PUBLISHED ONOctober 31, 2024 1:59 AMByKimi Ang
Did you catch Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first National Day Rally (NDR) this year? A "major reset" of several policies is underway to help Singaporeans of all ages realise their ambitions and achieve their goals, whether that means owning your first home or enabling younger Singaporeans to come into their full potential through diverse pathways.
AsiaOne surveyed 1,175 respondents and conducted street interviews with Singaporeans from all walks of life to share their honest thoughts on the policies and how they might befit their personal aspirations and life stages. Here's what they shared.
Housing and recreation
Respondents were excited about the changes to Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, which will see shorter waiting times of around three years or less, down from the current timeline estimates of about four years. Come mid-2025, singles above 35 who wish to live near their parents will get priority for the BTO exercise - a scheme that is currently only extended to married children.
Residents can also look forward to more vibrant neighbourhoods, as the Kallang Alive Masterplan envisions the area being transformed into a bustling hub for Team Singapore athletes and everyday Singaporeans alike.
One of the most significant plans is the construction of a new indoor arena with a seating capacity of 18,000 - surpassing that of the current Singapore Indoor Stadium which can hold 12,000. To this, 75 per cent of our survey respondents expressed positive emotions like joy and anticipation.
Some vox pop respondents were optimistic with this new development, and expressed hopes that Singaporeans would be encouraged to lead more active lifestyles when additional facilities roll out in the area.
Education
Have a child that just started or is going to primary school soon? Take note, changes to the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will soon be in place. This will affect the 2024 Primary 1 cohort, and all batches that enrol after.
This overhaul of the programme aims to provide more opportunities for every child to excel and realise their full potential.
From 2026, Primary 3 students who are identified as high-ability learners will no longer have to transfer schools to take part in the GEP. Instead, these students will remain in their schools and benefit from school-based development, without any disruptions to their learning environments and social bonds formed.
"I think it's a good step because it gets rid of the stigma against certain schools… which school is elite, and which isn't," shared a vox pop participant, who was a GEP student.
This revamp also intends to help stretch students with higher abilities in specific areas, instead of a uniform GEP for selected students based on their general abilities in multiple areas.
This move was welcomed by four in five survey respondents, who agreed it would help more students realise their potential.
Increased parental leave, enhanced support for workers
A new parental leave scheme will add 10 extra weeks of parental leave to be shared between mothers and fathers, on top of the existing parental leave schemes of 16 weeks for mothers and four weeks for fathers.
This will be rolled out in two phases to help employers adjust their manpower and operational needs accordingly. From Apr 1, 2025, parents of newborns will be entitled to six weeks of shared parental leave. In Apr 2026, this will be extended to encompass the full 10 weeks. Parents will then have a total of 30 weeks of paid parental leave.
Perhaps the most anticipated scheme was the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which will help retrenched workers bounce back after being laid off from work. Estimates from Workforce Singapore show that this will go to benefit about 60,000 lower- and middle-income workers annually.
"I think [the scheme] can be very helpful for all the jobseekers, because they might actually not have any income anymore," said a vox pop participant who switched jobs after the pandemic eased.
To hear more about what Singaporeans thought about the various schemes to come, watch the video above. And to find out more about the various topics, click here.
This article was brought to you in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.
kimi.ang@asiaone.com