‘After the Vote‘ is a RICE Media series where Singaporeans from all walks of life share their hopes for Singapore—the changes they envision, the values they want to uphold, and the future they want to help shape.
For GE2025, we take a step back from the antics and theatrics to explore the bigger picture: What kind of Singapore are we building beyond this election? Through these conversations, we uncover the aspirations and concerns shaping the nation in the next five years and beyond.
The views in ‘After the Vote’ are those of the interviewees and based on their experiences; they do not reflect the publication’s stance.
All images courtesy of Joel Yeo
22-year-old Joel Yeo Han Ruii didn’t just grow up with his grandmother. He was raised by her—in every sense that matters.
Born before the Japanese Occupation and retired after decades as an income tax accountant, 93-year-old Goh Ai Koon has lived through war, independence, and iPhones. She’s seen Singapore change with every General Election. Joel, on the other hand, was just about to cast his very first vote in GE2025—until Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC went uncontested.
But vote or no vote, policy differences or generational gaps, their bond is unshakeable. To Joel, she’s not just a living archive. She’s the woman who took the bus with him to kindergarten, commuting between Tampines and Marine Parade. Who sat with him to cook and bake for hours to help him pass his Food & Nutrition exams. Who never once let him come home without a kiss on the cheek.
She was the first to bathe him, the last to turn off the lights. With his parents often busy—his father working overseas—his grandmother became his best friend, his confidante, his constant.
“She always greets me with a smile when I come home and calls me the most handsome boy,” he says, laughing. “I love my grandma.”
For GE2025, RICE is taking a longer-term view towards the Singapore we’re collectively building. Joel and Ai Koon remind us that in the face of change, it’s these quiet, enduring family ties that hold our future together.
What is one change you hope to see in Singapore by 2030 that would make life meaningfully better?
Ai Koon: I hope Singapore can be more self-reliant in its own food and agriculture. I hope we will be able to grow more of our own food. I hope we will rear more fish in the rivers and seas and not reclaim any more land. The fish need lots of water to grow well.
Joel: I hope Singaporeans will foster larger communities and show more care for each other. I hope for greater care and interaction between neighbours, especially for people my age.
Like my grandma, I hope Singapore can be more self-reliant in its own agriculture. I would like to see more protection for Singapore’s wildlife. I want us to protect our local wildlife and ecosystem. I want our rooftops to be used to plant vegetables.
What’s a challenge Singapore must overcome in the next six years to stay a place where people want to live and thrive?
AK: Singapore must overcome economic inequality amongst its citizens. There must be a bigger emphasis on money being funnelled into lower-income households.
I hope more scholarships go to students who can succeed. But beyond that, we need to channel more support into lower-income families, so everyone has a fair chance at getting a good education in Singapore. I believe that a caring society will foster a happier and meaningful life, where people would want to stay and not leave Singapore.
If you could introduce a new national priority for Singapore, what would it be, and why?
AK: I would make growing food a priority. Every Singaporean should grow their own food, for example, by planting vegetables and rearing edible fish.
J: I think many people feel like they have fallen behind in Singapore’s fast-paced society. I hope more care can be provided to those struggling financially and mentally. Singapore is very fast-paced, and there seems to be little room for failure. A priority should be to help them.
What small shift—policy or mindset—could make a big difference in the daily lives of your community?
AK: Dedicate five minutes each day to doing something kind. It will benefit both you and the recipient. For instance, I make a point of praising the staff at the eldercare facility. When the staff feels good, I feel good.
J: I agree with my grandma! It’s simple and effective, and everyone has a part to play in making Singapore a more caring society.
Singapore moves fast. What’s one thing we need to slow down for?
AK: It’s crucial for Singaporeans to prioritise quality time with family and loved ones, as family is paramount. Without a family, we risk feeling lost in the world, with no one we can count on. Family is important, or else our time on earth will be lonely.
J: Singapore is extremely fast-paced and can be overwhelming at times. I think we need to slow down and realise that life isn’t just a race. We’re all on different paths, you know? We need to take time to appreciate the little things—smell the roses, as they say! And, just like my grandma said, we need to make time for family. That’s the most important thing. Without family, we’d be lost.
What’s one thing about Singapore you’d want to protect for the future?
AK: We must protect the future generation’s health. We must give them jobs that help them earn enough salary to look after their family’s health. When health is good, minds will be clear.
J: I really want to protect our culture and heritage. I see recipes and traditions being lost, and that’s sad. Especially coming from a Peranakan background, I hope our heritage can be preserved better. We’re losing our history and language, and we need to appreciate them more. We need to take the time to understand it better.
In 2030, what kind of Singapore would you be proud to call home?
AK: I would like to see a Singapore where everyone is well-educated and bilingual. All citizens would have their own flats. And I hope that by then, we can be proud of our upbringing and heritage to the point where we can tell others that we come from the best country in the world.
J: I’d be so proud if Singapore were a place where everyone had a home, whether they’re single or have a family.
Also, I’m worried about our elderly in our ageing society. I live with my grandma, but so many of our older Singaporeans are not so lucky—they’re alone and not taken care of. In 2030, I hope all our elderly are well taken care of and living meaningful lives. It breaks my heart to think of them being alone and forgotten. I want a Singapore where the corpses of the lonely elderly aren’t found in homes long after they have passed.
