It is high time for multi-party democracy to take root in Singapore

Written by Ng E-Jay
17 November 2008

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told PAP activists on Sunday that a two-party political model could not work in Singapore. He said that change had to take place not between parties, but within the PAP. (Channel News Asia, “PM Lee says two-party political model cannot work in Singapore”, 16 Nov 08)

PM Lee explained why he thought tackling the economic crisis needed both a policy and political response. He said: “We cannot sail through this storm on autopilot. The government has to lead, watch the changing environment, implement the policies needed, mobilise Singaporeans and mount a national response to get us through. It’s the party’s business to provide this leadership for Singapore.”

Unfortunately, recent events have shown yet again why the one-party political model for Singapore is no longer appropriate or relevant in the 21st Century.

Without a strong Opposition in Parliament to keep the ruling party on its toes, point out the potential flaws in its policies, and offer concrete alternatives, the ruling party can do as it wishes with scant regard for the needs of the people.

The recent case of the Lehman-linked structured products fiasco demonstrates this point beautifully: The Government has thus far failed to provide prompt redress to investors who have obviously been mis-sold flawed investment products, and it has failed to establish an independent panel to handle investors complaints. By its words and deeds, the Government in fact appears to be siding with the financial institutions. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew himself said that if banks followed the rules strictly, the case would in fact be closed. To him, investors have no case whatsoever.

Next, why should we assume that the necessary changes and reforms will take place within the PAP, when the PAP has governed in the same authoritarian fashion for the past four decades, denying Singaporeans basic civil liberties such as freedom of assembly (Speaker’s Corner, as playwright and blogger Alex Au has opined, is but mere tokenism), and in recent years, enacting policies that disenfranchise working class Singaporeans in terms of job prospects vis-a-viz foreigners.

Certainly, as PM Lee has mentioned, tackling the economic crisis needs both a policy and political response. But in this day and age where the electorate is becoming more educated and more exposed to the global environment, the top-down approach to governance is no longer appropriate. There must be a robust system of constructive debate and consensus building in the political process, and this can only happen in a multi-party democracy.

Certainly, the Government of the day must take the lead and provide a national response to the current crisis. The efficacy of this leadership will be enhanced if we have a strong Opposition in Parliament that actively voices the concerns on the ground and strives to prevent groupthink or a herd mentality from forming in the political arena.

PM Lee opined that Singapore is much better off with one dominant party, as long as the PAP provides clean and good government. He also said: “If the party doesn’t work, if something goes wrong with the party, you can be sure new parties will come, new contests will come. People will spring up to take on the government in no time at all.”

My response is: Whether the PAP provides good and clean Government is for the electorate to decide and for this collective view to be expressed through an election system that is fair and transparent. As it is, our current electoral system is severely deficient and is in need of urgent reform.

Also, given the PAP’s high handed tactics of dealing with the Opposition, who is PM Lee to proclaim that people will “take on the government in no time at all” should the PAP go awry? Has he forgotten how the Government has jailed political activists under the ISA or hauled peaceful protesters to Court? Has he forgotten that he said he would have to spend time “fixing the Opposition” should more than 10 of them get into Parliament?

PM Lee said that as a small country, Singapore depends critically on an outstanding team of leaders to make up for the many limitations. I would suggest that he remove DPM Wong Kang Seng from his cabinet post, as this minister clearly does not make the cut.

PM Lee has certainly added fuel to the fire of speculation that the Government might call for snap elections by coming up with all this rhetoric in an obvious bid to sway voter sentiment.

However, with the litany of security lapses committed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the poorly-timed Government policies that have exacerbated the inflationary situation in Singapore through multiple fare hikes, and more recently, with the Government’s poor handling of the structured products fiasco, Singaporeans should wise up to such rhetoric and as Mr Goh Meng Seng of NSP has urged, “vote with their eyes open”.