00:00For Singaporeans, we have to live with parents under the same rule for many, many years.
00:04We were very overwhelmed with all the schedule and the demands of taking care of a newborn.
00:09But too much restriction may discourage people from participating.
00:14In his first National Day Rally,
00:16Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressed his commitment to serve Singaporeans,
00:21stating that Singapore needs a renewed social compact where every Singaporean feels there is
00:26hope and where all citizens know that they can get a fair shot in life and can get ahead
00:31if they make the effort and work hard.
00:33To build a more inclusive Singapore,
00:35PM Wong articulated a need for major resets in policies and Singaporeans' mindsets.
00:41During National Day Rally 2024, he announced policy changes in key areas pertaining to workers,
00:48families, housing, education and sports and infrastructure.
00:53Asian One conducted an audience poll on sentiments toward
00:56PM Wong's National Day Rally speech and received 1,175 valid responses.
01:04We started off by asking respondents about the announcements that they were most looking forward to.
01:09The five that topped the charts were the SkillsFuture JobSeeker Support Scheme,
01:14building of more BTO flats ahead of demand,
01:17increased HDB housing grants for lower-income groups,
01:21the upcoming infrastructure developments along the southern coast
01:25and the enhancements to paternity leave and shared parental leave.
01:29The most anticipated new scheme will see involuntarily unemployed lower- and
01:34middle-income workers receive up to $6,000 in financial support for up to six months.
01:4167% of all survey respondents agreed that this was a step in the right direction
01:46and across occupation groups,
01:48respondents who were in non-management positions were the most likely to hold this view.
01:53The changes to make housing more accessible and affordable for Singaporeans
01:57also had high levels of agreement among our survey respondents.
02:02The enhanced housing grant, previously capped at $80,000,
02:07has been increased, with eligible first-timer households receiving up to $120,000
02:13and eligible first-timer singles receiving up to $60,000 in EHG.
02:20Separately, singles will also get priority when buying a house to live with
02:24or near their parents starting mid-2025.
02:2874% of all survey respondents agreed to varying extents
02:33that this move is a step in the right direction,
02:36with respondents aged 35 to 44, whether single or married,
02:41more likely to do so compared to respondents in other age groups.
02:46To better support parents in managing their work and family commitments,
02:50working parents with newborns can enjoy 30 weeks of parental leave,
02:55paid by the government, from April 2026.
03:00Over half of all respondents either agreed or held neutral sentiments
03:04that this policy shift would encourage parents to have more children.
03:08This enhancement, including government-paid paternity leave,
03:12flexible work arrangements and more,
03:15are part of the government's holistic efforts
03:18to provide stronger caregiving support for parents.
03:22A slew of new facilities for both the community and Team Singapore,
03:26as well as a brand new 18,000-capacity arena,
03:29was announced under the Kalang Alive Master Plan.
03:32To this, 75% of all respondents expressed positive emotions,
03:38such as joy and anticipation.
03:41The Gifted Education Programme will be discontinued in its current form,
03:45and the Way Higher Ability students are supported will be refreshed.
03:49This is intended to provide opportunities
03:51for every child to excel and realise their full potential.
03:5579% of all survey respondents agreed to varying extents
04:00that this will help more students to realise their potential.
04:04With majority of the respondents reacting positively
04:07to the recent National Day Rally announcements,
04:10we set out to discover which announcements
04:12Singaporeans on the streets are eagerly anticipating.
04:16Changes in the GEP.
04:17The schema regarding the 6,000 after retrench.
04:21I'm excited about the increased parental leave.
04:24The new enhanced housing grant.
04:26I think it can be actually very helpful for all the job seekers
04:28because they might actually not have any income anymore.
04:31For those people, they already retrenched,
04:34then they maybe need to upgrade themselves
04:37so that they have opportunity to get another job as soon as possible.
04:42I feel that it's better in that way
04:43because they won't take the money and run off,
04:45so they can instead pursue a career,
04:49then get the money as a reward.
