Speeches
President's Address at the First Session of the 15th Parliament on 5 September 2025
5 September 2025
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Last month, we marked our 60th year of independence. It has been a remarkable journey, for ours was an improbable beginning.
Sixty years ago, we stepped into the unknown with newfound independence – with limited resources, no hinterland of our own, no credible military to defend ourselves, and a population of diverse origins. Yet with selfless sacrifice, an indomitable spirit and the resolve to come together regardless of race or religion, the Pioneer Generation laid the foundations for a strong and enduring nation.
Each generation since has built upon that legacy – embracing change, persevering through crises, and weaving together diverse threads to become one nation. That we have not only survived, but thrived, is testament to our spirit as a people.
This 15th Parliament opens at a critical juncture in our national journey. The world around us is changing in profound ways. Once again, we must navigate turbulent waters. We must choose our route wisely, craft new strategies, and go forward with courage, and above all, with unity.
A Changed World
For decades, Singapore thrived in a rules-based and inclusive global order underwritten by American leadership. That order is now fraying. America is less willing to play the role of global insurer. This reflects not just the choices of its leadership elite, but also deeper questions within its society – about America’s ability to secure its wellbeing through a global system aimed at mutual gains.
The result is a more unsettled and chaotic world. The rules and norms that helped keep the peace, and enabled rising living standards globally are losing force. Acts of aggression, coercion, or unreasonable demands are now more readily tolerated, and even appeased. Meanwhile, the weaponisation of trade and economic interdependence has made international relations more fraught and complex than ever.
The rivalry between the two largest powers, America and China, will continue to intensify as both manoeuvre for advantage across economic, technological, and military domains. Each is determined to tilt the balance of power in its favour, and to draw others into its orbit. This rivalry will shape the strategic environment for decades to come.
These are not transient headwinds, but fundamental shifts in the tides. The seas ahead will be rougher, and far less predictable than before.
We cannot command the tides. But neither are we a vessel adrift. By charting our course with quiet confidence, and resolve, we can shape our own destiny.
Securing our Home and our Place in the World
Our first priority is to secure our home and safeguard Singapore’s place in the world. We can never take our security for granted, especially in an era when tensions can flare up suddenly, in the region and globally.
We have long invested steadily in our defence, knowing that ultimately, we can only depend on ourselves for our security. What began as a matter of dire necessity has become part of our ethos. We will continue to strengthen our capabilities, counter emerging threats – from cybersecurity to hybrid warfare – and support our NSmen, who form the backbone of our defence.
But security goes beyond military strength. It is also about withstanding new and unconventional challenges. Foreign actors will seek to influence domestic public opinion to advance their own agendas. They will use every means – from social media to traditional platforms – to spread disinformation, seed discord, and cause rifts in our society. We must therefore equip Singaporeans to discern fact from fiction, understand and uphold our national interests, and resist external manipulation from near and far.
Equally, we must guard against dangers at home – from acts of terrorism, to scams, and to drugs in all their forms, including vapes now laced with harmful substances. These are not just law enforcement issues; they threaten the harmony, trust and confidence that underpin our society.
Security is everyone’s responsibility. Each of us must play our part in fortifying our home. Through new approaches to Total Defence and National Education, and by creating more ways for Singaporeans to contribute, we will strengthen our resilience as one people.
At the same time, we will play a constructive role in efforts to shape a fair and stable global order in the years ahead. We will contribute to deeper ASEAN integration, support reforms to ensure effective multilateralism at the United Nations and World Trade Organisation, and deepen our partnerships with like-minded nations to preserve and open-up flows of trade and investment. By standing with our friends and partners, we amplify our collective voice, and enhance our influence.
Transforming our Economy
A strong economy is vital. It generates the resources needed to secure our future and improve lives. We cannot match other countries in size or scale. But we can compete on speed, ingenuity, and trust. In a more fragmented world, Singapore must remain a safe harbour: a reliable base from which to navigate global complexities, and a gateway to Asia’s dynamism.
The old playbook is no longer sufficient. Global competition is intensifying, as the major economies seek to re-shore or near-shore key investments. Yet competing on costs alone will not work. Singapore must adapt faster and innovate more boldly – to enhance our value as a trusted hub for trade, capital and talent.
This is why we are refreshing our economic strategies. The work has begun, and it will go deep into the issues that matter most. Much effort will be required to restructure industries and build deeper capabilities in every sector of the future – from advanced manufacturing to IT and finance, to clean energies and environmental sustainability. Above all, we must foster an outgoing and experimental spirit among our enterprises and people. It is how we can grow leading firms, and secure good jobs and rising incomes for Singaporeans.
