These include Workfare for lower-wage workers, Silver Support for the more vulnerable seniors, and SkillsFuture to support all workers.
He said that the government continues to take in suggestions offered by various MPs on how to uplift vulnerable groups such as those with disabilities, seniors, caregivers, freelance and agency workers, working mothers and those with mental health issues.
“We keep an open mind, and we study all your suggestions carefully. And beyond ideas shared in this house, we continue to engage widely and hear views from all Singaporeans,” said Mr Wong.
Mr Wong said that more is spent on social development than on the economy and security.
“Actually, social spending is already greater than what we spend on both the economy and security combined, so we are not just saying we will do, we have done so in concrete terms, and we expect social spending to continue to grow in the coming years.”
He added that a strong social support system should not be reliant on the government alone.
“We will do more, but our actions must also be complemented by individual and community responsibility,” he said.
While charities and social service agencies are “doing excellent work on the ground”, individual attitudes and mindsets have to follow suit.
“It’s about our shared responsibility, how we support one another, care for those in need, and lift each other up,” said Mr Wong.
GUARDING AGAINST XENOPHOBIA
Given the pace of industry transformation, the prime minister said anxiety and concerns among Singaporeans about jobs are real, but the underlying reasons for them must be understood, and the blame should not be put on foreigners.
“We can see this happening in so many other countries where foreigners are blamed and the public discourse ends up spiralling into very negative, very toxic and xenophobic directions,” said Mr Wong.
“That’s not what we stand for in Singapore, and we must never allow that to happen here.”
