• IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here.

    The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.

Singapore appointed 2 idiots to lead the task force.

Lawrence enjoys answering questions. :wink:

Lawrence Wong

2 hrs ·
A few days ago, I asked everyone to send me your questions on #ForwardSG via ngl.link.
Thanks for your many questions! Enjoyed answering some of them - from youth and society, to our vision for the future. Have a look
1f440.png


 
from straitstimes.com:

Lawrence Wong launches 'Forward S'pore' to set out road map for a society that 'benefits many, not a few'​


1656857858582.png


SINGAPORE - Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (June 28) called on Singaporeans to offer ideas to shape the future of Singapore, which he described as at a crossroads post-Covid-19.
Their contributions will be part of a Forward Singapore road map to be released in the middle of next year that will set out both policy recommendations and how various parts of society can better contribute to the nation's shared goals, based on its values of a united people and a society that is just and equal.
"I hope to see a society and system that benefits many, not a few; that rewards a wide variety of talents, not a conventional or narrow few; that values and celebrates all individuals for who they are and what they can achieve; and provides all with opportunities to do better throughout their lives," he said.

Mr Wong, who took on the role of deputy prime minister on June 13, was addressing unionists at a dialogue organised by the National Trades Union Congress at the NTUC Centre at One Marina Boulevard.
The year-long Forward Singapore exercise will be led by Mr Wong and will have six pillars headed by his fellow fourth-generation leaders, in areas such as jobs, housing and health.
This is Mr Wong's first major speech since becoming DPM and since being named leader of the ruling People's Action Party's 4G team in April, paving the way for him to be Singapore's next prime minister.


Mr Wong, who is also finance minister, said that it is important to refresh and update the social compact so that it remains fit for the changing circumstances.


"A social compact that is deemed fair by all segments of society strengthens social capital and fosters trust, and this is what enables us to progress together as a nation," added Mr Wong.
On the other hand, the fraying of such compacts across Europe and North America over the past decade as people felt left out of their countries' progress has fuelled the rise of extremist political parties and caused these societies to turn inward and xenophobic, unable to reach consensus on important national issues, he said.
Mr Wong said he understood the struggles that Singaporeans face - perhaps more so today than in the past - and added that he hopes to have honest conversations about these concerns and how to tackle them together.


Students, for instance, feel pigeon-holed in a system where stakes are high from very early in their lives, while graduates and workers are anxious about their careers and being priced out of the property market.
Older workers sometimes struggle to be considered for new jobs after being displaced or retrenched, he added.
"Sometimes, those who do not meet the traditional yardsticks of merit may find opportunities closed to them. They may feel beaten down by early failure, and feel discouraged from trying again," said Mr Wong.


As the world and society have changed and continue to change, it cannot be business-as-usual as today's stable state of affairs can be easily disrupted tomorrow, he said.
He added: "If our social compact fails, a large segment of Singaporeans will come to feel estranged from the rest of society, believing the system is not on their side.
"Trust in the Government and among various segments of society will plummet. Politics in Singapore will turn nasty and polarised and we will become a low trust society, like so many others in Asia and Europe.
"And Singapore, if this happens, will surely fracture."
"Fortunately, Singapore's situation is not as dire as in many of these countries," said Mr Wong.
The city-state is in better economic shape than most, and has shown a strong sense of social solidarity amid the pandemic.
But the country is now at a crossroads - the Russia-Ukraine war fuelling global inflation; rising geopolitical tensions; disrupted supply chains and a more bifurcated world.
Domestically, Singapore is dealing with a rapidly ageing population, a concern about slowing social mobility, and fears of not doing well enough or being left behind.
Strengthening the social compact means Singapore can turn each set of challenges into opportunities, which Mr Wong cited as a key reason for embarking on this exercise.
Mr Wong outlined four key areas where the social compact can evolve: the economy, meritocracy, social support and solidarity.
First, on how the economy is run, Singapore has always relied on open and free markets to grow, but if left unchecked, the workings of the free market can lead to excessive competition and rising inequalities, said Mr Wong.
"That's why we have always tempered extreme market outcomes and resisted a winner-takes-all economic regime," he added.

