00:00 Hi, DPM Wong. I'm Yuan Shi from the Streets Times. Actually, you answered a bit of my question.
00:05 Sure.
00:06 So, do you mind elaborating maybe, besides continuity, what were your other considerations in deciding on your new cabinet?
00:13 And also, you know, how will you decide, like, who will step down and who you might bring in from the backbench?
00:20 For now, as I explained, I won't be able to bring in people from outside to join the team until the election.
00:31 So, for now, the broad shape of the team remains intact. I don't expect major changes, but we are looking at possible promotions and backbenchers joining the team.
00:42 As to who they are, what changes there might be, you know, I think you wait for the announcement and wait for the press conference that will be revealed just a few days before swearing in itself.
00:55 But going forward, as I said, my main priority is to continue renewing, updating the team and forming the best possible team for Singapore.
01:05 And my considerations are to seek both change and continuity, as I had explained.
01:12 I want continuity because we should build on what we have today. We should affirm and reinforce what works well for Singapore.
01:21 But I also want change because we should re-examine and refresh our current approaches and be prepared to break new ground in order to adapt more effectively to a rapidly changing environment.
01:35 So, I will want, in time to come, a good balance between experienced ministers as well as new members of the team who can add fresh perspectives to our deliberations.
01:46 Thank you.
01:47 QPM, Ke Yang from Zafon here. Thank you for confirming that PM Lee will be staying on as a Senior Minister in the new Cabinet.
01:55 Can we ask about whether SM Teo will be a team member as well, and who will you be picking as your deputies?
02:01 So, as I said just now, the other ministers, and that includes SM, will continue in their respective portfolios.
02:09 I mean, there may be marginal adjustments here and there, but I do not expect at this stage major change.
02:18 I expect all of them, existing ministers, to remain largely in their current portfolios.
02:26 But I'm still in the process, in fact, of engaging and speaking to each one of them.
02:31 And I also have to take into account their considerations, what they would like to do as part of the team.
02:38 So, this conversation continues with all of them, and when I'm ready, we will announce the full line-up.
02:46 All right, DPM Sheldon from CNE here. So, you'll be delivering the National Day Rally for the first time this year.
02:51 What are the topics you're likely to cover, and will it be a GE-focused NDR?
02:56 For now, my main preoccupation is preparing for swearing-in. It's only a month's time. There's not a lot of time, in fact.
03:05 If you look at previous occasions, there was a much longer runway from the announcement to the swearing-in.
03:12 This time, not so much time, just one month. Not only about getting ready for the ceremony itself, but also preparing speeches and all that.
03:21 So, that's my main preoccupation and focus. In time to come, there will be opportunity to talk about the National Day Rally, and I'll share more about these plans.
03:31 Can I also ask, then, how will the PAP anniversary in November impact when you might call the GE?
03:37 And will it be a time to rally the party, or a chance to stockpile the support for the PAP?
03:42 Well, there are two different things altogether. We have the party conference once every two years.
03:48 It's an opportunity for the cadres to meet, and for them to elect and vote the leadership into the CEC, and this will happen later this year.
03:58 General elections are a different matter. Preparations for the GE is always a work in progress.
04:05 The work to prepare for the next GE starts the day after the last election.
04:11 We have to consistently tend the ground, attend to the needs of residents, and strive to win over their hearts and minds.
04:20 And I tell our branch chairs, our activists this all the time, we have to do this work consistently, and do this work well.
04:28 And if we do that, if all our branches do that, then we really don't have to anticipate or second-guess when the elections are called.
04:36 Because whenever the button is pressed, we will be ready for the campaign.
04:41 Minister, could you just elaborate on what your immediate priorities are as you take over as PM?
04:46 I thought I shared this now. So, in government, as I mentioned just now, in government we will have to tackle immediate concerns around jobs, economy, cost of living.
04:58 We will have to provide, and we are continuing to provide, greater assurance to families, to seniors, to vulnerable groups.
05:06 And we will have to start work not just dealing with immediate concerns, but taking concrete steps towards our shared aspirations.
05:13 Something that we had set out to do through the Forward Singapore exercise.
05:17 We have a roadmap, and we hope we can take concrete steps towards this.
05:22 Because this is not something that can be done overnight, and we have to sort of take steps towards building towards our longer-term goals.
05:31 Of course, along the way, we will continue to take inputs from Singaporeans, get ideas, get them to share their hopes, dreams, and concerns.
05:42 And we will continue to update our plans.
05:45 So, these are things we will continue to do till the end of this term of government.
05:51 Separately, as I highlighted just now, we are continuing to focus on getting the best team to form the government,
05:58 and to form, to join us in office, to join us as a party, and to join us potentially as office holders.
06:06 That continues to be my priority, and that continues to be something I'm doing, engaging different people.
06:12 And hopefully, when the election is called, I will be able to present a new slate of candidates,
06:18 with quite a number of them having the potential to hold office.
06:22 interest.
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