AMID continued inflation, the government will provide more cost-of-living help when needed, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his first National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 18).
“I understand you are concerned about the rising cost of living,” he said in his Mandarin speech.
Many countries are facing inflation, for complex reasons such as regional conflicts and supply chain disruptions, he noted. While Singapore cannot control such external factors, the government can provide help to cope with living expenses.
Noting a recent disbursement of Community Development Council vouchers and other support such as utilities rebates, PM Wong said: “We will continue to provide more support when necessary to lighten everyone’s burden.”
In his Mandarin speech, PM Wong also reassured older Singaporeans in particular. Citing earlier moves such as the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation healthcare packages, he said: “Please be assured that my team and I will continue to take care of your needs, so you can enjoy your golden years.”
As for small and medium-sized enterprises that are worrying about higher business costs, the government will simplify compliance and regulatory processes to help reduce costs, he noted. “At the same time, the government will do its best to help businesses restructure and transform so they may seize new opportunities that come their way.”
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He gave the example of traditional Chinese medicine shop Heng Foh Tong Medical Hall, whose third-generation leadership tapped government help to set up a website and sell overseas.
As is customary, PM Wong began the annual National Day Rally by speaking in Malay and Mandarin, ahead of his English speech that is due to begin at 8 pm.
In his Malay speech, he highlighted role models for the community such as edtech startup co-founder Hafiz Kasman and biotech scientist Muhammad Nadjad, whose company developed the first made-in-Singapore Covid-19 test kit.
He also highlighted an upcoming Singapore College of Islamic Studies to nurture future Singapore Islamic leaders, adding: “I will share more details when ready.”
Changes to bilingual education policy are also on the way. Currently, students who wish to take Higher Mother Tongue Language (HMTL) in secondary school must meet a certain standard for their overall Primary School Leaving Examination score.
This will change such that students who do not meet this standard but are strong in their mother tongue can still take HMTL in secondary school.
“By this adjustment, we hope to nurture more students who are proficient in the Chinese language,” said PM Wong in his Mandarin speech, adding that students who want to take Higher Malay and Tamil languages will also benefit.
