Watch: DPM Heng Swee Keat’s ministerial broadcast on ‘emerging stronger together’

In the final instalment of the national broadcast series by government leaders, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will be addressing Singaporeans on Saturday (June 20) at 7.30pm on "emerging stronger together" from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Watch it here:

The national broadcast series kicked off on June 7, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong  assuring Singaporeans that an "even stronger and better Singapore" will emerge from the Covid-19 crisis. He underlined how and why the country “will not falter in its onward march”.

Mr Lee outlined three reasons he thinks Singaporeans can still secure a bright future for themselves:

• Singapore's economic strengths and international reputation, and its connectivity with the global flows of trade, investment, capital and people 
• The country has had a head start in preparing for the uncertainties ahead
• The Government has programmes and plans to cope with the challenges

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, in his speech, spoke about Singapore's short- to long-term moves to combat the “formidable and invisible enemy” in Covid-19, as he sketched out the realities that the country would face in prioritising both lives and livelihoods.

The third in the series which aired on June 11, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean spoke about Singapore's  resilience in a changing external environment. He said 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.

But, he noted, 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 said.

Last Sunday, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing laid out the Government's plans to prepare for the future even as it tackles immediate challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that while other countries have had to "tighten their belts", Singapore will continue to invest in its people's future.

Mr Chan said: “We cannot save every job and every business, but we will take care of every Singaporean.” 

On Wednesday, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam spoke about building “a stronger and more cohesive society”. He said Covid-19 has the " makings of a profound social crisis" and urged Singaporeans to work together to strengthen their social compact, even as the Government seeks to save jobs and help those who have been retrenched.

In his televised speech, he said Singapore cannot defy the global economic downturn, but it must “absolutely defy the loss of social cohesion, the polarisation, and the despair that is taking hold in many other countries”.