PAP cannot contain all views, says ex-NMP Calvin Cheng

SINGAPORE: After Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at an event for the youth wing of the People’s Action Party (PAP) that members need not agree with the ruling party on everything, former Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng noted in a social media post that “There are limits to this.”

Mr Wong had said at the Young PAP YP40 festival on July 4 that diversity in thinking “is essential for the PAP to keep renewing itself and to continue governing well for the longer term.” 

He therefore called for the young members to “widen the circle.” 

What Mr Cheng appeared to take exception to is when the Prime Minister, who is the PAP’s secretary-general, said, “You do not have to agree with us on every single issue. In fact, it’s the opposite.”

“PAP seeks to be a big tent, but it cannot contain all views. So for example, someone who is passionate about personal liberty, Western ideas of freedom, or more socialist than PAP (wealth taxes, welfare, etc,) will find themselves thwarted and frustrated. And leave,” wrote the former NMP, adding that this would result in political parties having diverse views.

Many netizens have since commented on his post, adding their thoughts on the matter.

One Facebook user said that when members whose beliefs differ too much from a particular party’s line eventually depart, this is the nature of political parties.

“That’s not failure. That’s how political ecosystems work. Real diversity shows up across parties, not compressed within one,” the commenter wrote, adding that how such matters are handled is what’s really important.

“Leaders must have the clarity to disagree without paralysis, the discipline to prioritise national interest over ideology, and the integrity to own outcomes. Because in the end, governance is not about consensus—it’s about judgment, trade-offs, and accountability,” they wrote.

“There is a limit to how long a party can accommodate different views without internal conflict or factions emerging. People often say, ‘agree to disagree,’ but that’s much easier said than done,” added another. /TISG

Read also: Ex-NMP Calvin Cheng says when opposition fields a credible candidate, voters will give them a chance