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SINGAPORE: Ultimately, it will be up to the people of Singapore to decide whether the country is ready for a non-Chinese prime minister, Chief Minister of State (SMS) Janil Puthucheary said on Monday (January 25).
Dr. Puthucheary, who is SMS for health and for communications and information, was answering questions from the audience at a panel discussion on Politics in Singapore 2030 organized by the Institute for Political Studies (IPS).
On the panel with him at the 2021 Singapore Outlook Conference on the theme “Reset” were Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam from the Workers’ Party (WP), and non-election MP Hazel Poa from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP ).
The hybrid online and in-person session held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on Monday afternoon was moderated by Dr. Gillian Koh, IPS deputy director of research.
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“It will be up to the people of Singapore to ultimately decide on this matter,” said Dr. Puthucheary, who belongs to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and heads the party’s youth wing.
“I hope that our racial harmony progresses to the point where when people speak of a non-Chinese prime minister, it is not a reboot or reinvent icon … but on the basis of that person’s ability to do the same. things work.
“And that will be up to the Singaporeans.”
State Minister Janil Puthucheary speaking at a panel discussion at the 2021 Singapore Outlook Conference of the Institute for Policy Studies on January 25, 2021 (Photo: Jacky Ho for IPS).
The issue has been raised multiple times in recent years, and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, the frontrunner to be Singapore’s next prime minister, had said in 2019 that the older generation of Singaporeans are not ready for a leader of a race. minority.
“Race still matters … IPS polls themselves suggest that this is so. I think I would fully subscribe to the idea that I wish it were not,” said Dr. Puthucheary.
PAP IS NOT READY FOR NON-CHINESE PM: HAZEL POA
PSP’s Poa disagreed, saying he believes Singapore is ready for a non-Chinese prime minister.
“The only reason we are not ready is that the PAP is not ready,” he said.
Giam agreed that Singaporeans are open to the idea and said he has not come across opinions that they are not prepared for someone who is “capable, honest and capable of being a good leader” to take on the role of prime minister .
He noted that in Singapore’s parliamentary system, the PM is not directly elected by the people, but rather selected by the party.
WP chose Pritam Singh as its general secretary in 2018, and featured three non-Chinese and two Chinese candidates “who don’t speak Chinese very well” at Aljunied GRC in this year’s elections, he said.
In addition to Mr. Giam, the GRC Aljunied deputies are Mr. Singh, WP President Sylvia Lim, Mr. Faisal Manap and Mr. Leon Perera.
Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam from the Workers’ Party at a panel discussion at the 2021 Singapore Outlook Conference of the Institute for Policy Studies on January 25, 2021 (Photo: Jacky Ho for IPS)
“It is really the decisions of the individual parties … if they feel that in their electoral calculations … they want to include a non-Chinese as the party leader,” said Giam, head of the WP policy research team.
“I think we have had a relatively credible degree of electoral success with our current party leader, who is not Chinese.”
WILL MORE PARTS LEAD TO DIVISION?
The three panelists also discussed the pros and cons of a multi-party system in Singapore, following questions from the audience.
Mr. Tan Keng Soon, President of the Tan Ean Kiam Foundation, asked if increased opposition in the political system could reduce the effectiveness of the Government. Ms. Janice Koh, actress and former MP nominee, asked if a multi-party system in Singapore could create more division in society and how the negative effects could be mitigated.
Dr Puthucheary said that how Singapore’s political system will turn out in the future is also up to the people.
“Whether it’s an alternating, multi-party, bipartisan, dominant and less dominant revolving door, and we’ve had examples of this around the world, that outcome will be decided by our people,” he said.
“I think it’s … like democracy, the worst possible way to do it.”
Mr. Giam said that every political party and every political candidate has to make a conscious decision to act responsibly and act in the interest of the country.
“I don’t think that simply having multiple parties automatically ensures that everything balances out. There will be good games, there will be bad games. The final judge of this will be the people of Singapore.”
NCMP Hazel Poa of the Progress Singapore Party at a panel discussion at the 2021 Singapore Outlook Conference of the Institute for Policy Studies on January 25, 2021 (Photo: Jacky Ho for IPS)
Ms Poa, a member of the central executive council of the PSP, said she did not see more divisions in Parliament even with more representation from different parties.
“I think we should keep an open mind and develop our own model,” he added.
“When faced with a climate where the options are not so clear, the way forward is uncertain, so it is too risky to continue relying on a one-party system … it would always make sense to have a backup plan.”
