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S’poreans split over Smart Nation’s potential to create more jobs: Poll

SINGAPORE — Only about half of the Singaporeans polled by Reach felt the Republic’s push towards a Smart Nation would create more jobs for them, and a similarly low proportion supported the move towards a cashless society.

According to findings done by Government feedback unit Reach, Singaporeans were divided on the potential of Smart Nation to create jobs and had mixed feelings about cashless payments. Photo: Mike Enerio/Unsplash

According to findings done by Government feedback unit Reach, Singaporeans were divided on the potential of Smart Nation to create jobs and had mixed feelings about cashless payments. Photo: Mike Enerio/Unsplash

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SINGAPORE — Only about half of the Singaporeans polled by Reach felt the Republic’s push towards a Smart Nation would create more jobs for them, and a similarly low proportion supported the move towards a cashless society.

Releasing the findings of its telephone poll to gauge citizens’ reactions to the National Day Rally (NDR) announcements on Wednesday (Sept 27), the Government feedback unit said that Singaporeans were divided on the potential of a Smart Nation to create jobs, and had mixed feelings about cashless payments.

Of the 1,710 citizens surveyed, 53 per cent agreed that the Smart Nation initiative would create more jobs and opportunities for them. And while 48 per cent supported the push towards a cashless society, about a quarter (24 per cent) disagreed with it.

On the issue, Reach said Singaporeans shared their concerns at its “Listening Points” — which are open concept feedback booths — and public dialogues that the Smart Nation push might “inadvertently leave behind old Singaporeans among us who could not catch up”.

Some also resisted adopting e-payment methods, citing overspending, lack of confidence over digital modes of payment, and inability to acquire new technology due to age, as reasons.

In his NDR speech on Aug 20, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spelt out the Government’s efforts to ramp up its Smart Nation push, boost the pre-school sector, and to get Singaporeans to take better care of their health to keep the diabetes problem in check.

Between Aug 22 and 31, Reach polled citizens aged 15 and above “who had read or heard at least a little about the (NDR) announcements” on their reactions. The sample was weighted to be demographically representative of the national population in terms of gender, age and race.

While respondents were divided about the increased job opportunities due to a Smart Nation, more than three-quarters (72 per cent) said they largely identified with Mr Lee’s vision of a Smart Nation for Singapore, and 70 per cent indicated they were mostly convinced that it would improve their quality of life.

When it came to the pre-school initiatives, 64 per cent agreed that the addition of 40,000 more places would be sufficient for Singaporeans’ needs, and 72 per cent believed that the setting up of the new national training institute would attract good teachers and raise the standard of the pre-school profession. On the issue of diabetes, 91 per cent agreed that it was a serious issue that deserved national attention.

Commenting on the findings, Reach chairman Sam Tan said that Mr Lee’s message on fighting diabetes “really struck a chord” with the public.

He noted that many Singaporeans felt it was timely for the Prime Minister to highlight the seriousness of the issue, and felt encouraged to eat more healthily.

Mr Tan, who is also Minister of State (Prime Minister’s Office, Manpower and Foreign Affairs), said while there is “strong support” for the Smart Nation vision, “not every citizen may appreciate fully what (it) is about”. “Therefore, society as a whole has a role to play to step in to educate Singaporeans on Smart Nation and support them, including our senior citizens, in embracing IT to ensure that no one is left behind,” he added.

Speaking to TODAY, MacPherson Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling said that elderly residents in her constituency have some concerns about going cashless. Among other things, they feel more assured with having cash in hand. “So when they go cashless, to many of them it feels like numbers changing in their accounts, it doesn’t feel as safe,” she added.

The elderly are also not aware of how the cashless system works, and as a result, they do not really trust this payment method, said Ms Tin.

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