SINGAPORE - Every leader has to adapt his style to the circumstances and needs of society in his time, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (June 28).

And as Singapore faces different challenges and needs, and its society evolves, his leadership style has to adjust, he told union and business leaders and workers.

"There is one thing I am very clear on in terms of my priority... It is not just to lead, but ultimately, to serve, as I have for 25 years in public service, as I have in the last two years trying to navigate Singapore through Covid-19," he said.

"And I will continue to help Singapore and all Singaporeans succeed in our next phase of development."

Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, was speaking alongside National Trades Union Congress secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and NTUC president Mary Liew at a dialogue at NTUC Centre.

The session followed his speech at the launch of the Forward Singapore exercise, an initiative by the fourth-generation (4G) leadership to engage citizens and refresh the social compact as the new team charts the next stage of the country's development.

Mr Wong said that since he was chosen as the leader of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) 4G team in April and appointed deputy PM earlier this month, he had been asked “a lot of times” what would be different under his leadership.

"Maybe it's on your minds, but you're too polite to ask me that question," he quipped to the 500 guests in the audience.

"I would say every leader has to adapt to the circumstances and needs of society of their time."

Mr Wong said first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and the founding generation of leaders led Singapore through revolutionary times, and had to adopt a certain style of leadership that was necessary then.

Under second prime minister Goh Chok Tong and his successor Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the leadership style evolved because society was different and had different needs, he added.

"Likewise, for me... I'm very certain that it would be different challenges, different needs, a different society, and my leadership has to adapt and adjust to it," he said.

Mr Wong said the 4G was embarking on the Forward Singapore exercise - which includes engaging a wide range of citizens from various ages and backgrounds - "because we want Singapore always to be a country for all citizens, not just for a few".

"We want to value every citizen, value all talents, not just those who do well in school, but everyone must be valued, everyone must have a role in our society. That's what we want to achieve through this exercise," he added.

But he acknowledged that the road ahead would not be easy, with the world facing unprecedented trouble and turbulence, and Singapore at a more advanced stage of development.

Citing the Chinese saying that wealth does not last beyond three generations, and the Scottish saying that the first generation has to borrow, the second generation builds, the third generation sells, and the fourth generation has to beg, Mr Wong said it was the nature of things to get more challenging as countries become more stable and affluent and resistant to change.

But, he said he would do everything he could to make sure Singapore remains exceptional, and that in his lifetime, it continues to prosper and that this prosperity is shared among all Singaporeans.

At the dialogue, Mr Wong was asked questions ranging from how companies can become more sustainable to how the Government would help Singaporeans deal with competition from foreigners.

Cautioning against complacency, a sense of entitlement and inertia, which he said are obstacles to progress and change, he urged workers, companies and Singaporeans to embrace challenges.

This mindset has been key to Singapore's success, and is exemplified in how the Republic invented the technology to recycle water amid concerns over water security, and how it developed an agrotech industry to strengthen food resilience, he added.

The challenges posed by climate change can similarly be turned into new areas of growth, he said.

"The challenges before Singapore may appear quite daunting, but if you think about this, this is our karma," he added.

"Singapore has always faced challenges from the day we became a nation. In some ways, the challenges are a very powerful motivator for us to keep on doing better. That is what the Singapore Story has always been about - transform our challenges into our strengths."

Mr Wong was also asked for his opinion on group representation constituencies and the political system.

He said if views on the political system are raised, the 4G team will listen to them and see how best to consider these inputs.

He noted that in many advanced First World democracies with very mature, participatory political systems, politics is polarised and societies are divided when the social compact is eroded, making it impossible to find consensus on major issues.

"What's more urgent for us is to ensure that we have a process to look at these real issues that people face, and find ways to refresh and strengthen our social compact on the issues that I have highlighted," he said.

"It is also very clear to me and the 4G team that our new social compact must be one that will be inclusive and more consultative."