Prioritise core values like compassion, multiculturalism as Singapore moves forward: MPs

SINGAPORE - As Singapore competes in a world of accelerating change, MPs called on society here to hold firm what is important, including the role of the family unit and values such as kindness.

On the third day of debate on the President’s Address, Ms Cassandra Lee (West Coast-Jurong West GRC) said the city state must continue to reach for the stars, while catching those who fall.

“In my view, the biggest task Singapore faces today is what I call the Singapore Puzzle: how do we compete in this changing world, without losing ourselves, to hold together what seems to pull apart?” she asked.

Part of the answer is recognising that family is the heart of society, and doing more to help young working parents juggle work and caregiving, said Ms Lee, who was among 10 first-term MPs who made their maiden parliamentary speeches on Sept 24.

“Families are not just a private choice; they are a public good,” she said. “They shape the strength of our workforce, the resilience of our national defence, the cohesion of our communities and the depth of our national identity.”

She called for increased childcare leave that scales based on the number of children one has, and for young parents to get more support to make the best decisions for their children.

Dr Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) spoke on the paradox of progress, where new technology moves society forward, but also causes problems such as increased isolation, cyber bullying and shorter attention spans.

As Singaporeans adopt new tools, they must remember to guard closely human strengths such as judgment, intuition and compassion, she said.

Kindness is the foundation of soft skills such as empathy and resilience that the young will need to thrive in an artificial intelligence (AI) era, she added, which means it must be taught at school and modelled at home and in the community.

Singapore must also continue to identify and dismantle barriers to stay a true meritocracy, because only then can progress feel meaningful to the broader society, said Dr Chen.

Kindness also means second chances, said Mr Gabriel Lam (Sembawang GRC), who called for Singapore to make space for comebacks by people who have failed.

That means companies hiring not just based on clean records but also on character growth, schools who give students time to catch up, and landlords who do not look at a potential tenant’s past, he said.

Minister of State for Education and for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau said she sees part of her portfolio as making kindness the norm here, and to foster meaning in caring for others.

“The best way to defeat bullying is to make kindness our norm... Let us not just tell our children to be kind to one another. Let us as adults be kind and respectful to one another, so that our children in Singapore watch, learn and mimic the kindest generations of adults,” she said.

Ms Lau also urged Singaporeans to hold firmly to values such as empathy and moral judgment as the country advances, as these are deeply human capacities that no algorithm can replace.

“Let us hold firmly to the values that make us human, because it is these values that will guide how we use technology and ensure it serves people and not the other way around,” she said.

Non-Constituency MP Eileen Chong agreed that such uniquely human values and other soft skills need to be emphasised in an age of AI, and that Singapore’s assessment ecosystem needs to evolve further.

Responding to the Government’s emphasis on the importance of a strong economy to secure Singapore’s future, Ms Chong said economic indicators reflect productivity and competitiveness, but say little about well-being, relationships, sense of purpose and belonging.

“We can and should go further towards a society where prosperity encompasses not just economic well-being but also emotional, social and spiritual flourishing,” she added.

Some MPs also noted the greater attention today on the importance of mental health, but that support still needs strengthening.

Speaking in Malay, Tamil and English, Dr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West GRC) suggested integrating mental health screening into

the Healthier SG national initiative

, which focuses on preventive health.

Just as screening is done for hypertension after someone turns 40, simple, validated questionnaires can be used to pick up early depression or anxiety, said the orthopaedic surgeon.

He also called for a “no wrong door policy” when it comes to mental health issues, which are often multi-faceted and require multi-agency coordination. This would ensure that anyone seeking help would receive it in a timely manner.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio GRC) also called for efforts to tackle stigma against workers seeking help for their mental health and burnout.

She said that a volatile economy and reports of layoffs, coupled with cost-of-living worries, have led to some workers feeling greater stress. They are also concerned that seeking help would lead to gaps in their curriculum vitae and potential unemployment, she added.

“For this group of individuals who require time off from work, I hope we can consider some form of interim credits or allowance to help with basic living costs, as schemes such as ComCare often do not apply,” she said.

Mr Foo Cexiang (Tanjong Pagar GRC) said Singapore faces a grave threat to its multicultural endeavour even if this may not be apparent to many people, with global forces pushing people away from understanding and embracing their differences.

The former civil servant noted that external developments such as the war in Gaza and US-China geopolitical contestation evoke emotions among segments of the population. Meanwhile, social media algorithms confirm their users’ world view, and then whip them into a frenzy by serving content that evokes a strong sense of injustice.

He called on Singaporeans to make greater efforts to break out of echo chambers, and to seek out and understand alternative – even opposing – viewpoints.

Public space should also be reimagined so that youth are excited to come forward and have a larger stake in community building. When the world is dark and fragmented, bridge-builders are prized, he added.

“Singapore’s multiculturalism is no longer just a social imperative – it is an economic one as well,” he said. “But we will need to re-evaluate our levers to foster it, and be bold to make changes so they can be more effective.”