SINGAPORE – The Republic has to grow a brand of meritocracy that ensures common spaces and experiences for all Singaporeans, and one where the successful give back to society and there is support from the Government for those who fall behind, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

“We cannot drive our economic policies on fierce pursuit of economic gains; but neither can we design our social policies with bleeding hearts,” said the minister during the debate on the President’s Address in Parliament on Monday (May 14).

Lessons on charity and giving back to society start at home, said Mr Masagos, as he cited the example of former National Kidney Foundation (NKF) chairman Gerard Ee, whose late father Dr Ee Peng Liang was a known philanthropist. Mr Ee had picked up his heart for social services from his father, who organised annual toy-giveaways – which Mr Ee and his brothers were responsible for packing – at his home for children from the Geylang Lorong 13 neighbourhood.

Mr Ee continued his father’s spirit of giving back, as he responded to a call to help the NKF when it was hit by a corruption scandal over a decade ago.

Not everyone needs to give back to society on the same scale, said Mr Masagos, as the minister added that it is possible to be “kind to our fellow Singaporeans in our daily lives” in our own ways.

The minister also questioned if the new generation of Singaporeans who became “very wealthy in record time in new areas such as tech” would have the same spirit of giving back to society as Singapore’s pioneers.

Mr Masagos added that whether the outcome of our meritocracy is the “accumulation of wealth or authority”, it will only “function morally” when those who are rewarded find ways to benefit others and help others succeed too.

“This is how we can narrow our social distance, even as we improve the GINI coefficient.”

Preserving common spaces such as schools, parks, libraries and even hawker centres is important, said Mr Masagos, because these are places where the community can come together “regardless of race, language or religion”. They also guarantee common access to quality public facilities and infrastructure to everyone.

For instance, the Government must distribute rental housing across the island and “mix public and private housing more deliberately”, he said.

“This will ensure that the most needy among us, who have not done well yet in our meritocracy, are not deprived of access to good quality public facilities,” he added.

He cited the examples of Jurong and Punggol, where the “successful and yet-to-be successful” will “live equally far or near to new nodes of economic activity” such as hawker centres, eldercare facilities and schools.

Another area that Mr Masagos touched on was schools, as he said that the Government must continue to provide the best teachers and educational resources to “heartland schools” and maintain the motto of “Every School a Good School”.

Singapore’s education policies must “enable every Singaporean to pursue their aspirations and realise their potential, regardless of their family background — including those with special needs”, he added.

Only by investing in quality education will Singapore be able to ensure “fair and good start to our childrens’ journey, whatever their background”, said the minister.

In building its brand of meritocracy, Singapore must ensure that nobody is left behind, said Mr Masagos, and the Government must have policies that provide a fair chance for everyone to move up in society – not just across families or jobs, but also over time.

“The Government must therefore not allow meritocracy to reward narrowly, and instead broaden and make alternative routes available,” he said.

Policies must enable self-reliance by providing Singaporeans with the opportunity to work, do well for themselves and their families.

In order to prepare its workforce for future opportunities, the Government will also continue to invest in SkillsFuture to support lifelong developments of skills and knowledge, as well as Industry Transformation Maps to enable the workforce to seize opportunities in the future economy.

This will ensure that our meritocracy does not become a static snapshot, but a “dynamic one” where everyone has the opportunity to reap success throughout his life journey, added Mr Masagos.

Speaking in Parliament, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing and several Members of Parliament (MPs) also stressed the need to ensure social mixing in Singapore society to prevent class stratification.

Mr Henry Kwek, MP for Nee Soon GRC, proposed three points that he said could fight inequality and bridge emerging social divides.

Singapore should make SG Cares, a national movement to support the efforts in building a more caring and inclusive society, a focus, he said. This would make volunteerism a “defining aspect of what it means to be Singaporean”.

Singaporean youths should also be encouraged to forge friendships across social divides through programmes organised by the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

He also said that better support should be given to needy Singaporeans to help them break out of the poverty cycle. This can be done by promoting financial literacy, rehabilitating and re-integrating ex-offenders, as well as providing more appropriate rental housing support.

Influence of extremist ideologies a challenge for S’pore’s Malay/Muslim community

External elements such as the influence of extremist ideologies are some of the challenges that could hinder the progress of Singapore’s Malay/Muslim community, if left unaddressed, said Mr Masagos Zulkifli, who is also the Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs.

Delivering the second part of his speech in Parliament in Malay, he said that these elements have succeeded to some extent in eroding the community’s cultural values as Malay/Muslims in the region, and that they could also divide the community and even families.

In the past year, foreign Islamic speakers were in the spotlight for their divisive teachings, with five religious preachers barred from setting foot in Singapore. They include Islamic preachers Zimbabwean Ismail Menk — also known as Mufti Menk — as well as Malaysian Haslin Baharim and American Yusuf Estes.

Mr Masagos said that the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) plays an important role in supporting local Muslims in their socio-religious life, and their interaction with Singapore’s multiracial community.

“We will continue to strive to ensure that local religious teachers are on par and as good as foreign religious educators who may be seen as more glamorous,” he said.

Mr Masagos added that the religious messages must not only be attractive, but more importantly “effective and relevant to life in Singapore”.

The Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) must continue to be improved “with guidance from the Office of the Mufti and support from religious teachers”, he added.

To further counter the effects of foreign extremist influence which can “cause the Muslim community to isolate itself from other communities”, Mr Masagos said the People’s Association (PA) Malay Activity Executive Committees Council (MESRA) will play a proactive role so that the community will have more opportunities to interact with others.

Some MESRA advisors have already started various innovative programmes involving professionals in new sectors such as health, law and education.

“They were proven to be a hit in the new segments in our community. We will widen these programmes and coordinate it in more estates as well as at the MESRA Centre at Wisma Geylang Serai,” he said.

The Malay/Muslim community will also be given greater support to help cope with economic shifts and disruptions in Asia brought about by new technologies, said Mr Masagos.

Yayasan Mendaki, a Malay/Muslim self-help group, could play an important role by ensuring students “possess basic education and empower those who have the potential, as early as preschool”.

The group is working with government agencies and other Malay/Muslim organisations to focus on addressing factors that may hinder children’s education, particularly in the case of troubled families.

He added: “This is because children from troubled families are not only unable to realise their full potential, but also face the risk of falling into the pitfalls of crimes and drug abuse.”

Economic disruptions would make a “degree obsolete or skills redundant overnight”, and Mr Masagos said the group is also looking at how the Malay community can “embrace the culture of lifelong learning”, get ready to upskill for the new economy, and grab opportunities that are available.