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Forward Singapore: A blueprint for change?
The Forward Singapore movement is, in many ways, a progressive plan that lays the foundation for a better and more just nation.
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Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaks on July 7 during a fireside chat with several Indonesian media outlets in Singapore. (Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI)/MCI)
Open up. These are the two words that I hope Lawrance Wong will embrace if he becomes Singapore’s prime minister.
The city state will hold an election next year and Wong, the current deputy prime minister and finance minister, is the official candidate of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). Barring any dramatic and unforeseen events, Wong should win by a landslide and steer Singapore for the long-term.
The PAP always places a premium on stability, striving for long-term goals and not making abrupt changes.
So far, Wong has shown stewardship and a keen interest in hearing from the people. The Forward Singapore blueprint is the outcome of a long consultative process engaging the citizens and has been his flagship initiative.
The recently published vision document is, in many ways, a progressive plan that lays the foundations for a better and more just nation. It focuses on social cohesion, unity, a fairer job market and embracing learning beyond grades, which for Singapore is quite revolutionary.
It also centers on a different definition of success.
The well-being of the people, especially the most vulnerable, including the elders, is going to become one of the key cornerstones of the upcoming policy-making cycle that will follow the election next year.
