BREAKING THE CYCLE OF DISADVANTAGES
Mr Chan stressed that economic growth also needs to translate into “growing the overall pie” for Singaporeans.
Urging Singaporeans to remember that success is built on their society and the help they received along the way, the minister noted that resources and disadvantages get passed on between generations.
This increases inequality and reduces social mobility, he added.
“But I think all of us in this House will be united in saying that we don’t want to see this happening in Singapore. This is what makes Singapore special,” said Mr Chan.
“Therefore, the more successful we are, the greater the dangers we face. And the more we need to double and redouble our efforts to break this intergenerational transfer of disadvantage.”
Singaporeans must contribute in their own way to support those with less. With finite resources, Singapore will also need to come to a “societal consensus” about who should get more help, said Mr Chan.
“This means that some of us will have to moderate our expectations, because there are others who need help more than we do,” he added.
“Everyone gets help, everyone gets something. But not all of us will get the same … It also doesn’t make sense for all of us to get the same. Different strokes for different folks, each according to our needs.”
Singapore must respect and reward the diversity of strengths, and celebrate excellence in multiple fields, said Mr Chan.
Urging Singaporeans to get out of their comfort zones and get to know people who are different from them, he said they should find common ground based on mutual respect through this process.
Mr Chan, who is also coordinating minister for public services, said Singapore has done “reasonably well” at governance.
Cautioning against becoming complacent, he highlighted that countries that were behind on technology adoption, digitalisation and artificial intelligence are now seizing opportunities to get ahead.
“This is a stark reminder to us that if we stand still, we will fall behind,” he added.
The public service will endeavour to do things better and also do better things with its finite resources, said Mr Chan, noting the changes that have made government services more accessible and helpful.
Singapore also must not “copy blindly” and be bold enough to look for its own solutions, he added.
With the challenges confronting Singapore, the public service will need to acquire new capabilities, said Mr Chan.
“The public service will continue to remain open and attract diverse talent, including mid-careerists, and provide opportunities for officers to gain exposure to the private and people sector.”