For example, staying open means accepting some degree of competition from foreign workers and professionals both here and overseas, which can cause anxiety.
Mr Wong said that Singaporeans are always at the centre of everything the Government does, pointing out heavy investments in skills retraining and upcoming legislation to ensure employers uphold fair employment practices.
In the same spirit, the Government will ensure public housing remains affordable, especially for the young and first-timers, and will continue to uplift vulnerable workers through schemes such as Workfare and the Progressive Wage Model.
The progressive system of taxes and transfers will be further strengthened, so that everyone contributes something but those with more give more to help those with less, said Mr Wong.


Second, on meritocracy, Mr Wong said it is still the best way to organise society, but acknowledged its downsides, such as the rich giving their children more opportunities and the risk of privilege being entrenched across generations.
"We cannot abandon meritocracy, but I believe we can improve it and make ours a more open and compassionate meritocracy," he said.
One way to do so is to do more early in the life of every child, especially those from less well-off families, so that the circumstances of their birth do not determine their future in life, said Mr Wong, who noted that the Government has already invested in pre-school education.
Another way is to broaden the conception of merit beyond academic credentials by recognising and developing talents in diverse fields and providing opportunities for people to advance at multiple stages of their lives.
"The most important change is not something that the Government can legislate into reality, because we must all, as a society, learn to value the contributions of every worker in every profession and every field," said Mr Wong.

Third, technological and economic disruptions call for a review of whether current social support is adequate, said Mr Wong.
The Government will study how it can do more to help workers tide over difficult times and how it can provide better care for the growing number of seniors.
But all this requires more resources, so society has to collectively determine how much more the government should spend, and on what, as well as how much more people are prepared to pay to fund this spending, said Mr Wong.

Lastly, on solidarity - Mr Wong said the evolving social compact should consider how to unite Singaporeans and provide for future generations.
"Some things should not, cannot, can never change - like our fundamental principle of multi-racialism," said Mr Wong.
Singapore's diversity is a source of strength, but it also requires constant adjustments to get the balance right - progressively expanding common space while allowing each community as much room as possible to go about its way of life, he added.
A strong social compact must provide not just for this generation but across generations, and "it is our sacred duty not to squander what we have inherited", said Mr Wong.
Mr Wong said he and his 4G team are sincere and committed to listening to and partnering Singaporeans, to build on momentum gained and to apply lessons learnt over the years.
He called on Singaporeans to participate in the exercise, and noted that the journey to take Singapore forward will not be easy.
"I hope we can all approach this with open minds and big hearts, be willing to give and take, as we negotiate difficult trade-offs, so we may arrive at where we want to be, stronger and more united than when we started."
 
Lawrence resumed his chit-chat sessions. :biggrin:

Lawrence Wong

4 hrs · Instagram ·
We’ve resumed our @our.limbang chit-chat sessions after two years of hiatus due to covid-19. Very good to reconnect with many residents face-to-face, and to share what we are doing to help everyone cope with higher prices and also to continue improving the estate.

1656938591069.png
 
Lawrence gives an update. :thumbsup:

Lawrence Wong

7 hrs ·
I understand many of us are concerned about rising costs and the cost of living. Just like many countries around the world, Singapore too is affected by global inflation.
That is why I have given an update in Parliament of Singapore today, that we are providing support for our households and businesses now, and also helping our businesses to build their capabilities for the long-term.
This includes:
✅
Up to $700
1f4b0.png
in Aug this year for 1.5 million Singaporeans. This will benefit lower- to middle-income citizens, including retirees.
✅
$100 in CDC Vouchers in May, and another two tranches of $200 each in CDC Vouchers over the next 2 years
✅
About 5-7 months worth of rebates on utility bills for the whole of FY2022 for 3- and 4-room flat households
And if the situation worsens significantly, we will be prepared to do more, especially to take care of the vulnerable amongst us. We will get through this together, and come out stronger as one Singapore.

May be an image of food

 
Lawrence addresses some concerns. :thumbsup:

Lawrence Wong

5 hrs ·
Addressed concerns about inflation and cost of living in parliament yesterday. My assurance to all Singaporeans: we are rolling out comprehensive measures to help middle- and especially lower-income families, and we stand ready to do more if the situation worsens.

 
from msn.com:

Lawrence Wong: Delaying GST hike would be ‘highly irresponsible’​


Speaking in Parliament on Monday (Jul 4), Lawrence Wong said it would be “highly irresponsible” to delay the increase in the Goods and Services Tax.

1657028645657.png


He explained that the government is expecting its spending to increase, largely driven by the rapidly ageing population and healthcare expenditure. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the economy is operating at slightly above potential, with a tight labour market and an overall unemployment rate that is lower than pre-Covid-19 levels.

