Echoing Mr Wong in a speech at the opening of Singapore’s 15th parliament on Friday (Sep 5), President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that building a “we first” society starts in the community, with neighbours supporting one another and citizens leading ground-up initiatives.
It also means making giving and volunteering a way of life, and building a culture of contribution beyond personal achievement, he said.
He added that “we first” is also about everyday values and simple acts of care, from offering a seat on the train to lending a hand in times of need, which he called “the threads that hold our social fabric together”.
While on its surface, the idea sounds straightforward enough, CNA TODAY found that Singaporeans have a range of interpretations of the concept.
In conversations with sociologists, civil society and community leaders, as well as organisers of ground-up movements, it became clear that there is much more to it than the core idea of putting others before self. Each group sees a different gap that “we first” is meant to fill.
For some, it is about building a more inclusive country, while for others, it is about providing stronger safety nets so that people can give more of themselves, knowing they are supported.
And there are also those who feel it is about building a fairer society that softens the sharper edges of meritocracy.
WHAT “WE FIRST” MEANS TO SINGAPOREANS
Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, the head of a social cohesion research programme at S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said that to him, “we first” should be about creating an egalitarian society where everyone enjoys equal access to opportunities and resources, regardless of social status or wealth.
“And in order to be truly egalitarian, this society has to be more cooperative than competitive,” he added, pointing to Scandinavia and Switzerland as places that have achieved this.
Given Singapore’s heterogeneity, the embrace of diversity was also top of mind for several interviewees.
Ms Yulianna Frederika, 27, the founder of Lepak Conversations, a research and advocacy non-profit for Malay-Muslim issues, said that although Singapore is already a place where multicultural groups live in harmony, it could go even further.
To her, a “we first” society is one where people are naturally curious about each other and actively choose to make diverse connections with people from different communities.
“Right now, the thinking is often ‘You’re different, but I can still be friends with you’,” she said.
“What we need is: ‘You’re different and that’s why I want to be friends with you, so I can learn from you and support you.'”
