PM Wong committed to govt-citizen partnership, says ‘more open society will strengthen Singapore’

[SINGAPORE] A more open and participatory society will strengthen Singapore, even though there will be divergent views and disagreements, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Calling on Singaporeans to contribute to shaping solutions for the country, he said this will allow them to have a sense of ownership and responsibility, strengthening the social compact and fostering a deeper sense of belonging.

Their suggestions have directly shaped key policy changes and the Forward Singapore agenda in the last year or two, said PM Wong.

The Government has listened, even though it does not always agree on every suggestion. Sometimes, it may agree on the intent, but needs more time to work through trade-offs. At other times, the ideas need to be fleshed out into good policies, added PM Wong.

“The Government will provide leadership and direction, but we cannot and should not do this alone,” he said.

“As prime minister, I am committed to strengthening this partnership between Government and Singaporeans,” he said at the 40th anniversary launch ceremony of government feedback unit Reach at Jewel Changi Airport.

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He pointed to the evolution of Reach over the years, which reflects the Government’s deepening commitment to engaging Singaporeans and forging stronger partnerships.

Bringing together government officials, business leaders, academics and private-sector experts was something he had seen during his time as a civil servant with the Ministry of Trade and Industry. This led to robust debates and discussions that sharpened Singapore’s economic strategies.

Since then, public engagement efforts have expanded in scale and scope, with over 47,000 Singaporeans reached during the 2013 Our Singapore Conversation. More than 200,000 Singaporeans were engaged in the Forward Singapore exercise led by then Deputy Prime Minister Wong that concluded in 2023.

In these engagements, Singaporeans chipped in with suggestions that have directly shaped recent policy changes.

These include new guidelines on flexible work arrangements, additional shared parental leave, the Majulah Package for young seniors born in 1973 or earlier, as well as major shifts in education policies to create more pathways for students, said PM Wong.

“Of course, we will not always agree on every suggestion. And where we differ, the Government will explain our reasons,” he said.

For example, there have been suggestions for price controls amid concerns about cost of living and inflation.

“We understand the concerns about cost of living. But the experience everywhere shows that price caps are not effective and, in fact, can have counter-productive effects,” said PM Wong.

His government has found different ways to help Singaporeans, including through direct assistance such as cash payouts and CDC vouchers, which aid in defraying daily expenses.

MediShield Life is an example of where the Government might agree with the intent of proposals, but needed more time to work through the trade-offs.

In the past, MediShield provided coverage up to age 90, and there were suggestions to extend the coverage beyond that, noted PM Wong.

“But it would also mean higher premiums and could make MediShield unaffordable. So, we had to study the implications carefully before we eventually introduced MediShield Life,” he said.

MediShield Life, introduced in 2015, is a compulsory medical insurance scheme that provides lifetime coverage for all Singaporeans.

Other ideas have had to be fleshed out, such as the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme, which was announced in 2024 and will be rolled out soon, said PM Wong.

For years, the Government had received suggestions to provide unemployment support for workers, but it was concerned about unintended consequences seen else­where, in which overly generous benefits dampened incentives to return to work.

The latest scheme is hence one that strikes the right balance, said PM Wong.

Under the scheme that will be rolled out in April, involuntarily unemployed individuals can receive up to $6,000 over six months if they take part in job search-related activities.

Unity amid diversity

Pointing to a growing diversity among Singaporeans’ perspectives, life experiences and world views, PM Wong cautioned that this could pull society apart if not managed well.

“To be clear, diversity does not have to lead to fragmentation or polarisation. Nor does unity require us to erase our differences,” he said.

“We have to strike a balance – one where we can have healthy debates, agree to disagree where necessary, and still maintain overall unity of purpose as Singapore and Singaporeans.”

The Government will continue to keep policies inclusive, balance competing needs and create opportunities for engagement, said PM Wong.

But cohesion and unity cannot be mandated by policy.

“It must come from Singaporeans choosing day to day to stand together and look out for one another,” he said.

Singapore’s future is not one that the Government can build alone. Rather, it is something that must be created together.

“When we come together, we achieve far more than any one of us can do alone… This is how we can secure a better future – not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come in a strong and united Singapore,” said PM Wong.

Involving the young

Singaporeans are already involved in shaping solutions for the nation, as can be seen in municipal projects where residents can design and build their own community playgrounds, said PM Wong.

In recent years, the Government has also convened citizens’ panels, which discuss ideas in a wide range of areas, such as tackling diabetes and improving employment resilience.

There are also youth panels, begun in 2023, where young Singaporeans put forth proposals that led to initiatives to boost financial literacy, job opportunities, digital resilience and recycling, said PM Wong.

“Moving forward, we will convene more citizens’ panels and youth panels. If the ideas are good, we will take them further. We will want to discuss them, we might table the recommendations as a White Paper in Parliament, perhaps even leading to legislative changes,” he said.

Inevitably, the journey to collaborate and co-create solutions will come with some messiness and may need time, noted PM Wong.

“But I firmly believe that a more open and participatory society will strengthen, not weaken, Singapore.”

Within the Government, it will strengthen the instinct to seek partnerships, said PM Wong, as he called on agencies to try new approaches and learn from successes and failures.

He also asked that Singaporeans recognise that creating solutions together is a “messy and iterative” process. “Things may not be as efficient as we like them to be, but if we persevere and stay the course, I believe the outcome will be better, and we will emerge stronger together.” THE STRAITS TIMES