The trust built through many years of tripartism gives us an edge. It enables us to move faster in deploying new technologies like Artificial Intelligence, or AI, while managing disruptions to the workforce and generating new job opportunities. Most firms know of AI, but few have embarked on serious transformation. Our task is to make it practical for every enterprise to harness AI, while stepping up the reskilling and upskilling of every segment of our workforce. In this way, AI can be used both to raise efficiency and to complement human abilities, so that the gains are shared broadly and we involve all Singaporeans in building new sources of competitiveness. None of this is inevitable. It must be actively fostered.
Technology will also be crucial in helping us tackle existential threats like climate change. We will invest in new technologies for decarbonisation and coastal protection, and support enterprises developing breakthrough environmental solutions. We will also press ahead with partnerships to develop a robust carbon credits market and mobilise finance for sustainable infrastructure in the region. In doing so, we strengthen Singapore’s resilience while contributing to the sustainability of our region and the world.
Our ambition is clear: to make Singapore a place where ideas can take root, and where entrepreneurs can build, innovate, expand abroad, and become regional and global leaders in their respective fields. Equally, our goal is to ensure that this progress uplifts everyone. We seek not just growth, but inclusive growth – a society where every citizen shares in the nation’s prosperity, and every Singaporean has the confidence that tomorrow will bring brighter opportunities and a better life.
Enhancing Assurance at Every Stage of Life
Economic change is disorienting. Jobs and skills will keep evolving, faster than before. Old industries will fade, and new ones will emerge. Skills that are in demand today may become obsolete tomorrow.
We cannot hold back this tide of change. But we can prepare ourselves – individually and collectively – to navigate it with confidence. As the economy transforms, we will empower workers with the skills they need to adapt and seize new opportunities.
We have rolled out new initiatives to provide stronger assurance in these uncertain times – the Jobseeker Support Scheme for those displaced, and the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme to help mid-career workers upgrade and pivot. These schemes are not the final word. We will continue to enhance and improve them, to keep them effective in meeting the needs of Singaporeans at different stages of their careers.
These efforts reflect our conviction that Singaporeans should never face uncertainty on their own. Through Forward Singapore, we have strengthened our assurances to Singaporeans at every stage of life, so that every individual can live with dignity, purpose, and hope. And we will keep building on this in the years ahead. No one will have to walk the journey alone.
For our youth: we will prepare them for a future that will be different – helping them secure good jobs, easing their anxieties, and equipping them with the skills to thrive in a changing world. Beyond this, we will give them a stronger voice in shaping the Singapore they want, for they will be the co-authors of, and must own, our nation’s next chapter.
For our families: we will keep public housing affordable and accessible. Families with young children will have better access to affordable and quality early childhood services. But we know families are also stretched in caring for both the young and old. We will therefore enhance support for caregivers, including through more flexible work arrangements and a stronger ecosystem of care in the community.
For our seniors: we will be a place where every citizen can have a joyful and fulfilling life as they age. We will encourage and support those who wish to continue working, so their experience and wisdom can benefit others. For those looking to retire, we will do more to help them build a nest egg, so they can live their golden years with renewed purpose and peace of mind. Healthier SG and Age Well SG will help seniors stay healthy in body and mind, and provide more choices for independent living, whether in Community Care Apartments or in Age Well Neighbourhoods.
We also recognise the immediate pressures of daily living. Rising costs – driven by global conflicts, tariffs and supply chain disruptions – weigh heavily on households. We understand these anxieties. That is why we will continue to cushion these burdens and ensure that every citizen has access to life’s essentials.
But our aim goes beyond helping Singaporeans to cope with uncertainty. Every citizen should have the confidence that, whatever lies ahead, they can pursue their aspirations and provide for their families. By strengthening assurance, and keeping opportunities open, we will build resilience and confidence as a society even in an uncertain world.
Sustaining Mobility and Protecting our Vulnerable
As societies mature, wealth can entrench, and inequality can become self-perpetuating. We see this around the world. Privilege is passed down, while disadvantage becomes harder to escape. We cannot allow this trend to be ingrained in Singapore. We must actively resist it and find practical ways to narrow the gap.
We have worked hard to ensure fairer outcomes, and we have made progress. Income inequality has declined. Wages are rising, especially for those in the lowest 20%. Our home ownership rate remains the world’s highest, even for lower-income households.
But the work is never done. We must keep social mobility alive with each new generation. This has always been a national priority, and it remains our shared ambition for the future. Everyone must have the chance to move up the escalator of skills, confidence, and a better life. Every Singaporean must be given the opportunity to develop themselves to their fullest potential.
This begins with early childhood. By investing from the early years onwards, we will give every Singaporean the best possible start in life. It continues through our education system, which opens up multiple pathways to success, develops good character and values, and celebrates different forms of excellence. Beyond academic abilities, we must equally value technical expertise, creative flair, practical problem-solving skills, and sporting and artistic virtuosity. The Work-Study Programmes in the Polytechnics and ITEs, and expanded scholarships and development opportunities for our youth in the arts and sports, reflect this approach.
