What sparked our interest in 2021?

Last updated on July 27th, 2022

The hopes for a quick end to the pandemic were swiftly dashed as the Delta variant emerged, bringing all the restrictions back amidst attempts of normalcy – and as Singapore battles that valiantly, Omicron’s here but with a silver lining – it’s milder. The aggressive vaccination rate in the year gone by continues to ensure that the country’s caseload remains well below 0.3 million and the death toll under 1,000, boosting confidence in the public healthcare system. 

To compound the pandemic woes, a tragic murder at the River Valley High School, unprecedented in Singapore, added to citizens’ concerns, sparking off a greater discussion on mental health concerns and its relevance for a smoothly functioning society. 

In gloomy times though, citizens look for inspiration and purveyors of hope. Singapore’s top five personalities for 2021 were:

Lawrence Wong’s popularity soared in 2021, serving as a booster shot for the 49-year-old finance minister. The man chosen to inherit Heng Swee Keat’s finance portfolio in last year’s cabinet reshuffle is seen by some pundits as the front-runner to become the country’s fourth prime minister, following in the footsteps of Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Chok Tong and Lee Hsien Loong. 

Our poll echoes this sentiment and shows Wong evidently has a lot to cheer about in the run-up to Singapore’s next general election. Despite being the youngest of the three politicians seen as having the best shot to become the next prime minister, Wong is perceived to be the readiest to lead the city-state’s “fourth generation” team of politicians and the city-state itself. 

Wong has had a longer career as an elected parliamentarian than his fellow contender and colleague Ong Ye Kung. And unlike Ong, he has never lost an election race. In the case of Chan Chun Sing, while he and Wong were both elected into parliament in 2011, Wong seems to have had better success at winning the hearts of the electorate. Our poll reveals that Wong is a major hit with the country’s older population, a sizeable chunk of the electorate. Wong also has the approval of Singaporean women – a unique feather in his cap. 

Current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, continues to inspire citizens as he leads the country through the COVID-19 pandemic and through a significant transition period. 

Outside politics, 29-year-old, five-time Paralympic gold medallist Yip Pin Xiu strokes people’s inspirations too. 

Cuteness trumps everything though as the public made a welcoming place in their hearts for the first panda cub born in Singapore – Le Le. 

Globally, Joe Biden ranked ahead of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and billionaires Bill Gates, Jack Ma, and Elon Musk.

GenZers, however, rank tech mogul Musk of Tesla and SpaceX fame as their inspirator-in-chief followed by ever-admired pop sensations BTS and Taylor Swift. 

Inspired or not, overall Singaporeans are a tad sceptical of the future, with less than 20% feeling positive about the present situation. When questioned about whether Singapore’s best times are over or yet to come, the responses were:

The difference is 8% between the hopefuls and the naysayers, but optimism still reigns among GenZers, with almost a half of them (49%) feeling confident that the best years are still ahead of us.

Author: Blackbox Research Team