National Day Rally 2024: Key takeaways from Lawrence Wong's speech

Summary

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced significant family-friendly policies at the National Day Rally. Starting April 2025, paternity leave will be extended to four weeks, with a new Shared Parental Leave scheme offering 10 weeks for parents to share from 2026. The government will subsidize additional leave, totaling up to 30 weeks of paid leave. Other initiatives include priority access to housing for singles living near parents and financial support for lower-income families. Education will see a refresh of the Gifted Education Programme, and for the unemployed, the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme offers up to S$6,000 in temporary aid. The Kallang Alive Masterplan promises a new sports and lifestyle hub, enhancing community and sports engagement.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Starting April 1, 2025, Singaporean employers are required to offer fathers 4 weeks of paternity leave, increasing from the current 2 weeks with an additional 2 weeks on a voluntary basis.
• 🤝 A new Shared Parental Leave scheme will be implemented from April 1, 2026, allowing working parents to share 10 weeks of paid parental leave, phased in starting with 6 weeks from April 1, 2025.
• 💰 The additional 10 weeks of shared parental leave will be funded by the government, adding to the existing 4 weeks for fathers and 16 weeks for mothers, totaling approximately 7.5 months of paid leave.
• 🏡 Singles will receive priority access to Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to live near their parents from mid-next year, extending a previously married-only benefit.
• 🏘️ Lower-income couples will benefit from an increase in the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant, which is capped at S$80,000, to make purchasing their first HDB flat more affordable.
• 📚 A significant change in education policy will refresh the 40-year-old Gifted Education Programme (GEP), decentralizing it to allow all primary schools to identify and nurture high-ability students with tailored programmes.
• 💼 The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme aims to support lower- and middle-income workers who face involuntary unemployment, providing temporary financial aid of up to S$6,000 for up to 6 months, along with training and job matching services.
• 🏟️ The Kallang Alive Masterplan will transform the area into a sporting and lifestyle destination with a new indoor arena for 18,000 people and become the new home for Team Singapore, including the Sports School and national training centers.
• 🏅 Recognition and appreciation were given to Singaporean athletes, including bronze medallist Max Maeder, who competed at the Paris Olympics, with an invitation to the Rally.
• 🎉 Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first National Day Rally speech included speeches in Malay, Mandarin, and English, and he confirmed he would not be performing with his guitar as some had expected.

Q & A

What is the new mandatory paternity leave policy starting from April 1, 2025, in Singapore?

Employers in Singapore must offer fathers 4 weeks of paternity leave starting from April 1, 2025, making it mandatory compared to the current 2 weeks with an additional 2 weeks on a voluntary basis.

What is the Shared Parental Leave scheme introduced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong?

The Shared Parental Leave scheme allows working parents to share 10 weeks of paid parental leave, which will be fully implemented by April 1, 2026, and will be phased in starting with 6 weeks from April 1, 2025.

How will the additional 10 weeks of shared parental leave be funded?

The additional 10 weeks of shared parental leave will be paid for by the government.

What is the total amount of paid leave parents can expect under the new policy?

Parents can expect a total of 30 weeks or about 7.5 months of paid leave, which includes 4 weeks for fathers, 16 weeks for mothers, and 10 weeks to share between them.

What changes are being made for singles regarding public housing?

Starting from the middle of next year, singles will get priority access to Build-to-Order (BTO) flats to live near their parents, a benefit previously exclusive to married couples.

How will the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant be adjusted to assist lower-income couples?

The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant, which currently has a cap of S$80,000, will be increased to make buying the first HDB flat more affordable for lower-income couples.

What significant change is being proposed for the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) in primary schools?

The GEP will be refreshed and decentralized, allowing all primary schools to identify high-ability students and create their own tailored programmes, instead of placing them in 9 specific primary schools.

What support is available for involuntarily unemployed workers through the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme?

