It is true that winning a single-member constituency (SMC) in an election would speak well of a leader's persuasive power (More than one way to test next PM's mettle, by Mr Daniel Ng Peng Keat; Jan 11).

To communicate well and be able to persuade people to vote for one and one's party manifesto are among the many qualities required of a good politician.

But persuasion alone is not enough for one to be an effective MP, let alone a prime minister.

There are many other equally important qualities, such as honesty, integrity, hard work, leadership, vision, passion and a love for serving the country.

I believe all the fourth-generation ministers, including the three front runners, have these qualities, even though they were not elected through SMCs.

What they need is more exposure to different ministries and appointments before the final line-up is decided.

Pavithran Vidyadharan