SINGAPORE: President Halimah Yacob’s address on Monday night (Apr 10) seeks to narrow the social divide, with marginalised groups standing to benefit, said political analysts who spoke to CNA.
During her speech, in which she laid out the key priorities for the remainder of the 14th parliament, Madam Halimah highlighted the need to ensure a broader and more open meritocracy that works well for all Singaporeans.
While meritocracy has provided opportunities, she said societies tend to become more stratified and less socially mobile over time as those who have already done well will naturally seek to pass on their advantages to their children.
Commenting on her speech, Dr Felix Tan, a political analyst from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), said this could result in more dialogues on the social divide in the coming months and changes in certain policies that can engage groups that have been left out.
“Especially when the income gap is getting bigger and bigger, there will be those that will fall between the cracks. And I think those are the ones that at least the government will have to look into a little bit more,” he said.
“The social divide will still be there, and I think that needs to be mitigated along the way,” he added.
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)’s deputy director of research Gillian Koh, said it could lead to more initiatives, such as the expansion of the KidSTART programme, to facilitate a broader and meritocratic society.
The programme, which provides upstream support for pregnant mothers and young children in lower-income families, will be scaled up nationwide and is expected to support 80 per cent of eligible children in lower-income families, starting from children born this year.
However, challenges remain in dealing with the social divide, political analysts cautioned.
During a televised interview on CNA’s Singapore Tonight programme on Monday evening, Dr Koh said the issue of social stratification was a decades-old fight.
“The PAP government has been deeply committed to ensuring that if we don’t cap the top, we should at least do as much as we can to level up the bottom,” said Dr Koh.
Dr Tan of NTU pointed out that there could have been a more “concrete policy outline” that Mdm Halimah hoped the government would put in place.
“These are all very broad generalisations that she has made. So I think I was also looking (for) more specifics, (but) perhaps she will leave it to parliament for further discussion,” he said.
Adding that her speech was “a bit idealistic” even though it “came from a place of good intentions”, Dr Tan wondered “how many of the stakeholders are willing to engage what she’s suggested in building (that) kind of connection with the people, besides the government, because that’s a given”.
“(We have to) understand the kind of policies that the government will have to institute in the coming months in order for them to bring these ideas to fruition,” he said.
Mdm Halimah’s address set the agenda for the rest of this government’s term, when parliament reconvened on Monday after a two-week recess.
MORE OPEN MERITOCRACY
In her speech, Mdm Halimah also said Singapore must re-examine how society rewards different skills and talents, and accord greater value to those who are skilled with their hands, as well as those with the social and empathetic traits to excel in jobs such as caregiving or community service.
“I think she’s been consistent. She has fought for gender equality; she has talked about meritocracy; she has fought for marginalised groups as well. I think this will be what she will leave as her legacy,” said NTU’s Dr Tan.
This call for a more open meritocracy resonated with Members of Parliament.
Speaking to CNA after her speech, MP Patrick Tay (PAP-Pioneer), who is also the assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), noted her emphasis on opportunities for all.
“There’s a big emphasis on talent, skills, and how do we make sure that there are no Singaporeans left behind on this entire journey? So this is on social compact, and how to make sure all processes involve transparency, fairness and openness,” he added.
The focus on workers and skills is welcomed by the labour movement, said Mr Tay, adding that he was glad the President spoke about workers in their 40s and 50s, a group more vulnerable to job skills obsolescence and unemployment.
MP Leon Perera (WP-Aljunied) told CNA that the President’s message resonated with the Workers’ Party’s emphasis on the importance of trade jobs and how these workers need to be accorded dignity and respect, as well as how to ensure better salaries for them.
“The call for looking at our meritocracy and making sure that while we preserve the principle of jobs based on merit, we do not allow the gaps in the social situation, the well-being, the economic opportunities between different segments of the population to run out of control, I think that is something that resonates with us,” he added.
The WP also shares the President’s concerns about inequality and privileged members of society passing on advantages to their children, said Mr Perera.
MP Carrie Tan (PAP-Nee Soon) said she was encouraged that Mdm Halimah addressed the issue of meritocracy and preventing privilege from becoming entrenched “very square on”.
“We have relied on meritocracy to get this far. But then because of how we have developed as a country and the progress that we have forged, the stratification is almost inevitable.”
WHAT IT MEANS FOR 4G LEADERSHIP
NTU’s Dr Tan on Monday also highlighted what Mdm Halimah’s speech, which largely prioritises inclusivity, could mean for the type of 4G leadership Singapore needs.
He told CNA that the previous administrations have always focused on “very pragmatic, very hard issues” that Singapore tends to gravitate towards. But the government would now “have a very challenging task ahead”, because “some of these things (in Mdm Halimah’s speech) might not have immediate, tangible results”.
A “softer” approach that is “more consultative” may also result in “a lot more people from different sectors of society clamouring for more”, he added.
In her speech, Mdm Halimah also addressed the transition to the 4G leadership. She noted that in many societies, political parties aggravate rifts by divisive appeals for support from competing groups, resulting in political gridlock and a lack of trust in governments and institutions.
“We cannot afford to let this happen in Singapore. In an open, diverse society, people will always have different views. We must debate them honestly and robustly. But our conversations also must be constructive, respectful and responsible, based on facts and sound analysis,” the President said.