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On the 18th, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his first National Day rally speech since taking office, announcing that Singapore will provide temporary unemployment support of up to S$6,000 (US$4,563) for up to six months.

The Singapore government has long refrained from providing direct unemployment benefits, preferring to reduce unemployment through incentives.Data from the second quarter showed that the resident unemployment rate was around 2.7%.

Wong also pledged a business-friendly environment and guaranteed minimal regulatory burdens in his first major speech since taking over from Lee Hsien Loong in May. Singapore will hold a general election before November 2025.

Singapore needs a government that is both “cautious and bold” to survive

“We have seen in other countries what happens when a broad middle class is left behind,” Mr Wong said. “The core of society cannot hold together and society begins to fracture and collapse.”

He also arranged training allowances of up to S$3,000 a month, higher public housing grants for low-income groups, and mandatory paternity leave from April 2025.

“The subtext of the whole speech was really that this is a society where everyone can thrive," said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University. “This was his first and last National Day rally before the election, so it was mainly about bolstering the credibility of the PAP government."

Analysts believe that although the People's Action Party won the vast majority of parliamentary seats in the last election, the results of this election reflect a decline in the party's support compared with the past. Therefore, they hope to continue to govern in the next election through the leadership of 51-year-old Lawrence Wong.

"It is very important for Huang to ensure that citizens feel their concerns are being responded to and that they trust him and his team to make the best decisions for the country during these difficult times," said Nydia Ngiow, managing director of strategic business consultancy Bower Group Asia.

In his speech, Lawrence Wong quoted the country's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew: For Singapore to survive, it needs a government that is both "cautious and bold."

Here are some key points from Mr Wong’s speech, covering family welfare, housing options and community development:

From April 1, 2025, the government will provide an extra six weeks of shared parental leave; a year later, this will increase to ten weeks.

○ From April 1, 2025, paternity leave will become mandatory.

Families with at least three young children will receive more support.

○ Subsidies for low-income couples to purchase public housing will be increased.

From mid-2025, single people will be given priority if they apply for new public housing closer to their parents; previously only married children were given priority.

○ Seniors will have more housing options and existing public housing will be made more senior-friendly.

○Singapore will build a 120-kilometer waterfront coastline, including an indoor venue for sports and entertainment activities and housing.

○Singapore will set up a new Islamic studies institute to train Islamic leaders.