Speaking at the opening of the 15th Parliament, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam urged Singaporeans to put the collective before self and build a “We First” society rooted in everyday acts of care and solidarity.
He stressed that unity cannot be achieved by belief alone, but must be lived out in daily actions.
Singapore can only stand tall if we act as one people. But unity is not mustered by belief alone. All of us must, through our everyday deeds and actions, put the collective before self: put “we” before “me”.
President Tharman outlined efforts nurture a “We First” society at every level, beginning with the community. This includes strengthening bonds in the community by working with community leaders to to grow networks of care, creating more space for citizens to take the initiative and lead ground-up programmes to take on the causes that matter.
"Everyone will have a say in building our shared future. By creating a more open and engaged society, we will strengthen Singapore, and deepen the solidarity that defines us."
The Government will also do more to make giving and volunteering a way of life.
Success, President Tharman emphasised, is not measured not just by personal achievement but ‘by what we do together for the common good’.
A “We First” society is not only about organised programmes. It is equally about the values we live by, and our regular habits of care – from offering a seat on the train to lending a hand in times of need. They may often be simple acts, but these too are the threads that hold our social fabric together.
A "We First" society is equally about the values we live by, and our regular habits of care.
“What makes Singapore exceptional is our unity — built not in spite of our diversity, but by embracing it and drawing strength from our different cultures,” said President Tharman.
He cautioned that around the world, social divisions are deepening, ethnic tensions are rising, and the foundations of stable, multicultural societies are being eroded.
Singapore’s resilience, he stressed, lies in its ability to embrace diversity and forge unity through multiculturalism. But this unity can never be taken for granted. Safeguarding racial and religious harmony, and resisting any attempt to politicise them, must remain a national priority.
“We must resist the temptation to use race or religion for political gain, or to view national issues through such narrow lenses. Our own history reminds us of the dangerous divisions and lasting scars that result from such choices,” he warned.
Wee must continue to nurture what makes us distinctively Singaporean, President Tharman said. And that is the ability to ‘accept our varied identities, to take a respectful interest in each other’s cultures, and to build common ground through shared experiences’.
He pointed to examples of how multiculturalism continues to evolve, from artistic collaborations like the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s recent joint performance with The Straits Ensemble, to individuals such as Syakirah Dahiyah Sudanto, the first non-Chinese student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic to pursue Chinese Studies, and Soo Mei Fei, who discovered and later became a professional in Indian classical dance.
By deepening multicultural traditions while encouraging cross-cultural exchanges, Tharman said, Singapore can enlarge its common ground, strengthen mutual respect, and grow a shared national identity.
