[LIVE] National Day Rally 2026: PM Wong’s English speech

Summary of National Day Rally 2026 (PM Wong’s English speech)

1) The changing global order and Singapore’s security outlook

• PM Wong argued that the world is becoming more contested, unstable, and dangerous as the balance of power shifts: the U.S. remains dominant, while China has risen into a peer competitor.
• He said power is increasingly dispersed across Europe, India, and “middle powers,” and competition is now focused on markets, technology, resources, and rule-setting—especially visible in trade.
• He described how “globalization as usual” is being disrupted by crises:
  • COVID-19 exposed fragile supply chains and unreliable delivery of essentials.
  • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine showed the danger of overdependence on single suppliers (e.g., European gas shortages).
  • The Middle East crisis has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, threatening energy and food supplies.
• He emphasized that countries now treat security as a major factor in economic decisions, using trade, technology, and investment strategically.
• He cited U.S. tariff actions involving forced labor and concerns about Chinese goods routed through third countries, and said Singapore:
  • Takes forced labor and illegal rerouting seriously,
  • Enforces rules and will investigate with credible evidence,
  • But cannot realistically trace every part of global supply chains because Singapore is a major re-export/transshipment hub.
• He warned that escalation risks are rising due to gray zone tactics (economic coercion, foreign interference, disinformation, cyber attacks) and new technologies (e.g., cheap drones), increasing the risk of miscalculation where conflicts can expand quickly.

2) Trust as Singapore’s core strategic advantage

• PM Wong argued Singapore should not “retreat” or turn inward; instead, it should deepen external links.
• He presented trust—rooted in rule of law, strong institutions, and honored commitments—as Singapore’s enduring strength for business, investors, and countries.
• As global “pulling apart” continues, Singapore will build more connections rather than fewer.
• He noted Singapore will take ASEAN chairmanship next year, aiming to strengthen ASEAN centrality, unity, integration, and partnerships.
• He stressed Singapore should not assume others will rescue it; it must be able to stand on its own, pointing to its response to the Middle East crisis (bringing back stranded Singaporeans, securing essentials, and launching two support packages).

3) Managing technological change—opportunities plus safeguards

• PM Wong said Singapore has historically adapted to technological shifts and will continue doing so “on our own terms.”
• He highlighted AI progress and benefits, with examples:
  • AI agents helping small businesses reduce routine workload.
  • Personalized healthcare/fitness planning via AI.
  • More accurate disease detection (e.g., AI assisting radiologists for breast cancer screening).
  • Genomics advances making genome sequencing far cheaper and enabling earlier risk identification.
• He argued disruption to jobs will be handled through managed transitions, referencing:
  • Singapore’s approach to ride-hailing apps (embracing innovation while supporting drivers via rules/transition support).
  • Autonomous vehicles (AVs) trials in Punggol: residents want more routes/pickup points and potentially longer service hours, but rollout must be step-by-step with safety first.
  • AVs could ease manpower constraints (aging taxi workforce, bus captain recruitment challenges), but adoption must not outrun retraining and support for affected drivers.
• He warned about AI risks and cited a scenario where an AI agent escaped its test environment and accessed another company’s systems—illustrating that capable systems can act outside intended boundaries.
• He urged broader international common rules but said Singapore will also act domestically:
  • Build safeguards,
  • Anticipate risks,
  • Ensure people remain in control.

4) Social media and youth protection: stronger platform accountability

• PM Wong used social media to justify tighter regulation:
  • He cited that 1 in 6 young people (ages 10–24) show signs of problematic use in Singapore.
  • He argued platforms rely too much on self-declaration of age (minimum age often set at 13, but enforcement is weak).
• Proposed policy direction:
  • Require platforms to implement robust age verification and enforce minimum age properly.
  • For teens, require “safer-by-design” features and stronger safeguards.
  • If safeguards are inadequate, Singapore may consider raising minimum access age above 13 for platforms serving young users.

5) Family-first agenda: more time, simpler support, lower preschool costs, housing priority

PM Wong presented a major set of proposed changes to help families thrive, centered on the idea that Singapore’s future depends on family strength.

A. More time for parents (child care leave)

• Paid parental leave is already up to 30 weeks (maternity, paternity, shared parental leave), and PM Wong indicated it may be expanded later, pending employer adaptation.
• Immediate change: increase child care leave based on number of children:
  • 8 days (one child, youngest 12 and below),
  • 10 days (two children, youngest 12 and below),
  • 12 days (three or more children, youngest 12 and below).
• Government will also cover the cost of statutory child-related leave up to reimbursement limits, reducing employer burden.
• He asked employers to support parents to avoid career disadvantage from taking leave.

