We have made great progress building a multiracial society over the years, but we also know that this endeavour is a constant work in progress. We ne… - Halimah Yacob

The trust between our political leadership and people, and between Singaporeans themselves, is a key strength we must continue to nurture and cherish. In so many societies, this has gone wrong. These societies face deep divides that are difficult to bridge. Instead of bringing people together, political parties aggravate rifts by divisive appeals for support from competing groups. Their political systems are stuck in gridlock. Consequently, trust in government and its institutions plummets, making recovery even harder.

The raison d’etre for meritocracy is clear. The economic advantage that accrues to a person should depend on capabilities and effort rather than family background. Meritocracy allows the most talented to succeed through equality of opportunities and fair competition leading to a more equitable distribution of income and wealth. Meritocracy facilitated social mobility in Singapore, enabling the growth of an expanding middle class. We now agree, however, that the very conditions that contributed to meritocracy can also result in inequality.

I hope that, in terms of gender, that provides at least an opportunity for people to say well, you know, at least in Singapore, you can, regardless of gender, regardless of race, regardless of religion, you are able to reach the highest office, provided you want to work, that you have the capability.