GE2020: Lessons learnt from Singapore's first true Internet election; IPS Post-Election Survey on GE2020

Online engagement, authenticity are vital, but may not always translate into votes
By Hariz Baharudin and Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 15 Jul 2020

While physical rallies were absent during the hustings for the recently concluded general election, some politicians did not seem to need them.

By the midpoint of the campaign, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chief Tan Cheng Bock was able to reach out to 12,000 followers with each Instagram post - thrice the capacity of Clementi Stadium, where rallies for West Coast GRC were held in past elections.

The veteran politician wooed younger voters online by posting videos of himself responding to their attempts to educate him on slang terms like "woke".

Dr Tan, who now has over 70,000 Instagram followers - more than local celebrities like TV personality Denise Keller and rapper Sheikh Haikel - was among the politicians who thrived in what experts have dubbed Singapore's "first truly Internet election".

Political parties have traditionally relied on mass rallies to rouse the electorate and drum up support. But this time, restrictions on large gatherings due to COVID-19 measures saw the battle for hearts and minds take place mostly in the digital realm.

Some observers have argued that an Internet campaign benefits the opposition parties, as it enables them to raise their profiles quickly, affordably and widely.

And even though the Internet had been around during the past three or four elections, it was the current social distancing restrictions that necessitated the use of online campaigning by parties and candidates, said Associate Professor Eugene Tan from Singapore Management University's School of Law.

"For many voters, it was their only means of finding out information about parties, their candidates and their policy platforms," he added.

AN ONLINE ADVANTAGE?

In lieu of physical rallies, parties held talk shows - such as Straight Talk by the People's Action Party (PAP) and the Hammer Show by the Workers' Party (WP).

These programmes allowed parties to engage with voters on a more intellectual level than at physical rallies, where voters can be moved by emotion, noted Prof Tan.

The Singapore Democratic Party and Peoples Voice also featured candidates' speeches on their Facebook pages.



All 11 parties in this year's general election had their own e-rallies and participated in televised constituency political broadcasts.

Such efforts gave voters a better sense of the parties' ideas, said former Nominated Member of Parliament Lim Sun Sun, who is head of humanities, arts and social sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

"Unlike public rallies where candidates tend to engage in histrionics and grandstanding, the e-rallies and public broadcasts were calmer and more measured, thereby enabling voters to concentrate on the substance of the issues and the strength of the arguments," she said.

Dr Natalie Pang, a senior lecturer in the communications and new media department at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said the online hustings gave voters opportunities to hear from more parties and candidates, compared with the past, when there was a limit to the number of rallies they could attend.

But the glut of content also resulted in "information overload", said NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser, with netizens finding it hard to follow all the political discussions online.



Dr Felix Tan, an associate lecturer at SIM Global Education, said political parties could have missed out on engaging some segments of society, such as senior voters who are tech-averse.

Another disadvantage of e-rallies instead of physical ones is that parties lose opportunities to connect emotionally to voters, said experts.

Parties also lose the opportunity to raise funds by selling merchandise or appealing for donations at physical rallies, said Prof Eugene Tan.

The PAP was returned to power after winning 83 of 93 seats with 61.24 per cent of the votes, down from the 69.9 per cent vote share it received in the 2015 General Election.

GE2020 results: PAP wins 83 of 93 seats; WP takes two GRCs

PAP returns to power with 83 seats, but loses Sengkang and Aljunied GRCs in hard-fought COVID-19 election
By Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief, The Straits Times, 11 Jul 2020

Singaporeans returned the People's Action Party (PAP) to government, handing it 83 of the 93 seats, but there was a major upset in Sengkang GRC, which fell to the Workers' Party (WP), amid a stronger showing for the opposition.

In what was dubbed a crisis election, or the COVID-19 polls, the PAP won 61.24 per cent of the votes, an 8.7-point swing from its 69.9 per cent share in the 2015 polls.

This was slightly above the 60.1 per cent it garnered in 2011, which was the party's worst showing.

The election, billed as the most significant since Singapore's independence given the backdrop of the pandemic, will see the opposition presence almost doubled to 10 elected MPs in the next Parliament, Singapore's 14th, since 1965.

Speaking at a 4.30am press conference, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the PAP had been given a "clear mandate" and a "good result". Although the share of the popular vote was not as high as he would have liked, it still reflected broad based support for the PAP, he said.

