SINGAPORE: At the People’s Action Party conference on Sunday (Nov 24), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stressed how high the stakes are in the upcoming General Election, which must be held no later than Nov 23, 2025.
Mr Wong is set to take over as PAP’s secretary-general, with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivering his final speech as party head on Sunday.
Noting that even as the PAP celebrates its 70th anniversary, the Prime Minister added that there is no guarantee that the party will see its 100th.
He spoke of the challenges facing the world today, including global issues such as escalating conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, heightened tensions between the US and China, and a vacuum in global leadership.
Mr Wong added that these situations will not be resolved overnight but are the realities for the next decade or beyond. Singapore, like other nations, faces threats to its security and economy.
He urged Singaporeans to remain united despite having varied views on international issues.
“We cannot let our differences pull us apart. It is already tough for a small country to be heard. It will be even tougher if our voice is diffused and incoherent.
At the end of the day, we must consider the larger national interest and take a united position.
This way, we speak in one united voice on the world stage. And be valued as a safe and secure, stable and reliable country in a troubled and uncertain world,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that this cannot be accomplished without Singaporeans supporting the government.
He also touched on high living costs, saying that this is a global phenomenon and adding that the government is “doing its best to shield” Singaporeans from inflation’s worst effects.
However, the political challenge Singapore faces is unique to a country with a long-running governing party such as the PAP, which has been in power for 65 years.
Mr Wong said that Singaporeans can’t assume that PAP will continue governing, especially since a segment of the population wants more opposition in Parliament.
He added that there is no chance of an opposition wipeout, though he admitted that the opposition is here to stay.
But he warned that with the desire for more opposition voices, the bigger risk Singapore faces is “the loss of a stable and strong and good government.”
With more Singaporeans wanting more opposition, the opposition today could be the government of tomorrow, and even a modest swing in votes in the upcoming election could lead to a change in outcomes, explaining that this could mean a possible loss of another three or four GRCs to opposition parties.
“That means we lose another four or five ministers or a quarter of the cabinet,” said Mr Wong, explaining that this would create a weaker government that has less ability to solve the problems Singaporeans face against the backdrop of an uncertain global situation.
“The stakes in the next election are high. Please don’t think it is guaranteed that the PAP will win and form a stable government,” Mr Wong warned. /TISG
Featured image: FB screengrab/ Lawrence Wong