Politics
SM Lee: Singaporeans must ‘change attitudes’ as Govt promises ‘bold and necessary changes’
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged Singaporeans to “change their attitudes,” including embracing upskilling, as the government commits to “bold and necessary changes” announced by PM Lawrence Wong in the 18 August National Day Rally speech. SM Lee reiterated the Government’s dedication to tackling inflation and called for continued support for PM Wong’s vision for Singapore.
In his first National Day Rally (NDR) speech on 18 August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong promised significant changes across four key policy areas—employment, upskilling, housing, and families—to renew Singapore’s social compact.
However, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged Singaporeans to “change their attitudes,” while government is committed to make these “bold and necessary changes.”
Speaking to residents at a National Day dinner in his Teck Ghee ward, SM Lee said the Government will also tackle immediate issues, such as the rising cost of living.
One of the major announcements by PM Wong during NDR speech was the introduction of the new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which will provide involuntarily unemployed individuals with up to S$6,000 over six months.
However, workers must do their part by attending courses, searching for jobs, and exploring new opportunities, SM Lee remarked.
SM Lee also noted that the government’s commitment to making pre-school fees more affordable and enhancing parental leave—including an additional 10 weeks of shared leave for new parents starting in 2026—will contribute to a more family-friendly environment.
However, he added, young couples must take the initiative to start their parenthood journeys.
Furthermore, SM Lee pointed out that there is now greater financial support for mid-career workers aiming to stay competitive in the job market, but it is up to each individual to embrace lifelong learning.
“These are bold but necessary policy changes to refresh our social compact,” SM Lee said of the government’s initiatives.
“Alone, they won’t be enough to see us through this turbulent period in the world.”
“We also need to change our own attitudes and societal attitudes – workers to embrace upskilling and change, employers to take it upon themselves to support families with young kids.”
On the topic of housing, SM Lee discussed the new classification of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats—Standard, Plus, or Prime—set to take effect from the October BTO exercise.
This new system replaces the current categorization of estates as either mature or non-mature and aims to keep flats affordable for all Singaporeans, even in prime locations.
Plus and Prime flats will have additional subsidies but will come with tighter restrictions, such as longer minimum occupancy periods and the requirement to return subsidies upon resale.
During the NDR, PM Wong also announced that the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant would be increased from 20 August, allowing eligible families to receive up to S$120,000 and singles up to S$60,000, depending on their income.
Previously, the grant provided a maximum of S$80,000 for families and S$40,000 for singles buying their first new or resale flat.
On 24 August, SM Lee reiterated the Government’s commitment to helping Singaporeans cope with inflation.
He mentioned that measures include keeping the Singapore dollar strong, which has been beneficial given that Singapore imports nearly everything consumed.
“When you travel overseas on holiday, when you go shopping, you go to neighbouring countries close to us to shop, and you come back and you are very happy, it is because the Singapore dollar is strong. ”
“But if we make it too strong, we will lose competitiveness and our economy will suffer, so we cannot go too far. But we can do, we have done, and it has helped.”
Beyond the strength of the Singapore dollar, SM Lee noted that the government has also implemented numerous measures to support Singaporeans directly.
Lower-income families receive more help, but everyone benefits from schemes such as CDC Vouchers, GST Vouchers, U-Save Rebates, S&CC Rebates, and cash rebates—there is assistance every month to help Singaporeans care for their families, he added.
SM Lee also urged Singaporeans to continue supporting PM Wong as the government works together toward realizing Singapore’s shared vision.
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Pap “must change its attitudes” as we voters make the “bold and necessary changes” to vote out more pap pigs into oblivion.
There will be always only ONE(!) SM Lee & he is DEAD & frying in HELL,all the rest are expensive wannabe,TWERPs, masqueraders & wasting oxygen!!!!!????
🖕🏻Malulah⚡️Profits Above People⚡️Malulah🖕🏻
Useless advice from a USELESS son & a oxygen wasting senile miniter. He better disappear from the face od sinchiapore!
anyone see his boiling face faking a smile in national day rally. its so much different from his smug look on nd.