"I will use this mandate responsibly to deal with COVID-19 and the economic downturn and to take us safely through the crisis and beyond," he said. "At the same time, the results reflect the pain and anxiety that Singaporeans feel in this crisis," he added, noting that this was not a feel-good election.



He described the loss of NTUC chief Ng Chee Meng, as well as Dr Lam Pin Min and Mr Amrin Amin, from the Sengkang GRC slate as a "significant loss" for the country's fourth-generation leadership.

Flanked by several members of his Cabinet from the party's 3G and 4G leadership, he repeated his pledge that he and his senior Cabinet colleagues would stay to see Singapore through the COVID-19 crisis.

He noted that the election also showed that there was a "desire for more diversity" of views in Parliament, which would have 10 elected opposition MPs and two Non-Constituency MPs,

He added that he had called WP chief Pritam Singh to congratulate him on his party's good showing, and offered him the official designation as Leader of the Opposition. Mr Singh thanked him for this.

The fears of a wipeout of the opposition, which the WP and others had warned about, proved unfounded, he added.

Instead, the opposition turned in a strong showing, with the WP snagging its second GRC, as well as enjoying a near 10-point swing in its Aljunied GRC base, taking 59.93 per cent of the vote there, and holding on to its Hougang seat.

The WP's plea to voters not to hand the ruling party a "blank cheque" to shape policy at will appeared to have swayed voters.

But the other opposition parties, including the fledgling Progress Singapore Party (PSP) and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), which forced close fights in several seats, ended the night empty-handed.

PSP chief Tan Cheng Bock and SDP's Dr Chee Soon Juan both looked dejected early this morning, declaring that they were "disappointed" with the results.

The PAP had urged the 2.65 million voters registered for the polls to give its tried and trusted team a "strong mandate" to take the country through the crisis, securing their lives, jobs and future.

In the end, the widely expected "flight to safety" in a crisis, given the PAP's track record leading Singapore for over six decades, did not materialise.

Instead, the PAP's share of the vote was down from its high score in 2015, which was a Jubilee Year for Singapore, and which also saw the passing of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, which moved Singaporeans deeply, and contributed to the PAP securing a better result than most had anticipated then.



The WP pulled off the biggest upset, with its slate of mostly fresh faces in the newly carved out Sengkang GRC securing 52.13 per cent of the vote. Speaking at a press conference at close to 4am, Mr Singh thanked voters for supporting the party and said it will not let the results "get over our heads, as there was much work to do".

The key battleground seats in the east and the west proved to be close calls. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, whose last-minute tactical switch to East Coast GRC caught most by surprise, pulled in 53.4 per cent of the votes, down from the 60.7 per cent the party managed in 2015. This was a tad down from the 54.8 per cent the PAP secured in 2011.

Over in the west, the keenly watched contest for West Coast GRC proved to be a nail biter, with the PAP holding on to it, but narrowly, with 51.7 per cent of the votes.

Amid the ongoing outbreak, voters had to cast their ballots wearing masks, after sanitising their hands, and while keeping a safe distance from others. This caused some delays which led to long queues forming at several polling stations, prompting an extension of voting hours to 10pm and drawing protests from the opposition camp.

The PAP had sought a strong mandate to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. But in the end, in the face of the worst crisis to hit Singapore in many decades, most voters plumped for the party which has pulled Singapore through many a difficult moment in the past to take decisive charge, but without a blank cheque, as it shapes the country's response to the challenges to come.

GE2020 Nomination Day: All 93 seats contested as Singapore heads for 'crisis election' on July 10

PM Lee says outcome of polls will impact Republic's response to crisis and its future
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 1 Jul 2020

Singapore will see all seats contested for the second general election in a row, in a contest that takes place amid a global pandemic and a time of crisis.

Nomination Day saw a total of 192 candidates file papers to contest all 93 seats in 17 group representation constituencies and 14 single-member constituencies.

The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) is the only party fighting for every seat, while the leading opposition Workers' Party (WP) is fielding 21 candidates this time around, fewer than the 28 in 2015.

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has the largest contingent among the opposition, with 24 candidates in its maiden outing.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday described the July 10 polls as a "crisis election" - one that can change the course of history.

"As our manifesto puts it, what's at stake is our lives, our jobs, our future. Everything depends on which government you choose and the mandate that you give it," he said.



