Motion on President’s Speech – September 2025
Mr Speaker,
In Mandarin.
议长先生
我支持尚达曼总统发表的施政方针演说。
总统阐述了每一代新加坡人如何在前人奠定的基础上继往开来，顺应变化并在危机中坚韧前行。他强调了我们在惊涛骇浪中需要保持团结的重要性，我对此非常赞同。
The President noted how each generation has built on the legacy of those before, embracing change and persevering through crises. He spoke of the need for unity as we navigate turbulent waters. I could not agree more.
我想补充的是，真正的团结并非追求一致性的做法。团结意味着我们应该求同存异，认同并接受多元的观点。不同的观点不但不会削弱我们的治理体系，反而能让它更有韧性。
I would add that true unity does not mean uniformity. It means recognising and embracing that diverse viewpoints strengthen rather than weaken governance.
在这个充满不确定性的时代，新加坡难以用简单的解决方案来应对复fu4杂的挑战。当我们在政策讨论中接纳不同的观点，当我们塑造一个具建设性的辩论空间，当我们认真倾听那些可能挑战传统观念的声音时——我们才能够为全体新加坡人作出更明智的决策。
The complex challenges that Singapore faces in an uncertain world do not come with easy solutions. When we welcome different perspectives in policy discussions, when we create space for constructive debate, when we listen to voices that may challenge conventional wisdom, we make better decisions for all Singaporeans.
总统早前在演说中也谈到了家庭在照顾年长者和儿童方时面临压力，并会通过多项措施来加强对看护者的支持。我认为我们能够、也应该为看护者提供更多的支持。
目前一些政策还没有反映这个理念。比方说，托儿津贴同母亲是否有工作挂钩。如果母亲每个月工作至少56个小时，孩子便可获得更高的津贴。这间接传达的信息是：选择全程专注看护的母亲反而会得到更少的支持。我们应该采取一视同仁的做法：无论目前有没有工作，都应该给予孩童相同的津贴金额。
此外，我们应该制定有薪看护假来减轻雇员的负担，让他们有时间照顾年迈父母和年纪较大的孩子。
所以，我们应该同样关注和重视无薪的看护和有薪就业。无论家庭选择哪一种看护安排，我们都应给予平等的待遇和支持。这样一来我们才能够真正培育一个"我们为先" 的社会。
Mr Speaker, please allow me to continue in English.
The President noted how each generation has built on the legacy of those before, embracing change and persevering through crises. He spoke of the need for unity as we navigate turbulent waters. I could not agree more.
I would add that true unity does not mean uniformity. It means recognising and embracing that diverse viewpoints strengthen rather than weaken governance.
The complex challenges that Singapore faces in an uncertain world do not come with easy solutions. When we welcome different perspectives in policy discussions, when we create space for constructive debate, when we listen to voices that may challenge conventional wisdom, we make better decisions for all Singaporeans.
Redefining Success in a Changing World
Mr Speaker, the President spoke of the importance of a strong economy in generating the resources needed to secure Singapore’s future and improve lives, of inclusive growth and a society where every citizen shares in our country’s prosperity.
Yet even as economic indicators tell us about our productivity and competitiveness, they say little about our well-being, relationships, sense of purpose and belonging. We can and should go further - towards a society where prosperity encompasses not just economic wellbeing, but also emotional, social, and spiritual flourishing.
Supporting Our Young to Succeed
The President spoke about preparing our youth for a future that will be different, helping them secure good jobs and giving them a stronger voice in shaping Singapore.
Indeed, our children are growing up in a world that is changing at unprecedented speed. How can they be ready to take on jobs that do not exist, overcome challenges that we cannot imagine and seize opportunities that we have not conceived? I believe many members in this House who had spoken about how quickly AI is transforming the workplace, especially for entry-level positions, will agree that these have become all the more urgent.
Preparing our youths for the above requires more than enhancing curricula or revising PSLE scoring system and customising learning experiences. It demands an educational environment that celebrates different forms of intelligence, have many definitions of success and which values collaboration alongside competition. And perhaps most importantly in today’s world, it demands an emphasis on the cultivation of uniquely human values and traits that enable meaningful work where machines are limited.
Yes, we now speak often about the importance of soft skills. Yet assessment drives behaviour, and the reality is that success in all of our milestone exams - PSLE, N/O levels in their current and future form, A levels - remain overwhelmingly defined by individual academic performance measured largely through written papers. We value adaptability in uncertain times, yet our assessment ecosystem mostly rewards those who can perform consistently within familiar formats and timeframes. We value resilience, yet we rarely assess our students for their perseverance through failure.
This holistic approach to education becomes even more critical when we consider the well-being challenges that our children already face. Earlier this year, a CNA Talking Point survey of more than 1000 secondary school students revealed that 14% of the respondents reported being bullied in 2024 - a figure significantly higher than MOE’s official report of 6 bullying incidents per 1000 students in the same year. This discrepancy suggests that we may not be seeing the full picture of what our children experience daily.
I commend MOE for embarking on a Comprehensive Action Review on Bullying. But addressing this challenge requires us to go beyond strengthening safeguards and protocols. We must get to the root of why children hurt other children, both online and offline. Studies show that bullying has a lasting negative impact on mental health and behavioural development – effects that can persist well into adulthood for both those who are bullied and those who bully. They also reveal that children who bully are often children with poor well-being – those who feel unseen or unheard.
All of these tell us something profound about the kind of transformation our education system needs. How do we nurture resilience in our young so they can better deal with stress, adversity and setbacks in an uncertain world? How do we help more parents recognize signs of distress before they manifest as harmful behaviour? How do we create cultures of empathy and support in and outside of school so our children are prepared for meaningful lives as contributing members of society?
