PM Wong’s maiden NDR speech strikes the right chord, say observers
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PM Wong’s speech had anecdotes about his upbringing, education in neighbourhood schools and early days in the civil service.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
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SINGAPORE – Sincere, personable, relaxed. These were some of the ways MPs and political observers described Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s maiden National Day Rally (NDR) on Aug 18.
“(The NDR) was a considerable success that put forth PM Wong as authentic, personable and relatable,” said political watcher Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at policy and business consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore.
“He was not fazed by the occasion and delivered his speech with aplomb... We got to witness first hand the ‘Lawrence Wong way’ of connecting with the domestic populace in his maiden National Day Rally.”
PM Wong’s nearly two-hour-long speech
From an older photo of him helping former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong with his speeches,
In a Facebook post on Aug 19, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said PM Wong gave “three excellent speeches at the National Day Rally”.
“PM Wong spoke on transformations across four key areas – the economy, families, housing, and education. Collectively, these will help support Singaporeans at every life stage amidst economic uncertainties, and nurture their dreams and aspirations,” SM Lee said.
Thanking PM Wong for his kind tribute at the rally, SM Lee added: “We have worked together for a long time now, from when he helped me with my National Day Rally speeches as my principal private secretary. My hair may have turned white, but I will continue to support him and his team as best as I can.”
Student care supervisor Irene Soh, 45, who was in the audience, said she found PM Wong’s personal experiences relevant, especially when he recounted his educational background in Haig Boys’ Primary and Tanjong Katong Secondary Technical School.
“He told us all about how he grew up and that he was just a normal boy before he became the prime minister,” she added.
Having attended multiple NDRs, human resources manager Fong Yoong Kheong had wondered if PM Wong would deliver a speech that was “as powerful as his predecessors’”.
His doubt fizzled away when PM Wong “brought his own background into the speech”, with his own unique style and humour being conveyed naturally, said Mr Fong, 37.
“It shows us his conviction, as it is based on how he’s brought up, so it’s very authentic,” he added.
As PM Wong said at the rally: “I may be prime minister. But I’m also a fellow citizen and friend, sharing the same experiences and concerns as all of you.”
MPs and political observers also commended his handling of the Malay address.
PM Wong looked relaxed and was smiling a lot while delivering the Malay and Mandarin segments of his speech, SMU law don Eugene Tan noted. “He delivered his remarks fluently in the two languages, which will go down well with the communities.”
This is the second time the 51-year-old Prime Minister – who has been taking weekly Malay lessons
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Saktiandi Supaat said the PM’s greater fluency in Malay was a testament to the effort he put into learning the language.
Speaking in Mandarin, PM Wong announced a policy tweak that will allow more students to take higher mother tongue in secondary school if they have an aptitude for the Mandarin, Malay and Tamil languages.
Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said PM Wong’s Malay and Mandarin speeches were encouraging, inspiring and warm.
“His Chinese speech was excellent – ding gua gua (top-notch in Mandarin). When I have grandchildren, I am going to speak to them in Mandarin,” quipped Dr Tan.
Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, noticed a couple of similarities between SM Lee’s first NDR in 2004 and PM Wong’s address – especially regarding marriage and parenthood policies aimed at addressing Singapore’s long-term, ultra-low fertility rates.
In 2004, SM Lee introduced a five-day work week, expanded maternity leave from eight weeks to 12 weeks and introduced subsidies to infant care.
“In PM Wong’s case, there is not only overall expansion of leave for parents in the baby’s first year up to a very substantial figure of 30 weeks of leave in total, but the most important change conceptually is the notion that part of it will be 10 weeks of shared leave,” said Dr Koh.
The scheme, to be fully rolled out by 2026, will give parents of newborns an additional 10 weeks of shared leave,
The success of these schemes lies in changing mindsets – and therein lies the challenge, noted Dr Felix Tan, an independent political analyst.
“Change of mindsets and attitudes among Singaporeans on certain issues, whether it’s family or education and school choices – I think that’s a tall order,” he added.
PM Wong appeared emotional as he rounded up his speech, saying: “We stay united and stand by our fellow citizens, like what we did during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We care for one another, and help each other along. We move forward together as one united people. That is how we make this little red dot shine ever more brightly,” he said, with the audience erupting in resounding applause.
SMU’s Professor Tan said: “Overall, it was an upbeat rally and he spoke in an engaging manner, keeping the issues simple and grounded in his signature Forward Singapore movement of a renewed social compact, with the middle ground strengthened and supported.”
Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo said: “I think the speech connected to me, in terms of not only knowing the Prime Minister and his policy direction, but also him as a person – how his common roots with a lot of heartland Singaporeans manifest themselves in policies he is trying to drive.
“I can leave NDR knowing PM Wong better as the prime minister and also as a fellow Singaporean.”
Additional reporting by Esther Loi and Gabrielle Chan
