So what’s the talk of the town now? Come 15 May 2024 and DPM Lawrence Wong will be stepping into the spotlight as our next prime minister. To the outside world, Singapore is renowned for its dynamic leadership and unwavering drive for progress. Investors may be interested in our GDP but for folks like you and me (I doubt any members of the elite, including my former schoolmate Tan See Leng will be reading this) the numbers don’t matter if our lives are not improved.
So what can we expect with a new PM? Let’s take a jog down memory lane. There is this simplistic idea that when Goh Chok Tong took over, Singapore had a more open and consultative government. Was that the case? Having R or RA films in our cinemas and having a bit of political humour on TV (which later vanished) didn’t actually translate into greater political freedom. During this time, the property prices rose steadily and many Singaporeans earned their first pot of gold. There had been gripes and complaints, but the results at the polls told a different story. Meanwhile, Chee Soon Juan was dealt with a sledgehammer and the Far Eastern Economic Review were sued for defamation, policies promoting “Asian values” were put in place to make sure everyone was “respectful” towards authority and leadership. Ruling party MPs who criticised the government were made to apologise. And yes, Phua Chu Kang was criticised during a National Day Rally and Singlish was suppressed. No more illusions of openness and consultation. Singapore was still a nanny state.
Lee Hsien Loong had always been prominent in the background but nobody was surprised that he would take the top job – because of his unmatched abilities as a leader of course. It was a sweet deal – for civil servants at least. 5-day work week, xinyao and hawker food like mee siam mai hum. Through the media, Lee projected himself as a caring, down-to-earth PM that debunks the image of an aloof princeling. But backtracking on mee siam mai hum, liberalising political discussions on social media was obviously a calculated move. The opposition made some inroads with Aljunied in 2011, but GE2015 erased a lot of those gains. Little goodies still lead to the hearts of the kiasu, kiasi, gian png electorate. Gradually, fine-tuning measures like the registration of political sites and POFMA came in.
Below is Pritam Singh’s own correction notice for a Straits Times report:
Here is a screenshot of that opinion piece. Can POFMA be applied here? Probably not, but that’s the comedy and tragedy of living in Singapore.
What sort of a PM will Lawrence Wong style himself to be?
In a video message put up shortly after the announcement, DPM Wong said he had never expected to be asked to serve as prime minister one day when he first agreed to enter politics in 2011.
“I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of duty. I pledge to give my all in this undertaking,” he said. “Every ounce of my energy shall be devoted to the service of our country and our people. Your dreams will inspire my actions, your concerns will guide my decisions.”
After reciting a part of our national pledge, Mr Lawrence Wong said that he wants us to join his team and write the Singapore story together. The image of our new PM is that of an approachable and inclusive leader.
Rightly or wrongly, Prof Tay Kheng Soon has the following to say:
PAP’s core beliefs:
1. Elites must lead
2. Elites are schools’ high scorers
3. Everyone must know his place
4. Money is the true measure of worth
5. People cannot be trusted
6. Everything must be regulated
Allow me to add no. 7. Any opposition to the above must be fixed.
In this year’s budget speech, Mr Lawrence Wong promised us S$1.9 billion in support for Singaporean households to cope with the rising cost of living and S$4000 top-up to SkillsFuture Credits. What does that translate into when vouchers quickly used up and I probably need to quit my job to attend any meaningful SkillsFuture courses. Only the marginally employed or unemployed have time to go for them. Someone even remarked that the SkillsFuture courses are without subsidies have become more expensive with subsidies. Will it drive the economy? Sure. Will there be any meaningful benefits for folks who are already fully occupied? Will seniors like me be looking forward to the day when work becomes optional? Frankly, I’m not optimistic.
But seriously, the thing that give Lawrence Wong most credit for is this statement.
Interestingly, many Singaporeans don’t appreciate Mr Wong’s honesty. They still dream of their HDB flat values appreciating indefinitely. I just hope Mr Wong could outdo himself with another bombshell.
Hot update:
“Our system works on the basis of continuity and progressive change. It has never been the case that when there is a leadership transition, all the older ministers step down at the same time,” he said.
“Instead, they continue to contribute in different ways, while making room for the younger ones to step up. So I will adopt the same approach when I take over.”
Are you surprised?
Meanwhile, totally unrelated to Singapore, is the following snapshot from China’s history book.
Emperor Qianlong, （爱新觉罗弘历）sat on the throne for 60 years until 1796. At the age of 85, he announced his abdication in favour of his son 爱新觉罗顒琰 who would become Emperor Jiaqing. He did this because the late Emperor Kangxi ruled for 61 years, holding the record for the longest reigning Chinese emperor. To show respect for his grandfather, Qianlong decided that he could only rule for 60 years.
Of course, it was only an act to gain public admiration, reminding everyone to adhere to Confucian principles. Qianlong “retired” as 太上皇 (emperor emeritus) and continued to call the shots until his death in 1799, age 87. He was China’s longest living emperor.