SINGAPORE: A social media post praising Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and how Singapore chooses its leader has gone viral in the Philippines, getting over 17,000 views since it was posted on Facebook on Friday (Mar 7).
The Southeast Asian country is headed to the polls for its midterm elections in May, and the post is widely understood as calling for voters to choose candidates based on qualifications and competency rather than popularity and personality.
The post author, digital creator Kim Jayson Villezca, began his post by writing, “SANA ALL, SINGAPORE,” which implies the desire for the Philippines to have the kind of leaders Singapore has.
The only problem is that some facts written about PM Wong in the post are erroneous, as Yahoo!News pointed out. It says, for example, that the Prime Minister has a “Double Degree and PhD holder from Harvard University in Economics.” In actuality, he has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Michigan, and another master’s degree in public administration from Harvard.
Furthermore, contrary to the post author’s assertion that PM Wong had been chosen by Singapore “after four years of strict, tedious filtering and performance index,” the process by which a Prime Minister is appointed is very different since selection is based on a party’s internal workings. The Prime Minister, who heads the Executive branch of the Singapore government, is appointed by the President of Singapore under Article 25 of the Constitution.
The post further cited PM Wong’s spotless record, with Mr Villezca adding, “How about that for determining leadership competency? If the qualifying requirements for a company’s CEO are high, the standards for a country’s CEO should be much higher.
Singapore got it right. It’s the world’s beacon for values-based good governance.”
He first put up this post on Mar 27, 2024, shortly before the Prime Minister was sworn into office. At that time, it received 29,000 shares, with many Filipinos expressing envy at the high standards Singaporeans expect from their leaders and suggesting that the same should be done in their country.
When re-shared, it’s obvious that the post has resonated yet again, and many Filipinos are echoing the same sentiments, although some pointed out that having leadership based on meritocracy would work best in a Parliamentary system.
“That’s why they are 1st a WORLD COUNTRY! 
Always love to go back there. Majulla Singapora! QUALITY LEADERS,” wrote one.
The Independent Singapore has contacted Mr Villezca for further comments or updates. /TISG
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