While there can be a "flight to safety" by the electorate, he acknowledged that this "is not the happiest of times", with people hard hit by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Noting that every constituency is being contested this time, he said: "So this is not a by-election, it's a general election for the most important issues concerning the country at a moment of crisis, and I think everybody needs to understand that."

While the PAP has called on voters to give it a strong mandate, WP chief Pritam Singh said his party will face an uphill battle, especially in the light of restrictions on campaigning due to COVID-19.

In a clear drawing of battle lines, Mr Singh again warned of the possibility of a clean sweep by the ruling party, while PSP leaders called on voters to bring an end to the PAP's "super majority" in Parliament.



In response to suggestions that the election might see the PAP wiping out the opposition, PM Lee pointed out that the Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) scheme guarantees there will be a "significant opposition presence" in Parliament.

The scheme - amended in 2016 - provides for at least 12 opposition MPs with full voting rights in the House, up from nine, even in the event that the PAP wins all seats. There were six elected opposition MPs and three NCMPs in the 13th session of Parliament.

The ruling party kept some cards close to its chest till yesterday, springing last-minute surprises by deploying key fourth-generation ministers in constituencies that are expected to be hotly contested.



Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat moved from his Tampines stronghold to anchor the PAP team in East Coast GRC. His team will go up against the WP, which won 45.2 per cent of the vote in the 2011 General Election and 39.3 per cent in 2015.

Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee left Jurong GRC to join the PAP team in West Coast GRC, helmed by Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran. They will go head to head against the PSP's "A team" led by former PAP stalwart Tan Cheng Bock, whose former Ayer Rajah seat is now part of West Coast GRC.

On deploying two ministers in West Coast, PM Lee said the party tries to spread them out, "but sometimes we have two in one place".



Analysts also expect to see keen battles between the PAP and WP teams in Aljunied GRC and the new Sengkang GRC.

Among the SMC contests, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) sprang a surprise of its own by fielding party chairman Paul Tambyah in Bukit Panjang against three-term PAP MP Liang Eng Hwa.

Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC will see a three-cornered fight between the PAP, Peoples Voice and Singapore Democratic Alliance - the first multi-cornered fight in a GRC since the 1992 by-election in Marine Parade GRC. There will be a three-way battle in Pioneer SMC as well.

There are 2.65 million voters registered to vote in the election.

Parties began campaigning in earnest yesterday, doing walkabouts and holding online sessions. The SDP held its first e-rally last night on Facebook.



With no physical rallies allowed in this election, parties will hold webinars and e-rallies during the campaign to try to win the hearts and minds of voters.

GE2020: Singaporeans to vote on 10 July 2020

Singapore General Election 2020: Parliament dissolved, Polling Day set for July 10
PM Lee Hsien Loong sets out why he is calling general election now amid COVID-19 pandemic
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 24 Jun 2020

Singaporeans will go to the polls on July 10, in a general election that will take place in a time of crisis as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.

The widely anticipated announcement of the election date came yesterday, when President Halimah Yacob dissolved Singapore's 13th Parliament and issued the Writ of Election.

Nomination Day will be next Tuesday, with the minimum nine days of campaigning before Cooling-Off Day on July 9.

Polling Day will be on July 10 - a Friday and a public holiday.

In a televised address to the nation yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he has decided to call the general election now, while the COVID-19 situation is relatively stable, to "clear the decks" and give the new government a fresh, full five-year mandate.

After the election, the new government can focus on the national agenda - which includes handling the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and jobs - and the difficult decisions it will have to make and to carry, he said.



The alternative is to wait out the pandemic, he said, noting however that there is no assurance the outbreak will be over before the Government's term ends next April, with the virus expected to linger for at least a year - most probably longer - until a vaccine is available.

The election, Singapore's 13th since independence, is likely to see the People's Action Party (PAP) challenged for all seats - as the ruling party was in 2015.

A total of 93 elected seats are at stake - in 17 group representation constituencies and 14 single-member constituencies.



GE2020 will be waged on a drastically different battleground due to the pandemic.

Safe distancing rules that restrict the size of public gatherings to five people mean traditional campaign staples like mass rallies cannot be held. Political parties will also have to scale back on the scope of their walkabouts in constituencies.

They have geared up to turn to cyberspace and social media instead, to get their messages across to the electorate. Each candidate will also get airtime on national television, as part of the new, one-off constituency political broadcasts.

Following the announcement yesterday, political parties sprang into action and ramped up their planning and preparations.