At work, we will enhance training and career pathways so that Singaporeans can excel and be recognised for their achievements across a wide range of skills and professions. This requires us to challenge deep-seated assumptions about what constitutes valuable work, and who we consider to be professionals. Progress means recognising the value in every job – in the trades, crafts, and services, no less than in offices and boardrooms – and ensuring that everyone who contributes to society earns respect, and can build a good life.
Singapore must also remain a home where the vulnerable amongst us are not only cared for with compassion, but also empowered to pursue their hopes and dreams.
We will continue to uplift lower-income families – helping them to overcome the challenges they face and to make progress in their lives. We will strengthen support for Persons with Disabilities – equipping them with further education and training, and helping them make smoother transitions from school to work – and enhance assistance for their caregivers too.
Ultimately, our nation’s success will never be measured by economic growth alone. It must be judged by how we support the vulnerable, and how we enable every Singaporean – young and old – to contribute, and to live with dignity. This is the promise of Singapore: that birth does not dictate destiny, that no one is left behind, and that every generation can look ahead with optimism and hope.
Putting We before Me
Singapore can only stand tall if we act as one people. But unity is not mustered by belief alone. All of us must, through our everyday deeds and actions, put the collective before self: put “we” before “me”.
We will nurture a “We First” society at every level, starting in the community. We will work with community leaders to grow networks of care, such as by bringing neighbours together to support one another. We will also create more space for citizens to take the initiative and lead ground-up programmes to take on the causes that matter. Everyone will have a say in building our shared future. By creating a more open and engaged society, we will strengthen Singapore, and deepen the solidarity that defines us.
We will also do more to make giving and volunteering a way of life. Whether as individuals, community groups, or enterprises, we all have a role in building a culture of contribution – one where success is not measured only by personal achievement, but by what we do together for the common good. And where, by learning about each other’s circumstances of life and experiences, we enhance our sense of shared reality.
However, a “We First” society is not only about organised programmes. It is equally about the values we live by, and our regular habits of care – from offering a seat on the train to lending a hand in times of need. They may often be simple acts, but these too are the threads that hold our social fabric together.
In many parts of the world, social divisions are hardening. Ethnic tensions in particular are rising, and the basic understandings that underpin stable, multicultural societies are being eroded. What makes Singapore exceptional is our unity – built not despite our diversity, but by embracing it, and finding richness in our different cultures.
This unity can never be taken for granted. We must guard it zealously, especially our racial and religious harmony, which remains the foundation of our society. We should resist any temptation to use race or religion for political gain, or to view national issues through such lenses. We know too well, including from our own history, the dangerous divisions and lasting scars that result from yielding to these temptations.
Instead, we must continue to nurture what makes us distinctively Singaporean: the ability to accept our varied identities, to take a respectful interest in each other’s cultures, and to build common ground through shared experiences.
We must keep evolving and deepening our approach to multiculturalism. We do so by ensuring each of our diverse Singaporean traditions remains vibrant and refreshed with every generation. And importantly too, by encouraging the criss-crossing of influences that comes when Singaporeans delve into one another’s cultures. Just as the Singapore Chinese Orchestra recently collaborated with members of The Straits Ensemble, maestro percussionist Riduan Zalani and others to transcend traditional boundaries in a melodious celebration of SG60. Or like Syakirah Dahiyah Sudanto, now in her second year at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, who became its first non-Chinese student to pursue Chinese Studies. Or Soo Mei Fei, who stumbled upon Indian classical dance in Secondary One and now, in her 20s, is a professional Bharatanatyam exponent.
By both deepening our multiculturalism and enlarging our common ground, we strengthen mutual respect and grow our shared national identity.
Conclusion: Upholding Trust
Public trust in governments and other institutions is eroding, almost everywhere across the world. Many political systems are paralysed by gridlock, or preoccupied with immediate issues while larger, long-term challenges are neglected.
Singapore has defied this trend, not because we are immune to similar pressures, but because we have cultivated a different ethos of governance and politics. We have valued stewardship over expediency, enduring responsibility over transient gain. And we have been able to do so because we have built trust – both between government and the people, and amongst citizens themselves.
This trust has allowed us to make hard choices when needed, and to plan for the future beyond current election cycles. It is the reason Singapore has avoided the dysfunction that has bedevilled so many other countries. But trust must be continually earned – through continuous dialogue, listening, accountability, and a shared sense of purpose.
As we turn the page on SG60 and write our nation’s next chapter, let us be guided by this spirit of trust. Let us stay firm in our resolve, yet open to change; confident in our future, yet humble about our place in the world; proud of our diversity, yet united as one people. This is how we will build a better Singapore – not just for ourselves, but for our children and generations to come.
Majulah Singapura!