GE2025: Now is not the time to take risks losing PAP candidates that can take Singapore forward, says PM Wong

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong asked voters on Saturday (Apr 26) if now is the right time to take risks by losing potential office-holders who can take Singapore forward for the next 10 to 20 years.

Speaking at a People’s Action Party (PAP) rally for the Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and Bukit Gombak Single Member Constituency (SMC), Mr Wong, who is also the party’s secretary-general, noted how the opposition would tell voters not to worry about giving the opposition a few more seats in parliament in order to make the ruling party work harder.

In reality, however, Mr Wong said having more opposition seats will “weaken the PAP team”.

He noted that many experienced Cabinet ministers have stepped down, namely Mr Teo Chee Hean, Mr Heng Swee Keat, Dr Maliki Osman and Dr Ng Eng Hen.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, then senior minister, had also stepped down earlier, he noted.

In this election, Mr Wong said that he has brought in many more new candidates, with some having the potential to be office holders.

Among them is former second permanent secretary and Chua Chu Kang GRC candidate Jeffrey Siow, said Mr Wong, describing the former top civil servant as “very capable, full of ideas”.

He also gave the examples of Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi and Dr Hamid Razak, PAP candidates at Nee Soon and West Coast-Jurong West GRCs, respectively.

In his rally speech on Thursday, Mr Wong had also highlighted Tampines GRC candidate David Neo and East Coast GRC candidate Dinesh Vasu as those with "potential" to be more than backbenchers.

On Saturday, Mr Wong said such candidates will contribute to Singapore not merely for the next five years.

“Together with the rest of the team, we can have a core of leadership that will contribute, not just for the next five years, but they will take Singapore forward for the next 10, 15, or even 20 years,” said Mr Wong.

“The opposition says losing a few candidates is not a big deal,” said Mr Wong. "But do you really want to lose serving ministers as well as new candidates who have the potential to be the next generation of leaders for you?"

“I ask you to consider: Is this the right time to take such risks, with your lives and your future?” he asked, noting that the country is undergoing a leadership transition and is facing an uncertain global environment.

A weakened PAP team now will not only make it harder for them to serve Singaporeans effectively in the next five years, but will set back leadership transition plans and “make it harder for us to put together a capable team to serve you beyond the next five years,” he said.

Mr Wong was the last to speak at the PAP’s rally in Choa Chu Kang on Saturday, which was held next to Concord Primary School.

Mr Siow was the first candidate to speak, followed by PAP new face Choo Pei Ling, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling, who is contesting Bukit Gombak SMC.

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, who was moved from Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC at the eleventh hour to stand in Chua Chu Kang GRC, was the last to speak before Mr Wong.

OPPOSITION WILL SAY, DO "EVERYTHING" TO BRING PAP DOWN

On Saturday, Mr Wong also said that the opposition is “always quick to take credit” whenever the PAP advances something positive, doing so “for their own narrow political objective”.

“But the truth is this: The PAP will keep on refreshing and updating and innovating, with or without the opposition,” he said.

“We keep on striving and working hard because of you,” said Mr Wong.

He said that the PAP’s strength and Singapore’s strength do not come from more opposition in parliament. 

“It comes from you – the people of Singapore,” he said. “Real strength comes from your inputs, your voice and your trust in the PAP.”

Mr Wong also said that opposition parties will “say and do everything” to bring down the PAP, attributing anything that goes wrong or any grievance to the ruling party.

"If it's raining, it's the PAP's fault," he said.

Even when an issue has been debated and clarified in parliament, the same false claims would be repeated and new doubts raised to cast the PAP in a negative light, said Mr Wong.

He cited the debate around jobs and foreigners as an example.

He said that although the government has shown that its approach strengthens Singapore’s competitiveness, attracts investments, and creates more good jobs for Singaporeans, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) keeps pushing the same line that foreigners are taking jobs at the expense of Singaporeans.

PSP is fielding a team to contest Chua Chu Kang GRC in this General Election.

Mr Wong said that the opposition party does this because it thinks it is an emotive issue that will give them political mileage.

