Singapore heads to the polls on May 3, with the ruling PAP fielding 32 new candidates in its biggest refresh since 1965. As Lawrence Wong steps into his first GE as PM, how much of the party’s stronghold hinges on his personal credibility vs the party’s legacy? Analyst Anas Hayyan of ASLI weighs in.
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00:00Singapore has finalised contestants for its May 3rd general election with the ruling People's Action Party or PAP fielding 32 new candidates in the biggest ever refresh of the party that has ruled the city-state since independence in 1965.
00:16Now, the move follows a pledge by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who took office last year and assumed the PAP leadership to bring in new blood, new ideas and new energy to steer the country of 6 million people.
00:31His latest shake-up beats that of predecessors Li Xianlong and Go Chok Tong, who replaced 24 and 11 politicians respectively in their first elections as premier.
00:42The ballot is the first big test for 52-year-old Wong and his party's share of the popular vote will be closely watched after one of its worst performances in the 2020 contest.
00:52The election also comes as Singapore faces uncertainty in its trade-reliant economy and the possibility of recession and job losses caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs,
01:02even though the wealthy city-state will be subject to only a 10% levy compared to much steeper tariffs imposed on its neighbours.
01:08With Lawrence Wong stepping into his first general election as Prime Minister,
01:16how much of the PAP's traditional stronghold rests on his personal credibility versus party legacy?
01:22Earlier, I had a conversation with analyst Anas Haiyan from the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, or ASLI.
01:28Singapore's election on 3rd May will be a big moment not only for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong but also for the party PAP.
01:39The PAP has been rock solid since 1959.
01:42They have delivered jobs, housing and stability and we could even see in the January election in 2020
01:48that they have received 61% of the vote share and 83 seats out of 93 seats offered.
01:54So that's the legacy at play.
01:57But Wong's personal vibe also matters a lot.
02:00His 52 comes from a regular family so that really resonates with the ordinary Singaporean
02:05and people are used to him being in the spotlight as the Prime Minister
02:09but also when he was the Finance Minister handling COVID and budget.
02:12And we could even see that the PAP's new manifesto changed world, fresh team new resolve that was dropped.
02:20And it's all about Wong, our Prime Minister, leading a younger, a more diverse team.
02:26He's offering 32 new candidates and including 13 women to be pushed forward.
02:33So that's also a bold step that was taken by Lawrence Wong.
02:38But on the flip side, if we could see at the younger voters,
02:43they are not just buying the PAP votes or PAP brand from the get-go.
02:49So they are worried about cost, inequality and they also want more voices.
02:55When we mentioned about the vote share, the 2020 vote share dipped 9% from 2015
03:01and now opposition like the Workers' Party is eyeing spots for that is marginal
03:08which are less than 10% marginal vote share from the previous election just like Sengkang.
03:17And Wong's got to show that he's not just PAP 2.0 but also someone who gets their struggle.
03:22And I believe that of course his calm listening style helps but the PAP's threat record is still the bigger anchor.
03:29So it's like a mix. Wong's credibility is a key but legacy carries the weight.
03:36Other than that, I also spoke to Anas about how will Lawrence Wong recalibrate Singapore's strategic neutrality
03:43amid an increasingly volatile US-China rivalry, especially when both are major economic partners.
03:49Singapore has always walked a tightrope with the US and China,
03:57with China being the largest export destination for Singapore
04:01and of course the US as a massive investor and a security ally.
04:07So when Wong became the Prime Minister last year,
04:10he has always advocated to not pick any sides and to be pro-Singapore.
04:14He said even at the latest lecture or a recent lecture that the world's messy
04:21and neither the US nor China will dominate.
04:24So Singapore's strategy now is of course to diversify its market.
04:30It has put also a focus on ASEAN, the EU and even new ties like the Saudi strategic partnerships.
04:36So we could say that he is diversifying his market and leaning also into trade deals like RCEP and CPTPP
04:45and even the current global and geopolitical manoeuvre by the US president
04:52which are hitting the global markets.
04:54So now, this current election will also appoint the chairman of ASEAN in 2027 from Singapore
05:04and if Prime Minister Lawrence is the chairman, he has advocated to keep the region neutral.
05:14And at home, it's of course quite tricky.
05:18Some people are leaning towards the US and some are leaning towards China
05:23and I believe that the plan that has been put forward by Wong
05:28would keep the economy strong as well as to back this balancing act
05:34and by diversifying ties and betting on ASEAN,
05:40he's keeping Singapore nimble but it's tougher, it's a tougher game than ever.
05:45So this election will be very, very important for Singapore moving forward.