Singaporeans have clear expectations of PAP’s and WP's roles: Ong Ye Kung

They expect contest of good ideas that can be used to take country forward, he says

- Anjali Raguraman Correspondent

Voters have signalled that they have clear expectations of the roles they want the ruling party and opposition to play, where a “contest of good ideas” can be used to take the country forward, said Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung.

After a hard-fought election, the PAP, with a decisive vote majority of 65.57 per cent, is in a position to act fast and adapt to changes for the benefit of Singaporeans.

At the same time, the Workers’ Party now has a sizeable presence ~ 12 MPs in all - to provide a check on the ruling party, Mr Ong said in his speech on day two of the debate on the President’s Address.

As the sole opposition party in Parliament, the WP must justify its standing and develop its own alternative vision, policies and pathways for Singapore, he said.

“An alternative path and vision are the essence of democratic discourse, and also what a more discerning and informed populace expects to see,’ he said, noting that this shift comes as politics in Singapore matures.

For alternatives to be meaningful, they have to extend beyond “tweaking at the margins of government proposals” or simply jumping on the bandwagon when issues go viral, he added.

“If the WP wishes to position itself as the ‘0.5’ in a ‘l.5-party system’, I think it needs to present a principled, consistent and coherent approach to the main challenges facing Singapore.”

Such a system is where one major party dominates and wins elections, but a smaller, permanent opposition party also exists as a check and balance on the dominant party.

Mr Ong, who is also Health Minister, said that while the ruling PAP has its set of governing principles and policies to take Singapore forward, opposition parties can play an important role by setting out their long-term ideas, presenting clear alternative visions for governance, and outlining the pathways and policies to get there.