After Finance Minister Lawrence Wong was announced as the next leader for the fourth-generation People Action Party’s (PAP) politicians, thereby next in line for the position of Prime Minister, he has received his fair share of congratulations.
Whether it was Health Minister Ong Ye Kung or Education Minister Chan Chuan Sing, who were in the race for the prestigious position, they bowed humbly and accepted their lot within the party.
However, pleasantries are saved only for the allies.
The Opposition had more to say about his appointment.
Singapore Democratic Party’s Response
Just like any formal letter (or nicely-worded complaint), the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) started by congratulating Mr Wong on his meteoric rise to the next PAP leader and potential future Prime Minister.
But a Singaporean opposition party wouldn’t be in its truest form unless they add thinly veiled accusations to undermine the dominant party’s decision.
In the Facebook post, SDP wrote: “It remains worrying for Singapore… because Mr Wong appears to be no substantially different from his colleagues in terms of his outlook for our country.”
It adds, “Decades of groupthink and conformity has made PAP unable to see that Singapore is in dire need of reform of its economic, social, and political systems.”
Depending on the circumstances, groupthink can be a good or bad thing: the benefit of sharing a common brain cell is that it’s easier to accomplish things since the entire government Is working towards a common goal, instead of having to deal with bipartisan opinions (read: America) or infighting in a multi-party parliament.
However, it can be detrimental because the lack of competition means that there aren’t any check-and-balances or varying opinions to point out pertinent flaws or necessary caveats in policy making.
Besides their criticism of Mr Wong, almost falling short of calling him a PAP puppet, the SDP accuses PAP of “archaic practice of intimidation and manipulation”.
Can’t say they are fully wrong about that, if Charles Yeo or Jolovan Wham serve as good examples, or the fact that there’s a Wikipedia page dedicated to Singaporean dissidents.
They continue to say that Mr Wong hasn’t voiced any bold vision for Singapore, and seems like he will follow his predecessor’s footsteps, where he will ride on the conformist and comfortable cottontails that have carried his political party since its founding.
The SDP end their post with: “Different person, same story. Therein lies the danger for Singapore.”
Succinct and harsh words.
Netizens’ Response
Frankly speaking, it isn’t far off to say that some political apathy plagues Singaporeans; as in, we don’t really care for politics unless it’s election season and we’re obligated to vote.
In the sparse comments of the Facebook post, some say that Mr Wong should be given a chance to prove himself first before forming any censure.
One commenter noted that Mr Wong has a pleasant and friendly disposition which doesn’t appear superficial, which appears truthful enough, considering how he’s willing to go out of his way to answer burning questions about the Budget 2022 speech.
Some agree with the SDP’s views, saying that the current PAP no longer cares for its citizens like the first generation, and is more focused on economic growth and personal gain.
But it’s important to state that while the opposition parties have always been great at pointing out the inherent flaws within PAP or its government policies, they’ve scarcely offered solutions, and thereby reasons, why they might be a better representation of Singapore.
In any case, the salty congratulations have been delivered.
If Mr Wong is going to be the future Prime Minister, he will face no shortage of sniping comments from the opposition.
Featured Images: Facebook (Singapore Democratic Party & People’s Action Party)