Singapore’s political system is rare and once lost there is no turning back, says PM Lee
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says the system can become distorted when voters want the PAP to govern, but also want more opposition MPs to check and question the Government. PHOTO: ST FILE
Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent
UPDATED
MAY 10, 2024, 11:28 PM
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SINGAPORE – Singaporeans have something special and rare in the country’s political system, where people have consistently given the mandate to the People’s Action Party (PAP), and it in turn has delivered outstanding results in everything from security to housing, education, healthcare and the economy, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
“The way it has worked in Singapore is quite special and does not happen anywhere else in the world, democracy or non-democracy,” he added.
“There is consent, there is mandate and there is restraint and there is sustainable continuity. It is remarkable. You leave it, you can never come back.”
PM Lee, who is secretary-general of the ruling PAP, said in an interview with the Singapore media at the Istana that this state of affairs has been the envy of other leaders.
At its core, the system is built on good politics, which has allowed a good government to get elected so it can implement good policies to benefit the people, he said.
“When voters go to the polls again, they can give their vote to the same good government that serves them. Then this virtuous (circle) can continue,” said PM Lee in the interviews conducted in English and Mandarin.
Over time, the system has allowed the Government to plan long-term and deliver outstanding results for Singapore in economic growth and many other aspects of life, said PM Lee.
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“People ask how does politics work in Singapore? So I explain to them, they look at me, they think I am a man from Mars. They cannot imagine anything like this happening in their country,” he said, citing the tripartite relationship between the Government, unions and businesses as an example.
But for the system to keep on working, it is crucial that voters understand where their interests lie and vote for the government that can best serve them, said PM Lee.
He warned that the system can become distorted when voters want the PAP to govern, but also want more opposition MPs to check and question the Government.
“You may think that you can get a better outcome this way, but in fact, it will weaken the Government’s ability to serve you,” he said.
More time will be spent on dealing with politics, which is the case now because “you must win the politics, otherwise the policies cannot run”, said PM Lee.
With more opposition MPs in Parliament now – eight from the Workers’ Party and two from the Progress Singapore Party – debates have become more intense.
PM Lee said the quality of debate has improved, as the opposition MPs come with prepared positions and are coordinated.
But it is not clear if this has helped people better understand issues or improved policies, he added.
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On non-contentious issues, the opposition has contributed good ideas, but many other important issues inherently carry some political colour, and provide a strong incentive for the opposition to use them to score points against the Government, he said. On such issues, it is difficult to achieve an objective and constructive debate, he added.
“If you help the Government to govern better and the Government says, thank you, I will do it, and the result is better, then you are making it harder for yourself to get elected the next time,” he said.
“So the premium is on showing up what the shortcomings are.”
This would have a detrimental effect.
“I think that if the trend continues over the long term, or even the not-so-long term, it will certainly affect our political system, our Government, or even our policies. This will be a different path for Singapore. This is a completely plausible danger for Singapore, and Singaporeans do not always understand this,” said PM Lee.
He described a possible freak election in which people end up voting for Team B because they assume everyone else will be voting for Team A, which they in fact want as the government.
“Just move a little bit further along the slope. No harm, nothing will happen. Life will carry on, PAP will look after you. We will be even stronger checking the PAP and speaking up for you. Marvellous. Have your cake and eat it twice. But is it so safe?”
Another scenario that could happen is a weakened Team A over time, which will be unable to provide the quality of government that people deserve, even though Team B is still not ready to replace it.
“Think about it – look at the opposition line-up now. Are you confident you can form half a Cabinet? Everyone has done the assessment, and everyone knows it is absolutely impossible. The opposition also knows it is absolutely impossible,” he said.
Either of these two scenarios could be disastrous for Singapore, said PM Lee. “At some point, the political system will malfunction. It is a risk,” he added.
For now, the opposition is “doing their best to act as a watchdog”, hoping that Singaporeans will think that they will make the Government more transparent and improve policies, or even dilute less popular policies, said PM Lee.
“I think in this aspect they are doing their best. But as to whether they can really raise the standards of policies, I have my views,” he added.
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Theoretically, it is possible to have a situation where the ruling party and the opposition are largely on par in terms of abilities, said PM Lee.
“It is not just the men in white who can do it. The opposition has its own definition. It wants to have more opposition MPs, and to them this is the way to achieve better politics; they want to replace the PAP,” he said.
“We can reach this point. But this is not the situation today.”
For now, there is just not enough talent to go around, he noted.
“If there are talents everywhere, and we have a Team A that is Manchester United, and a Team B that is Liverpool, then this may be a feasible approach. But we only have one team, and it is already very difficult to form one team,” he said.
“Today, the team that the PAP offers, the quality of government we provide, I do not believe that the opposition can do it. In fact, they definitely cannot do it.”
Admitting that the opposition will have a different view, PM Lee said that in an electoral system, each party’s mission must be to form the government one day.
The PAP will continue to strive to win every election, he added.
“We will try very hard as a PAP to make sure that we continue to win the people’s mandate and to hold the position, in a different way with a different generation,” he said.
On the general election due by November 2025, PM Lee said: “We will try our best to deserve that cross against the right logo, and we will fight hard to persuade people to do that.”
Later on, when asked if he thinks he will see a non-PAP government one day, PM Lee said it could happen in 20 years.
“It can happen if the PAP has let the people down, and the opposition has become stronger and better and offers a better alternative,” he said.
“Well, in that situation I say, I am sad for the PAP, but for Singapore, go for the opposition, vote (for) the better team (to) take care of the country... and may you succeed.”
