National Day Rally Speech
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PM Lee unveils new ‘Singaporeans-first’ policies
By Alicia Wong | SingaporeScene – 9 hours ago
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/gov-t-puts-poreans-first-pm-lee-175645736.html
Tackling head on Singaporeans' unhappiness over foreign workers and immigrants, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday outlined several new measures in housing, education, healthcare and jobs to relieve citizens from the pressure of the influx of foreigners.
PM Lee Hsien Loong outlines new measures to assure Singaporeans the government puts them first. (TV image)
In his 90-minute National Day Rally speech in English at the University Cultural Centre, he said while Singaporeans understand the logic of the foreign talent policy, they still feel the emotional impact.
"These are policies where the benefits are there but they are long term, the downsides are immediate, the side effects are visible, people react to them and we have to respond to this."
"I empathise with this. And we are acting to relieve the pressures and make clear we are putting Singaporeans first," he stressed.
HOUSING
On housing, the government will:
- Increase the HDB income ceiling for BTO flats from $8,000 to $10,000,.
- Increase the income ceiling for executive condominiums from $10,000 to $12,000.
- Add 25,000 built-to-order flats next year and 7,000 rental flats over the next two years.
PM Lee noted that people are marrying later when their incomes have risen and acknowledged the concerns young couples face about having children when they cannot afford a home.
These adjustments will ensure the government can meet demand and keep the prices of new flats stable and affordable, he assured. "I promise you: We will keep housing available and affordable for Singaporeans."
EDUCATION
On changes to education, the government will:
- Add another 2,000 university places (the equivalent of having another Singapore Management University) for Singaporean students over the next four years.
PM Lee said foreign enrolment at universities will be capped at present levels, which is 18 per cent of the local university intake.
PM Lee clarified that the foreign student intake has "not been at the expense of local student intake because we have steadily increased the number of places for Singaporeans in our universities".
This year a record number of 12,000, or one in four, Singaporeans entered the universities, compared to 9,000, or one in five, a decade ago. By 2015, universities will take in 14, 000 Singaporeans a year.
Foreign students also prepare local students for the global workplace and in some cases, the students partner in new start-ups, he added, citing the example of BioMers, a start-up by three Singaporeans, one Indian national and one Canadian Greek.
JOBS
PM Lee also acknowledged, even as the country experiences nearly full employment, Singaporeans are also worried about jobs.
The main issue, he noted, is in the middle-lower range, where foreigners on Employment Pass work alongside middle level managers and executives.
So the government will:
The Ministry of Manpower will announce the new criteria shortly.
"But I should caution you on one thing: Just because we are tightening on foreign workers doesn't mean automatically that Singaporeans get better jobs or higher pay," said PM Lee.
"The competition isn't just with foreign workers here, we are competing with workers all over the world," said PM Lee, noting that graduates and professionals are not spared.
In China, 7 million graduates compete with each other annually and to compete, Singapore must develop expertise in work they have not yet learnt to perform, he said.
Calling for the "right balance" in foreigner intake, PM Lee also cautioned that slowing down the intake of foreigners will mean slower economic growth, less vitality and "less resources to improve our lives".
PM Lee's other overarching message on Sunday was that Singapore must maintain its sound, basic directions and adjust policies where needed.
The government will progressively improve its policies as it encounters new situations and problems, he assured.
"But where the strategic direction is correct, where we are basically sound and we have a temporary problem to deal with, I think we should have the courage and honesty to say "we're doing the right thing, let's tackle this problem.""
"Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater. It's very dangerous," he warned.
HEALTHCARE AND SPECIAL NEEDS
When enhancing Singapore's social safety nets, this means keeping to the present approach of targeted help while addressing emerging problems.
Some changes PM Lee announced include:
- Lowering the qualifying age of the Primary Care Partnership Scheme (PCPS) from 65 to 40.
- Revise the PCPS income criteria to include more households.
- Subsidising more types of drugs and increasing subsidies for more expensive drugs, such as those used in cancer treatment.
- Expand capacity in special education and mainstream schools for special needs students.
- Increase financial assistance to needy households with special needs children.
Changes to the PCPS will allow more needy patients with chronic illness to get treatment earlier and pay less fees, said PM Lee.
He urged the community to play a part in integrating those with special needs into society.
Singapore should not become a welfare state, he stressed, citing Greece as an example of a country with a generous welfare system and which is now in financial turmoil.
While the European Union has bailed Greece out, twice so far, PM Lee asked, "If Singapore ever runs into trouble, who would bail us out?"
"The best thing is, don't get into a hole and maintain a sense of self-reliance and personal responsibility because that's the best way for us to succeed."
Sharing a common destiny
Devoting the last portion of his speech to focus people on building the nation's future, PM Lee dealt at length on the Singaporeans' shared history and common destiny; he outlined the current works to enhance the nation's landscape and infrastructure.
Looking to the future, he asked: "What sort of Singapore do we want to be 20 years from now?"