Due to safe distancing restrictions, they ironed out campaign strategies via WhatsApp messages and Zoom calls, instead of traditional meetings in larger groups.



The PAP will launch official introductions of its new candidates and release its party manifesto over the course of this week.

Opposition parties said they were ready for the election, as the possibility of one has been on the cards for some time.

Observers reckon issues that will feature prominently at the hustings include the state of the economy and jobs, the Government's handling of the coronavirus situation, political succession and the setting of the direction of Singapore's future after COVID-19.

The PAP's leaders have, in a series of six national broadcasts over the past two weeks, set out the key issues at stake, including protecting jobs, overcoming the current crisis and securing Singapore's future.

Meanwhile, opposition parties are expected to question the Government's handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, and call for greater accountability as well as more checks and balances to keep the ruling party on its toes.



The pandemic has brought economies to a near standstill, as countries lock down to curb the spread of the virus. Singapore's economy is projected to shrink by up to 7 per cent this year, which would make it the worst recession since independence in 1965.

In response, the Government has rolled out nearly $93 billion to fund four COVID-19 support packages, requiring a draw of up to $52 billion from past reserves.

This coming election will see Mr Lee lead the PAP into battle for the fourth, and what looks set to be the final, time as prime minister.

He had earlier declared his intention to hand over the reins to his successor by the time he turns 70, which will be in 2022.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who leads the PAP's fourth-generation team, is poised to take over.



The 2006 General Election, the first led by Mr Lee, saw the PAP get 66.6 per cent of the popular vote.

The ruling party saw its vote share fall to 60.1 per cent in the 2011 election, but rebounded to secure 69.9 per cent of the vote in 2015.

There will be 2,653,942 voters heading to the polls next month.

There will also be a minimum of 12 opposition MPs in Parliament - including Non-Constituency MPs - up from nine currently. This stems from changes to the Constitution that were passed to guarantee that number, should there be fewer than 12 elected opposition MPs.

The Returning Officer for this election is Mr Tan Meng Dui, replacing Mr Ng Wai Choong, who was the Returning Officer for the 2015 General Election.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Madam Halimah said: "It is important that every care and effort be taken to ensure that our voters' safety is not compromised.

"I would also like to urge Singaporeans to have open, civil and respectful conversations with one another during this period.

"For us to continue prospering as a nation, we must stay united and build upon our strengths."

Electoral Boundaries Review Committee 2020 report; 14 SMCs, 17 GRCs in next General Election

Singapore GE: Number of MPs to increase from 89 to 93, four new SMCs and a Sengkang GRC created
By Royston Sim, Deputy News Editor (Politics), The Straits Times, 14 Mar 2020

Singapore will increase the number of elected MPs in Parliament by four, and do away with six-member group representation constituencies (GRCs) in changes to constituency boundaries announced yesterday, raising expectations that the next general election could be called within the next few months.

The changes are incremental in nature, with the largest ones taking place in the fast-growing north-eastern part of the island. In all, about 13 per cent of voters will find themselves in a new constituency, compared with the 19 per cent of voters affected by boundary changes ahead of the 2015 election.

Political analysts said the next election could be held as early as next month, or in early May or June.

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee submitted its report to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday, and the Government has accepted its recommendations.

The number of Members of Parliament will go up from 89 to 93.

There will be 14 single-member constituencies (SMCs) and 17 GRCs, up from the current 13 SMCs and 16 GRCs.

A new four-member Sengkang GRC will be created by merging the former Sengkang West and Punggol East SMCs, as well as parts of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

In all, three SMCs have been taken off the map - Punggol East, Seng-kang West and Fengshan. The Workers' Party, which contested all three in the previous election, yesterday questioned their removal.

In their place are four new single seats, including Punggol West which will be carved out of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, and Yio Chu Kang from Ang Mo Kio GRC.

The mammoth six-member Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRCs, helmed by PM Lee and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, respectively, have both been trimmed to five-member GRCs. In all, there will be 11 five-member GRCs - three more than in 2015. The number of four-member GRCs remains six.



Two anticipated hot battlegrounds - East Coast GRC and West Coast GRC - have each grown to become five-member GRCs.

East Coast GRC, which is expected to see a strong challenge mounted by the Workers' Party, has absorbed Fengshan. Meanwhile, the new Progress Singapore Party formed by former People's Action Party MP Tan Cheng Bock is tipped to contest West Coast GRC, which has absorbed polling districts from Chua Chu Kang GRC and Hong Kah North.

