Forward Singapore

What it means for Singaporeans

I recently had the opportunity to participate in one of the Forward Singapore dialogues and I was heartened to see the passion Singaporeans have in wanting to shape Singapore’s future.

Unfortunately, as the session progressed, I became concerned as to whether the dialogues would amount to much. Not because the government is not listening, but more because the participants were focused on what the government needed to do for them. Everything was the government’s responsibility. To me, this is the malaise facing the next generation of Singaporeans.

The reality is that the government can only create the conditions. Ultimately, it will be our collective individual actions that will make the difference. To me, if Singapore is to survive as a nation, much less thrive, into the next century, Singaporeans need to embrace the following three responsibilities:

Personal Responsibility. Singaporeans need to take personal responsibility to stay employed and employable. Digitalization has changed the world. Competition for jobs increasingly transcends geographical boundaries and the government cannot effectively enforce protectionist policies over a prolonged period of time. Additionally, to stay competitive organizations continually demand new knowledge and skills, and if Singaporeans do not take…