"Do we want to be still an exceptional country, one which is unique and which people look up to around the world or are we content for Singapore to be an ordinary country getting by but no different from so many other cities all over Asia?"
To continue being exceptional will require "special effort", such as building for the long term patiently, keeping politics pragmatic and constructive and working together for the common good, he said.
"I believe to keep Singapore exceptional is a goal well worth striving for," stated PM Lee. "We deserve it, our children deserve no less."
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So good, so concern?
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pink to blue?
tot he nvr learned dress code
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Originally posted by lce:
pink to blue?
tot he nvr learned dress code
On his way out, he realised his pink shirt is torn, returned to change to blue.
Pinkie PM. He does not look happy.
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Red shades not good, because of Red Shirts in Thailand.
Want to wear yellow, but alamak! also cannot.
So wear blue lah.
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The speeches always sound nice and promising.
I just hope the delivery lives up to it.
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what you expect, give you a bad and unpromising speech ar?.
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yar...."singapore, we wan dan already". Thank you and goodnight.
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PM selling used cars now and he sold lemons to all Singaporeans.
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Originally posted by mancha:
Red shades not good, because of Red Shirts in Thailand.
Want to wear yellow, but alamak! also cannot.
So wear blue lah.
Blue is the colour of the Workers' Party. -
Old problems not resolved... Lets not focus too far to the future lest we stumble on the rocks under our noses...
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more daring and innovative solutions needed...
our entrepreneurs are stuffed to death due to flagging rentals and taxes....relieving them with subsidies and inject more research & funding programs would foster more entrepreneurs' contributions...more would be enriched and in turn for the society...
we need greater economic innovations than just harping on the usual limited resources and adaptability on a common destiny
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Why until now, Singapore govt never encourage their people to start up business and build big conglomerates, they can do it by joining SMCs in an economic of scale, but instead alway depend on FDI with MNC resulting in the needs to please them and allow FTs in as they like.
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Originally posted by tranquilice:
Blue is the colour of the Workers' Party.Our next PM from WP?
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Why until now, Singapore govt never encourage their people to start up business and build big conglomerates, they can do it by joining SMCs in an economic of scale, but instead alway depend on FDI with MNC resulting in the needs to please them and allow FTs in as they like.
Because they not interested Singaporeans earn big bucks, only they can. Just kidding!
I don't think the government interfere in this.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Why until now, Singapore govt never encourage their people to start up business and build big conglomerates, they can do it by joining SMCs in an economic of scale, but instead alway depend on FDI with MNC resulting in the needs to please them and allow FTs in as they like.
That's why singapore makes it really easy to start up a business, you can set up your business with $1 paid capital. If the policies are already in place, why does the govt still need to promote it? If people want to set/start up business, they already where to look, what to do, why bother to wait for the govt to promote it to them?
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The emphasis on innovative and creativity does not work if you keep working for others, in taiwan, tho USA influenced due to china pressure, we rather create our own brand MNC then to depend on FDI or MNC, the like of Acer and HTC and KOI can employ nearly a 1/4 of the nation workforce, and being local, we employ only locals, instill creativity and innovative thinking skill into them to flourish and invent new product to compete, this will make the young and not so young peoples in taiwan more challenging, at least we know we work for our country, money never flown out to others.
Same goes to korea, from hyundai to samung and so on, why singapore cannot stand on our own?
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SIngapre is socially independent, but economically speaking, she has not remove the shackles and very much depend on Foreigners, both in investment and workforce. That gives singapore a very vulunerable situation and alway subject to outer environment condition which ultimately, give singaporeans no control over thier life. All at the expense of foreigners
Whereas for other countries of the same comparison, like taiwan and korea, they are truly independent.
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Originally posted by jmstar~:
Our next PM from WP?
If people vote out PAP. -
the key to resolving the housing issue is not by raising income ceiling, but rather, the correct way should be to raise people's real income and at the same time make housing more cheaper, and thus more affordable.
raising the income ceiling will only serve the inflate housing prices further in the long run, since housing will always be in short supply. The income ceiling can be raised overnight, but not the actual income of singaporeans.
Raising the ceiling from 8k to 10k will allow the $8k-$10k segment of the population to join the fray for hdb flats, which are still a cheaper alternative than private housing.
The fact that they have a higher earning power allows them the capability to outbid others for housing, therefore creating a vicious cycle where hdb flats get pricier and pricier.
Since we are unable to raise people's pay significantly overnight, the only solution is to lower the price of hdb flats, which obviously the government have the power to.
When common hdb flats devalue, it would have a linked effect upon the price of provate properties. (Why pay so so so much more for a condo when a similar 99yr leasehold hdb only cost a quarter of the price?)
As a result, the property market can be made more unattractive for speculators, and therefore drive down "artificial demands", where we see many condo units being swept up, only to stay vacant, or to be utilised as rental units.These are housing which could have ended up as the primary home of others.
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This fella like tony tan's son, was definitely a white horse in the forces. He doesn't command my respect and never will because he made it to where he was because of his daddy.