another every day.”
NOT A SMOOTH PROCESS
In his speech, Mr Wong highlighted several ground-up initiatives started by Singaporeans for different causes.
He cited the examples of Mr Yasser Amin, who runs his own beach clean-up sessions at East Coast Park, and Ms Siti Adriana Muhamad Rasip, who co-founded the Empowered Families Initiative to support lower-income families.
Mr Wong also spoke about Mr Koh Seng Choon, who set up Dignity Kitchen to provide employment for persons with disabilities so as to allow them to find dignity through work.
Mr Wong said that Singapore’s situation is different from many other countries, with the government supporting such ground-up initiatives by striving to be “more efficient and responsive”.
“And there are areas where we believe the government can and should do more – especially to provide stronger social support for those in need,” he said.
However, Mr Wong noted that such a process will not always be a smooth one.
“It can be messy, iterative and slower than we would like. But if we persevere, I am confident we will reach better outcomes,” he said.
“Because we will build stronger trust, deeper ownership and a greater sense of common purpose. And together, we will keep our Singapore spirit alive – not just for today, not just for tomorrow, but for many more generations to come.”
