4G leaders ‘committed to grow trust and build partnerships’ between Singaporeans and the Government

SINGAPORE — The Republic’s fourth generation political leadership is committed to building the partnership and growing the trust between Singaporeans and the Government, said Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat on Friday (May 18), as he stressed the need for the Government to harness the diverse strengths of society.

Echoing a point made by Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Monday, Mr Heng underscored the importance of going beyond political leadership, “to develop and embrace leadership in every part of society”.

Referring to President Halimah Yacob’s call for the Republic to foster a “deeper people-government partnership” in her inaugural President's Address, Mr Heng said: “This partnership must be sincere and grounded in trust, with all stakeholders playing meaningful and complementary roles.”

On Monday, Mr Chan stressed the need to have the “strongest team possible” across politics, public service and the business community.

“This cannot be left to chance… Agreeing with us is not the pre-requisite. Agreeing to put Singapore first and foremost is the pre-requisite,” said Mr Chan, who was the first 4G Cabinet Minister to speak during the debate on the President’s Address.

Over five days, various 4G leaders spoke on a range of topics, laying out how they will go about meeting the tasks before them and the Government's plans to tackle issues highlighted in the President's Address.

Apart from the 4G leaders and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who spoke in Parliament, over 50 Members of Parliament also weighed in on issues such as social stratification, rising cost of living, support for low-wage workers, public housing and technological disruptions, among others.

Concluding the debate on Friday, Mr Heng stressed the need for the Republic to tap diverse strengths of the society, through leaders at different levels — in order to deal with increasingly complex challenges.

“The Government will not have all the solutions… By working together, we can achieve something greater than the sum of our parts,” he said.

Leadership in every part of society — from the unions to trade associations, to non-government organisations and voluntary welfare organisations — must be united by a “sense of common purpose” to galvanise efforts to bring Singapore forward, he said.

Speaking from his personal experiences, Mr Heng said he witnessed the people-government partnership at work in the Future Economy Council, which he chairs.

As part of the council’s work, private sector leaders have worked closely among themselves and with political leaders to develop new business models to enhance their respective sectors, Mr Heng noted.

He also observed that in the non-profit sector, where different charity organisations have been partnering one another as well as businesses to do more together.

“All this shows partnership in action. All this, to the benefit of the whole society. And all this is possible because every individual, each organisation, is able to develop to their best in the first place. This is something special and valuable that we must build upon,” said Mr Heng.

Unity within Singapore matters because other countries are watching, he stressed.

While politicians of all stripes may engage in vigorous debates in Parliament, each of them is “totally committed” to the long-term interests of Singapore and Singaporeans, he said.

“If there are divisions, these will be exploited. You see this in many parts of the world. If we stand united, we stand tall among nations,” he said.

Mr Heng noted that partnership and trust also extend beyond the Republic’s shores.

He reiterated the need for Singapore to work closely with its immediate neighbours and strengthen relations with fellow members of the Association of South-east Asian Nations and other major partners.

Mr Heng said the clarion call for Singaporeans to be united has rung true across the generations. “Let us unite in this new spirit of partnership and trust. Let us strive together as one people, through all that comes at us,” he said.