The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme offers temporary financial support of up to S$6,000 for lower- and middle-income workers, along with training, career coaching, and job matching services for up to 6 months.

What is the Kallang Alive Masterplan and how will it transform the area?

The Kallang Alive Masterplan aims to transform the area into a sporting and lifestyle destination, including a new indoor arena that can hold 18,000 people and will serve as the new home for Team Singapore, the Sports School, and national training centers for several key sports.

How does the Kallang Alive Masterplan cater to individuals interested in sports at different levels?

The facilities at Kallang will be accessible to everyone with an interest in sports, regardless of their level, from weekend players and beginners to those trying to pick up a new sport.

What recognition did Prime Minister Lawrence Wong give to Team Singapore athletes at the National Day Rally?

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong gave a shoutout to Team Singapore athletes who competed at the Paris Olympics, including bronze medallist Max Maeder, and invited them to stand at the Rally to show appreciation for their achievements.

Outlines

00:00

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Enhanced Family-Friendly Policies

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced significant changes to Singapore's family policies during the National Day Rally. Starting April 1, 2025, fathers will be entitled to 4 weeks of paternity leave, up from the current 2 weeks with an additional 2 weeks on a voluntary basis. A new Shared Parental Leave scheme will be introduced, allowing parents to share 10 weeks of paid leave from April 1, 2026. The government will fund the additional 10 weeks, resulting in a total of 30 weeks or 7.5 months of paid leave for parents. Additionally, singles will receive priority access to BTO flats to live near their parents from the middle of next year, and lower-income couples will benefit from an increased Enhanced CPF Housing Grant to make their first HDB flat purchase more affordable.

🏫 Refreshed Gifted Education Programme

In the education sector, PM Wong outlined a new approach to nurturing high-ability students in primary schools. The 40-year-old Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will be refreshed to decentralize the identification of gifted students to all primary schools, allowing them to create tailored programmes for these students. This change will enable students to stay in their own schools rather than moving to specific GEP schools.

💼 Support for Retrenched Workers

For those who face involuntary unemployment, the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme will provide temporary financial support of up to S$6,000 for lower- and middle-income workers to help them for up to 6 months. During this period, they will receive training, career coaching, and job matching services to assist in finding new employment.

🏟️ Kallang Alive Masterplan for Sports and Lifestyle

The Kallang Alive Masterplan aims to transform the area into a sporting and lifestyle destination. A new indoor arena with a capacity of 18,000 people will be built, surpassing the current stadium's capacity. Kallang will become the new home for Team Singapore, with the Sports School moving from Woodlands and national training centers for key sports relocated there. The facilities will cater to all levels of athletes, from beginners to elite, providing opportunities for everyone interested in sports.

🏅 Recognition of Singapore's Athletes

PM Wong acknowledged the achievements of Singapore's athletes, including bronze medallist Max Maeder, who competed at the Paris Olympics. Athletes were invited to the Rally to receive public appreciation for their efforts. The Prime Minister also extended his best wishes to Paralympians participating in the Games.

🎸 No Unplugged Session, but a Multilingual Speech

Contrary to some expectations, PM Wong did not perform an unplugged session at the Rally, leaving his guitar at home. However, he delivered his speeches in Malay, Mandarin, and English, showcasing his linguistic capabilities and addressing the diverse audience at the National Day Rally.

Keywords

💡National Day Rally

The National Day Rally is an annual event in Singapore where the Prime Minister addresses the nation on various policy matters. It is a significant platform for the government to communicate its vision and plans. In the script, the Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, uses this event to announce several key policy changes aimed at making Singapore more family-friendly and improving the welfare of its citizens.

💡Paternity Leave

Paternity leave refers to the period of time that new fathers are allowed to take off from work following the birth of a child. In the context of the video, the Prime Minister announces that starting April 1, 2025, employers in Singapore must offer fathers four weeks of paternity leave, doubling the current two weeks and making the additional two weeks mandatory.

