Dear friends,
National Day is a day to celebrate the hard work and sacrifice of all Common Singaporeans.
Our hardworking pioneers build Singapore into a first-world nation. The generations of Singaporeans to come further developed our country into a thriving metropolis. They had the opportunities, they took their chances and they achieved success for their families, for the nation.
Now, our young Singaporeans bear the mammoth task of carrying the nation’s prosperity into the future. Their path is unenviable. Despite being amongst the most highly-educated in the world, they find their opportunities diminishing.
Year-on-year, full-time employment for our university graduates is dropping. The year-on-year prospects for our polytechnic graduates are even dimmer. Singapore today ranks amongst the highest for income inequality. The government’s underemployment figures are sketchy at best, and do not appear to reflect our lived experiences. Statistics aside, just ask your friends and family.
National pride is more than just being a lessee of a HDB flat and hoping for a lottery windfall. Rather, it is about owning a stake in our nation’s progress. Without the chance to play a meaningful role in building Singapore, how can our young Singaporeans take pride in our nation? What stories will they tell their children come SG100?
The SDA has pushed for policy changes to boost the prospects for our capable fellow Singaporeans. We have, and will continue to press for fairer policies that incentivise employers to prioritise hiring our local talents, and groom them to become leaders of local industries. So that in the years to come, just like the Singaporeans of old, they will be proud to call this country home.
The SDA deeply appreciates the hard work and ingenuity of Common Singaporeans past and present. We staunchly believe that our people are our greatest resource, and they should be given a fighting chance at success. If you share this belief, then let’s come together and make change happen.
Happy National Day.
Desmond Lim
Chairman
Singapore Democratic Alliance
