Hi,
Do you all believe the role and the potential of Singapore's First Lady should be further improved?
I mean, so far, there's hardly any news of the First Lady carrying an important or significant function.
I think the First Lady position is under-utilized.
As a First Lady, this is a unique position. The President, of course, is the head of state, a highly important symbolic figure. As the head of state, the President apply his stature for many meaningful work, namely nation building. The First Lady on the other hand, also has a similar role and position of being in a highly symbolic position. The First Lady can wield her immense stature and influence as the nation's First Lady.
However I think Singapore's First Ladies so far have been rather muted, or put in other words, this position is under-utilized.
As a First Lady, there is tremendous potential. She can galvanize and motivate the people. She can unite the people. She can encourage people to be more caring, gentle, and loving.
There are many positive effects she can carry out. For example, she can make a speech to encourage parents to be more caring towards children's education. She can make a speech to encourage women to take care of their health and go for regular check-ups in hospitals to prevent brreast cancer. She can become the head of charity organizations, or promote a national movement, for example environmental protection.
Such type of roles is best suited for the First Lady. This is a gap that only a First Lady can carry out effectively. Not a minister or other officials or the President. The characteristics of a First Lady, a woman, has an image of being gentle, caring, motherly, loving, peaceful, non-political. She is also the nation's apex, a woman version of the symbolic President. This position should be fully utilized and it should fully wield its positive influence on the nation and the population.
However, so far in Singapore I think this potential is hugely undertapped.