Who are ‘we’? Why some Singaporeans bristle at ‘we first’ inclusive society call

Hongkong,detiksatu.com || Recent comments by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong about an inclusive “we first” society potentially involving foreigners have drawn the ire of some locals, with experts noting that a cultural shift and greater cooperation are necessary to attain the goal.

The “we first” society call was first raised by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his National Day Rally last year, when he stressed that Singaporeans had to band together to write the next chapter of their story.

On Monday, Gan was asked by a polytechnic student during a dialogue at the Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) 2026 Singapore Perspectives conference about how speeches evoking a “we first” society might be perceived as referring to Singaporeans while excluding foreigners, or the government being in favour of foreigners over citizens.