In keeping with recent practice, the boundaries of opposition-held seats - Aljunied GRC and Hougang - have remained intact.

The committee said it reviewed the electoral boundaries taking into account "current configurations, changes in the number of electors due to population shifts and housing developments".

Its recommendations continue reforms to the system that PM Lee had initiated ahead of the 2011 GE, to further reduce the average size of GRCs and create more SMCs.

The average number of MPs per GRC in the coming GE will be 4.65, down from 4.75 in the 2015 GE.

There are 2,594,740 voters heading to the polls, which have to be held by April 2021 - up from 2,460,484 in the 2015 election.

The committee, which comprises five senior civil servants, was formed on Aug 1 last year.

The next question is when Parliament will be dissolved, and the writ of election issued. In the last four elections, Parliament was dissolved between one day (2001) and 54 days (2011) after the report was released.



The hustings will be held amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Yesterday, Singapore announced more social distancing measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic and proposed that gatherings be limited to 250 people.

PM Lee had said on Thursday that the outbreak could continue for a year, and maybe longer. He also emphasised that the situation here remains under control, and the disease outbreak response level - currently at orange - will not be raised to red, the highest level.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Wednesday said the COVID-19 situation and its impact on the economy are likely to worsen, and ensuring Singapore can focus on overcoming the challenges is a major factor in deciding when to hold the general election.

Observers said mass rallies, a mainstay of past GEs, are unlikely to take place in the coming one, and online campaigning could feature prominently instead.

Since GE2011, have HDB issues been resolved?

Since the watershed GE2011, issues to address have included housing supply, price and inclusivity. Have these been ticked off?
By Rachel Au-Yong, Housing Correspondent, The Straits Times, 3 Oct 2019

It is a rite of passage for most Singaporeans. No, not getting married, though that is closely tied to it - but owning their first HDB home.

And that has just become easier because of measures announced by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Sept 10.

These are: Raising the income ceiling for Housing Board (HDB) flats and executive condominiums (ECs) by $2,000, to $14,000 and $16,000 respectively, and extending a repackaged housing grant to more Singaporeans.

The new Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of up to $80,000 replaces two previous grants. It allows more people to benefit as it has a higher income cap and does not impose any restrictions on the flat size or location.

Some may argue that fine-tuning public housing policy in line with changing demographics is the duty of any responsible government.



However, in the case of public housing, it is not simply one item on the long to-do list that is governance: It is of paramount importance, given that about eight in 10 people in Singapore live in HDB flats.

Home ownership also lays the foundation for the Singaporean identity. It is an asset, one of the four pillars of the social security system - along with the Central Provident Fund (CPF), Workfare and affordable healthcare - and represents a stake in nationhood. And indeed, stability of that nationhood, considering that it is not uncommon that the act of putting names down for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat sometimes precedes the marriage proposal itself these days.

If not handled properly, public housing can become a major fault line at the polls, which it proved to be in 2011 when, amid runaway housing prices, the People's Action Party (PAP) won with its lowest vote share since independence.

The latest announcements - following a slew of purchaser-friendly measures over the past few years - prompt the question: Has housing as a source of political angst been "settled"?

Heng Swee Keat will be Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister from 1 May 2019

Cabinet reshuffle April 2019: Heng Swee Keat to be appointed Deputy Prime Minister; DPMs Teo Chee Hean and Tharman to become Senior Ministers
Finance Minister's standing as Singapore's next PM cemented in Cabinet reshuffle
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 24 Apr 2019

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will be promoted to Deputy Prime Minister from May 1, in a move that cements his standing as Singapore's next prime minister.

Meanwhile, both existing Deputy Prime Ministers will relinquish their appointments, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced yesterday.

As part of the ongoing process of leadership transition, Mr Teo Chee Hean, 64, and Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 62, will become Senior Ministers and remain in Cabinet.

All three will continue to carry out many of their current responsibilities. Mr Heng, 57, will stay on as Finance Minister and continue chairing the Future Economy Council and National Research Foundation. He will also be appointed Acting Prime Minister in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's absence.

Mr Teo will continue to be Coordinating Minister for National Security, while Mr Tharman - who is now Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies - will be redesignated as Coordinating Minister for Social Policies. He will still advise the Prime Minister on economic policies, said the PMO.

