PM Wong to deliver National Day Rally speech from 6.45pm on Aug 18

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver his first National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 18) at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Headquarters in Ang Mo Kio.
Mr Wong will speak in Malay at 6.45pm, followed by Mandarin. His English speech will begin at 8pm, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement on Monday.
The National Day Rally will be broadcast on local TV channels and radio stations.
CNA will broadcast the speeches with subtitles in English. 
Mr Wong’s speech will also be broadcast in English on Channel 5 and CNA938; in Mandarin on Channel 8, Channel U and Capital 95.8FM; in Malay on Suria and Warna 94.2FM; and in Tamil on Vasantham and Oli 96.8FM.
It will be streamed live on CNA , CNA’s YouTube channel, meWATCH.sg and 8world.com, as well as on PMO’s YouTube channel and the Facebook and YouTube pages of Mr Wong.
Live updates will also be provided on Mr Wong’s WhatsApp and Telegram channels. Those who miss the live broadcast can watch it on PMO’s YouTube channel or on PMO’s website from Aug 19.
The National Day Rally is seen as the most important political speech of the year, during which the Prime Minister addresses the nation and shares key policy matters. 
In his maiden National Day Message last week, Mr Wong spoke about keeping the cost of living in Singapore stable and enhancing support for families under the Forward Singapore initiative –  topics he will address in the upcoming National Day Rally.  
Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, noted that inflation is a major concern for Singapore and many other countries, and that rising prices impact the daily expenses of Singaporeans.
“We cannot control global prices. But we can and have shielded Singaporeans from the worst effects of global inflation by keeping the Singapore dollar strong,” Mr Wong said on Aug 8.
Mr Wong, who took office as Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister on May 15, also said in his message the government will invest more to strengthen the country’s system of social support.
Some people may find it tougher to keep up in a new, volatile and rapidly changing environment, while a fast ageing population will also require more healthcare services and social support, he said.
“More of us will feel sandwiched, having to look after children as well as elderly parents.”
In the last two Budgets, steps were taken to uplift lower-wage workers, support vulnerable families and boost retirement adequacy, he said.
“We have also embarked on nationwide initiatives like Healthier SG and Age Well SG to take better care of our seniors.”
The government intends to do more, said Mr Wong.