💡Shared Parental Leave

Shared parental leave is a scheme that allows parents to share a portion of their parental leave entitlement between them. The script mentions a new Shared Parental Leave scheme in Singapore, where working parents will be able to share ten weeks of paid parental leave, starting from April 1, 2026, in phases, with the government covering the additional ten weeks.

💡Public Housing

Public housing refers to government-subsidized housing made available to eligible residents. The script discusses changes to public housing policies, such as giving singles priority access to Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to live near their parents, and increasing the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant for lower-income couples to make their first HDB flat purchase more affordable.

💡Gifted Education Programme (GEP)

The GEP is a specialized program in Singapore designed to cater to the needs of primary school students with higher abilities. The Prime Minister outlines a significant change to this 40-year-old scheme by decentralizing it, allowing all primary schools to identify high-ability students and create tailored programs for them, instead of having them attend only nine designated schools.

💡SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support

SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support is a scheme aimed at providing financial assistance and support to individuals who have become involuntarily unemployed. The script mentions that this new initiative will offer temporary financial support of up to S$6,000 to lower- and middle-income workers, along with training, career coaching, and job matching services to help them find new employment.

💡Kallang Alive Masterplan

The Kallang Alive Masterplan is a development plan for the Kallang area in Singapore, aiming to transform it into a sporting and lifestyle destination. The script describes the construction of a new indoor arena with a capacity of 18,000 people and the relocation of the Sports School and national training centers for key sports to Kallang, making it accessible to athletes of all levels.

💡Team Singapore

Team Singapore refers to the collective group of athletes representing Singapore in international sporting events. The Prime Minister acknowledges the achievements of Singaporean athletes, including a bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics, and invites them to stand at the Rally to receive appreciation from the audience.

💡Paralympians

Paralympians are athletes with disabilities who compete in the Paralympic Games. The script includes a message of support from the Prime Minister for Singapore's Paralympians participating in the Games, emphasizing the nation's appreciation for their efforts and achievements.

💡Enhanced CPF Housing Grant

The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant is a financial assistance program in Singapore that helps eligible citizens purchase their first Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat. The script mentions an increase in the cap of this grant from S$80,000 to make housing more affordable for lower-income couples.

💡Involuntary Unemployment

Involuntary unemployment occurs when an individual loses their job due to reasons beyond their control, such as company closure. The script discusses the new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which is designed to provide financial and vocational support to lower- and middle-income workers who are facing this situation.

Highlights

Singapore will become more family-friendly with new policies.

Employers must offer fathers 4 weeks of paternity leave starting April 1, 2025.

Shared Parental Leave scheme to be introduced, allowing parents to share 10 weeks of paid leave.

The government will fund the additional 10 weeks of shared parental leave.

Parents will have a total of 30 weeks or 7.5 months of paid leave to spend with their children.

Singles will get priority access to BTO flats to live near their parents from mid-next year.

Enhanced CPF Housing Grant for lower-income couples to buy their first HDB flat will be increased.

A new approach to nurturing high-ability primary school students will decentralize the Gifted Education Programme.

All primary schools will identify high-ability students and create tailored programmes.

SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme to provide financial support and job assistance for the involuntarily unemployed.

Kallang Alive Masterplan will transform the area into a sporting and lifestyle destination.

A new 18,000-people capacity indoor arena will be built in Kallang.

Kallang will become the new home for Team Singapore and host national training centres for key sports.

Facilities at Kallang will be accessible to all levels of athletes, from beginners to elite players.

PM Wong acknowledges Singapore's athletes, including bronze medallist Max Maeder, at the Rally.

PM Wong's speeches in Malay, Mandarin, and English reflect the diversity of Singapore.

The Prime Minister does not deliver an unplugged session or play the guitar at the Rally.

Transcripts

Here are the key announcements from Prime  Minister Lawrence Wong’s first National Day Rally.

Singapore is about to become more family-friendly. 

