Tharman: GE2020 Has Changed Politics in S’pore Permanently But Results Are Good for PAP

If you happen to be that white cat who newsbombed CNA’s broadcast on Polling Day, you’re probably unaware that a certain opposition party made electoral history on that very same day.

CNA Cat: Are you saying all cats are politically apathetic?

Well, that’s not exactly what I mea-

CNA Cat: I’ll have you know that I am deeply interested in politics, but was too busy chasing a rat to vote.

Ah, well, that happens to the best of us.

Just so you’re up to speed, little cat, the Worker’s Party (WP) won a record 10 parliamentary seats in the 2020 general election, after capturing two GRCs and one SMCs.

This has completely changed the landscape of Singaporean politics, so much so that WP chief Pritam Singh was formally designated the Leader of the Opposition by PM Lee.

PAP, who won the remaining 83 seats, saw its vote share drop to 61.24%, down from 69.9% in the last election.

Still, despite its poorer showing, one PAP minister believes that it was a strong result for the ruling party.

Tharman: GE2020 Has Changed Politics in S’pore Permanently But Results Are Good for PAP

Politics in Singapore has changed permanently, said Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in a Facebook post on Sunday (19 July).

Even though the ruling party lost more constituencies to the opposition than ever before, Tharman believes that the results were good for the PAP, citing two reasons.

First, it secured a “solid mandate”, which shows trust in the ruling party to run the Government and do what’s best for the country.

The swing in votes will also compel the party to “review its own game so as to win the hearts, and not just the minds, of a changing electorate”, he wrote.

It’s a bit like when your boss hires another worker with a position similar to yours: you’ll magically develop perfect punctuality and become ten times as efficient.

The senior minister added that the results were good for opposition parties as well, saying that the stronger vote for the WP reflected a “discerning public and a political culture that bodes well for Singapore” because it didn’t campaign around a single figure, like many other parties had.

He may have a point here – can you name a Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member off the top of your head?

Reader: *laughs* Well, of cours-

Not Dr Tan.

Reader: Oh, then no.

Tharman believes, however, that the opposition had a slight edge simply because they’ve not been in power.

“When the PAP with its long-standing, dominant position contests in the GE, people hold the PAP and opposition to different standards – that’s human nature.”

He said that both the PAP and opposition parties fielded credible candidates and that the swing in votes reflects a desire among Singaporeans for a new balance in politics.

Must “Make This New Balance Work”

Tharman said that both sides have to “make this new balance work”, through vigorous and informed debate in Parliament.

He added that the Singapore government has to do more to achieve social justice, which is one of the reasons some experts believe voters opted for the opposition.

This includes raising the pay of low-income workers, ensuring middle-aged Singaporeans continue to have good careers, and taking care of our elderly, all issues which the opposition had raised in the lead up to GE2020.

A Need to Evolve

Just living organisms and pokemon, democracies have to evolve, and the senior minister believes that the country has to transform in three areas:

1. Becoming a democracy with a strong centre – avoiding the polarized politics that divides the two parties

2. Becoming a democracy that keeps working to promote multiracialism in society – including efforts to breed closer interactions as kids grow up and to reduce the implicit disadvantages that minorities still face in many workplaces

3. Becoming a more tolerant democracy – a more active civil society where there is greater space for divergent views

“It will be good for Singapore if we evolve in these three ways. They will each help ensure stability in our democracy in the years to come”, he said.

The senior minister led his team to a resounding 74.62% win of the vote share in Jurong GRC, one of the best performances by the ruling party in GE2020.

Previously, the Workers’ Party has also reiterated the stance that both the opposition and PAP must work together to ensure “good outcomes for Singapore and Singaporeans”.

They promise that they will be a “responsible” party, a party who only works towards the good of Singapore, regardless of “who is the Government or who the other opposition parties are”.

Mr Pritam Singh also said that with Covid-19, it’s not the time for political positions; instead, what everyone in parliament should do is to take note of “what’s at stake”.

As for what an officially designated “Opposition Leader” does, Mr Singh said he had no idea beyond what’s reported in the media back on 13 July 2020.

For those who are curious, we’ve got an article showing you what an opposition leader does in other countries:

You might also find the shadow cabinet in other countries a particularly intriguing read.

So, did you finally learn something about politics in Singapore, little cat?

Cat: *chasing another rat* Did you say something? 

Now that you know about how politics in Singapore is entering a new phase, you might as well just watch our video on how WiFi routers work and how you can make them fast even at home: