During his presidential address marking the start of a new parliamentary session, Tony Tan said that Singapore should not implement populist measures as these will weaken Singapore.
He said that what Singapore needs now is to "maintain constructive politics". He elaborated that the government already puts the nation and the people first.
"In many countries, the hurly-burly of politics has resulted in short-term populist measures, and sometimes gridlock and paralysis," he said.
However, he implied that Singapore is doing well because the government can make bold decisions for the future of Singapore.
Dr Tan explained that sometimes public debates about certain issues will get heated but we can't let differences pull us apart. Instead, we need to hold a "long-term perspective for the common good".
He was speaking in Parliament to open the 2nd half of the 12th parliament's term.
During his speech, he also laid out six broad goals for the Singapore government: strengthening safety nets, enhancing retirement adequacy, supporting families and communities, creating a better quality life for Singaporeans and opportunities for adults to have a fulfilling career, and enabling young Singaporeans to fulfil their potential.