At the May Day rally in the republic, Wong read a letter by one Nishar Keshvani, who was being flown home by the Singapore Air Force from Riyadh.

In a video uploaded by Channel News Asia, Wong was seen holding back tears when he read an excerpt from Nishar’s letter describing how one passenger began singing, “Majulah Singapura” — the national anthem — before other joined in.

“It was one of those moments when you realise that home is not simply a place on the map. It is something deeper — a shared identity, a sense of belonging and the knowledge that when something goes wrong, your country will come for you,” Wong read before wiping away his tears.

CNA later reported Wong as saying that his government would look after “our own” — be it in an energy crisis or the AI revolution.

No Singaporean would be left behind, he said.

“Our solidarity is our greatest strength. It carried us through every storm of the past. It gives us confidence today. And it will carry all of us forward – into the future we are building together.”

In March, the Singapore Air Force flew 218 Singapore citizens and their dependants home from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, following the uncertainty caused by the Middle East conflict.