Adjournment motion on Singapore’s integration with the region

Singapore needs to build a deeper, more structural integration with Southeast Asia and “own a real piece of the value chains that serve it” to be essential to the region and share in its prosperity, said MP Kenneth Tiong. Moving an adjournment motion in parliament on Tuesday (Jul 7), he said that as Singapore’s neighbours scale the economic ladder and close the gap, a Singapore that is “merely a well-run waypoint” - hosting, brokering, never jointly owning anything - will find that the region learns in time to route around it. Mr Tiong suggested building a joint industrial policy with Malaysia by leveraging the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), a semiconductor ecosystem between both sides and the upcoming Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link. Replying, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said what matters is that Singapore remains where the highest-value functions are anchored and important decisions are made, where capabilities can be built and good jobs created for Singaporeans. On the JS-SEZ, Mr Tan said the point is to create value together that neither side would have created or captured alone.