If there is an upside to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is the reaffirmation of the Singapore spirit, and how Singaporeans' resilience as one people has seen them through this crisis thus far, President Halimah Yacob said.
To see Singapore through the next phase of this "existential crisis" - the most serious since independence - Madam Halimah urged Singaporeans to unite behind the newly elected government, and give it their full support to take the country through the crisis.
Speaking at the start of a ceremony to swear in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his new Cabinet, President Halimah said Singaporeans from all walks of life have come together to mobilise resources in this "most difficult of times" and stood with one another.
"For this next phase, I ask Singaporeans to similarly unite behind the Government that we have elected, and give it our full support to see Singapore through this crisis," she said, adding she had confidence in PM Lee and his team to steer Singapore safely through tumultuous times.
Madam Halimah also took stock of the significant progress Singapore has made in the last five years.
Just six months ago, it was a very different world, she said. Singapore was advancing steadily on the course it had set over many years to develop the country, be it upgrading the economy and workforce, building physical infrastructure or strengthening social safety nets.
Although there were growing concerns about globalisation - with free trade in retreat and geopolitical tensions rising - Singapore was coping "better than most" because its people were united, and the Government was focused on addressing people's concerns, she said.
She noted that many societies around the world were under stress, with their people angry and frustrated, fuelling a wave of nativism and protectionism that erupted in various forms such as Brexit, the Yellow Vests in France or the drastic loss of support for moderate political leaders elsewhere. As a highly open society, Singapore was exposed to these same pressures.
Fortunately, in the last five years, Singapore made "significant progress" in several areas, she said. Its competitiveness on the economic front was strengthened, and the Future Economy Council chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat led the effort to transform industries and retrain workers to stay employable.
The social compact was also strengthened, with investments and policy reforms to make basic needs of life more accessible and affordable, from enhanced pre-school subsidies to the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation packages. Schemes like Workfare and ComCare were enhanced, and delivery of social services improved.
Madam Halimah described Covid-19 as an upheaval that could set Singapore back for many years, but said progress made in the last term of government has given the country a strong base to work from.
Singapore has had to muster its strength and resources to mount an emergency response - introducing rigorous safe distancing measures, launching a massive and complex operation to bring the outbreak in migrant worker dormitories under control and injecting close to $100 billion in four Budgets to cushion the impact on jobs and incomes.
The Government sought the President's permission to draw more than half of that amount from past reserves, which was approved.
Madam Halimah said: "I concurred with its assessment that we needed to bring all our resources to bear to deal with this existential challenge - the most serious since our nation's independence - and protect Singaporeans' lives and livelihoods."
She added that after six months of unremitting effort on the part of front-line workers, the situation has stabilised in Singapore, although the crisis is far from over.
The Government called a general election to secure a fresh mandate and a new full term, to make necessary and difficult decisions to deal with the troubled times ahead, she said. "Now that the election is over, we must focus on the challenges and the agenda ahead."
