SG Matters

08/04/2025

Global markets are experiencing significant turmoil in response to President Donald Trump's recent tariff announcements.

Meanwhile, crisis deniers PSP Tan Cheng Bock and their economist Leong Mun Wai is adopting a business-as-usual approach.

The Hang Seng Index plummeted by 13.2%, marking its worst daily performance since 1997.

Concerns about a potential global recession are escalating.

Analysts warn that the tariffs could disrupt decades of global economic integration.

Deutsche Bank described the tariff move as the most profound shock to the global trade system since the 1970s.

As a global trade hub, Singapore is significantly affected.

The Trump measures will introduce additional friction to international trade.

To navigate these challenges, Singapore is proactively adjusting its monetary policies, reassessing supply chains, and engaging in regional collaborations.

In times like these, a strong and effective government is crucial.

We cannot afford to have deniers of crisis who will hinder the government's efforts to tackle a crisis they do not believe exists.

08/04/2025

Have you read the PSP Manifesto?

They will give you lots of money while also promise to roll back GST to 7%.

They say:

Use land sale proceeds to fund spending.

Also: land will be free for housing.

Oh dear, what a contradiction. No more land sale proceeds for spending.

Don't worry, says PSP.

We are rich. Look at our Reserves!

So day after day, week after week, year after year, PSP will dip their hands into OUR reserves to give you money so that they can keep their popularity.

PSP's manifesto contains nothing on growing the economy

Meanwhile, their economist Leong Mun Wai is still working on the impact of Trump's tariffs while markets in the world reel from the announcement.

07/04/2025

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 🇸🇬💪

When a civil servant chooses to step into the political arena, they’re not just changing jobs — they’re answering a higher calling to serve Singapore in a new way.

Our civil service is world-class.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲.

So when one of them puts themselves forward to serve in government, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁.

Shawn Loh, 38, a former M*F Budget Director, was recently spotted volunteering at a town council event in Jalan Besar GRC.

His words say it all:

👉 “𝗜’𝗺 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿… 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘁. 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻.”

Let’s support more capable, committed Singaporeans who are stepping forward to keep Singapore strong.

Incidentally, the 𝗝𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝟱-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

The plan will have over 100 town improvement projects.

It succeeds the town council's earlier master plan, which saw its conclusion this year.

07/04/2025

PM Lawrence Wong's message on the impact of the Trump's tariffs went viral in the world.

Reposted by Hindustan Times, the video garnered more than 3 million views in 2 days and more than 10,000 comments expressing respect for PM Wong.

"Bravo! An excellent speech that clearly communicates why Singapore has achieved the highest standards of living in the world. Despite being a smaller nation, I strongly believe Singapore is—and will remain—best positioned for continued success. With intelligent, honest politicians and a highly educated population, Singapore will overcome any challenges ahead. The world would be a better place if every nation had leaders like Singapore’s."

"Tremendous Leader, Intelligent and Smart! Singapore is Lucky to have Him!"

"Very level headed person, an Informative speech not only to Singaporeans, but the world at large, thank you sir."

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0swAZQeZRc

07/04/2025

PSP just shot themselves in the foot when Tan Cheng Bock said that the government's statement on Trump's tariffs is a tactic to instill fear in voters so that they would vote for the incumbent.

Equally reckless is the 'economist' Leong Mun Wai 梁文辉 who said the government was 'overblowing the thing'.

LMW should issue a statement to detail why he thought it was overblown so that he can be held accountable for his words.

It's okay if they want to shoot themselves. But it is not okay to shoot Singapore in their quest and thirst for power.

PSP has lost both respect and credibility.

Watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/9219811428142193

06/04/2025

The PAP Government has led us through many crises in the past. Each time, we emerged stronger

The most recent crisis was the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 4G team led us through it.

We emerged with an enhanced international reputation and without any deep scarring of our economy.

Minister Chan is right.

Cohesion is our strength.

In times like this, we need strong, steady and experienced hands at the wheel.

Now is not the time to weaken the government and lose ministers or potential ministers.

Now is the time to get the strongest team possible to steer us through a world where the rule-based order we need in order to survive and thrive, is in jeopardy.

