More significant than the fact that the People’s Action Party was voted once again to power in Singapore under Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is that the country for the first time will have a designated Leader of the Opposition.
As Singapore’s ruling party since Independence suffered a surprising drop in vote percentage, the opposition Workers’ Party, nearly as old as its rival, has emerged as an important voice in the island nation’s politics.
The Workers’ Party was founded in 1957 by David Marshall, who had in 1955 led a left-wing Labour Front to become the first Chief Minister of Singapore. But after the country’s independence in 1965, the party withered away for some years.
In 1981, its leader Joshua B Jeyaretnam became the first Opposition member to be elected to independent Singapore’s parliament. Now, party chief Pritam Singh, a Singaporean Sikh with Punjabi ancestry, will serve as Leader of the Opposition, a development described as “very significant” by former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Certain conclusions can be drawn from the outcome of Singapore’s Election. First, while the PAP has suffered a reduction in support from 69.9 per cent to 61.24 per cent, it remains the dominant force it has always been. But many of the ten Opposition parties that were in the fray also posted significant gains.
The Workers’ Party performed the best, winning 10 of the 24 seats it contested and gained the support of more than half the voters in these constituencies. Others like the National Solidarity Party, the Reform Party and the Singapore People’s Party also improved their vote share.
Second, the success of the Workers’ Party suggests that a degree of disillusionment may have crept in with the PAP’s centre-right politics. Certainly, the Workers’ Party, with its traditionally socialist moorings, will seek to influence the flow of politics in the country with some presence in Parliament to back it.
Third, with the 68-year-old Prime Minister already having announced he will step down before he turns 70, and with Mr Heng Swee Keat having been picked to succeed him, the possibility of the Workers’ Party nominating more candidates in the next General election cannot be ruled out.
It must be said though that Mr Lee is likely, as did his predecessors, to mentor the government even after he steps down. But the Opposition may decide on a departure from the unwritten formula that has been followed for the past decades ~ one of allowing the PAP to contest all seats and claim a majority in Parliament, while exhorting Singaporeans to elect some Opposition candidates to ensure there is a check on government.
Singapore faces many challenges in the days ahead, especially with the corona epidemic having hit several sectors of its economy hard. The way the PAP government steers the country in the next few years will determine how strong its grip on the country will be.