GE2025: PAP's 'DNA' is about forging consensus and finding common ground, says PM Wong in response to Pritam Singh

SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party's (PAP) approach when it comes to policies has always been to bring Singaporeans together, even when it comes to difficult issues, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Wednesday (Apr 30).

Referring to the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code, the wearing of tudung (headscarf) by Muslim female workers in healthcare settings, as well as the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, Mr Wong said that the PAP government seeks to build consensus on such contentious topics.

“We try to forge as wide a national consensus as possible on these issues and to make sure we continue to expand our common ground and bring Singaporeans together so as not to accentuate our differences nor to seek to exploit these differences."

“That's the PAP way. That's the PAP’s DNA," Mr Wong, who is also the party's secretary-general, said.

"And that's how, over the decades, we have been able to bring Singaporeans together, unite our people and forge a much stronger Singaporean identity today. And we will continue to take that approach."

Mr Wong was addressing what Workers’ Party (WP) secretary-general Pritam Singh said in a rally on Tuesday, after the opposition leader said negative politics was a part of the PAP's DNA and referred to the ruling party's "crippling" of opposition town councils over the years as an example.

Mr Singh said this after Mr Wong expressed disappointment over WP's “negative attacks” on Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and the rest of the PAP team in Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) during a previous rally.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the sidelines of his visit to a public housing estate at Tampines North with the party's Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat Single Member Constituency (SMC) teams, Mr Wong said: “They targeted Gan Kim Yong the entire night with personal negative attacks. That kind of negative politics, in my view, is unwarranted.

“I don't think we want to see negative politics in Singapore.”

On the other hand, the issues that Mr Singh raised were matters of policy and on this point, Mr Wong acknowledged that when it comes to policy discussions, they are not static and there would always be room for improvements and debate.

MORE VOICES NOT NECESSARILY BETTER

During his previous rally speech, Mr Singh raised the example of how opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) are denied access to community clubs in their wards, as well as how the Housing and Development Board's upgrading plans in opposition-held wards used to be de-prioritised by the government.

Mr Singh noted that this has changed, with upgrading plans in both PAP and opposition wards now being carried out “at the same time”, adding that PAP changed its strategy because its "bullying sticks and disrespectful carrots did not work”.

On Wednesday, Mr Wong said in response that municipal upgrades in opposition wards were not withheld but “a matter of queuing and prioritisation”.

“And there was a logic previously that … if you didn't support the PAP, then you don't get it earlier than the ones that supported the PAP,” Mr Wong added. 

“That logic, I think, is no longer wearable today.

“It's not just about whether or not it's because of the opposition protesting. Even Singaporeans themselves have explained to us and highlighted that they feel that there can be a better way of allocating and looking at how to go about prioritising.”

In any case, these are matters that Mr Wong said could be discussed in parliament. Outside of parliament, policies will always be fine-tuned with inputs that the government gathers from multiple sources, including from Singaporeans directly.

”That's what the PAP does. We listen to every voice,” he added.

Similarly, on the issues of community clubs and centres, which are managed by the People’s Association, Mr Wong said that policies regarding these have been debated, reiterating that the association plays a non-partisan role.

“But the WP and opposition parties will have a different view and we are happy to debate and make adjustments along the way, if we think it's necessary.”

When it comes to the quality of policy debates in parliament, Mr Wong made the point that having more voices does not necessarily lead to better outcomes.

“It depends on the quality of the inputs in parliament, too.”

WHAT THE GENERAL ELECTION IS ABOUT

The PAP team at Tampines GRC, led by Mr Masagos Zulkifli, is facing a four-cornered fight against a WP slate led by Mr Faisal Manap, as well as teams from the National Solidarity Party (NSP) and People’s Power Party (PPP).

Carved out of Tampines GRC is the newly formed Tampines Changkat SMC during the latest electoral boundaries review and PAP's Desmond Choo faces off against WP's Kenneth Foo at the SMC.

In the 2020 General Election, PAP retained Tampines GRC with 66.41 per cent of the votes against NSP.

Mr Wong's visit to the ward comes after Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong conducted a walkabout in Tampines GRC on Tuesday with the PAP candidates standing there.

Asked on Wednesday what this signals, Mr Wong said that it shows that PAP takes the election seriously, both at the national and constituency levels.

“And we want to provide the assurance to all residents, including the residents here in Tampines, that they will have a good, strong team with the full capabilities of the PAP behind them to serve them and to make sure we improve their lives.” 

Mr Wong added that as the General Election is reaching its last stretch, he would also like to remind Singaporeans what this election is about.

First, it is about the future of Singaporeans, their families and their children in a “very changed world where we are facing serious and growing challenges”.

Second, the election is about choosing candidates who are honest, trustworthy and of good character to represent them in parliament.

“And some of them will form the leadership team to govern Singapore and help steer our country through the many storms that we are facing.” 

Third, he said that the election is also about choosing ideals and what Singaporeans want the country to be.

When asked to sum up the key economic concerns raised during the campaign period, which is drawing to an end, Mr Wong said that the cost of living and jobs concerns are among those top of mind.

These concerns are not new, which is why the government has rolled out a major support package in the Budget this year to help businesses, workers and households.

“But the storm that we are heading towards will only make these concerns worse because we are entering more turbulent weather,” he cautioned.

“We can expect the economy to slow down this year, which will exacerbate cost-of-living concerns because incomes will be affected, which will make job anxieties even worse.”

He added that the turbulence is “not a one-year matter”.

“And that's why I asked Singaporeans to consider carefully, how do we want to put together the best possible team in government in order for us to navigate these storms, steer Singapore safely through and make sure we secure a brighter future for everyone.”

Mr Wong said that who residents pick to represent them in their constituencies "can make an additional difference".

Even though resources for upgrading programmes are allocated across the board to all constituencies, this is just "the base level". 

"You can go well beyond the minimum and it depends then, on the quality of your team," he added.

He also said that the progress seen in Tampines GRC over the decades "goes beyond what government agencies do".

"It's also credit to the efforts of the MPs over successive years, working very hard, understanding what the issues are and really helping to press and advocate for residents needs."