Practise ‘inclusive politics’ amid differences in views, PM Lee urges party members

SINGAPORE — While People’s Action Party (PAP) members can hold different views on many issues, they must encourage inclusive politics, and the ruling party’s “centrist” approach to politics must stay, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mr Lee, who is also the PAP secretary-general, cited this as one of four tasks that the PAP must carry out to “keep politics right” in Singapore.

Speaking at the party’s biennial conference on Sunday (Nov 11), Mr Lee said that while PAP members must accept the party’s core values such as multiracialism and meritocracy, among other things, they can and do hold divergent views on many other issues.

“Some want to keep the Primary School Leaving Examination, others favour scrapping it. Some want to retain Section 377A, others want to repeal it,” said Mr Lee, referring to the section of the Penal Code that criminalises sex between men.

“Regardless of these differences, all can be good (and) loyal members of the PAP,” he told about 3,200 party members at the Singapore Expo.

He noted the importance of bringing these different groups together, as the party aims to be a “broad tent, a broad church”.

While it may not reach a consensus on all issues every time, the party should always seek common ground.

More importantly, it should maintain a shared space where different views can be aired in a constructive manner that does not erode trust and social cohesion, he added.

If Singapore fails to do these, Mr Lee warned that society will gradually become polarised. He said: “The middle ground will weaken, wither away. The extremes will grow, politics will have to follow and become a zero-sum game.

“And then people will be forced to take sides.”

In the United States, for instance, politics runs so deep that families cannot talk about it when they gather, Mr Lee said.

In such situations, a centrist party like the PAP which tries to hold everyone together will face an uphill task, as it cannot bring people from both ends together easily, owing to deep differences.

Extremist protest, radical and populist groups will then gain ground.

“Once our society goes this way, we’re in that downward spiral, and it’d be practically impossible to rebuild centrist politics again and bring Singaporeans together again,” said Mr Lee.

“Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, fallen down, finished. It has happened to many countries. It can happen to us, too.”

Expressing hope that Singapore never goes down this path, Mr Lee said the PAP must strive to reconcile different views and interests. It must also work hard to strengthen confidence and trust between various groups so as to retain a “broad middle ground” and a multiracial, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive society.

He singled out the tripartite partnership between employers, unions and the Government, which each have their own interests and concerns, as an example of how people may be brought together.

All parties can work hand in hand because they understand and uphold the national interest, with trust and confidence fostered through the years, said Mr Lee.

While “maintaining cohesion and centrist politics... may sound ordinary and dull,” Mr Lee added that it is “vital for Singaporeans”.

GRASPING SINGAPOREANS’ CONCERNS

Besides keeping politics inclusive, Mr Lee said the PAP must understand the people’s concerns.

Beyond government policies in areas such as housing, education and healthcare, Mr Lee urged party members to “connect the dots” so Singaporeans know that the Government understands their concerns, and the party will tackle their problems with them.

To do this, policies must go hand in hand with a human touch, such as through interactions during Meet-the-People sessions or house visits. “By showing voters that you personally care, it convinces them that the PAP cares, and the PAP Government cares,” said Mr Lee.

There is also a need to give Singaporeans hope for the future, he added.

To ensure everyone has a shot at moving up the social ladder, the country must keep its economy growing, and press ahead with economic transformation.

There have been some early successes, with companies of all sizes restructuring, embracing technology and retraining workers. Singapore is also home to a blooming start-up scene, and is drawing investments such as British firm Dyson’s recent decision to set up a plant here to manufacture electric cars, the prime minister noted.

This shows that with technology and a skilled workforce, Singapore can surmount its traditional constraints of land scarcity and higher labour costs to create new opportunities for everyone.

Mr Lee also weighed in on the issue of social mobility, which has been the talk of the town in the past month.

Beyond education and Singapore’s merit-based system, society must maintain a social ethos where people interact as equals, respect one another irrespective of income or status, and never look down on others or push their weight around, he said.

Without these, social barriers to mobility will harden gradually, making it unfair for Singaporeans and blocking their opportunities, and doing “worse for ourselves”.

Finally, Mr Lee said the PAP must have good leaders who instil confidence in Singaporeans, and who can take the country forward.

To this end, the prime minister said the fourth-generation (4G) leaders, who have been in the Cabinet for some years, have a good combination of skills, are amassing experience, willing to serve, and have “their hearts in the right place”.

“I can see them gelling as a team, and am confident that they have what it takes to lead Singapore.”

A major leadership transition was set in motion on Sunday with five senior party leaders — including Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam — stepping down from the PAP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).

Twelve members were elected to the party’s top-decision making body, including a number from the 4G leadership, one of whom is expected to take over as prime minister eventually.

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung have emerged as frontrunners to take over from Mr Lee, 66, who had previously said that he would not wish to be PM beyond 70 years old.

WINNING SUPPORT OF THE MAJORITY

Speaking to TODAY, Second Education Minister Indranee Rajah, who was voted into the CEC on Sunday, said that the PAP must be able to command the support of a majority to carry the Government.

“That means being in the centre, because if you’re not able to carry the centre, which means you’re on either fringe, then you end up just fighting about the opposite ends of the spectrum,” said Ms Indranee, who chairs a new government taskforce to help children from disadvantaged families.

It will look into improving the motivation of students, and tackle absenteeism and dropout rates, among other things.

Even as it reaches out to the broad majority, the PAP has to examine the concerns and needs of those at both ends of the spectrum to see “what can be accommodated”, said Ms Indranee.

“There may be some that you are not able to, then you’ll have to prioritise,” she said.

Likewise, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said that society must forge common ground in the face of divergent views, and there was a need to disagree respectfully and build consensus wherever possible.

Member of Parliament Darryl David from the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency agreed, citing the need for “meaningful and respectful” dialogue on various issues even as alternative views are taken into consideration.

Nevertheless, Senior Minister of State (Communications and Information) Sim Ann said centrist politics was not necessarily about automatically “taking the middle way”.

“It is about pursuing, for instance, pro-growth policies that allow the widest range of jobs to be created… (and) promoting stability and peace because everyone benefits,” she said.

“These are not easy things to do.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WONG PEI TING