We’ve spent the year marking SG60. But while the nation reflects on how far we’ve come, there’s a quieter reality knocking louder each year: Singapore is ageing — fast.

By next year, nearly one in five of us will be 65 or older. Within a decade, it’ll be one in four. That’s not just a statistic. It’s a future that demands we rethink how we live, age, and care for one another. Not in theory but in practice.

In this special SG60 edition of Lens on Singapore, I sit down with Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung, to ask the tough question: what does it really mean to grow old with dignity in Singapore? And why the answer has to go beyond infrastructure and flashy wellness tech.

Why this episode matters

This isn’t a policy panel wrapped in jargon. It’s a direct, grounded conversation with the minister holding the levers.

• What dignity in ageing should look like from health to housing while staying connected

• Whether seniors today feel supported and included, or quietly pushed aside

• How Singapore is tackling loneliness, mental well-being, and the tension between sustainable healthcare and affordable access

I also ask the bigger question: What kind of Singapore are we building? One where seniors remain part of our national story, or one where they fade quietly from view?