TRUST UNDER THREAT
At the same time, the data shows that public trust levels have been falling around the world, said Mr Tong.
He highlighted three forces that tend to weaken public trust. First, “anti-establishment populism” where political parties move to the extremes of the political spectrum, resulting in outcomes like Brexit.
Second, the rise of social media, which has accentuated a “post-truth environment” where truth and facts could be less relevant when trying to shape public opinion.
In this environment, “people say what they want to say, often using divisive rhetoric as a clickbait” while remaining anonymous, said Mr Tong.
Third, lines being increasingly drawn based on identity, with people more mindful of their differences rather than what they have in common, hence leading to more divisiveness.
“These collective factors mean that we will continue to be challenged in the foreseeable future. Public trust will come under increasing pressure,” he said.
The government must therefore actively build public trust, and Mr Tong pointed to the Forward Singapore conversations to review the country’s social compact as one way.
Singapore is facing a number of inflexion points, he said, citing the country’s quickly changing demographic and newer aspirations that must be met.
“Our society can only advance and resilience be built when everyone recognises they have a place in this society, where they can realise their aspirations fully, where they feel cared for and included. That is our challenge.”