Why are you still around, Loong? Do spend some time to fix your broken relationship with Yang and Ling which you had smashed into pieces over Harry’s will. Change attitudes? Ya we already changed attitudes to now change the party in the next election. We will fix you, for a change
His changes must be so BOLD in his time that when he hand over to Ah Wong, 60,000 residents are unemployed.
60,000 the figure was released by them ,when a few months ago their Manpower minister INSIST THERE WAS FULL EMPLOYMENT.
And to buy votes from these 60,000 locals this coming election, ah Wong throw each of them $6000 spread over 6 mths, each mth receiving $1000 plus.
Thereafter, it will be truly be YOU DIE YOUR OWN BIZ AFTER ELECTION IS OVER AND THEY WON AGAIN!😆😆😆
$1000 plus per month….Mayor get paid $660,000 a yr bonus not included yet!😆😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣🤣
We don’t have a shared vision with the ruling party as it has failed in its fundamental fiduciary duty to act in the interest of the Citizens or State. Firstly if you are thinking of State interest, you and TCH should resign from the Cabinet. Secondly remove all the State Ministers and the Mayors. These appointments are unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer’s monies. Public Housing must be only for Citizens. New Citizens should only be eligible after 10years. Remove the eligibility of PRs to buy from the resale market. HDB grants should not be given to those buying from… Read more »
In the jungle, Leopard asking Hyenas, can you change your spots ?
Margaret thatcher:*government no money on their own.Its taxpayers!*
If any government possibly suspected misusing reserves,the people must vote them out!But the crooks will already pre-emp .They will use *goodwill* donation,*secret national fund* etc.By the time truth is out,they would have got a lot.So stop them asap.
Who is ready to take moral advice from a hypocrite, who most certainly didn’t practice what he preached. Their greedy corporatist culture’ is turning us into imbeciles and killing us.It doesn’t matter if technology improves, productivity increases, wages increase, or if people become smarter and worker harder. It is fitting that the current face of our government is the living embodiment of our problems, a hyper-rentier economy, social breakdown, money laundering, and corruptions, etc.
*Does any friends here know ,for town council,who decide the Colour use for painting flats.Does independent third party there to observe the voting and results?Talk to few neighbors who mostly chosen grey/blue,the way like election pre random test.Our flats painted Chinese new year RED.*
*Any friends here know how our government wire money if they buy rice,aircraft etc etc.Do they have own banking institution besides our local banks?If the bank exist,does our government officials / ministers own a credit card that they can use for official travel? Just curious if this bank exist?*
*Since Iswaran case happened,CPIB must work harder for the citizens.Must take iniative,check OTHERS !? Expenses ,houses, investment ,family members also check.Conflict of interest.*
vote wisely
Singaporeans didn’t give him a strong mandate in the last election, in fact pap led by him got the WORSE vote in history. Seems like he still sotong that voters have changed their attitudes already, hor.
He, on the other hand, needs to change his Free Rider attitude, though.
Seems like we need to change our attitudes, huh? To him, much change is needed EXCEPT:
1) the need to maintain sky-high ministerial salaries
2) the need to have only one dominant political party in Singapore
3) the need to censor/POFMA anyone they wish
4) the need to keep our national reserves immune from public scrutiny and audit
5) the need to spend our entire working lives, and beyond, to pay for “affordable public housing”
Unlike his old man, pinky has little clout and respect outside sinkiepore.
Only sh@t tines will publish his silly ramblings to show he still exists.
S2
Worst PM … Full of Cult ideas and always about his empire …
You wouldn’t have to actually read economic history, including the use of monetary policy as a way to continue to manipulate the economy, because his logic and your ignorance would win.This is a fine case of framing an argument in a way sure to produce absurd results.
So yeah, it’d be hilarious to see these two try to defend their records on the economy. It’d be like between – two clowns pretending to be something other than what they truly are. And who pays?
Still around..??
Hungry ghosts have yet to drag you..??