06/04/2025

It took the WP team in Sengkang five years to come up with what they now call their “masterpiece” — and it turns out to be a dog run, butterfly park, rooftop garden and some murals. That’s it?

And now they’re rushing to announce it just before elections?

Come on. Five years to plan this, and another five years to build it?

Compare that to the East Coast Plan.

Besides estate upgrades, the PAP team also focused on jobs, student support, help for hawkers and seniors.

And they didn’t just wait for government funding — they actively raised funds through sponsorships and community efforts.

Back in 2020, WP supporters laughed when Minister Heng spoke about the East Coast Plan.

Who’s laughing now, looking at this last-minute “masterplan” that still depends on national funding to even happen?

And now they say their five-year masterplan includes things like repair and redecoration works?

Oh please! That’s standard municipal work. Lift maintenance, covered walkways, fixing playgrounds — that’s basic town council duties, not some grand vision.

There’s nothing very “master” about it.

05/04/2025

With careful planning and land use, even though we are just 734 sq km, smaller than most cities in the world, we still manage to have lots and lots of green spaces. 🇸🇬🇸🇬❤️❤️

05/04/2025

You can know how much benefits you enjoy by logging in to the LifeSG app.

05/04/2025

Very true!

Asserting that the calibre of political leadership is inconsequential because of the excellence of our Civil Service is analogous to claiming that a good driver is superfluous when one has a high-performance engine.

𝐈𝐟 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥?

This is the uncomfortable question the hardcore opposition supporters have to answer.

Singapore's success comes from (1) political leaders who set clear direction, and (2) civil servants who deliver.

It's a partnership.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚.

That’s the job of elected leaders.

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.

Civil servants can implement, but they can’t steer the ship.

Without good leadership, even the best officers can’t fix bad policies.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

So it matters who you elect as government.

No amount of 'efficiency' can save us from bad policy direction.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝-𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞.

𝐒𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝.

04/04/2025

Is it really too much to expect the Workers' Party to offer alternatives?

Back in August 2020, in his very first speech as Leader of the Opposition, Pritam Singh himself said the WP intended to offer alternative policies. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲.

So no — it’s not asking too much. It’s simply 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀.

Real leadership means offering concrete plans, not just pointing fingers.

It is completely reasonable to expect opposition parties to provide alternative solutions — especially if they want to be taken seriously.

In response to Trump’s 10% tariffs, opposition supporters wasted no time in taking cheap shots at PM Lawrence Wong, calling him "Voucher Wong" and claiming he’ll "dip into reserves to save the day again"—all because a GE is around the corner.

This is despite the fact that no measures had been announced by the government beyond what the Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong had said about engaging the US diplomatically on this issue.

Here's to you, the hardcore opposition supporters who hold the opposition parties to zero standard:

Do you have any expectation of the opposition?

Do you expect them to offer alternative solutions?

Or do you expect them to say, "Leave it to our top civil service to take care of the problem?" and you cheer at this?

If opposition parties want to be seen as a real alternative, then they must step up and show how they would handle challenges like the 10% Trump tariffs.

It’s not enough to just criticise — anyone can do that.

Seeing that the election is coming and we are going to elect a new government:

WHAT WILL THE OPPOSITION DO IF THEY ARE IN CHARGE?

04/04/2025

Singapore is just 743 sq km.

That's less than a small city in many countries. Someone said it's 744 sq km at low tide.

In a country this small, every square metre must pull its weight. The PAP plans with that mindset.

Yet, within this tight space, the government has managed to fit everything from our port and airport to green parks, schools, hospitals, commercial buildings and housing.

You will find a green park in every estate and thousands of kilometres of cycling tracks.

This level of land optimisation doesn’t happen by accident.

It takes long-term planning, trade-offs, and discipline.

That’s why when the opposition throws around ideas as if we’ve got land to spare, we should ask: where exactly will it come from that it can be given to you free?

03/04/2025

DPM Gan Kim Yong states that Singapore will not retaliate with countermeasures but will engage the US diplomatically.

This is because retaliatory tariffs will just add costs to our imports from the US.

This will affect our consumers and our businesses.

Singapore has recourse under USSFTA but prefers a diplomatic approach.