This is how. Starting Apr 1, 2025, employers  

must offer fathers 4 weeks of paternity leave. Currently, paid paternity leave is 2 weeks and  

employers can grant an additional  2 weeks on a voluntary basis - but  

it’s going to be made mandatory. On top of that, there’s a new  

Shared Parental Leave scheme. When fully rolled out from  

Apr 1, 2026, working parents will get  to share 10 weeks of paid parental leave. 

This will happen in 2 phases to help  employers to manage the transition. 

It’ll start with 6 weeks of shared parental  leave for babies born from Apr 1, 2025, 

and expand to the full 10 weeks one year later.

The additional 10 weeks will be paid for by  

the government. In other words, fathers have 4  weeks. Mothers have 16 weeks. On top of that,  

both have 10 weeks to share between them. That’s  30 weeks or about 7.5 months of paid leave,  

which parents can take to spend time with  their children. I hope this move will go  

some way in reassuring young couples – we  are building a Singapore made for families. 

Now, on to public housing. Singles - this is for you. 

If you want to live near your parents,  you’ll get priority access to BTO flats  

starting from the middle of next year. This will no longer be exclusive  

to those who are married.

I think we shouldn’t limit  

this to married children. After all, many  single children also want to stay close to  

their aged parents to take care of them.

Are you a lower-income couple hoping to  

buy your first HDB flat? This is for you. The current Enhanced CPF Housing Grant, 

which has a cap of S$80,000, will be  increased to make things more affordable. 

Next, PM Wong talked about education  and he outlined this significant change. 

There’ll be a new approach to nurturing  students in primary school with higher abilities, 

which will see the current Gifted  Education Programme or GEP refreshed. 

Fun fact: The scheme is 40 years old. Right now, students are identified for  

GEP and then placed in 9 primary schools - but that’s going to be decentralised. 

The idea is to let all primary schools  identify these high-ability students, 

and then come up with their own tailored programmes. This also means that students get to stay put in  

their own schools and don't have to move to a different school, which is what happens now. 

Now, if you’re retrenched or let go  because your company goes under - 

meaning you’re involuntarily unemployed - there’s the new SkillsFuture  

Jobseeker Support scheme. This will focus on helping  

lower- and middle-income workers, who’ll get temporary financial  

support of up to S$6,000 to tide them over up to 6 months. 

During this period, there will be training,  career coaching and job matching services  

to help you to get a new job. We also got to look at what’s  

happening with the Kallang Alive Masterplan - how it will transform the area into a sporting  

and lifestyle destination. There’ll be a new indoor  

arena that can hold 18,000 people - more than the current indoor stadium. 

Kallang will also be the new home  for Team Singapore. 

The Sports School will move here from Woodlands. And national training centres for several  

key sports will also be brought there.

You don’t need to be an elite athlete  

to enjoy the facilities at Kallang. You may be a  weekend player, or a beginner or someone trying  

to pick up a new sport. Whatever your level,  so long as you have an interest in sports,  

there will be something for you here.

Speaking of Team Singapore, 

PM Wong gave this shoutout to athletes  who competed at the Paris Olympics - 

including bronze medallist Max Maeder.

I’ve invited some of our athletes  

to the Rally tonight. I invite them to stand,  

so we can show them our appreciation.

Well done, Team Singapore.

To our Paralympians, we also wish  you all the very best for the Games.

But wait, what about all the stuff  you were expecting before the Rally? 

PM Wong had already said  he didn’t have a magic cup. 

He delivered his Malay, Mandarin  and English speeches just fine. 

(In Malay) Tonight, I am happy to be speaking to you in Malay at my first National Day Rally speech.

(In Mandarin) This is the first time I am delivering the National Day Rally as Prime Minister.

And while some of you were hoping for an  unplugged session, he left his guitar at home.

You know I enjoy playing the  guitar. I’m not performing tonight. 

For more details, watch Mr Wong’s full speech or head to cna.asia/ndr2024live