“Under such circumstances, we had to consider carefully the size of any additional support measures by the Government – because excessive fiscal injections at this juncture can exacerbate inflationary pressures and become counterproductive,” he said.

This is why the latest support package was designed to provide more targeted relief for the lower-income and vulnerable groups who are disproportionately impacted by higher prices.

He said that Singapore has used a combination of monetary, fiscal and other policies to cushion its people from the extremes of global inflation while targeting help to those who need it most and helping businesses adjust to higher prices for now and the medium term.

“But what we will try very hard to do is to provide short-term relief, and in the process of providing that relief we will also want to encourage businesses, families, individuals, wherever possible, to become more energy-efficient, for businesses to become more productive,” he said.

The Government expects its spending to rise to 20 per cent of annual economic output, or gross domestic product, by 2030 — up from 18 per cent now, Mr Wong said. “There are cost increases, higher prices, lots of constants and anxieties, and we will do our best to deal with them. But we cannot neglect the medium- and longer-term challenges either,” he added.
 
Lawrence met ministars from India and Australia. :thumbsup:

Lawrence Wong

2 hrs ·
Happy to catch up with Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong - Senator for SA in Singapore today.
1f1f8_1f1ec.png
1f1ee_1f1f3.png
Discussed with Minister Jaishankar areas for bilateral cooperation as well as broader geopolitical developments. I look forward to the further strengthening of the Singapore-India partnership.
1f1f8_1f1ec.png
1f1e6_1f1fa.png
Minister Wong and I had a wide-ranging conversation on geo-political, Covid-19 developments and climate change. Singapore and Australia share a longstanding and strong relationship underpinned by our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
 
Lawrence thanks everyone. :wink:

Lawrence Wong

Yesterday at 13:19 ·
The Covid-19 pandemic has not been easy for everyone. But in our darkest hours, I have drawn strength from all of our public service officers.
To our public officers, I appreciate and value all your hard work and efforts - working around the clock on Covid-19 operations, setting up quarantine spaces and SHN hotels, looking out for the vulnerable in our midst, keeping Singaporeans safe, supporting our workers and businesses, looking after our migrant workers, and so much more.
I'm glad to have met many of you at the Public Service Transformation Covid-19 Awards Ceremony yesterday. Without your courage, tenacity and hard work, our fight against Covid-19 would have turned out very differently today.
Heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you.
1f64f.png
you have all made a big difference.

 
Lawrence was delighted to meet Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari. :thumbsup:

Lawrence Wong

Yesterday at 18:17 ·
Malaysia and Singapore have deep and longstanding relations. Our people-to-people ties are strong, and we frequently engage each other at the federal and state levels.
So I was delighted to meet Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari this morning. Abang Zohari and I had a good exchange of views on how Singapore and Sarawak can strengthen cooperation and explore economic opportunities.
I wish Abang Zohari a fruitful stay in Singapore!
(
1f4f8.png
: MCI Photos by Fyrol)

1657286213583.png
 
Lawrence shakes hands with the Premier. :thumbsup:

1657292404859.png
 
Lawrence thanks public service officers. :wink:

Lawrence Wong

11 hrs ·
This Public Service Week, we celebrate and recognise all our public service officers. I would also like to give a big shout out to our senior public service leaders, many of whom I’ve had the privilege of working closely with. Your outstanding contributions have helped the public service and Singapore navigate and emerge stronger through the disruptions and uncertainties, especially over the past two years - thanks for your invaluable stewardship!

1657295629506.png
 
Lawrence caught up with old friends over porridge. :wink:

Lawrence Wong

Yesterday at 14:30 ·
Had a good catch up with some of 新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会 Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations’ council members over Teochew porridge earlier this week. Since 1985, the Federation has taken on a leading role in promoting Chinese language, culture, traditions and values.
While the SFCCA has played a key role in preserving our Singaporean Chinese cultural heritage, it has also contributed unwaveringly to the promotion of a cohesive multi-racial Singapore. I have every confidence that the SFCCA will continue to play an important role in building a harmonious Singapore - thank you for your many contributions to our cultural heritage and social fabric!
(
1f4f8.png
: MCI Photos by Chwee)


 
An oldman shows Lawrence the picture of another oldman. :biggrin:

1657456479113.png
 
Back
Top