Today’s PAP ‘has betrayed Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s ideals’
Supporters wave the SingFirst flag at a party rally yesterday. Mr Tan Jee Say urged people not to fear voting for the Opposition. Photo: Jaslin Goh
SINGAPORE — The current batch of People’s Action Party (PAP) leaders has betrayed the ideals of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and Singaporeans should not be afraid of voting for the Opposition, Singaporeans First (SingFirst) secretary-general Tan Jee Say said yesterday, pointing out that he never voted for the PAP in all his years as a high-flying civil servant.
Mr Tan said that Mr Lee, who died in March, had warned of having too many foreign workers, but the Government of today is too liberal in letting in many of them.
The people’s trust in the Government — another value Mr Lee stood for — has also declined under the current PAP leadership, he said.
The principle of meritocracy, which Mr Lee believed in, has also weakened as “politically connected businesses are most likely to prosper”, Mr Tan said, referring to The Economist’s Global Cronyism Index, which placed Singapore fifth after Hong Kong, Russia, Malaysia and Ukraine.
“If Singaporeans vote out of gratitude for the father, they will end in servitude to the son,” Mr Tan said at the party’s fourth and final rally, which was held at Queenstown Stadium in Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
Speaking about Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s track record since taking office in 2004, Mr Tan said Singapore saw its first riot in 40 years, its first labour strike in 26 years, various train breakdowns and frequent floods under Mr Lee’s watch.
Canvassing for support for the last time ahead of today’s Cooling Off day, Mr Tan urged people not to fear voting for the Opposition. He said that even if the PAP is voted out of power, an effective Civil Service will keep the country going.
“Singaporeans should not be afraid. The Civil Service continues even after politicians have left the scene ... Just take my personal example: I have worked for several PAP ministers, but I have not been convinced to vote for any one of them. I never voted for the PAP even when I was working for these PAP ministers,” he said, adding that despite the differences in beliefs, his career advancement was not compromised.
“I was professional as a civil servant and I would say that the Civil Service’s ethos of professionalism and neutrality remains to this day. So, fear not, the Civil Service will be there to serve you even with a change in Government.”
Mr Tan also waved off concerns about the Opposition’s ability to manage a town council, noting that Opposition parties had managed to do their job for more than 20 years in Potong Pasir and Hougang.
Potong Pasir was held by Singapore People’s Party chief Chiam See Tong from 1984 to 2011, while Hougang has been held by the Workers’ Party since 1991.
