PM Lee: Consensus, not the PAP, is bigger question

Without consensus on direction of society, Singapore could be caught in divisive politics

The important question regarding Singapore's political future is not whether the People's Action Party (PAP) will remain dominant, but whether society can maintain a consensus about what the country should be, said the Prime Minister.

If there is a consensus, then having one party with a strong mandate would be possible. If not, it might mean Singapore being mired in the sort of divisive politics that has held up lawmaking in the United States and India, said Mr Lee Hsien Loong.

As such, he did not know whether or not Parliament would be dominated by the PAP in 20 years' time. "I don't know. The question is, will there be a stable consensus in the society on the direction we want to go?

"If there is, then there can be one party which has got a strong mandate and can work on behalf of Singaporeans effectively."