Ask Shanmugam: The questions Singaporeans have always wanted to ask

Best of, let's talk Singapore. Can I ask you a question? Yes, it's time for us to ask the icon. I have to apologize. Some listeners are late for work because they've stayed back to listen to our show. VJ says, "Well, well, well, what amazing shows you guys are doing today was just awesome. I usually cannot message as I drive to work, so I've waited to say my heart felt thanks to the team. Let's talk Singapore team and of course Audrey and Neil, you just make our mornings so much brighter." Wow, that's so nice. Well, they're about to get even brighter because it's time for us the icon. And this time it's Kay. Shamooge and the senior minister, coordinating minister for national security and minister for home affairs, let's kick off with the big one. What's your favorite singleist phrase or word? Yes, because some listeners remember that that's what we usually ask all of our icons. And they were like, "Where did that question go? We're all very curious." So many, but I suppose one word that comes to mind is the way VJ can. Yeah. It is overarching. Without a word but attached to it, it means so many things with the international and the long can. Fantastic. Louis has asked, "I applaud the government for taking a firm stand on law enforcement and national security. Perhaps because we are from the same generation, we can better appreciate why Singapore has adopted tougher policies." As leadership renewal continues, how do you think future generations of leaders should respond to increasing pressur to take a more relaxed approach to these policies in the name of privacy and individual rights? The leadership has to win hearts and minds. You need to go out there and explain to people how people are sensible. They can compare, they can see what happens in Singapore, they can see what happens elsewhere. They read some things, there's some extreme viewpoints that come through or whatever is normalized in other countries. Some of our young people might think that's the right way to do it. You just have to explain the consequences, you put it across, you be at it, you can change minds. As I said, the support for the debt penalty went up by a significant percentage over the last five years because we took the trouble to explain. So leadership has got to do that. Absolutely. We are also getting a great question from our listener, Toya. Good morning, Toya. And she says, "Hi, senior minister, Shanmugan. Is there a book or mentor that has had the greatest influence on your thinking?" And another big question, looking back over your career, is there anything you would have done differently? On the first mentor I will mention, one is when I started practice I had a great lawyer called Joe Grimbert, whom people in the legal profession of a certain, you know, some people, a fair number of people will know. A real gentleman, complete gentleman in every way and a gentleman at the bar. And a lot of the values that I have today as a lawyer come from him. I'm a great mentor, a great person. And in politics, I would say I learnt a lot simply by watching Mr. Lee Kuan Yew as a young member of parliament and then a short period in cabinet and I've Mr. Goh and Mr. Lee. And now I'm working with PM Wang. But at a young age, I think the biggest impact was Mr. Lee, Mr. Goh and Mr. Lee Sinlong. Soat by says, "Hi guys, I have nothing to ask the senior minister. I just want to say thank you, Mr. Shanmugan. That's all he wanted to say." But Kelton asks, "Senior minister, Singapore has always been good at designing systems that shape behaviour, HDB, CPF, COE and so on. But today's challenges like fertility, loneliness, online polarization that we discussed earlier, see much harder to influence through policy alone. Where do you think the limits of government intervention are and where must society take over?" Great question. Don't assume that the hard challenges are no longer there. They continue to be there providing housing, doing the trade-offs, dealing with our economic uncertainties. Those continue. But meanwhile, they are layered on with social challenges. These are lifestyle challenges. For example, women are educated all over the world and getting married is no longer an economic necessity. It's a lifestyle choice. And that's the way society goes. And having children imposes the greater cost on women in terms of their careers. You can understand that. And it requires a whole of society mindset change. And it's much harder than in some ways than designing policies on housing. I accept that. It's a great challenge. But if you want your society to succeed, you have to accept the challenge and try your best. Yes. So we're also getting a great comment from Shravya. Hi, this is Shravya here. Sir, first of all, please accept the title of icon. Okay? Shravya, think that you're an icon. You have inspired generations of us through your hard work and the strong moral values you have consistently upheld. My question to you is this. I see that many of our current ministers seem deeply committed to Singapore's interests and strive to remain fair and not be influenced by racial considerations. Many of them are also senior leaders with decades of experience. As a younger generation, can we be assured that the next generation of political leaders will continue to uphold these same values of integrity, impartiality, and putting Singapore above race or party interests? Choosing the leadership is done by the population. You get the leaders you choose and then the leaders you choose decide your fate and the country's fate. In Singapore, there is a slight change to that in the sense that the general theory is anyone can stand for elections and if you win the majority or party wins a majority, it can become Prime Minister. So if you want to be a police officer, you need training. If you want to be a teacher, you need training. You know, you've got to go through months, sometimes years of training. But to be Prime Minister or Minister in theory, you don't need any training and there are people who in first world countries have become Prime Ministers and Ministers without any experience. And then suddenly they run large ministries. We tend to take the view that some experience is useful in the job. And so in Singapore, the people choose, but the government, the PAP government chooses its next generation of leaders within a certain framework, what kind of experience, what kind of capabilities, what kind of heart. It doesn't mean there are no mistakes as I said earlier, but you choose and then you put them forward, then the people decide. You know, as long as those two factors work together or, you know, whether the PAP or any other party, if they are committed to honest, good leadership and those are the choices that are put to the people, I think we'll be okay. In a word from Ayan, can you answer this question, Minister, what's been the key political highlight of your career? The ability to shape loss that impact on tens of thousands of people each time. And last week we had the launch of a four volume book series on the loss that were changed in the last 25 years. 200 pieces of legislation put up just by Ministry of Law, 20% of all legislation, tremendous impact on many, many facets of Singaporean lives. When you change it for the better, that's your Ikigai. Okay, wonderful. Well, Senior Minister, I think you have to take the title of Singapore icon today. It was Keshn Mugham, Senior Minister, coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs. It was an honor to chat with you. Thank you so much for joining us on Let's Talk Singapore. Thank you, Audrey and Neil. For more conversations and podcasts, visit MoneyFM893.SG.