NDR 2025: Govt to strengthen partnership with Chinese community, which played key role in nation-building

Straits Times

17 hours ago

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The Government will strengthen its partnership with the community, so that its groups and associations can stay vibrant and continue to contribute to society.
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SINGAPORE - Singaporeans' strong sense of national identity today is due in part to the Chinese community's significant contributions in the early years of nation-building, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Aug 17.
Moving forward, the Government will strengthen its partnership with the community, so that its groups and associations can stay vibrant and continue to contribute to society, he added in his Mandarin National Day Rally speech.
PM Wong noted that in the colonial days, many successful Chinese leaders and businessmen donated money and resources generously, which helped lay a strong foundation for Singapore's development.
These leaders founded clans and other associations, built schools and hospitals, and established welfare organisations, which benefitted Singaporeans of all races.
The community also took it upon itself almost a century ago to champion a local identity and cultivate a sense of belonging to Singapore through school textbooks, by injecting elements of Nanyang culture to replace teaching materials from China and Hong Kong.
This had a profound impact on the development of post-independence Singapore, said PM Wong.
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'It not only enabled us to build confidence and pride in our own cultural identity, but also laid the groundwork for the Chinese community to support policies that fostered a multi-racial and multi-cultural Singapore,' he added.
Today, Chinese Singaporeans have their own sense of identity, and never forget they are Singaporeans even if they are miles away from home, noted PM Wong. Many schools founded by the Chinese community have also evolved their mission to nurture bilingual and bicultural talent for Singapore.
He also commended Chinese language teachers for having worked tirelessly to nurture generations of the country's leaders, and that he will be attending an event organised by Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao in September to honour these teachers.
In May, PM Wong appointed Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat to
lead the Chinese Community Liaison Group , which was set up in 2000 to deepen the Government's relationship with Chinese community organisations and to strengthen their own cooperation.
The prime minister said on Aug 17 that Mr Chee and his team had started their work, and noted that many clan associations are facing challenges in leadership renewal and resource constraints.
'We will help them overcome these challenges and keep them vibrant, so that they can continue to contribute to society,' said PM Wong.
An SFCCA Luncheon with the Chairman of Chinese Community Liaison Group, Minister Chee Hong Tat (centre, in red) on June 13.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE FEDERATION OF CHINESE CLAN ASSOCIATIONS
This includes launching a
new training programme to systematically nurture the next generation of community leaders, as well as working with associations to continue helping new immigrants to integrate.
Zooming out, PM Wong said Singaporeans are understandably anxious about their livelihoods given today's more unpredictable world, with
US tariffs putting the global economy under tremendous pressure and growing tensions between the US and China.
The authorities are doing their best to help business find new opportunities, while reducing cost-of-living pressures through measures like
CDC and SG60 vouchers , he said. For instance, a family of four adults can receive more than $3,000 worth of vouchers in 2025.
More support has also been rolled out for families with young children, he noted. This included the
Large Families Scheme PM Wong announced at Budget 2025, which gives parents up to $16,000 in additional support for each third and subsequent child born on or after Feb 18.
PM Wong noted that after the vouchers were rolled out, many durian sellers swiftly put up posters to announce that they could be used to buy Mao Shan Wang durians, and that the media reported that one couple even spent $800 worth of vouchers on durians in a single purchase.
'I know many people love durians - I like them too,' he said. 'However, after satisfying your durian cravings, please don't forget to save some vouchers for your daily essentials.'
He stressed that the vouchers are not a permanent solution, and that Singapore ultimately has to adjust its economic strategies to meet a changed world.
PM Wong noted that after the vouchers were rolled out, many durian sellers swiftly put up posters to announce that they could be used to buy Mao Shan Wang durians
PHOTO: MDDI
The Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, is
studying strategies to keep Singapore competitive, he noted.
'We have only one goal, and that is to create good jobs for Singaporeans, so as to continue raising our incomes and living standards,' he said.
As the international situation grows more unpredictable, PM Wong said the city-state must act decisively to forge a new path forward.
While the Government will roll out more initiatives to build a better home for all, true success can only be achieved if Singaporeans brave the challenges together, sharing weal and woe, he said.
He cited a Hokkien song, A Little Umbrella, which was about two people sharing a little umbrella in the rain.
'While there will be stormy weather on the road ahead, I firmly believe that we will look out for one another, weather the storms together and usher in a new era as one,' he said.
'Our future will be challenging, but it is also promising.'
Watch PM Wong's National Day Rally speech here: