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SINGAPORE – The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) must be ready to face closer scrutiny and adapt to what Singaporeans want to see in politics if it is to prosper in the future.
This was the message conveyed by Singapore’s Prime Minister and PAP Secretary General Lee Hsien Loong during his speech at the party’s central executive committee elections on Sunday (November 8).
“To sustain this PAP model, the Singapore model, the PAP cannot stand still. The country is changing, politics is changing, so the PAP must also change, ”said Lee, whose 45-minute speech was also broadcast live on the party’s Facebook page.
Lee noted that Singaporeans today want more than political stability, job security and opportunities for themselves and their children.
“More and more Singaporeans want other things too. Participate more actively in shaping our society; reexamine the basic assumptions; and look beyond the proven way of doing things.
“And having more checks and balances and more alternative voices, stronger public debates and closer scrutiny of government policies,” he said, adding that such expectations will only grow with each new generation.
The 68-year-old also reminded his party colleagues that they must continue to serve all Singaporeans in their work and not compromise the party’s identity and core values, even if it changes with the times.
“We must be prepared to face closer scrutiny, both inside and outside Parliament. When criticism is fair and suggestions are constructive, we will accept them and improve our policies and performance.
But we must also vigorously defend what we believe in and defend. Take the fight to the opposition and persuade Singaporeans of the best way forward. If we are not prepared to fight hard for what we believe in, people will soon feel it, ”Lee said.
As the political warfare in Singapore grows more intense, he added that the PAP “must work harder to translate programs and policies that benefit Singaporeans into messages that people will identify with a hug.”
On the issue of leadership renewal, Lee, who became prime minister in 2004, said it remains one of his top priorities, but reiterated that he will see the nation through its COVID-19 crisis before handing over responsibility. to the “next team”.
Lessons from Form GE2020
Regarding the results of the 2020 general election, Lee said he was “not surprised” that the PAP’s performance fell short of expectations, despite some analysts predicting a landslide victory for the party.
In the elections, the PAP took home 61.2 percent of the total votes and awarded a record 10 parliamentary seats to the Workers’ Party.
“Several commentators had predicted a landslide victory for the PAP. They said: ‘This is a crisis election, there will be a flight to safety’ … I never believed it. On the day of the nomination, I said that I didn’t think it was a realistic result, ”Lee said.
He added that by the time the elections were held in July, many were “feeling the pain” of the safe distancing regulations and the heavy shutdown, which had a dire effect on Singapore’s economy.
Lee also referred to the PAP’s “strange dilemma” of many voters wanting more alternative voices in Parliament while the party remains in charge of the country.
“Even many of those who voted for the opposition did so in the full hope that the PAP government would return to power and Singapore would remain in good hands … Paradoxically, people voted that way because they believed that the PAP was the only party that I could win and rule Singapore, ”he said.
In the future, Lee said the party will draw lessons from the elections to improve its future performance. He added that National Development Minister Desmond Lee is in charge of reviewing the elections after the party’s action and is collecting comments from its activists and branches.
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