PAP manifesto a fresh start that strikes a familiar chord

SINGAPORE – Five years ago, the PAP launched its election manifesto at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic was ravaging the economy.

Titled Our Lives, Our Jobs, Our Future, it sought to drive home what was at stake.

This year’s edition,

launched on April 17, strikes a different note. It is titled Changed World, Fresh Team, New Resolve – Securing a Brighter Future for You.

The phrase draws attention to the broader geopolitical context in which Singapore operates – one in which the rules that keep small countries safe are beginning to matter less. It also spotlights the renewed vigour of the ruling party under its fourth-generation team, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and bolstered by the experience of senior Cabinet members.

What the People’s Action Party wants to tell voters is: We are starting anew, but not from scratch.

In keeping with the spirit of renewal, the party’s campaign video feels markedly different. Unlike previous years, there are barely any drone shots of Singapore’s glittering downtown core or bustling heartland.

Instead, much of the four-minute clip features PM Wong – the PAP’s secretary-general – against a nondescript grey background, making a personal appeal to voters.

“I am determined to keep this miracle called Singapore going. I will not gamble with your future. I will build on the foundations laid by those before me, so that we can stay ahead,” he says.

“To do this, we need your support. I need your support.”

But the PAP’s election manifesto is not – as my younger colleagues might say – just vibes.

Its nine chapters outline the party’s promises to an electorate whose demands have evolved over the years.

While some chapters deal with evergreen bread-and-butter issues, such as the cost of living and affordability of public housing, the PAP has also pledged to refresh its social compact and open up more paths towards a wider definition of success.

If this sounds familiar, you’ve been paying attention.

Much of this builds on

the Forward Singapore report,

which was released in October 2023. This blueprint for the next phase of Singapore’s growth was drawn up by the PAP’s 4G leaders, following consultations with more than 200,000 citizens.

Their approach represents a change of pace for the PAP Government. Instead of dictating policy or seeking feedback to fine-tune it, the Government has opened an avenue for citizens to give input on policy priorities.

As a political party, the PAP has also undergone renewal.

In June 2024, it unveiled the results of its six-month Refresh PAP exercise,

pledging to engage Singaporeans more widely through new channels.

Five months later, party cadres elected the PAP’s new central executive committee, its top decision-making body.

PM Wong

will field 32 new candidates in the election

– the PAP’s largest batch of fresh faces in decades.

Speaking at the launch of the PAP manifesto on April 17, PM Wong told over 400 party activists that this is just the beginning.

“We have so much more to do – to renew our social compact, refresh our Singapore Dream and build a future where every Singaporean can become the best version of themselves,” he said.

The PAP has emphasised that this is not the same as building from scratch. In addition to the relatively large number of new faces, the party will continue to benefit from the wisdom and guidance of “experienced veterans”, PM Wong said.

In the same vein, plans outlined in its manifesto – such as those touching on jobs, families and retirement adequacy – often build on areas in which it has already done considerable work.

Government-paid paternity leave, for instance, was introduced in 2013 and doubled to two weeks in 2017. In 2023, it was doubled again to four weeks. And in 2024, it was announced that parents-to-be

would soon get another 10 weeks of shared leave.

This would bring the total amount of government-paid parental leave to 30 weeks by April 1, 2026.

In his campaign video, PM Wong makes another pitch for stability and continuity by highlighting that Singapore’s next chapter of nation-building will take place in an uncertain world.

He adds: “We need an experienced and effective government with the mandate to represent you, address your needs, and take our nation forward.”

The PAP’s manifesto is relatively sparse, compared with

the 122-page document the Workers’ Party put out on the same day.

There is also little in it that comes as a surprise, given that many of its plans have already been announced and put into action.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. People are already familiar with the PAP, its style of governance and its policy outcomes, because they touch on every aspect of everyday life.

Its message to voters is that it has a fresh team with new ideas that will continue to work for Singapore, even as the country evolves.

Will this message stick?

Singaporeans have two weeks to decide.