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President Tharman urges ‘we first’ mindset as Singapore refreshes economic strategy
In his address to the 15th Parliament, the president called for unity, shared responsibility and stronger community ties amid global uncertainty.
www.channelnewsasia.com
Putting the collective before yourself doesn't make sense when the vast majority of profits from Singapore's success goes to a very select few
Also the “collective” disappears when you point the fingers at the wealthy. Unless the tax or policy makes the rich feel better (such as making luxuries more exclusive), or else they will tell you why this and that cannot be done. How to talk about asking the common people to sacrifice for collective wellbeing, when the most well to do shuns it unless they have something to benefit? It feels a lot like pushing the burden to people who are least able to speak out (and often less wealthy). Why them? Feels more like because precisely they won’t speak out (and most distant to policymakers), unlike the more vocal wealthy interests who are usually not too many ears away. (Add: just to illustrate the disparity in getting heard between the common folk and a wealthy individual, one need to go no further than looking at the number of ministers who dined with the Fujian gang. For the average folk, your voice is hidden by aggregation, generalisation, overly narrow engagement, and sometimes they don’t even bother to hear you. But for wealthy people like Su Haijin, he had no trouble dining with Ong Ye Kung, Chee Hong Tat, and Ng Chee Meng, and had opportunities to air whatever concerns he has directly. Brokered by a wealthy businessman Sam Goi too, who seemed to have no trouble getting in touch with three separate ministers.
“We all have a role in building a culture of contribution, one where success is measured not only by personal achievement, but by what we do together for the common good” tell me something you actually believe in
Exactly. The govt’s policies encourage an “I first and foremost” culture. Helping the rich mostly.
Highlights from the swearing in: - Janil and Pritam standing face to face opposite each other, avoiding eye contact - The 2 NCMPs took their oaths separately, instead of as a group. Eileen Chong took her oath in Chinese. - Faishal Ibrahim, Wan Rizal, Syed Harun Alhabsyi and Hazlina Abdul Halim took their oaths in Malay. - Grace Fu, Sim Ann, Desmond Tan, Lee Hong Chuang, Lee Hui Ying, Tin Pei Ling, Poh Li San, Xie Yao Quan, Ang Wei Neng, Dennis Tan and Ng Zhi Xuan also took their oaths in Chinese. - Dinesh Vasu Desh, Vikram Nair and Hamid Razak took their oaths in Tamil.
Tharman’s call for a “we first” mindset sounds inspiring, but it sidesteps the real issue Singaporeans face daily — a labour market heavily tilted against locals. For years, Singaporean workers have seen their opportunities undercut by the import of cheaper foreign manpower. If the government is serious about collective responsibility, it must first protect the livelihoods of its citizens. Instead, locals are told to constantly “reskill” while watching their jobs outsourced to those willing to accept far lower wages. That is not a sustainable formula for dignity, nor is it genuine assurance. Economic transformation should not mean leaving Singaporeans to bear the cost of “global competitiveness.” True trust is built through action, not rhetoric. Unless concrete measures are taken to prioritise locals in the job market, calls for unity will remain little more than political hot air.
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