SINGAPORE — Charting the direction for the Government in its coming term, President Tony Tan yesterday laid out its key aims while stressing the need for the country to “first resolve to move ahead together” in order to remain special.

“We must have a shared understanding of what unites and binds us to one another,” Dr Tan said.

Among the Government’s goals in the coming years include economic renewal and transformation of the country’s urban landscape. These would be vital in building the best home for Singaporeans, and ensuring that the Republic “will always be a place where our children can chase rainbows and fulfil aspirations”, Dr Tan said at the opening of the 13th Parliament.

The opening session came some four months after last September’s General Election, where the People’s Action Party (PAP) won 69.9 per cent of the popular vote share. Yesterday, prior to the President’s Address, 91 Members of Parliament — 83 from the PAP and eight from the Workers’ Party (including its two Non-Constituency MPs) — took their oaths of allegiance. Among the MPs, 21 are serving maiden terms.

“Singaporeans have given the new Government a strong mandate. They have sent a clear signal that they want to work with it to build a better and brighter future,” Dr Tan said. “The Government will work closely with the people, for the long-term interest of Singapore and Singaporeans. The ministers will mobilise support for their programmes and policies.

“In particular, the younger ministers will build their experience governing Singapore, and their rapport with Singaporeans. Members of Parliament, new or re-elected, from the ruling party or the opposition, all have a responsibility to do their best for our people.”

Renewing the economy will be on the agenda in the coming years and Singaporeans cannot expect an easy journey ahead, “whether it is the next five or 50 years”, Dr Tan said. “Upgrading will entail restructuring. There will be winners and losers among companies, with some painful dislocation, but economic progress will ultimately benefit all Singaporeans,” said Dr Tan, adding that the Committee on the Future Economy will develop strategies to “ensure that Singapore remains relevant and competitive”. While Singapore is in a stronger position compared with half a century ago, the fundamental realities remain unchanged. “We earn a living only because we are useful to the rest of the world. And in a world where size and power still matter, Singapore thrives only because it safeguards its interests,” he said.

Singapore must upgrade its maturing economy to sustain growth, given the land and labour constraints, and amid more severe global competition, Dr Tan said. Noting the challenges of an ageing population and an increasingly diverse society — not only in terms of race and religion, but also in interests and perspectives — Dr Tan said Singaporeans “must first resolve to move ahead together” in order to remain special.

“We must have a shared understanding of what unites and binds us to one another. That is why in the last term the Government held Our Singapore Conversation (OSC), so that Singaporeans could share their hopes and aspirations with one another,” he said.

“That is also why we paid tribute to our pioneers through the Pioneer Generation Package. It was because of our pioneers’ determination to build a multiracial society, their ruggedness and their willingness to sacrifice, that we, their children, enjoy better lives. The tribute to the Pioneer Generation reminded us of our founding values, and set the tone for SG50.”

Looking back on the previous term of Government, Dr Tan said its programmes “reflected our commitment to move forward together”. “We strove to leave no one behind, even as we created opportunities for all. We dealt with pressing concerns in housing, healthcare, transport and population,” he said. “Our lives improved tangibly: 81,000 families received keys to new HDB homes; there were 760 more buses on the roads; and we added 40 new stations to our rail network.”

Citing MediShield Life and the Silver Support scheme, Dr Tan noted that the Government also made major shifts in social policy. Investments in infrastructure — including the building of two terminals at Changi Aiport, and more hospitals and polyclinics — have also been made to transform the country, he said. “But the work of securing this nation and improving our lives is never-ending. We must continually adjust our programmes and politics to ensure that Singapore keeps on an upward path.”

With Thursday’s bomb blasts in Jakarta still fresh in Singaporeans’ minds, Dr Tan also stressed the need to keep the country safe and secure amid a growing terrorism threat. Adding that the attacks served as a reminder of “how close terrorism can strike”, Dr Tan said: “We are fully on guard against this threat, but we cannot rule out the possibility of an attack in Singapore.”

Apart from preserving unity and resilience, the Government will seek to foster a more caring society “that is sustainable over the long term”. The Government will keep healthcare affordable, accessible and of high quality, he said. It will strengthen the primary care sector and build on the regional health systems. Healthcare services will extend beyond the hospitals, with the Government partnering the private sector and voluntary welfare organisation healthcare providers, he added.

In terms of Singapore’s urban landscape, it will be transformed by tapping technology to ensure energy-efficiency and better connectivity. “Ours may be a compact city, but it can be highly liveable, green, energy-efficient and conveniently connected-up,” said Dr Tan. “We can be a ‘citizen-driven’ smart nation, constantly improving through the ideas of people.”

Dr Tan also stressed the need for all Singaporeans to play a part in building the nation. “During SG50, we saw how willing Singaporeans were to contribute and share a part of their lives with one another,” he said. “Let us all participate in shaping our common future. In doing so, we will strengthen our bonds and deepen trust with one another.”

Reflecting on the events last year, Dr Tan noted that the realisation among Singaporeans that they must work together to create their common future was sustained through the SG50 celebrations, and “profoundly deepened” during the mourning of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s death.

“Fifty years ago in this House, Mr Lee Kuan Yew called upon Members of Parliament to ‘leave no stone unturned in seeking a just and enduring future for all the people who make up the society’,” Dr Tan said. “Singapore today is the cohesive and progressive society that our pioneers strove to build. It is for us now to write the next chapter together.”

The various ministries will release their addenda to the President’s address next week, before the MPs debate the address starting on Jan 25.

TODAY understands that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be speaking during the debate. He is expected to talk about the government’s priorities in this term as well as longer-term issues, including building a political system that will foster stability and good government for Singapore.