Analysis: Debating skills aside, PSP's new chief Leong Mun Wai also needs to show ability in attracting talent, leading party

SINGAPORE — With Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leong Mun Wai rising to the Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) secretary-general position, his main challenge is leading and being the face of the party, while juggling his NCMP role. 

As party chief, he will also have to ensure that PSP attracts quality political talent and an active group of volunteers to help the party function, political analysts told TODAY.  

They also touched on Mr Leong’s potential referral to Parliament's Committee of Privileges for alleged unparliamentary conduct, and said that it could have a mixed effect on his popularity and credibility. 

Mr Leong takes over the party’s top position from Mr Francis Yuen, 73, who has stepped down from the party's central executive committee (CEC) altogether. 

Fellow NCMP Hazel Poa, 52, was named vice-chairman of the party, after the CEC held a vote on Monday (April 3).

Experts said that Mr Leong’s ascension to the opposition party’s top role shows that PSP founder Tan Cheng Bock is gradually handing over the reins to a new leader with a “higher public profile”. 

Said Associate Professor Eugene Tan of the Singapore Management University: “As one of his party’s two NCMPs in Parliament, Mr Leong has a higher public profile than his predecessor (Mr Yuen).

“In fact, his profile since his entry into Parliament is arguably higher than founder and chair, Dr Tan Cheng Bock.” 

SECRETARY-GENERAL ROLE REQUIRES ‘COMPLETELY DIFFERENT’ SKILL SET

Analysts said that the NCMP and party secretary-general roles are vastly different.

For one thing, Mr Leong needs to convince the public that the PSP is a party that knows what its aims are and can perform well “even before the behemoth that the PAP (People's Action Party) is”, said Dr Gillian Koh, deputy director of research at the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS). 

“The skills he needs as a secretary-general include those of being a good NCMP but extend well beyond them.” 

She added that such skills include being able to build a team and persuade team members to “coalesce around some key messages and issues that the PSP should advocate for and campaign around”. 

Agreeing, Dr Elvin Ong, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at NUS, said that as an NCMP, Mr Leong needs to “hone his debating skills” when engaging with government ministers in Parliament, and also sharpen his research and public speaking skills. 

However, as a secretary-general, Mr Leong needs skills in the realm of human resource management. 

“He needs to be able to identify and recruit competent party volunteers, engage them, motivate them, organise them towards the party’s goals, guide them in their methods and strategies, and even potentially discipline them where necessary,” said Dr Ong. 

“As you can see, they are completely different skill sets.” 

IS AGE A LIMITING FACTOR?

With Mr Leong being 64 as he takes over the top role at the party, experts believe that his age is not a hindrance to his ability to lead the party. 

Dr Koh observed that the ages of the secretary-general position have been falling. 

Dr Tan was 80 when he stood at the General Election in 2020 as the party’s secretary-general, and Mr Francis Yuen was 71 when the role was passed to him in 2021. 

With Mr Leong being 64 as the baton is handed over once again, Dr Koh said: “What we have to notice is that the age of the secretary-general of PSP is falling.” 

However, she noted that the rest of the PSP leadership is generally “middle aged”.

While Ms Poa is 52, two assistant secretaries-general had also been appointed: Mr Nadarajah Loganathan, 60, and Dr Ang Yong Guan, 68. 

Dr Koh added that it also did not help that there were some younger members who had left the party.

She said that for the ruling PAP, having a leadership with a mix of younger and older members is important because some of party’s policies and plans may take a decade or two to realise. This means “the question of which leaders will be in place to see these policies and plans through then arises”. 

However, it is different for opposition parties like PSP, which is not the governing party and so does not share PAP's concerns. 

Instead, the “quality of thought, quality of information and debate, and the demonstrated commitment to the public interest” is a more crucial attribute that the electorate looks towards. 

“If this is the case, then age is not the issue. Experience, exposure, being a credible politician and having stature are important,” said Dr Koh. 

Dr Ong said that rather than his age, Mr Leong’s people-organising capabilities will be more crucial in bringing the party forward. 

“I do not believe age will be a factor in such an organisational task,” he said. 

POTENTIAL REFERRAL TO THE COMMITTEE OF PRIVILEGES A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

Experts say that Mr Leong’s behaviour in Parliament means that he may have to deal with disciplinary action, such as a referral to the Parliament’s Committee of Privileges. 

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said last month that "next steps" are being considered over Mr Leong's "unparliamentary" conduct. 

Dr Koh said that the disciplinary procedures may be detrimental to the party as it would “sap away Mr Leong’s bandwidth” as he deals with the proceedings. 

However, Dr Ong said that any disciplinary action that befalls Mr Leong will likely not have any significant impact on the party’s public image. 

“The PSP is well known for adopting a localist policy position on the majority of economic issues, and is closely tied to the image of Dr Tan Cheng Bock as an ex-PAP Member of Parliament,” he said.

“PSP and Mr Leong already have a particular image among the voting public.” 

Dr Felix Tan, a political analyst at Nanyang Technological University, said: “(Mr Leong) being called out in Parliament is more for his professional approach to certain issues rather than his accountability.” 

He added that while not everyone likes the approach taken by Mr Leong, there are “other party members or supporters of the PSP who would want that sort of confrontational debates in Parliament”. 

TODAY has reached out to Mr Leong for comment on his new role.