Battle emerges between PAP, WP to shape narrative

Key question that has emerged is: How should voters judge WP come GE2030

- Ng Wei Kai Correspondent

The postmortem for the 2025 General Election continues, but already the first battle line has been drawn for the next fight, with a key question that has emerged: How should voters judge the Workers’ Party (WP) come 2030?

During Parliament’s first sitting last week, leaders from the ruling PAP and the opposition WP set out to shape expectations with their own competing takes on what the WP should be doing in the House.

Speaking on Sept 23 during the five-day debate, Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung framed these expectations as what voters will look for from the WP moving forward as Singapore matures politically.

He said the WP should offer a “real” alternative vision for Singapore with alternative policies. While the WP has done this occasionally before, it needs to present a “principled, consistent and coherent approach” to Singapore’s challenges, he added.

Should the WP “rise to the occasion” and stand and contest the PAP as the Democrats and the Republicans do in the US or the Conservatives and Labour do in the UK, “life will be much harder for the PAP”, he said in a wide-ranging speech on Singapore's new post-election political landscape.

As a party heavyweight and one of the PAP’s senior leaders, Mr Ong’s outline was more than a reflection of what he said was public sentiment — it was also an appeal to Singaporeans to hold the opposition party to a higher standard than before.

It presents a significant shift in how the ruling party frames the role of the WP to the public.

The PAP has in recent years publicly accepted the WP’s continued presence in Parliament and role in holding the Government to account. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said during the debate that he fully expects the WP to continue what it was doing before - asking questions and scrutinising policy.