Commenting on Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong's official launch of the Forward Singapore exercise, SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan noted that in his speech, Mr Wong faced up to the difficult situation of some Singaporeans, emphasising that as a small country, our country cannot leave any group behind, otherwise it would be difficult to move forward. Prof Straughan acknowledged that it can be difficult for some to pay higher taxes, and shared that a more sustainable approach to strengthening social support is to unlock our human resources. On Mr Wong’s reiteration of the concept of compassionate meritocracy, SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan opined that this shows that the movement is particularly concerned with issues of equity and inclusivity. However, he noted that for Singaporeans who have heard a lot of these concepts, it is natural for them to have reservations about whether the fourth-generation (4G) team can make substantial changes. Therefore, he believes that the 4G team has given itself a difficult task. What is fair, equitable and inclusive is a matter of opinion.