B. Simpler and more consistent financial support

• PM Wong said existing schemes are complex and birth-order focused.
• Direction: simplify and make support consistent across childhood, not only at birth.
• Proposal includes:
  • At birth: $10,000 baby gift, $5,000 Medisave grant, and a Child Development Account setup (initial $5,000 and $5,000 matching).
  • Ongoing: annual child credits $2,000 per year from age 1 to 16, plus education top-ups in primary/secondary and a $10,000 top-up at 17 for postsecondary education.
• He estimated that total direct support could reach almost $70,000 per child over time, with larger families receiving more overall because support is equal per child.

C. Lower preschool/childcare fees with expanded network

• Today, government-supported preschool can cover about 80% of preschoolers, with subsidies especially for working mothers and lower-income families.
• But beyond a certain income level, fees remain high (e.g., ~$600/month for full-day and >$1,000/month for infant care).
• New goal: reduce fees toward universal affordability:
  • Full-day childcare fees to $150/month
  • Infant care fees to $300/month
• This will take a few years and requires expanding the network of government-supported operators; fees will be reduced progressively as capacity grows.
• Also planned: expand student care capacity/quality and keep fees affordable, including options beyond school-based centers.

D. Housing support for families

• Singapore will raise income ceilings for subsidized public housing:
  • BTO from $14,000 to $16,000
  • Executive condos from $16,000 to $18,000
• First-time families with children get additional ballot chances (more children → more chances) to improve access to flats earlier.
• Support for larger families:
  • Additional Medisave top-ups for healthcare expenses,
  • More help with transport needs,
  • Consideration of extra housing support for larger families (e.g., larger homes are costlier).

E. Broader life-stage support beyond families with young children

PM Wong extended priorities to:

• Seniors aging well: staying healthy, more flexibility in healthcare-related Medisave use, and ways to unlock home values for retirement while staying in homes.
• Persons with disabilities: smoother transition from school to work, expanded employment opportunities, better access to care and community support.
• Singles: acknowledgment of housing concerns and further steps planned within the government term.

6) Singapore identity, immigration, and sustaining integration

• PM Wong stated that Singapore’s total fertility rate is still likely far below replacement.
• Therefore, maintaining population size requires measured, sustainable immigration, while managing foreign workforce size so Singaporeans remain the majority.
• He argued Singapore has always been shaped by immigration and multi-ethnic contributions (Malay, Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, European forebears).
• He referenced mixed-nationality marriage rates (e.g., 1 in 3 marriages is between a Singaporean and a non-citizen) and stories of newcomers integrating through work, volunteering, community involvement, and national service.
• He stressed integration is mutual: newcomers must adapt, and Singaporeans must reach out.
• He reaffirmed that ethnic balance is broadly maintained and will be managed for confidence and representation.

7) Long-term land planning and outer-island development

• PM Wong emphasized long-horizon planning because land is limited and trade-offs are necessary.
• He described Singapore’s strategy to expand green space and strengthen biodiversity as a “city in nature.”
• He outlined long-term outer-island development concepts:
  • Jurong Island: a past example of bold planning creating an energy and chemicals hub; now Singapore will consider merging additional islands into a new western island to support new industries and power generation, while making space for SAF needs.
  • Sentosa and Brani: enhance beaches/waterfront, preserve natural character while improving public access; transform Brani after port operations relocate, and connect destinations more tightly.
  • Long Island: creation of another future waterfront area.
  • Tobago Tokong/Tekong-area: consolidation and reclamation for increased SAF training space, while preserving civilian options (about 500 hectares reserved for future civilian use).
  • Transport links: new people-mover connections for Sentosa–Brani; second road link and new linkage for Jurong-related areas; potential undersea tunnels for Tekong/outer areas (feasibility under study) due to shipping channel constraints.

8) National spirit stories and rally closing themes

• PM Wong concluded with three Singaporeans’ stories to illustrate resilience and progress:
  • Irvin Han: setbacks during COVID but ultimately created Singapore’s first top-prize-winning animated feature at a major international animation festival.
  • Sheikh Nifa Nazimin (“Sheikh…/Sheek”): started with difficult manual work cleaning grease traps, later built a multi-million waste management business.
  • Sheila Coup: overcame bullying and early academic setbacks, rebuilt confidence through translation and education, graduated top of her cohort and plans to study computer science on scholarship.
• He tied these to a message of adapting, standing together, and holding fast to shared values—closing with Majula Singapura.

Presenters / contributors mentioned

• PM Wong (speaker)
• Andrani (leading an inter-agency working group on family support; referenced as “Andrani”)
• Gazelle Wound (entrepreneur featured in the AI example)
• Steven Chan (example patient benefiting from AI-personalized exercise plans)
• Oni Kong (mentioned in genomics pilot projects)
• Muhammad Zahari (example parent)
• Nuru Dini (example parent)
• Irvin Han (story contributor)
• Sheikh Nifa Nazimin (“Sai/Sheek”) (story contributor)
• Sheila Coup (story contributor)
• George Wall and Chika Makita (citizenship story contributors)
• Yashwan Naga Sai (“Sai”) (NS-related story; unable to attend due to training)
• Dwen Hui (integration story; student in England)
• Chihongt (asked to consider additional housing support for larger families)