Yesterday, sovereign wealth fund GIC also announced that Mr Tharman, who is now a GIC director, will be appointed deputy chairman from next Wednesday. He will assist PM Lee, who is GIC chairman, to lead the board in overseeing GIC's long-term asset allocation and portfolio performance, it said. Mr Tharman is also chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

PM Lee, 67, said the changes are part of the ongoing process of leadership renewal.

"The next-generation leadership is taking shape, and progressively taking over from me and my older colleagues. The team is working closely together, building up public trust and confidence in their leadership," he said in a Facebook post.

"I ask all Singaporeans to support them, and work together to secure a bright future for Singapore." In a separate post, Mr Heng said that he was honoured by PM Lee's trust, and grateful for the older ministers staying on "to share their wisdom". Mr Heng was set to be appointed Deputy PM in this year's Cabinet reshuffle, after he was picked by his peers to be their leader late last year, and appointed first assistant secretary-general of the ruling People's Action Party last November.

Yesterday's changes come a year after a major reshuffle last April, which saw younger ministers taking on heavier responsibilities as 10 out of 16 ministries were helmed by fourth-generation (4G) ministers.

At that time, four backbenchers became office-holders to bolster the front bench, as three veteran ministers retired from Cabinet: Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Mr Lim Swee Say and Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.

Yesterday, Mr Teo said of the reshuffle: "This is the Singapore way of ensuring smooth leadership transition, continuity and stability. Senior leaders make way in good time for the next generation, share their experience and help the next generation of leaders to succeed."

Mr Tharman said: "Swee Keat is the best person to move up to become DPM and take over as PM during the next term of government. He has exceptional ability, mettle and the confidence of the 4G team."

Both DPMs said they hoped to continue serving their residents after the next general election.



Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, who Mr Heng had picked last November as his deputy, said: "As one team, we will continue to work closely together to take Singapore forward and to serve all Singaporeans."

The Cabinet has traditionally had two deputy PMs since the 1980s, with the exception of a short period in the 1990s when PM Lee was the only DPM on board.

Observers said the latest move sends a clearer signal - at home and abroad - about the next PM.

"The way I read it, the focus of this reshuffle is on the DPM," said political analyst and former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin. "He will definitely be the person who's going to take over from the PM... It's very clear who the man in charge is."

Singapore's next Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat

Heng Swee Keat picked as 4G leader, with Chan Chun Sing as deputy
People's Action Party (PAP) appoints Heng Swee Keat as First Assistant Secretary General, indicating he will be Singapore's fourth PM
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, 57, has been chosen to lead the fourth-generation (4G) team of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), paving the way for him to become Singapore's next prime minister.

Mr Heng is now the party's first assistant secretary-general, with Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, 49, playing a key role as second assistant secretary-general and his deputy.

The announcement of their roles yesterday in the new slate of office-holders for the PAP's highest committee marks a major point in Singapore's leadership transition and answers the pressing question of who will succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Speaking at a media conference at the PAP headquarters in Bedok yesterday evening, Mr Heng said the younger team chose him as their leader, and he accepted it.

He then asked Mr Chan to be his deputy, saying the former army chief and labour chief has many strengths and would complement him very well.

Mr Heng said: "Leading the party and governing Singapore are massive and complex tasks. No one person can do it alone." It was a point both he and Mr Chan reiterated several times at the press conference.

"I am heartened that I have the backing of a strong team," he added.



A group of 30 younger PAP MPs issued a statement yesterday saying they reached the consensus that Mr Heng will lead the team and endorsed Mr Chan as his deputy.

In a Facebook post last evening, PM Lee, the party's secretary-general, said he supports their decision and is happy with the outcome.

Mr Heng and Mr Chan have complementary strengths and make a strong pairing, PM Lee added.

"I am confident that they will continue to grow in experience and touch, and steadily win the confidence and trust of Singaporeans."

The Prime Minister also said he will announce changes to the Cabinet in due course, and observers expect Mr Heng to be appointed deputy prime minister.



Both Mr Heng and Mr Chan entered politics in 2011 and have held various key portfolios.

Mr Heng was made education minister, and chaired key initiatives like a national conversation series to engage citizens and a committee tasked with devising strategies to grow Singapore's economy in future.

But his political future came under serious doubt when he suffered a stroke during a Cabinet meeting in May 2016. He, however, made a miraculous recovery and returned to work about three months later.