Better book your ticket.. you deserve 1st class dragging..
Control the Media ,win the battle..PAP placed great effort in POFMA.If we have the media like from Korea,Japan,Taiwan,a few of the ministers would have been banished to puala tekong.Please scrutinise more,go to alternative news and don’t run after tharman with pineapple please .
Up to pAp’s old tricks again, LHL knows very well that those true blues who lost their employment or forced to be underemployed has nothing to do with their skills, it is due to unfair hiring practices, biasing to hire their own kind with the help of pAp, mom. Skillnofuture is just a smoke screen. We don’t want your pathetic handouts, we want to achieve financial freedom on our own and unless pAp could do that now, don’t expect true blue Singaporeans to support PM Wong as the government and work together toward realizing pAps selfish vision.
This fellow is AI……ing into an APE. Who acre about what he say! waste current,waste O2
Why Taylor swift pictures appear in national day speech?Ran out of ideas?Why can’t all ministers come in together at same time and sit down during parade?Why they need the grand entrance for different rank?The parade is a celebration for the people not to show their superiority.A complete different show when they appear humble during election.Waiting for the day when we know how the reserves were being used from nation building,salary, miscellaneous,signoff,losses and everything else.Wait shall I and very hopeful as long as the people open their eyes and be interested .
Promises bold and necessary changes – meaning GST will increase to possibly 11-12% next round.
BTW, ah loong is no longer PM, so how can he speak for the gov to keep promises? We should hold him accountable if CPF Life scheme, which was introduced under his term, is sustainable in the next 10-15 years.
Whenever I bumped into my old colleagues or University friends, they told me they are now working as Grab drivers……To me it looks like a trend…..Sigh.
When Loong took over from Goh, our birthrate was about 1.3-1.4. Now it is 0.97. It is clear they need to change their attitude about importing foreigners to make up for the TOTALLY failed policies to sustain our natural population.
All these housing “grants” go where huh? Does it go DIRECTLY to HDB or do they take a detour through the CPF? If so, Blur Sotongs would like to know why. I can speculate but don’t want to be hit with a POOFMA 🙂
LW’s backup weapon 🤣..after he got slammed for his NDR speech..
Show iswaran payslips,check his bank or whatever to see whether they tally.Then check for SPECIAL BONUS that is not declared because of top secrets from whichever directorship(He may got them if he is from society like freemason, illuminati).Common CPIB,shows us your independent and integrity and reveal all.
For once, I agreed with this SM that Singaporeans must change our attitudes plus mentality too.
Vote for change like there will be no tomorrow….lol. If the new government is not good, change again like the SAF PTIs also shout “Change! Change! Change!” (changing from pushup position to situp position and repeatedly).
You all people prefer to suffer for 4 years if government changed or to suffer one generation after another???
So he is still running the show from above PM Wong’s neck?
So blame us?
Push the blame?
Who make the policies?
Why change if not broken?
Will the CPIB disclosed everything about iswaran ?…Do not trust the government at after all the sagas throughout the years.One quote that irkes is”Don’t care which house I stayed but think of what I can do for you”.If I not wrong,he said this after the bungalows saga!
How can Lawrence Wong says integrity & honesty when he said government at-arms-length regarding 99million remuneration when the money belongs to the nation.The occasional whistle blowers and alternative media are the ways to knock them off!Very difficult ,imo civil servants & new citizens may already give them 1/4 of the votes.
When he cannot get a strong mandate in election, he blamed voters as Free Riders.
When he couldn’t effectively address our employability, upskilling/productivity, housing/basic needs/COL, and families/TFR, he now blames on Singaporeans’ “attitudes”.
He need to change his attitude from thinking that he was the Golden One to actually the Kayu One.
I never vote them
Still getting poorer and poorer
The ruling government after making small policy adjustments that occur on a regular basis in the rest of the developed world.
“These are bold but necessary policy changes”
“change their attitudes”
The 70% Cotton Sheep love to be taken for granted. After raising GST by 2%, the ruling government still expects Singaporeans to be the one that “changes.” Not the ruling government.
