‘The public, private and people sectors came together to fight the same battle’ — PM Lee reminisces unity when Covid struck

SINGAPORE: In a recent post, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared a video showcasing frontline workers invited to witness the Parliamentary debate on the White Paper on Singapore’s Response to COVID-19. In his post, Mr Lee spoke of how the various sectors managed to unite especially when the virus struck Singapore.

Mr Lee took to Facebook on Monday morning (March 20) to share a video that showcased the frontliners who got to watch the debate over the White Paper on the nation’s Covid-19 response. “Delighted to meet COVID-19 frontline workers at Parliament House today,” wrote Mr Lee. “They were invited to watch the debate on the White Paper on Singapore’s Response to COVID-19, and received a standing ovation from the House.”

Frontliners were under immense pressure, especially at the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic, which took the whole world by surprise. In his post, Mr Lee reminisced on how the nation worked together during such an unprecedented time. “Three years ago, when COVID-19 struck, the public, private and people sectors came together to fight the same battle,” he said.

Our healthcare workers and frontliners led the fight and bore the brunt of this global crisis. Many other essential personnel worked throughout our society. Despite the uncertainty and fear, they swung into action and went beyond the call of duty. All worked tirelessly and made sacrifices to keep Singapore going. They are a huge reason why we emerged from the pandemic stronger and more united.”

Mr Lee then spoke of the White Paper and the Parliamentary debate, saying they would serve Singapore very well by reinforcing its response to a future pandemic. “It also allows the House to put on record our appreciation for all who contributed to our multi-year fight against COVID-19 and faced this crisis of the generation with courage, resilience, and unity,” he said. “I hope these values will inspire all of us to do better and build a stronger nation as we enter a new endemic COVID-19 norm.”