Planning ahead is the backbone of the political system

I refer to the letter, “Beware the danger of making policy promises too far into the future” (Sept 11).

The writer rightly points out that Singapore’s political climate is unique, whereby our incumbent Government has committed “another government four terms into the future” to a specific policy that does not even have its exact details hammered out.

This is a double-edged sword. The writer is right in saying that Singaporeans should be careful about “indulg(ing) a political incumbent with its expectation of longevity in office”. It is true that it may give rise to a government that is complacent, arrogant, and self-entitled.

Yet it was just two electoral cycles ago, in 2011, when the People’s Action Party (PAP) suffered its lowest popular vote since independence. One would imagine that it has taken active steps to learn from where it had gone wrong previously, and that its top ranks would be wary of another poor showing in the next election.

As such, announcing a policy well beforehand does not mean that the ruling party thinks it will enjoy perennial electoral victory. It is also its prerogative to assure Singaporeans that it has planned ahead.

I wonder if the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (Vers) would have been announced early if the issue of the expiring leases of public housing was not part of the national discourse in the time leading up to the National Day Rally.

It must be said that the incumbent Government of the day — whether the PAP or any other political party — has a duty to plan for both the short-term and long-term direction of country.

It is an even more dangerous premise if the Government does not do so. We will end up with an administration of the day that runs on short-term planning based on electoral cycles, and that is more interested in retaining their incumbency instead of focusing on long-term nation-building. Singapore would lose its political stability, and we will no longer be able to punch above our weight.

We should be wary of that, for it would be a far greater danger for the country.