General election must provide Singapore with a competent govt to lead country in crises: SM Lee

Elections in Singapore need to provide the country with a capable leadership that can run a competent and effective government, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on April 14.

- Lim Min Zhang

Such a leadership must also be able to defend Singapore's place in the world and lead the country safely through crises, he added in an hour-long speech outlining the stakes for the next general election.

That is ultimately what elections are about, he said, which is to, ideally, choose a team that can lead the country most successfully and effectively.

"If voters keep on electing more opposition MPs even when the Government is doing a good job, then beyond a point, it must weaken the Government's ability to govern, to form the best possible team for Singapore," he told labour union leaders as he sought their support in the upcoming polls.

SM Lee was speaking ahead of a closed-door dialogue at the NTUC Centre, attended by National Trades Union Congress president K. Thanaletchimi, secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and around 500 other union leaders.

The ruling PAP has traditionally shared a symbiotic relationship with the labour movement.

His remarks come amid an ongoing trade war between the United States and China, which has roiled global markets. Singapore's leaders have warned that such developments could significantly slow global growth, with no exception for the Republic.

The unstable global outlook is among topics likely to feature in the hustings, along with the rising cost of living and a greater desire for more political opposition.