First they send in foreigners to snatch your jobs, then they ask you to change to new job where you have no or little experience and receive lesser pay by upskilling. If unlucky, you become jobless forever. Only stupid follow their plan and bold move. Bold moves are to make people suffer, beware.
Since 1965, they have said we are in difficult times until now. When PAP is in power, we are always in difficult times. Every time ask us to give in and vote for them. Only stupid believe them. Once people vote PAP, they will never get out of difficult times because they cannot give us good times.
You voluntarily retired from your $2million dollar post ( excluding bonuses, free car, free guards)
You are still employed… with very high pay for doing rubbish.
And you cant shut up…
You cant have it both ways.
I rather a change of government than change of attitude. What have the government done to tiny SG we all know.
How crazy prices of housings are.
How crowded are public facilities are?
Even basic healthcare like polyclinic also gone bersek. Hard to get a slot and with 3rd world imported Doctors some we cannot understand their spoken English.
Remember, we are told by him to steal other’s lunch in order to survive. He didn’t know stealing other’s lunch, that person will have no food for the family and it’s repeated again and again
Old Tricks for New actions of Progress? When is this law or concept applicable?
Try harakiri, since it’s never before in SG.
Your wife MENTIONed Sheeps can AFFORD to be CONTRARIAN.
Your Administration was BOLD when they DISCARDED “The Singapore ONE Broadband” Initiative Began in the late 80s. NO SOONER than only a Few Months start, Your BOLD LJ Monsters KILLED it.
sinking island with many idiots of imbeciles, stupid and demanding pathetical four legged crawling animals in the kingdom…better slaughters these parasites before the collapse of the system
You are DAMN DAMN BOLD to SNIP, to PREACH, to ADVOCATE, to INSTRUCT – say what u like BASED on PAP Administration book of SUITABLE VOCAB words MEANT for Sheeps – to the MILLIONS of the ALREADY CONVERTED, and those like your colleague, to the Millions of THOSE NOTE YET BORNED. When ll YOU, and Your ENTIRE GANSGSTERS : 1 change own mindsets, 2. Cut own SALARIES say, by 35 %, 3. CUT Flat rent-sell Prices by 50%, 4. Restore Prices of food, travel, education, medical to FORMULA of Affordability, say based on household incomes of $4,000 pm? Many many… Read more »
Again, … it’s up to the people of the red dot to make the necessary changes, … again !!! But, they have, … changing their attitudes, forcibly, in fact, to “accept” the deluge of FT into every nook and cranny of SillyPore’s landscape, that public housing is no longer it’s original “premise”, not when there is now, … standard, prime or plus and further conditions to boot, plus taking on board one’s constituent may change because the EBRC says so !!! What good is a strong Sing dollar if it’s anything but strong at home !!! What, … buy all… Read more »
Allow your BASTARDS to RECUSE and Rent Ridout Rd Bungalows is YOUR bold. Destroy Forests for UNSEEN, UNKNOWN FUTURE POTENTIAL HDB flat renter-buyers is your BOLD. Build KY Founders Mausoleum is PAP BOLD. Sue your nephew is your BOLD. GO after Yang, Suet Fern, KJ is BOLD. Let Chuan Jin, Cheng Li Hui had ADULTERY while PAYING them sky high salaries from Tax Payers is PAP BOLD. DARED NOT to come clean on CPIB Full Investigations, to reveal if any Higher Ups acts, into Keppel Bribery Corruption, is Bold. To EXPOSED more ALL your BOLDER acts NEED a Book io… Read more »
Again, same OLD TRICK and DECEPTION :
The BLAME IS PUSHED to Singaporeans.
MtrFkr – that’s the HALLMARK of PAP Administration’s BEST efforts over THESE 10s of years and years on.
They CANNOT and WON’T say SORRY. CANNOT ownself blame ownself.
Why the Singapore PAP government didn’t change their attitude towards incurring heavy taxation upon Singaporeans and cast heavy burdens upon Singaporeans.