The tariffs are expected to have a significant negative effect on Singapore’s economy, potentially leading to a downgrade in growth forecasts.

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗦 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀.

The US is a major trading partner, and maintaining good relations is key to long-term economic stability.

While other countries might react aggressively, Singapore’s measured approach ensures we stay competitive without unnecessary trade wars.

𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲.

03/04/2025

In a town hall with residents, WP MPs in Sengkang said that if re-elected, they will speak up on key issues like jet noise and the lack of coffee shops.

It’s shocking that WP MPs are turning national defence into a noise complaint.

Yes, jet noise can be an inconvenience but let us also be awaken to the reality of the world we live in.

Jet noise isn't just noise.

It's the sound of security.

Our air force isn't training for fun.

In a world where threats are real and Singapore must always be prepared, having a well-trained SAF is not a luxury - it is a necessity.

Instead of making jet noise a key issue, we should ask:

do we want a strong, well-trained SAF, or do we want to weaken our own defences for the sake of convenience?

If our security is ever threatened, no one will be complaining about jet noise.

Instead, they will be extremely grateful for our air force and for all the noise and times when they flew in training flights.

01/04/2025

This is why we keep stressing that the Opposition must be held to the same standard of integrity and competency as the PAP.

If you are not double standard,

if right from the beginning you do not settle for anything less,

we will not have to worry about a freak election result.

And if you demand a high standard from the opposition, they will realise they cannot take your support for granted.

31/03/2025

The Singapore government has long prioritized public transportation and discouraged car ownership to reduce traffic congestion, lower emissions, and promote sustainable living.

A key part of this strategy is the extensive rail network.

Even though ridership may not increase in direct proportion to the growing network, the government continues to invest in expanding and improving public transportation infrastructure.

Why?

The goal is to provide efficient and convenient alternatives to car ownership and help reduce reliance on private vehicles.

This, in turn, supports better land use, improves air quality, and mitigates the urban heat island effect.

As a small island, Singapore must prioritize land for essential purposes beyond building roads and car parks.

That’s why there’s a strong focus on sustainable public transport systems like the MRT and buses, which minimize the need for extensive road networks and parking spaces.

By doing so, Singapore aims to strike a balance between urban development, green spaces, and the mobility needs of its residents.

By 2030, 8 in 10 households will be within a 10-minute walk of an MRT station.

31/03/2025

The labor market has remained tight, with job openings continuing to outnumber available workers.

PMET share of job vacancies continued to rise, reflecting demand from firms in growth sectors.

More employers looking beyond academic qualifications when filling PMET vacancies.

In 2024, academic qualifications were not the main determinant in hiring for 78.8% of vacancies.

For positions where academic qualifications were not the main consideration, employers typically prioritized other factors when selecting candidates.

Singapore's labour market stayed tight in 2024, with PMET job vacancies rising to 57.7% and skills-based hiring becoming the new normal.

31/03/2025

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the 4G leadership responded quickly to safeguard lives, livelihoods, and the economy.

They faced the crisis head-on, emerging stronger and more determined.

In the face of unprecedented challenges, they moved quickly to implement wage subsidies, helping businesses stay afloat as the world came to a halt.

They provided support to maintain vital capabilities, preparing for the day when the world would recover and reopen for business.

Education continued without disruption as schools transitioned seamlessly to online platforms, ensuring that students could continue their learning.

They kept supply chains operational during global lockdowns, ensuring the steady flow of essential goods to Singapore, including the food that nourishes us daily.

They secured vaccines to protect all Singaporeans when vaccines were still in development.

Despite the crisis, Singapore attracted a surge in investments, as the government's efforts to keep borders open, maintain external connectivity, and ensure business continuity instilled confidence in global companies to establish their projects here.

Through their effective management of the crisis, the 4G leadership demonstrated resilience and capability, earning the public's trust in their ability to lead Singapore through difficult times.

As Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who led the COVID-19 taskforce, shared in 2021:

"I am confident that we will prevail and emerge stronger from this crucible. And I do not say this lightly. I speak from my own conviction of seeing the best of Singaporeans over the past year, in the face of adversity and very tough conditions."