PM Wong says S’pore must embrace new technologies like AI & robotics in 2025 National Day message
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has called on Singaporeans to stay ahead of the competition by remaining “exceptional”.
In the National Day Message for 2025, delivered on Friday (8 Aug), he said one way would be to embrace new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics.
Source: Ministry of Digital Development and Information via Lawrence Wong on Facebook
‘Difficult times lie ahead’: PM in 2025 National Day message
Mr Wong, speaking against the backdrop of the Padang that is ready for the National Day Parade, said difficult times lie ahead for Singapore.
The global order that enabled Singapore to thrive for decades is “unravelling”, he added, citing new conflicts, deepening geopolitical tensions and hardening trade barriers.
The global economy is expected to remain troubled “for some time”, he noted. While Singapore’s economy has been resilient, the outlook remains “highly uncertain”.
He also pointed out that other countries have more resources and people, and are “hungry to succeed”, making it harder for small states like Singapore, adding:
The bigger powers are also now more willing to use every tool at their disposal – economic, technological and geopolitical – to tilt the playing field in their favour.
But as the world becomes “more contested, more fragmented and more volatile than before”, Singaporeans will not succumb to despair but “overcome our new challenges” in our own way, he declared.
S’pore must remain ‘exceptional’ in cohesion, resolve & performance
Besides responding to immediate headwinds, Singapore must also look ahead by anticipating what’s on the horizon and prepare to “ride the next wave of change”
To stay ahead, Singapore must remain “exceptional” in our cohesion, resolve and performance, PM Wong said, adding:
We must move faster, adapt quicker and innovate smarter.
S’pore must sharpen competitiveness with new technologies
One way to do this is by embracing new technologies like AI and robotics, he said.
Source: Lawrence Wong on Facebook
We must also apply these technologies meaningfully across our economy by enabling people, workers and businesses to sharpen our competitive edge by making full use of these tools.
However, he warned that the pace of change will be rapid and “not always comfortable”, with disruption expected, adding:
Not everyone will find the transition easy.
Govt to do more to uplift lower-income workers
Mr Wong pledged that the Government would “walk this journey” with Singaporeans by:
- Expand opportunities for learning and skills upgrading
- Strengthening social safety nets
- Helping every Singaporean who faces setbacks to bounce back and press on
Noting that new policies such as the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme help those who lost their jobs, he promised to do more to uplift lower-income workers and families.
Source: Lawrence Wong on YouTube
The Government would also “create more pathways for every Singaporean to succeed, regardless of their starting point in life”, he added.
‘S’pore spirit’ helped us endure & prosper over 60 years
Mr Wong emphasised that all those in “Team Singapore” have a shared responsibility for the above, as “Singapore’s future must be built by all of us together”.
Describing this sense of solidarity and shared purpose as the “Singapore spirit”, he pointed out that we “cannot afford” to be divided as we are a small nation, saying:
Our unity has always been our source of strength. When we stand together, there is nothing we cannot overcome.
Source: Ministry of Digital Development and Information via Lawrence Wong on Facebook
Despite different backgrounds, Singaporeans are bound by “a shared commitment” that has helped us endure, prevail and even prosper over the last 60 years, he added.
PM wishes S’poreans a Happy National Day in 2025 message
Mr Wong concluded by saying that Singapore had “gone from third world to first” through “sheer determination, resilience and unity”.
He thus urged Singaporeans to “draw strength from our past and press forward with confidence”, as a new chapter is set to begin, adding:
Together, we will secure a brighter future for ourselves, our children, and generations to come.
Watch Mr Wong’s full speech here, or if you prefer, read the transcript.
Also read: ‘We will redouble efforts to keep the cost of living stable’: PM Wong in National Day message
‘We will redouble efforts to keep the cost of living stable’: PM Wong in National Day message
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Featured image adapted from Ministry of Digital Development and Information via Lawrence Wong on Facebook.
