Don’t pick sides, but create value so other nations will choose to work with S’pore: Chan Chun Sing
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Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said Singapore has accomplished much in the past six decades, but there is also much at stake in these challenging times.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
SINGAPORE – Amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions in a divided world, Singapore should not bow to pressure to pick sides. Instead, it should create “value propositions” so that other countries will choose to work with Singapore, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.
Mr Chan, who is also an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, was speaking at a lunch held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year Spring Carnival organised by the constituency and Radin Mas grassroots organisations at Zhangde Primary School on Feb 8.
Reflecting on the 60th anniversary of Singapore’s independence in 2025, he said the Republic has accomplished much in the past six decades, but there is also much at stake in these challenging times.
“We have (had) to earn our keep from Day One in 1965, and we must constantly reinvent our value propositions,” he added.
For this to happen, Singapore needs to stay relevant and have as big a network of friends as possible.
“We want to position ourselves as a connector... a place where people from different persuasions can come and work together,” Mr Chan said.
To this end, it must have a deep and realistic understanding of the interests, fears, concerns and aspirations of other countries.
It also has to stay united and cohesive as a country and people. This includes helping to induct those who join the Singapore family as seamlessly as possible, so that “they too can share the sense of ideals that Singaporeans have”, Mr Chan said.
“We may all come from different places, but, in Singapore, we are proud to be Singaporeans, because regardless of where we’ve come from, regardless of where we start from, we are united by a shared set of ethos, a shared future... a brighter future based on shared ideals, from meritocracy to incorruptibility to multiracialism.”
A cohesive and united Singapore is even more crucial if the Republic wants to be taken seriously in a turbulent world, he added.
As such, Singapore also needs a strong and cohesive leadership, he said.
“If people think that we will be easily torn apart, then when our leaders talk to other people, I’m not sure that they’re going to take us very seriously. And we have seen this in other countries where governments change so frequently, the businesses are all unsettled because they don’t know whether the rules will stay the same,” Mr Chan said.
He added that in order to attract the best and most committed people to serve the country, Singapore must keep its system clean, respectable, respected and honourable.
Mr Chan was joined at the event by the other MPs for Tanjong Pagar GRC – Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah; Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Trade and Industry Alvin Tan; Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth and Social and Family Development Eric Chua; and Ms Joan Pereira – as well as Radin Mas MP Melvin Yong.
He said he knows many Singaporeans are looking forward to a big “surplus” in 2025, when the Budget is unveiled by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Feb 18.
“This Government is a responsible government,” he said. “We will do what we can to harness whatever resources we have to take care of everyone.”
Whatever the Government has and can muster, it will share with every Singaporean, and not just for this generation, but also future generations, he added.
“You can have our promise that this Government will also make sure that whatever we have, we will also apportion some to take care of the future generations, just as our forefathers had done for us,” he said.
Ms Indranee said at the event that the Government will continue to support all Singaporeans to navigate the uncertainties that lie ahead, with more support measures to be announced at the upcoming Budget.
Helping Singaporeans to start and raise families has been and continues to be a top national priority, she added.
“Families are at the very heart of our social compact,” she said.
“This is why the Government will continue to spare no effort to support Singaporeans and foster a Singapore with strong families.”
She said that, by 2026, the Government is expected to spend around $7 billion annually to support Singaporeans
At the National Day Rally in 2024, PM Wong mentioned that more support will be provided for larger families that incur more costs.
“We’ll announce the details at Budget later this month, so please keep a lookout for that, especially if you have large families,” Ms Indranee said. “Keep a lookout for the SG60 baby gift that’s for all babies born this year.”
Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times covering topics such as community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.
