[SINGAPORE] It is a ridiculous argument to say the People’s Action Party (PAP) can lose ministers without weakening the government, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday (Apr 29).
This is as every team has a range of members, some more critical and others playing complementary roles, he told reporters at a walkabout in Aljunied GRC.
“If it doesn’t matter who is in the team, then there should be no difficulty making a good government with anybody (and) you don’t need to assemble a strong group of people,” he said.
SM Lee was responding to comments by WP chief Pritam Singh that it would be a serious problem if the PAP needed more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats to govern properly.
On Monday, the Leader of the Opposition had said that the government would still have “enough leeway, enough focus” even if all 26 WP candidates were voted into Parliament this election.
At a rally that evening, Singh also said Singapore would be in trouble if Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had no one else in his Cabinet to negotiate with the US on tariffs besides Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
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Singh also posited that DPM Gan had been ready to retire before GE2025 and, if re-elected, he was likely to stay for just one more term.
SM Lee noted that Singh was trying to make inroads in Punggol GRC. DPM Gan is anchoring the PAP team there against a WP team.
“He can’t very well say that Gan Kim Yong is a very valuable minister but nevertheless, ‘Please vote for me’, so he has to say that,” said SM Lee.
On Singh’s argument that amenities such as hospitals and train stations will continue to be built if the opposition is elected, SM Lee said basic facilities and government services are developed across the island.
“But does the MP in a constituency make a difference? The answer is yes,” he said.
The PAP candidates in Aljunied GRC will have their residents’ interests at heart and will be able to work with the government to help make sure it understands these concerns and needs, he added.
Asked about the WP’s charge that the ruling party had not put out a five-year plan for Aljunied GRC, SM Lee said that was “rich”, as WP chairwoman Sylvia Lim had also said the opposition party has no five-year plans for the new constituencies they are contesting.
Chan Hui Yuh, who is leading the PAP team in Aljunied GRC, said the candidates will rejuvenate the towns and make them more livable if elected.
SM Lee said: “(For) the PAP, if you want to know what our plans are, look around you. Look at the houses we have built, the trains which are running, the services which we enjoy – that is what we have built for Singapore all over.”
He noted that the WP had said they have achieved green ratings for their town councils in the Ministry of National Development’s town council management report.
“But some markers are greener than others,” he added, citing a park in Aljunied “where the swings have no swings for two years”.
“Any number of such things, if I can just start by putting those things right and getting them up to scratch as they ought to be, which I’m sure our PAP team is able to do, that already is significant,” he said.
SM Lee said he was visiting places like Aljunied and Jalan Kayu to show that these were important constituencies for the PAP, and to show voters that the ruling party was taking these contests seriously.
“We go where we are most needed, and the fact that we go there sends a signal,” he said. “The signal is this fight is important, please take it very seriously.
“This is about your future, about Singapore coming through a very troubled period in the world safely, with the best team to help you secure your lives and your future.”
This is the second time in the hustings where a heavyweight minister made an appearance in Aljunied GRC.
On Apr 25, SM Teo Chee Hean, who is not contesting in this election, joined the PAP candidates for a walkabout at Bedok 538 Market and Food Centre.
The WP clinched Aljunied GRC at the 2011 election, and has held on to the constituency ever since. At GE2020, the WP retained Aljunied with 59.95 per cent of the votes. THE STRAITS TIMES
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