Singapore continues inexorably on its way to GE2025. It has dealt with the bumps along the journey. But the consequences of each outcome will be felt in the elections.
Transport Minister S Iswaran is serving a 12-month jail sentence for obtaining gratification in connection with the F1 Singapore Grand Prix. He has been under home detention since Feb 7.
Apart from the legal and moral impact of his corruption, he happened to be the anchor minister in a closely fought GRC election in West Coast GRC.
Will the Progress Singapore Party, which picked up the two NCMP seats as the best losers, benefit from the minister’s misconduct? I think so. Apart from the inroads on the ground, the performances of Hazel Poa and Leong Mun Wai in Parliament were up to par.
Second, there is the case of Workers’ Party secretary-general and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh over ex-WP MP Raeesah Khan’s lie in Parliament about accompanying a rape victim and alleged inappropriate remarks made by a Singapore Police Force staff. No such incident took place.
Parliament convened a Committee of Privileges to investigate and referred its findings to the Police. Pritam has just been found guilty of two charges of lying and fined $7000 for each charge, which was below the level for imprisonment. He can still be in Parliament. He has decided to appeal the judgement. This means the political scenario remains largely intact. He will still be the Leader of the Opposition.
It is hard to conclude whether his status has been enhanced or diminished. I would say he will learn from the Raeesah incident, move on and consolidate his Opposition crede.
Third, Lawrence Wong has been a steady hand since he took over as PM in May 2024.
Fourth, I think his experience as Finance Minister plus his arguably less elitist background, have given him a better feel of what matters most to the man in the street – the cost of living and livelihoods.
So, I am impressed by Singapore’s fourth PM.
The latest budget shows that he is in touch with the worries on the ground. And even more significant, I sense he is ready to do more if necessary.
This and the next one or two budgets are going to be important as the world gets used to the disruptions being caused by the Trump-led United States.
I just wish our Opposition could also help explain the implications, especially during the hustings.
We are all in the same boat.
Tan Bah Bah is a former senior leader writer with The Straits Times. He was also managing editor of a magazine publishing company