Yesterday, Mr Heng gave the assurance that his doctors have given him a clean bill of health, and said he is in even better shape than before. "I would not have taken up this appointment if I do not have the confidence that my health allows me to do it," he added.



On why he picked Mr Chan as his deputy, Mr Heng said they complement each other well in their styles and areas of expertise.

He cited how they have good experiences working together, including setting up the Early Childhood Development Agency.

Mr Chan has been doing a lot of groundwork with various organisations, including the labour movement, the People's Association and the party itself, he noted, adding: "It is important that we pool together our strengths to mobilise."



On his part, Mr Chan said he has great respect for Mr Heng's capabilities, particularly his considerable international experience and knowledge of financial markets.

"As a team, we will complement one another, leveraging our respective strengths to do our best for Singapore," he added.

The PAP's 4G team has strengths in different areas and a range of skills to deal with a complex set of internal and external challenges, Mr Heng said. "I am confident that we will work well together to take Singapore forward and to improve the lives of Singaporeans."

PAP Conference 2018: PM Lee Hsien Loong sets out plan for People's Action Party ahead of next General Election

It must know people's concerns, give them hope, bring them together and lead well
DPMs Teo Chee Hean, Tharman and 3 senior PAP members step down from Central Executive Committee
By Royston Sim, Deputy News Editor (Politics), The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday charted the path forward for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), saying it must win the next general election convincingly by taking a centrist approach and uniting Singaporeans.

The party has only two years left to prepare for the next election, said Mr Lee, who is PAP secretary-general, as he outlined four things it must do to maintain good politics and keep improving people's lives.

He called on party members to understand and address Singaporeans' concerns, give people hope for the future, encourage inclusive politics and provide good leadership.

"We are setting a clear direction, supported by the broad mass of Singaporeans who want to see stability and progress continue for many years."

He was at the party's biennial conference at Singapore Expo, where cadres elected a new central executive committee (CEC) - the PAP's top decision-making body.

"The new CEC will be leading the party into the final stretch, gearing up to put our record before voters," Mr Lee said.



The new CEC also reflects a major transition for the party.

It comprises largely fourth-generation leaders, with heavyweights such as Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam stepping down.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, labour chief Ng Chee Meng and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah were elected to the top 12 positions.

* Heng Swee Keat picked as PAP's first assistant secretary-general, indicating he will be Singapore's next Prime Minister

Mr Lee said the CEC will meet "within a couple of weeks" to elect a new slate of office-holders, and observers expect the line-up to provide more clarity on who the country's next prime minister will be.

This will be followed by a Cabinet reshuffle in due course, he added.

Addressing about 3,000 party members, Mr Lee noted that many countries are under serious stress, from citizens who feel their lives are not improving and hot-button issues like immigration. Politics becomes polarised, and the country goes into a downward spiral.

Singapore has coped better than most countries, but "we should not take what we have for granted", he said, stressing the need to get both policies and politics right.

Noting that cohesion does not come naturally or easily to any society, Mr Lee said the PAP must keep Singaporeans together.

The party aims to be a broad tent, he said, highlighting the importance of finding common ground and maintaining a shared space where differences can be aired without eroding social cohesion.

"The PAP must strive to reconcile different views and interests, and work hard to strengthen confidence and trust between different groups," he said. "So that we can keep this a society with a broad middle ground, multiracial, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive."

The party must also understand the concerns of Singaporeans well, and help address their specific worries, he added.

He called on every party activist to play his part by complementing the Government's policies with a human touch.

"By showing voters that you personally care, it convinces them that the PAP cares, and the PAP government cares," he said.



Beyond that, the PAP must give Singaporeans hope about the future, Mr Lee added. One important aspect of this, he said, is social mobility - people believing they have every chance to improve their own lives and that of their children.

Singapore's meritocracy has to be about helping one another reach their best, without holding back others who are doing better, he added.

Mr Lee also stressed how providing good leadership is key. The party has had two smooth political transitions so far, he said, providing both continuity and renewal.

He noted that the 4G leadership team has been in the Cabinet for several years now.

They have been - and been tested - in several portfolios, and are learning to complement one another's strengths and weaknesses, he said, describing them as "a team of able men and women with a good combination of skills among them".

"I can see them gelling as a team, and am confident that they have what it takes to lead Singapore."