Murali warns against populism, polarisation taking root in S'pore politics

Singaporeans must reject populism, polarisation and post-truth politics, which caused political systems in other countries to turn dysfunctional, said Minister of State for Law and Transport Murali Pillai on April 28.

- Syarafana Shafeeq

Cautioning against allowing such politics to take root in Singapore, he said that when it comes to the issues of lowering business costs and raising workers' wages, the difficult but "right thing to do" is to provide a nuanced picture and take steps to help these groups.

"What would be irresponsible is to turn workers against businesses. That is polarisation," he added.

Speaking at the PAP rally at the Jurong East Stadium, he cited an example of one MP highlighting the plight of local businesses and how they are suffering from high costs during the Budget debate in February.

Another MP from the same party said workers' wages are too low and should be higher, Mr Murali added, without naming either MP or their party.

"Now, if both messages were said by the same person, the audience will be confused. If the cost is too high, how can wages be too low?" said Mr Murali, a PAP candidate in the new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

"It can, if you are a populist."

One statement will sound good to bosses of small and medium-sized enterprises, while the other will appeal to workers, he said.

"These are not hard truths. These are half-truths, and they create a house of cards at the end of the day," added Mr Murali, who had been the MP for Bukit Batok SMC since 2016.

The single seat was absorbed into the new group representation constituency following the revision of the electoral boundaries in 2025.

"More nuanced speech", which would be difficult, would be needed if one "really wants to make a difference", he said. This would require acknowledging that not all businesses are struggling, and not all workers are underpaid.