Helping Caregivers and Families Succeed
Mr Speaker, I am encouraged by the President’s acknowledgement that families are stretched in caring for both young and old. The emphasis on recognising the value in every job resonates strongly with a challenge that I hope we will address more directly: the undervaluation of unpaid care work that forms the backbone of our society.
This recognition is all the more vital as Singapore becomes a super aged society next year. More Singaporeans will find themselves in the sandwich generation - caring for aging parents while raising children and/or setting aside their careers. We can and should do more to support caregivers.
When a parent stays home to care for a child, when an adult child takes leave to care for an aging parent, when grandparents provide childcare. These are work. Work that creates immense value for families and society, even though it is typically not captured by economic indicators.
Yet our policies do not always fully reflect this understanding. Take preschool subsidies for instance. Even as we endeavour to give every Singaporean child the best start in life by enabling access to quality preschool education, subsidies for infant and childcare remain tied to maternal employment status. Higher subsidies are available to families where mothers work for at least 56 hours a month.
This creates a troubling message: that paid work is inherently more valuable than unpaid care work. We should equalise preschool subsidies for all children - regardless of their mother’s employment status. Every child deserves the best start in life, and every family deserves support in accessing it - whether the mother works in an office, runs a household or provides care for elderly family members.
Paid caregiving leave would be another meaningful step. Working parents of young children are eligible for 2 to 6 days of paid childcare leave a year. But many Singaporeans who work and care for elderly parents, or have older children with additional needs must tap on their annual leave when urgent caregiving needs arise. Leave meant for their own rest and recuperation. I am encouraged that Members on both sides of the house share this concern. Caregivers should not have to choose between caring for their loved ones and taking care of themselves. When we force such choices, we undermine both the caregiver's wellbeing and the quality of care they can provide.
To truly become a “we before me” society, we must do more to recognise and support those who dedicate their lives to caring for others whether temporarily or permanently. We should value unpaid care work as much as paid employment. Families should get equal support regardless of their choice of care arrangements.
Successful Aging with Dignity
Mr Speaker, I wholeheartedly share in the President’s aspiration for Singapore to be a place where every citizen leads joyful, fulfilling lives as they age. But more importantly, we should aspire to be a country where every citizen ages successfully with dignity.
2024 MOM figures show that more seniors are staying in the workforce compared to a decade ago. More than a third of seniors aged 70 to 74 (35%) are still working. For those over 75, the figures stand at nearly 14%. Many of our elderly work in our coffee shops, hawker centres, and shopping malls as cleaners, servers, security guards and in other physical roles.
Now, work can indeed be a source of dignity, purpose and social connection - and we should absolutely support those who choose to. However, we must also honestly examine the full spectrum of motivations behind why many of our seniors continue to work well into their 70s. For some, work represents fulfilment and community. For others, it may be primarily driven by economic necessity. Now, these are not mutually exclusive. But we must ask: do all our working seniors have genuine choice?
As we celebrate increased lifespans, we must acknowledge that living longer costs more. Healthcare expenses naturally increase with age. Many seniors face not just the rising cost of living, but also the recurring costs of managing chronic conditions, mobility aids and specialised care. For some, these costs may not be fully covered by their retirement savings or the various subsidies. As families and households get smaller, more also have the additional challenge of navigating ageing without the social support networks that past generations had.
Aging with dignity means having genuine choices about if and how much to work, and meaningful options for social connection and purpose. It means ensuring that those who work do so because work contributes to their well-being, not because it is essential for survival.
As Singapore ages, I hope we will have deeper conversations about what adequate retirement really means. Because beyond the economics of aging lies a fundamental human need for connection, purpose and community.
Investment, Not Cost
Now some may view my suggestions as costly in an era where we must be fiscally prudent.
I respectfully suggest that these are not costs, but investments. When we support families, we invest in our demographic future. When we prioritise our children’s well-being and nurture their resilience over test scores, we invest in a generation capable of thriving in uncertainty. When we care for our caregivers, we invest in the social fabric that holds our society together. When we ensure our elderly can age in place with dignity, we invest in the values that define who we are as a people.
The returns on these investments may not show up directly or immediately in economic figures or productivity metrics. But they will show up in the form of stronger families, more cohesive communities, and a society that truly puts “we” before “me”.
Build Trust And Success Will Follow
Mr Speaker, the President painted a compelling picture of our next chapter - one guided by trust, firm in resolve yet open to change, confident yet humble, diverse yet united. This is the Singapore I want to help build.
Yet this chapter can only materialise if there is trust. Trust cannot be taken for granted, nor can it be held and maintained by the Government alone. It must be cultivated at every level of society - within families, between neighbours and across generations.
Building trust means having difficult conversations about the gaps between our aspirations and realities. It means having the courage to admit that what got us to SG60 may not get us to SG100.
Trust grows when we engage each other constructively and in good faith. It deepens when we acknowledge that no single entity has a monopoly on wisdom and talent. It endures when we demonstrate that listening leads to action.
Success follows when we trust each other and work together towards a shared goal. A shared goal of building a Singapore that embraces different definitions of success. A Singapore that understands that true national strength comes from both economic competitiveness and social resilience. A Singapore that is not just a successful nation, but a society worth living in.
Our Collective Responsibility
Mr Speaker, I hope my generation's chapter will be about building a Singapore that not only secures our place in the world and successfully transforms our economy, but also nurtures the heart of our nation - our people, our relationships, our capacity for care and compassion.
This is how we will successfully navigate an uncertain future and build a better Singapore - not just for ourselves, but for generations to come.
I look forward to working with all Members of this House to make our shared aspirations a reality.
