SINGAPORE – Disruptive change is the “defining challenge” facing Singapore’s economy, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 21) night.

The Republic is dealing with a host of economic issues, including slower growth, strengthening social safety nets, and helping people upgrade their skills. But chief among these is the relentless pace of technological change sweeping many industries, Mr Lee said.

He cited the taxi industry as an example of a sector which has been turned on its head by disruptive technologies, with ride-sharing apps like Uber and Grab competing with taxis for passengers.

There are similar stories in other industries, such as retail. Brick-and-mortar stores in Orchard Road have been hit hard by the growing popularity of online shopping, he noted.

Singaporeans are buying more things online – even groceries – and are also shopping on overseas sites like Amazon and Taobao.

Still, it is not all doom and gloom and this disruption is creating new jobs, he noted.

The growth of e-commerce means rising demand for logistics services, which Singapore has an edge in thanks to its status as a transport and financial hub. There are also new opportunities in industries like data analytics and digital marketing, Mr Lee added.

To make sure Singapore is prepared to cope with disruptive change, the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) – a taskforce formed to retool Singapore for the future- has highlighted three key focus areas.

These are: helping companies build new capabilities, promoting entrepreneurship, and developing workers’ skills.

The Government will help companies build new capabilities in areas like the digital economy, Mr Lee said.

He pointed to some companies already making progress in this space, such as logistics firm Ascent Solutions. The company developed a tracking device called iSpot, which prevents theft from containers and speeds up the customs clearance process.

Besides digital, Singapore also needs to build deep capabilities in other sectors and help its small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) compete with the best in the world, said the PM.

The Republic also has to continue promoting entrepreneurship.

Besides creating jobs and prosperity, entrepreneurs give society the confidence “that anything is possible… That through our own actions, we can change the world for the better”.

Block 71 in Ayer Rajah Crescent – the heart of Singapore’s entrepreneurship scene and home to a thriving community of start-ups, venture capitalists and incubators – has been very successful and has expanded to include an offshoot in San Francisco, Mr Lee noted.

“Our start-ups are growing fast, and gaining investor attention,” he added.

“Perhaps the next Google, Facebook or Alibaba may come from Singapore.”

One company that came out from Block 71 is Zimplistic, which has invented Rotimatic – the world’s first automatic Chapati and Roti maker.

It is developed by Ms Pranoti Nagarkar, a mechanical engineer by training, and her husband Mr Rishi Israni, who does software. They got SPRING’s help to bring the product to the market.

“Put in flour, oil and water, press a button, and out comes fresh hot Chapati and Roti, one per minute,” he said. “You can try Rotimatic Chapati at the reception and tell Pranoti and Rishi what you think about it!”

Lastly, the CFE is also working to develop workers’ skills to prepare them for the new economy.

This starts with equipping students with cross-disciplinary skills, and extends to helping those already in the workforce upgrade and deepen their skills. The Government is also helping retrenched workers to transition into new careers, Mr Lee said.

“This is how we can progress together, and thrive in a competitive and dangerous world.”

PM Lee speaks at National Day Rally 2016

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This article was first published on August 21, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – When Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew died last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Tanjong Pagar, the ward where the late Mr Lee was a lifelong MP.

He was accompanied by Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah, a Tanjong Pagar GRC MP who had been helping the older Mr Lee out at his ward for many years.

Despite that, and the fact that she spoke fluent Cantonese, one resident still came up to PM Lee and asked him to send a “bilingual minister” to the ward.

Citing this in his Mandarin speech at the National Day Rally on Sunday night (Aug 21), PM Lee sought to illustrate how Singaporeans are “not completely race-blind”, and thus it was important to support changes that would allow a non-Chinese President from time to time.

“It’s human nature. We feel more comfortable interacting and working with people who share the same culture, language and ethnicity as we do,” he said.

Whether a candidate is able to communicate with residents in their mother tongue, or understand their culture and faith, is something voters have thought about during an election.

“So, in Singapore, language and role do play a role in elections,” he said.

All things being equal, a minority candidate contesting in a Chinese-majority constituency is at a disadvantage, which is why group representation constituencies exist to ensure minority representation in Parliament, he said.

It is also why he proposed changes to the elected president scheme in January this year to ensure that, among other things, there is a non-Chinese President from time to time, he said.

A special report from the Constitutional Commission came out last week. The Government has said it will respond in due course.

A recent survey by Channel NewsAsia and Institute of Policy Studies also showed that most Singaporeans across all races will accept a prime minister or president of another race, but a significant number show a strong preference for these leaders to be of their own race.

“Let’s be honest with ourselves and deal with this squarely: for a non-Chinese to become an MP, it is not easy. For a non-Chinese to be elected President is even harder,” PM Lee said.

Since the announcement, PM Lee said he had heard feedback that there is no need to make provisions for minorities as Singapore is a multi-racial society, or that a Chinese President is elected is alright given that the country has a Chinese majority.

