Recap: National Day Rally 2015

SINGAPORE  — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered his National Day Rally (NDR) this evening (Aug 23) at ITE College Central. He spoke in Malay and Mandarin first, before giving his English speech. Here is a roundup of some the keypoints:

The Prime Minister stressed that the bedrock of Singapore's success over the past 50 years lies in  three factors - namely, the Republic’s determination to be a multi-racial society, the culture of self-reliance and mutual support, and the faith maintained between the Government and its people - and that the recent Golden Jubilee celebrations were  not “just a birthday bash”. 

Mr Lee spoke on the external environment, saying  developments elsewhere would affect the Republic. He noted how Malaysia's problems could affect Singapore, and that there are those in Indonesia who view Singapore as a small neighbour enjoying undeserved success at their expense. He highlighted the need to watch relations between the major powers in the region, questioning: What if relations among the powers (China, US and Japan) sour and heat up? Countries will press Singapore to take sides, he said. Mr Lee also cited Minister Vivian Balakrishan and Minister Lim Swee Say as examples of how  good ministers can advance Singapore's interests abroad.

Mr Lee made several announcements. In the area of housing, Mr Lee annouced  higher income ceilings for new Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats and Executive Condominiums (ECs) and extended the Special CPF Housing Grant to cover more households. He also introduced a  new scheme to help former homeowners currently living in rental flats to buy two-room flats, and a new  Proximity Housing Grant to provide financial assistance to those who buy a resale flat with or near their parents, or near their married children.

For parents, Mr Lee offered more help in the form of  more cash under the Baby Bonus, twice as much paternity leave for fathers for every baby, and an increase in the Medisave Grant for newborns. In the area of manpower, the Prime Minister said the  re-employment age will be raised to 67 years from the current 65 years old, and this will be legislated by 2017. Mr Lee also annouced a centralised  Punggol campus to be built for Singapore Institute of Technology and  more help for madrasahs to strengthen the teaching of secular subjects.

Mr Lee also said Government has been  working hard to keep the cost of living affordable for Singaporeans.

Highlighting a strong sense of togetherness among Singaporeans, Mr Lee said the Singapore spirit   shone the brightest on the week of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s passing. “That day, something changed in us. Our shared moment of sorrow bonded us. Now we don’t have to struggle to find words to define the Singapore spirit or to say what being a Singaporean means. Now we know that we are Singaporean,” he said.

As he ended his English speech, Mr Lee laid out the various commitments he had realised over the past decade to improve the lives of Singaporeans and said he will be seeking the mandate from Singaporeans to take the Republic into the next phase.

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