Current balance in Parliament can shift, evolve at each general election: PAP chairman

A PAP government with a strong, renewed mandate and a stronger WP presence in Parliament is the “balance” that Singaporeans have chosen for now, but this is a dynamic and evolving situation, said PAP chairman Desmond Lee.

- Anjali Raguraman Correspondent

This balance can shift at each general election depending on factors such as the Government’s and opposition’s performance in the prior term, he said in his first interview with the media as the ruling party’s chairman since taking on the mantle in May.

“(It) is not a permanent equilibrium... It’s ultimately for Singaporeans to decide what they want as a balance, in terms of governance versus checks and balance,” he said.

Apart from whether the PAP government delivered, and whether the opposition served as a “high-quality check and balance” and proposed good ideas, the electorate will see if other political parties had come to the fore, he added.

The candidates the various political parties put up for election, as well as the domestic and international geopolitical situation, will also have an impact on this balance.

At the 2025 General Election, PAP secured 65.57 per cent of the popular vote, while the Workers’ Party emerged as the main opposition party with 12 seats in Parliament.

The result showed that Singaporeans want a good, loyal opposition presence, and the PAP accepts this, said Mr Lee, who is also Education Minister.

At the same time, Singaporeans know instinctively that stable government is needed in order to establish the socioeconomic conditions within Singapore — and also the geopolitical relationships with the wider world - for the Republic to thrive, he said.

Post-election, the PAP now looks forward to robust, constructive debates in the new term of Parliament, starting on Sept 22 with the debate on the President’s Address. Every month thereafter, there will also be parliamentary sessions where important issues are raised and debated, he added.