But he urged Singaporeans to “face up to the reality of our multi-racial context”, as under the current system, Singapore may not get a non-Chinese President for a long time.

“If so, this will weaken the sense of national identity among minorities and affect our unity,” he said. “This is serious as it concerns our social cohesion, our multi-racial society and our future.”

It is important to have a Malay, Indian or someone of another race as President from time to time, as the role as head of state is a unifying symbol for all Singaporeans, he said.

Former president S R Nathan is a good example, he said: “Mr Nathan is Indian, but as President, he looked after the interests of all Singaporeans. He proactively reached out to all races and got to know them well.”

He added: “I hope the Chinese community will support the constitutional changes we may propose so that if we have a good minority Presidential candidate, he can become the President, and represent all Singaporeans.”

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PM Lee speaks at National Day Rally 2016

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This article was first published on August 21, 2016.
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The National Day Rally has been suspended after PM Lee Hsien Loong appeared to be taken unwell. A post on his Facebook page said that they will be taking a 30-minute break.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the medical team is attending to him now and they have assessed that his condition is not serious. PMO will provide more details.

Mr Lee was speaking at ITE College Central since 6.40pm on Sunday evening, and had delivered two speeches in both Malay and Mandarin.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced that Mr Lee is taking a rest and will come back on stage to greet the crowd and complete the rally speech.

SINGAPORE – It is important for Singapore to have a Malay, Indian or another minority race President from time to time, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday (Aug 21).

Mr Lee, who spoke in Malay at the start of his National Day Rally, drove home the point that as a multiracial society, the minority races in Singapore have to feel they are well-represented in Singapore’s political system.

“That is why we created GRCs (Group Representation Constituency), to ensure that there will always be MPs from minority races in Parliament… now we are looking into the same issue for the elected president,” he said, referring to the Government’s ongoing review of the elected presidency.

“I believe this assurance is important not just to minority communities, but also to all Singaporeans.

“Previously, when the President was elected by Parliament, we could ensure that all groups of Singaporeans could become President from time to time. So we had Encik Yusof Ishak, Prof Benjamin Sheares, Mr Devan Nair and Mr Wee Kim Wee.

“But now that the President is elected in a national election, it is harder for a non-Chinese to get elected as President.”

The Elected Presidency was introduced in 1991, and grants the President custodial powers in areas such as safeguarding Singapore’s reserves and key public-sector appointments.

“If it happens naturally, like it did with (former) president S R Nathan (who was elected unopposed), that is good. But if it does not happen for a long time, minorities will feel disappointment, and rightly so,” Mr Lee said.

“The issue can be politicised and manipulated to provoke ill-feelings in minority communities and divide us in future. We must make the changes now and take action while it is peaceful and the society is united.”

Describing the President as a “symbol of our nation” in his Malay speech, Mr Lee stressed that every Singaporean must feel that someone of his race can become the President, and does become President, adding that the same stringent criteria will be applied to any presidential candidate regardless of his race.

Mr Lee said: “With that assurance, the President can play his role to unite Singaporeans. That was what Encik Yusof Ishak stood for. As President, he represented all Singaporeans.”

Mr Lee revealed that the mosque in Woodlands named after Mr Yusof, who was Singapore’s first President, is almost ready and will open in the first quarter of 2017.

PM Lee speaks at National Day Rally 2016

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This article was first published on August 21, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – The Government will form a committee to review the ElderShield insurance scheme, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 21).

Addressing the audience in Mandarin after giving his Malay speech, Mr Lee said: “We hope ElderShield will be able to cover more people, provide more protection and is affordable.”

ElderShield, a national insurance scheme for those with severe disabilities, was started in 2002.

More than 7,000 have benefitted from the scheme since it began, said Mr Lee at the Institute of Technical Education.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will form a committee to study the insurance scheme, which provides payouts of a few hundred dollars a month to help the families of incapacitated elderly Singaporeans with nursing and care needs, or the cost of hiring a maid.

The Prime Minister highlighted two areas to improve: that the scheme does not cover everyone, and its payouts are limited to six years.

National healthcare coverage was recently enhanced with the implementation of Medishield Life. The insurance scheme now covers pre-existing conditions and payouts have increased.

Support for the elderly has also increased with the Pioneer Generation Package, annuity scheme CPF Life and Silver Support schemes.

Mr Lee said ElderShield was the “one remaining piece to strengthen” to manage the challenges of a rapidly ageing society.

He cited statistics which showed that one in two persons will have a long-term disability, and will not be able to look after themselves at some point in their lives.

“With the enhanced ElderShield, we will have all the components of our social safety net in place,” he said.

In March, the People’s Action Party Seniors Group had proposed changes to ElderShield. These include making the scheme compulsory, extending the payout period to cover the beneficiary for the rest of his life, and ensuring payouts keep pace with inflation.

PM Lee speaks at National Day Rally 2016

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This article was first published on August 21, 2016.
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