Social resilience will see S’pore through ‘largest, most complex’ crisis, avoid fissures dividing other countries: SM Teo

SINGAPORE — The Covid-19 pandemic is not only the “largest and most complex” crisis which he has faced in more than four decades of public service, it is also the first major crisis for many among a new generation of ministers, civil servants and other professionals on the frontline, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on Thursday (June 11).

But Singapore has evaded the social tensions that have hindered the efforts to fight the coronavirus elsewhere, with Singaporeans stepping forward to do their part during the circuit breaker by helping others in need and keeping others safe.

And this social resilience has been just as important as economic resilience and crisis preparedness in helping Singapore through the Covid-19 crisis, he added in a televised statement.

“We have responded to Covid-19 as one nation – mobilising our financial reserves, our public services, our crisis response capacity, and our social capital… We have avoided the fissures that have divided some other countries, fissures that have hindered their ability to respond properly, and cost them lives and livelihoods,” said Mr Teo, who is also the Coordinating Minister for National Security.

His national broadcast, which is the third in a series of six televised statements by Cabinet ministers, delved into the changing external environment and how Singapore’s society and economy can stay resilient. Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, is due to speak on Sunday.

Mr Teo noted that every previous crisis has strained Singapore’s social fabric, from its independence in 1965 to more recent ones such as the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) pandemic in 2001 and the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009.

To get through these, Singapore has drawn on its “deep reserves”, built up through, among other things, education and housing policies which provide every Singaporean the opportunity to build a better life and a stake in the country’s future.  Ethnically-integrated Housing and Development Board neighbourhoods also foster racial and religious harmony, he said.

“Covid-19 is an even bigger test,” he said, adding that Singaporeans and Singapore residents have acted with compassion during the pandemic.

For example, many have extended help to migrant workers or vulnerable segments of the population, regardless of race or religion, he said, while elsewhere, social divisions have grown starker, which has fractured the social and political stability of those countries.

He did not cite examples of these divisions in his speech, though in the past few months of global lockdowns, countries such as the United States, Britain, those in other parts of Europe, and Australia, have seen an eruption of anti-lockdown protests to resist the restrictive measures meant to keep infections in check.

GLOBALISATION MAY NOT BE NATURAL ORDER

The pandemic has also accelerated geopolitical trends that had existed before Covid-19, Mr Teo said, highlighting the intensifying rivalry between the US and China.

Social divisions have also fuelled nativism and protectionism, and countries are acting unilaterally to protect their short-term interests, he added.

“Generations of Singaporeans have grown up believing that globalisation and open markets are part of the natural order of things. We can no longer assume that this is so.”

Amid this changed world, he said, Singapore can hold its own only if it is strong, successful and united at home.

“Only then can our diplomats speak with a credible voice. Only then can we prevent adversaries from manipulating opinions and inciting discord within Singapore. Only then can we offer something of value so that others want to work with us.”

LESSONS FOR S’PORE’S CRISIS RESPONSE

For Singapore to possess such resilience, it needs more than just financial reserves alone, he said.

“We also need able and experienced people, organisational capacity and operational agility,” said Mr Teo, adding that for Covid-19, it was able to draw on its past experiences with Sars.

But tackling Covid-19 proved to be a major challenge, he said, pointing out how the more infectious virus and the communal living conditions in migrant worker dormitories led to the outbreak there.

“We had heightened surveillance and tightened precautions in our migrant worker dormitories early on. Unfortunately, these turned out to be insufficient because the virus was far more infectious than Sars.”

Describing how the “tremendous effort” by the public and private sectors, government-linked companies and volunteers have brought down the daily infection figures, Mr Teo said as many as 1,000 patients flowed into and through the various care facilities daily.

Singapore is now actively testing and clearing every migrant worker living in the dormitories so that they can resume work safely.

“The clear lesson for me is that in peacetime, we need to plan on facing the unknown, and build deep reserves of people and capabilities, so that when we face a crisis, we can act decisively, and respond flexibly and rapidly,” he said.

Mr Teo said the Singapore Armed Forces and the Home Team, which are involved in the joint task forces that support dormitory residents, were not specifically prepared or trained for the Covid-19 mission, but nonetheless demonstrated their readiness and flexibility by stepping up to assist other frontline officers.

He said the task force, which is composed mostly of fourth-generation Cabinet ministers from the ruling People’s Action Party, has also tapped the experience and knowledge of older ministers and has consulted widely within and outside the Government.

In April, Mr Teo was called on by the task force to aid in efforts to deal with the dormitory outbreak, given his familiarity with police work.

Said Mr Teo: “Over the past few months, I have worked very closely with them. We speak daily and exchange views freely. They have stepped up to the task, worked together as a team, and led from the front. This is the way that we collectively ensure resilience and continuity in our leadership team for Singapore.”