Hany Soh

Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC

Ms Soh, a lawyer, spoke on the need to look out for lower-wage workers, such as food delivery riders. She suggested a 15-minute parking grace period for such riders and that malls have designated food delivery pick-up points.

She also called for more awareness and action to push for green living and sustainability in Singapore, proposing that taxi operators be allowed to introduce carpooling to maximise the use of the vehicles' capacity.

"We now face new challenges, some of which we may not have foreseen. But I am confident that, by adopting the same spirit that our forefathers had, we can overcome these challenges with perseverance, unity and the conviction to do what is best for our Singapore."

Rachel Ong

West Coast GRC

Ms Ong, chief executive of local enterprise Rohei, wants society to stop seeing age as a barrier, but as a qualifier for jobs. People need to have the mindset that everyone has valuable skill sets that the community needs.

She also called for society to nurture creativity to complement critical thinking, adding that Singapore needs to build school and work cultures that give people time, and mental and physical space to carry out pilot studies of their vocational interests.

"I'm fully persuaded that if our people live a life by design, we will uncover a new strength of Singapore yet to be seen before. Our workforce will be increasingly versatile, our families and communities will flourish. May we continue the legacy of our forefathers to be a nation by design, transformed from the inside out."

Shawn Huang

Jurong GRC

Mr Huang, director for enterprise development at Temasek International, said that to stay relevant, Singapore has to continue to invest in the future of technology, and be a leader in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

He also said Singaporeans need to maintain a profound respect for plurality in the country, adding that deep trust and mutual respect need to be the basis of relationships among Singaporeans.

"To remain relevant, we must also have a deep understanding of our national identity. No empire or nation-state or city-state existed in the same form forever, and the important factor is distilling the essence of being Singaporean, such that the very core of who we are does not wane and flow with the tides of time."