“Perhaps they have seen this strategy work elsewhere,” added Mr Wong, citing the political situation in the West and how it has resulted in countries becoming more nativist and insular. 

While bigger countries like America can survive if they close their doors, Mr Wong asked if Singapore can really afford to go down such a path, adding that “there will be a huge price to pay” if Singapore does so.

He said that some multinational companies are rethinking their presence in Singapore because of the US tariffs situation.

“What message do we want to send to them? If you have the PSP coming into parliament, I think they will conclude - the political risk in Singapore has gone up, policies may start to change and they may decide to move out of Singapore earlier,” said Mr Wong.

“And if they do, who suffers in the end? It is Singaporeans.”

Another policy issue that Mr Wong highlighted was the opposition's calls to bring down the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates.

Mr Wong noted that while the government has explained that the rising cost of living is a global issue and not caused by the recent GST hikes, opposition parties still persist with "these sorts of distorted arguments".

He added that with GST vouchers issued for middle- and low-income Singaporeans, the effective GST rate for these groups is below 7 per cent.

If most of the lower- and middle-income pay GST of seven per cent or below, who actually pays the full nine per cent rate, Mr Wong asked.

"The people who pay nine per cent are foreigners, tourists and high-income households," he said. "Don't you want them to pay nine per cent? I want them to pay nine per cent."

When the opposition cannot win on arguments, they instead turn to personal attacks, said Mr Wong.

“They say the ‘PAP 4G has lost its way’,” he said, referring to the PSP leaders’ speeches in their election rally on Thursday.

He said they are exploiting voters’ frustrations and turning them against the PAP, not to solve problems but only to score points to improve their chances of getting into parliament.

NO NEED FOR DIVISIVE POLITICS

Mr Wong also said on Saturday that Singaporeans can decide for themselves if the ruling party and its candidates have not done well and if the opposition has put forward better candidates and proposals.

However, there was no need to descend into divisive politics, he said, reiterating a caution he had given during the party’s first rally.

Mr Wong also highlighted efforts by foreign actors to influence the outcome of Singapore’s elections and the mixing of religion and politics.

Earlier in the day, Mr Wong held a press conference on this issue, saying that foreigners urging Singaporeans to vote along religious lines have "crossed the line".

He had also welcomed the "clear consensus" from opposition parties rejecting foreign interference in Singapore's elections, and also urged all political leaders to firmly reject overseas endorsements.

Mr Wong held the press conference in his capacity as prime minister, after the government's announcement on Friday that it directed Meta to block access to Facebook posts made by two Malaysian politicians and a former Internal Security Act detainee, now an Australian citizen. The posts criticised Singapore’s handling of religious matters and urged voters to cast ballots along religious lines.

On Saturday, Mr Wong reiterated that mixing religion and politics is “very dangerous” and will rip apart the social cohesion that Singaporeans have built over generations.

“Any political party that attempts such tactics is being reckless,” he said, calling on Singaporeans to reject such politics.

For the residents in Chua Chu Kang GRC specifically, Mr Wong acknowledged that many are “sad” about Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong's shift to Punggol GRC, given that he has been their Member of Parliament for almost 20 years.

Mr Wong said it was a difficult decision for him to move Mr Gan to Punggol GRC, but he had to do so given that Mr Teo is retiring.

However, Mr Wong added that he did not leave Chua Chu Kang GRC without someone capable of carrying on the work there, and has asked Dr Tan to take over.

He said that over the past five years, he has seen how Dr Tan has done good work in the Ministry of Manpower, such as managing the COVID-19 situation in migrant worker dormitories and strengthening fair employment safeguards for Singaporeans.

Mr Wong added that Dr Tan will also be supported by a strong team in Chua Chu Kang GRC, and that his own ward is just next door and considered part of Chua Chu Kang town in HDB’s planning.

Mr Wong added that town planning works best when there is close coordination, and that this can only be done effectively if both sides are helmed by PAP teams.

“That’s how the PAP works – as a team,” said Mr Wong.

“Each of us brings different skills and perspectives. But we are united by one common purpose - to serve you, and to do our best for you.”