Photo credit: MCI
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be giving the National Day Rally speech on Sunday evening (18 August) at 6:45pm in Malay and Mandarin. This is followed by the 8:15pm English address. For those unable to catch the broadcast, you can catch the live updates on ST’s Telegram.
The National Day Rally is the Singapore equivalent of the US President’s State of the Union. Since PM’s National Day Message, both Mr Lee and his office (PMO) have been teasing the public about what to expect from the speech. Here are the 5 key things to look out for:
1. Our national identity: Where we are today as a nation
With this being Singapore’s Bicentennial year, expect the speech to delve into the state of Singapore’s national identity, some 200 years in the making since the British set up shop here.
2. US-China relations: Global recession concerns
The trade war between Washington and Beijing is looking to set off a global recession. With news of the inverted yield curve, a prominent indicator of a recession, a recession exacerbated by the ongoing trade war appears likely. I believe PM will go explain which sectors in Singapore’s economy will be affected, and this is a neat segue way to the next point…
3. The Singapore economy: Jobs, jobs, and how to save your job
Expect some announcements (I hope) of what the government will be doing to keep its workforce relevant and protected from a slowing economy.
4 . Education: Keeping it affordable
PM also shared that he will explain what the government is doing to keep school fees affordable for pre-school and tertiary education.
5. Climate change: Dangerous sea levels
In a Facebook post, PM cited a BBC report that showed rising (and projected) temperatures in 1,000 cities around the world. He wrote that a low-lying city like Singapore is particularly susceptible, and may see temperature peaks of 37°C by the year 2100:
Mr Lee said he will share more about how Singapore is responding. We think this speech here from Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli will have some clues as to what PM will announce:
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