‘Lawrence Wong gave me ASMR’: Singapore’s coronavirus response strikes chord with millennials ahead of election

Singaporean entrepreneur Lee Xiaohui admits she is not interested in politics – but last week, for the first time, she sat through a speech by the country’s finance minister Heng Swee Keat.

After hearing about the government’s financial measures worth S$48 billion (US$33.4 billion) to help households and businesses ride out the coronavirus crisis, the 34-year-old posted an Instagram story with a graphic explaining how the government was supporting workers and praising the “comprehensive package to help us cushion this blow”.

Independent pollster Blackbox Research’s latest survey of close to 800 Singapore residents found that 60 per cent of the 140 respondents aged between 20 and 29 felt the government’s cash payouts – ranging from S$300 to S$900 depending on income – would assist them and their families. Half of the respondents from this age group felt these measures would stabilise Singapore’s economy.

Lee said the government’s second package – on top of the S$6.4 billion set aside for measures to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak announced by Heng in February’s annual budget statement – mattered because “this is the first time I’ve experienced the effects of a global crisis on my own business”.