04:50There will always be the necessity for requirements
04:56in any governmental scheme,
04:58but too much restriction may discourage people from participating.
05:04The Sunoco is more popular
05:05because it's generally a place that is small, high-end.
05:09I think it will be very popular to Singaporeans,
05:12but at the same time, it depends if it's affordable or not.
05:15It's good because it's a highly populated area,
05:18so I guess young kids or people going around will see it
05:21and will probably get more interested in sports.
05:23I think I just hope for more people,
05:25maybe my age or more youth, being active.
05:28To me, I feel like Kallang is that sports place.
05:31It's nice having one centralised area for it.
05:33I mean, our national stadium is there.
05:34We've had a lot of history with stadiums over there also.
05:36I think it's great that there's some place that I can bring my kids to,
05:40to be active and be healthy on the weekend.
05:44I think it's good because
05:46you mentioned that the concert can drive Singapore's progress.
05:49For Singaporeans, we have to live with parents
05:52under the same roof for many, many years.
05:54I think it will be very good
05:55because, for example, for singles like me myself,
05:59if I actually get a house at 35
06:01and then I have to wait for five years to get a BTO,
06:03then it means that I'll be leaving myself later on,
06:06which is 40 years old.
06:08My son is coming to 40.
06:09He's not married.
06:10He is thinking about getting a flat.
06:13Whatever the government can do, it will be beneficial.
06:17With the new enhanced housing grant,
06:18I guess more singles will be able to get housing,
06:22especially their parents.
06:23So I think it's a great opportunity for them to get a flat that they want.
06:28It's a great step in the right direction
06:30because when I had my first child,
06:32I had 16 weeks of maternity leave
06:35and we were very overwhelmed with all the newborn,
06:38the schedule and the demands of taking care of a newborn.
06:41So I think when I went back to work,
06:43I was actually very emotionally not prepared also.
06:47So I think these few extra weeks will really come in handy.
06:50Encourage some people,
06:51but not everyone will be affected by it.
06:53But I guess it's better than nothing.
06:56I think with the new scheme,
06:58students now don't really have to relocate.
07:00Yeah, more students now will be able to pursue more opportunities.
07:05I think there's a lot of stress on the children
07:08to actually enroll in all these extracurriculars.
07:11Then all this is to specifically prepare themselves for the programmes.
07:15So I think it will be less stress for the parents
07:18to get the children to cover so many courses in K&N
07:22rather than they actually focus on their child's interests.
07:25Yeah, I think it's a good step
07:26because it kind of gets rid of the stigma against certain schools
07:30or which school is elite and which school isn't.
07:33So it kind of allows students to be more diverse
07:37in the sense of intellectual abilities.
07:39I think it's a good thing.
07:41You develop a sense of belonging in that primary school.
07:44It's your first major school,
07:45so you will obviously have a lot of friends there
07:47and it will be a difficult thing to take a big step
07:49and change your school just for the gifted programme.
07:51So yeah, I think it's a good thing.
07:53For the announcements related to housing,
07:55respondents we spoke to were receptive to the increased housing grants
07:58and welcomed the inclusion of singles to the priority list
08:02when applying for BTOs near their parents.
08:05Respondents were also receptive to the eligibility criteria
08:09for the SkillsFuture JobSeeker Support Scheme.
08:12They stated that it is the individual's responsibility to find a job
08:15but welcomed the support provided
08:17as individuals would still need time to get back on their feet.
08:22The enhancements to paid parental leave were generally met with optimism,
08:26with respondents appreciating the changes in policies
08:29to make Singapore more family-friendly.
08:32However, some respondents thought that the enhancements
08:35would need to be coupled with more holistic support
08:37from the workplace and the community to nurture healthier families.
08:42Of the people we spoke to about the slate of education initiatives announced,
08:46all of them responded that the changes announced were a step in the right direction.
08:51Respondents also said that it encourages more diversity among students
08:55due to their different capabilities and backgrounds.
08:58So, what do you think?
09:21you
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