Desire for greater political diversity here to stay: Heng

The desire for greater political diversity and more checks and balances - clearly felt during the recent general election - is here to stay in Singapore, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.

Subsequent general elections will only get tougher for the People's Action Party (PAP), as the opposition will seek to deny it a two-thirds majority in Parliament, and thereafter, to displace it and form the government, added Mr Heng, who is the ruling party's first assistant secretary-general, yesterday.

The PAP won 83 out of the 93 seats in Parliament with just over 61 per cent of the popular vote, in the lower range of its projections, and lost the newly formed Sengkang GRC to the Workers' Party.

In a virtual address to party cadres at the PAP's biennial conference, Mr Heng said the party must earn the right to lead, and urged them to be alert to what is at stake.

Sharper contestation can easily spiral into unstable and divided politics, he warned. While the polarisation seen elsewhere has not taken root in Singapore, it is not immune to such pressures, he added, citing how anti-foreigner sentiments can be easily stirred up.

Race, religion and inequality are other fault lines that can greatly divide Singapore society, he said, calling on the PAP to do what it can to resist such pressures. "In a turbulent and uncertain future, the PAP will need to work even harder to build consensus and create the political space for us to do the right thing for Singapore and Singaporeans."

Speaking after Mr Heng, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said voters had sent an "unequivocal signal" that they wanted the PAP back in power to see Singapore through the challenges ahead, even as they felt the pain of the downturn and wanted more alternative voices to check the Government.

The PAP will act on feedback given by activists on its campaign, he said, stressing that the party must have the backbone and conviction to fight for its beliefs as political competition intensifies.

He added that the party will not give up in opposition-held constituencies: "We will maintain our presence. We will strive to win back the voters there - and one day, we will succeed."

Mr Heng outlined three ways the party will evolve to engage a changing electorate - by strengthening its ground engagement, improving its online outreach and growing its base of activists.

The PAP must continue to recruit widely so that its MPs and activists can represent the growing diversity of society, he added. "As a broad tent that occupies the middle ground, the PAP can better organise ourselves to champion the concerns of various groups."

PM Lee said there is no substitute for the hard, patient work of reaching out to people, solving their problems, and winning their trust and confidence. But even as the party continues its groundwork, it must not neglect the political contest which has become more intense in the new normal, he added.

To this end, the PAP must work harder to translate programmes and policies that benefit Singaporeans into messages people will embrace, he said. It must also be ready to face closer scrutiny, both in and out of Parliament.

"Where the criticisms are fair and the suggestions are constructive, we will take them in, and improve our policies and performance," he said. "But we should also defend vigorously what we believe in and stand for, take the fight to the opposition, and persuade Singaporeans of the best way forward."

PM Lee added: "You may feel desperate, your back may be to the wall - you believe in it, stand for it, fight for it. If need be, die for it."