Hard work, policy changes, Jubilee Year helped PAP win poll, says PM
Dr Maliki Osman efforts in East Coast GRC, where he aimed to reach every resident in the public and private housing estates, was one of those acknowledged by PM Lee. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has pointed to three factors behind the strong mandate for the People’s Action Party at General Election 2015.
First, it was the party’s Members of Parliament and activists who worked very hard on the ground and served residents well, Mr Lee said today (Dec 6) at the PAP Convention.
Among the MPs and their teams who made “a big difference to residents”, Mr Lee mentioned two from East Coast Group Representation Constituency, one of the most closely watched electoral contests: Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say and Senior Minister of State Maliki Osman.
Mr Lee noted that some MPs and teams had “tougher fights than others”, such as the PAP’s teams seeking to reclaim Aljunied, Hougang and Punggol East from the Opposition.
“They had the toughest mission, but they kept at it with the right attitude, and they showed that the PAP has fight, that no opposition constituency can consider itself safe,” he said.
In his Mandarin speech, Mr Lee mentioned MP Charles Chong for winning the support from voters in Punggol East and giving the PAP another chance to serve them.
And although it did not win back Aljunied, Mr Lee, who is the PAP secretary-general, noted that the party won 49.1 per cent of the votes: “There was substantial support.”
He also held up the convincing wins in Potong Pasir by MP Sitoh Yih Pin, who won back the single-member ward narrowly in 2011, and MP Tin Pei Ling, who “had a rough time in her first campaign”, but then “concentrated on serving her residents” in MacPherson.
Mr Lee called on MPs to be sincere and to serve humbly: “Never forget that we’re serving Singaporeans, never behave as if we’re their masters,” he said.
“But we must believe in what we’re doing and have the courage to persuade Singaporeans to support us. We have to take the fight to our opponents, even when the going is tough Because ultimately, Singaporeans back fighters, and that’s why they’ve backed the PAP for more than 60 years.”
The second factor was the PAP Government’s policy changes and plans for Singapore’s future, with progress made in issues Singaporeans were concerned about, such as transport, housing, immigration and health care.
For example, the Government has been preparing long-term plans such as SkillsFuture and master plans for ageing, sustainable living and Smart Nation.
“We’ve also developed policies to show our gratitude to our pioneer generation,” said Mr Lee, citing the Pioneer Generation Package as a “big hit”.
“Singaporeans understood the spirit of this, the purpose of this and it’s not just (assuring) people medical care ... but about the values which Singaporeans stand for.
“Through this gesture .... we’ve bound the generations and we have bound Singaporeans closer.”
Thirdly, said Mr Lee, Singaporeans’ sense of national identity was strengthened owing to this Jubilee year and the death of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
MPs TODAY spoke to felt that the late Mr Lee’s death had made Singaporeans stop to think about how much Singapore has progressed as a nation.
Dr Koh Poh Koon (Ang Mo Kio GRC) said it gave Singaporeans a “reflective moment”. “To a certain extent, it helped us to consolidate our national identity ... and the true spirit of Singaporeans came through in the way we helped each other (during) the week of mourning,” he added.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) said the founding PM’s death was a “catalyst” for Singaporeans’ national identity “forming and crystallising”.
Going forward, the PAP must therefore build on that “strong base” to ensure that the Singaporean identity remains strong, he added.
Meanwhile, Ms Tin said the outpouring of strong emotions united people and gave them a “stronger sense” of wanting to keep Singapore unique.
