September 5, 2025
SINGAPORE – Parliament will open on Sept 5 for its 15th term, with the Government and MPs expected to address bread-and-butter issues as well as the country’s future beyond SG60.
As per tradition, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will deliver a speech drafted by the Government to set out its priorities over the next five-year term.
Political observers expect his speech to cover issues aired during the May general election, including the cost of living, jobs, housing and rising global geopolitical instability.
Also on the cards is a wider discussion on the vision for Singapore’s future over the next few decades as the country celebrates its 60th year of independence.
Known as the President’s Address, the speech opens Parliament following a break and is used to set the broad national direction.
The most recent address was delivered by then President Halimah Yacob in 2023, when the 14th Parliament resumed after a mid-term break. It focused on Singapore’s place in the world after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Gillian Koh said recent post-election surveys have shown that the top concerns among Singaporeans are the cost of living, housing affordability, fairness in government policy and jobs.
She expects the speech to highlight the need for deeper economic reforms, rather than immediate measures like vouchers.
These could include a review of real estate costs in business and more clarity on how Singaporean workers can use artificial intelligence, she said.
Former PAP MP Inderjit Singh said he expects the address to share details on the PAP’s election manifesto and show that the Government has a concrete plan to deliver on its promises.
Changing geopolitics may form the backdrop for some of these plans, and Mr Tharman may speak about the challenges, threats and opportunities this environment presents, he added.
The address could also set out what Singapore stands for, the Government’s vision for the next few decades, how it plans to govern and the role of the opposition, said Singapore Management University (SMU) law don Eugene Tan.
“Ultimately, it is about what it takes and how we will continue to be exceptional in order to thrive in a more turbulent world,” he added.
Before Mr Tharman speaks, all 99 MPs will be sworn in. Of these, 87 are from the ruling PAP, while 12 are from the WP – the only opposition party in the 15th Parliament.
Two WP MPs – Mr Andre Low and Ms Eileen Chong – are Non-Constituency MPs. They were elected as opposition candidates who received the highest vote shares without winning a seat.
MPs will debate the President’s Address from Sept 22 to 26. Observers expect backbenchers to raise questions on bread-and-butter issues such as the future of the economy, jobs, cost of living and housing.
Some MPs could focus on the Government’s measures to tackle inequality, said independent political observer Felix Tan.
SMU’s Associate Professor Tan expects international issues to also feature prominently, from the US-China rivalry to foreign conflicts such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Of the MPs, 24 from the PAP and five from the WP will make their parliamentary debut.
Several new PAP MPs became political office-holders following the election.
SMU’s Prof Tan said he will be watching out for how the Cabinet performs following the “firm mandate” from the election, including how the two new acting ministers, Mr Jeffrey Siow and Mr David Neo, handle the “cut and thrust of debates”.
Mr Siow is a former permanent secretary who was appointed Acting Transport Minister, while Mr Neo, a former army chief, was appointed Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
Dr Felix Tan said there will be “particular attention” on these two and Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim, who took over the role from Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.
The spotlight will also be on the WP’s 12 MPs – the opposition party’s largest ever presence in the House.
IPS’ Dr Koh said: “There is also expectation that their contributions will not just be shrill, but sharp, incisive and insightful, again tapping sentiment on the ground but with suggestions for solutions that seem plausible.”
WP’s three new MPs – Mr Fadli Fawzi, Mr Kenneth Tiong and Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik – and two NCMPs represent the future of Singapore’s leading opposition party, Prof Tan noted.
“How they carry the banner of their party can shape their party’s and their own political destinies,” he said.
What MPs plan to raise
The chairs of three government parliamentary committees (GPCs) – groups of PAP backbenchers that scrutinise government policy – said they have met their members and discussed what issues to raise.
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Saktiandi Supaat, who chairs the GPC on finance and trade and industry, said his committee discussed how to support Singaporean workers in transition.
“We also aim to continue engaging industry groups, workers and associations to surface practical issues and ideas that can inform parliamentary debates, and also raise some of these parliamentary questions in the Chamber,” he added.
Punggol GRC MP Yeo Wan Ling, who chairs the manpower GPC, said there is a continued need to uplift vulnerable workers. Her GPC is also looking at ways to strengthen workplace safety and health.
Defence and foreign affairs GPC chair Yip Hon Weng said his committee discussed the broader implications of rising global instability and what it may mean for Singapore.
Several themes have emerged, including ensuring Singapore’s defence capabilities remain credible and future-ready, and staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and disinformation, said the Yio Chu Kang MP.
“The GPC will continue to surface diverse perspectives and support measures that strengthen our national resilience – across defence, the economy and the digital domain – while keeping Singaporeans informed of the trade-offs,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh had said on current affairs podcast Yah Lah But that the WP has been “storing up” parliamentary questions on a number of important issues, including bullying in schools and cyber attacks on critical infrastructure by UNC3886, an espionage group.
What his party raises in Parliament will be shaped by its manifesto and the President’s Address on Sept 5, the WP chief added.