National Day Message 2025 delivered by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong

My fellow Singaporeans

SG60

Sixty years ago, Singapore became “forever a sovereign democratic and independent nation,” as you just heard Mr Lee Kuan Yew declare in the Proclamation of Singapore.

We didn’t intend to become independent. We were not meant to exist as a country. Up to that fateful moment, the prevailing conviction – amongst our founding leaders and pioneer generation alike – was that Singapore had to be part of Malaysia. We were simply too small, too exposed, too vulnerable to stand on our own.

But circumstances forced our hand. We had to summon the resolve and will to survive as an independent nation.

Looking back, we can see just how precarious our position was. At many points, history could have easily taken a darker turn. Yet against all odds, we made it.

This is what makes SG60 so significant – not just that we endured, but that we prevailed and prospered when few believed we would even survive.

More than once, we ourselves feared we might not pull through. But we did not falter. We overcame every challenge – from racial strife and the British pullout, to economic crises, terrorism and global pandemics.

Each time, we picked ourselves up, learnt from our setbacks, and found the strength and will to carry on.

Above all, we stood together – even when powerful forces tried to pull us apart. Through trials, tears and tribulations, we built a nation – strong and free. We built a home for all – regardless of race, language or religion.

Changed World

Now at 60, Singapore stands at another fork in the road.

Three months ago, I spoke about a changed world. Since then, the situation has grown graver. New conflicts have broken out. Geopolitical tensions have deepened. Barriers to trade are hardening. And protectionist sentiments are worsening.

To put it bluntly: The global order that enabled Singapore to thrive for decades is unravelling before our eyes.

This is the world we must now navigate – one that is more contested, more fragmented and more volatile than before.

Difficult times lie ahead. But we are not going to throw up our hands in despair. We will overcome our new challenges. And we will do so in our own way. We will shape the future we want with our own actions.

In the recent General Election, Singaporeans made a considered and clear choice. You chose the team you believe can best steer Singapore through this turbulence. Your wisdom and trust give my government the political assurance to act boldly, and the confidence to lead with conviction.

And that is exactly what we are doing.

We expect the global economy to remain troubled for some time. Businesses everywhere are holding back on expansion and new investments.

So far, our economy has been resilient. But the outlook remains highly uncertain.

The Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, chaired by DPM Gan Kim Yong, has been hard at work – rolling out targeted measures to support businesses and help Singaporeans stay employed. The Taskforce will continue to assess the risks, identify new opportunities and prepare our firms and workers for what lies ahead.

But we must do more than respond to the immediate headwinds. We must also look ahead – anticipate what is on the horizon, and prepare to ride the next wave of change.

Other countries are not standing still. They have more resources, larger populations and are hungry to succeed. 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. That will make it harder for small states like Singapore to hold our own.

We are therefore refreshing our economic strategy – to strengthen our competitiveness, deepen our capabilities, and secure our future in a very different world.

To stay ahead, Singapore must remain exceptional – in our cohesion, in our resolve, in our performance. We must move faster, adapt quicker and innovate smarter.

That means embracing new technologies like Artificial Intelligence and robotics – and applying them meaningfully across our economy. We must enable our people, workers and businesses to make full use of these tools, and sharpen our competitive edge.

The pace of change will be rapid and not always comfortable. There will be disruption. Not everyone will find the transition easy.

But no one will face these challenges alone. This Government will walk this journey with you – just as we have done for 60 years now. We will expand opportunities for learning and skills upgrading, strengthen social safety nets, and help every Singaporean who faces setbacks to bounce back and press on.

That is why I launched Forward Singapore – to refresh our social compact, and give every Singaporean the support and confidence to travel the road ahead.

We have already introduced new policies like the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme – to help those who lose their jobs get back on their feet. We will do more to uplift lower-income workers and families, and create more pathways for every Singaporean to succeed, regardless of their starting point in life.

This is a shared effort, involving all in “Team Singapore”. We are partnering community groups, businesses, unions and many passionate individuals – all working together to shape solutions, put ideas into action, and make a difference on the ground.

This ethos of mutual support and shared responsibility is crucial. Because Singapore’s future must be built by all of us together – through our actions, our compassion, and our willingness to lift up one another.

Singapore Spirit

And at the heart of all this is our Singapore Spirit – our deep sense of solidarity and shared purpose.

As a small nation, we cannot afford to be divided. Our unity has always been our source of strength. When we stand together, there is nothing we cannot overcome.

We may come from different races, speak different languages, and hold different beliefs. But we are bound by something deeper: a shared commitment to one another, and to Singapore.

This is the faith that has sustained us these past 60 years: faith in ourselves, in one another, and in the promise of Singapore. It gave us the strength to build a nation from scratch. And this same spirit will be even more vital in the years ahead, as the pace of change quickens and the world becomes more uncertain.

I am speaking to you from the Padang, a place rich in history and meaning for Singapore. It was here in 1959 that our first Head of State, Encik Yusof Ishak, was inaugurated when Singapore became a self-governing state. It was here again in 1966 that we held our first National Day Parade as an independent nation.

As we mark SG60, we honour these memories. But we also look ahead, and  that’s why we will be holding a special exhibition at the Orchard Library – to invite Singaporeans to reflect on our journey, and to share our hopes and dreams for our future.

The exhibition has started welcoming students. Later this month, it will open to the public.

In the exhibition, you will see a collection of ground-up aspirations and wishes – each one reflecting a vision of what Singapore can be.

Let us turn these dreams into reality, and bring our hopes to life – in our homes, in our schools, and in our communities.

In 60 years, we have gone from third world to first. Not through luck, but through sheer determination, resilience and unity.

Now, as we stand on the threshold of a new chapter, we must draw strength from our past, and press forward with confidence.

Together, we will secure a brighter future for ourselves, our children, and generations to come.

Happy National Day. Majulah Singapura!