SINGAPORE: Singapore is entering uncharted territory as it enters the next phase of its development, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
While the unpredictable geopolitical environment poses some challenges, there are also silver linings for the nation to tap on, including its position as a trusted player in the Southeast Asian region, said Singapore’s next Prime Minister.
Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, was speaking in an interview with local media ahead of his May 15 swearing-in, in which he also shared about his journey into politics and how he has been preparing to assume the prime ministership.
The head of Singapore’s fourth-generation leadership said that the country has to maintain a principled and consistent approach when navigating such headwinds.
He also emphasised that Singapore’s approach to US-China tensions is not to find a balance between the two superpowers, but to first and foremost be guided by Singapore’s own national interests.
IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Singapore is entering the next phase of its development “at a much higher level” than it used to be, and will have to “break new ground”, Mr Wong said.
“We are in a much stronger position today than ever in the past. Our economy is already at a high level of development.
“And if you look at any area of society, housing, healthcare, education, transport, and you find indicators to benchmark, we probably rank quite high in each one of these.”
In education, Singapore’s 15-year-olds were ranked top in the world for mathematics, science and reading in the Programme for International Student Assessment 2022, an international benchmarking study to measure how well students use their knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems.
