SINGAPORE — In today’s uncertain world and at a time when Singapore is facing complex challenges, the ruling political party’s approach to leadership must be anchored on trust, unity and constructive politics, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said.

Highlighting how “a wave of disillusionment” has swept across many mature societies, including in Britain and Hong Kong, he said that the fourth generation of leaders from the People's Action Party (PAP) must forge “a renewed bond of trust with the electorate”.

“We keep and grow the people’s trust by always implementing policies with the longer term interests of Singaporeans at heart,” he told 300 party activists and branch chairmen on Wednesday (July 24), during the PAP Policy Forum’s 15th anniversay dinner at the Orchid Country Club.

“Even in tough times, we do the right thing, not the convenient thing. We must be prepared to take difficult decisions today so that our future generations can have a better tomorrow,” he added.

“We must resist a downward spiral towards populism, and not hesitate to call out those who deal with empty promises and shallow slogans.”

This was Mr Heng’s first time addressing the forum in his capacity as the party’s first assistant secretary-general, having taken up that position last November. He held a closed-door dialogue with the party activists after the dinner.

Wednesday's forum allowed rank-and-file PAP members to share their insights from their work on the ground and discuss policy issues with government leaders.

The theme for the evening, “Together for tomorrow", reflects the PAP’s belief in how it would take the country forward, Mr Heng said.

He reminded the audience of the “deep reservoir of trust” built up by three generations of PAP leaders over 60 years, with past leaders winning the hearts and minds of Singaporeans “in their own way”. It allowed Singapore to weather crises — such as the Asian Financial Crisis and the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) — as well as to strengthen its institutions, Mr Heng said.

But this bond of trust, he emphasised, can easily be lost if the party becomes careless or complacent. “This is especially so in today’s uncertain and volatile world, where a wave of disillusionment is spreading across many mature societies.”

He talked about how Britain is still locked in discussions over its future, even though three years have passed since the Brexit referendum. Tensions in Hong Kong, too, remain rife even after its “contentious” Extradition Bill was withdrawn, he said.

The Bill, if passed, would have allowed the Hong Kong government to transfer fugitives to mainland China, and it had triggered widespread and ongoing protests in the Special Administrative Region.

“We know that trust between the people and their leaders cannot be inherited, and the fourth-generation team will have to do so at a time when our politics has become increasingly more contested. We must evolve our style of leadership with the times, and forge a renewed bond of trust with the electorate,” he said.

He noted that Singaporeans are now more diverse and expect the Government to represent their needs and aspirations.

Echoing a point he made last month when he announced the Singapore Together citizen engagement movement, Mr Heng said: “Singaporeans are passionate about a wider range of causes and we must expect a greater diversity of views and more robust debates in the years to come.”

However, some political parties in certain countries have exploited these differences to stoke tensions and fears for political gain, he noted.

“Trust is shattered and society fractures, sometimes over single issues. We must never let this happen in Singapore,” Mr Heng said, adding that it is critical to stay united given the challenges of US-China tensions, technological disruption, climate change, the need to rejuvenate urban areas and an ageing population.

Recalling a 1971 speech by former Deputy Prime Minister S Rajaratnam on the “democracy of deeds”, Mr Heng said that Mr Rajaratnam spoke at a time when society debated the role of opposition parties.

The PAP was the only party in Parliament, and the lack of an opposition in Singapore’s legislature meant that some quarters opposed the Government “simply for the sake of doing so”.

To set the opposition parties right, Mr Heng said the late deputy prime minister argued that the “quality of governance” was what mattered and for all parties to focus on problem-solving, rather than on slogans and words.

“Fifty years on, we must continue to uphold this spirit of constructive problem-solving. Through partnering and working with Singaporeans better, we strengthen trust,” Mr Heng said, referring to his pledge last month to chart the country’s future with Singaporeans.

“We may not share the same views on every issue, every time, but so long as we have the interest of Singapore at heart, we can work together.”

Addressing the PAP activists at the dinner, he urged them to go further than giving feedback and suggestions, as they now do.

In a statement after the event, the PAP Policy Forum's chairperson Theodora Lai said that the forum had played a role in establishing a deeper knowledge on policy issues and enabling a learning mechanism that is effective for feedback in a complex environment.

This was done through pro-active engagement and by serving as a platform for party members and leaders to explore and solve issues as one, she said.

Mr Heng called for activists to build trust with people by taking action to give back to society, communicating more to understand the diverse concerns and aspirations of various Singaporeans, and teaming up with people — friends, classmates, colleagues and family members — to contribute to the nation.

The PAP will also be training activists to be better communicators, he added.

“Trust sits at the core of our team’s approach to building Singapore for the future. Building and deepening trust is most essential for any political party that wishes to be in Government,” Mr Heng said.