The People’s Action Party (PAP) was forced to deeply reflect on its own political durability after Barisan Nasional’s shock defeat in Malaysia’s 2018 general election, Singapore’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan said.
Speaking about lessons drawn from the political upheaval in Malaysia, Balakrishnan said the PAP, which has governed Singapore uninterrupted since 1959, once took comfort in Umno and BN’s long dominance of Malaysian politics dating back to 1956.
“Then 2018 happened. So now the pressure is on the PAP. It is like being the last man standing,” he told Malaysian journalists during a recent media roundtable.
“What it means is that each succeeding election is going to get more and more difficult for us.”
BN historically dominated Malaysian politics. Together with its predecessor, the Alliance Party, it governed the country uninterrupted for nearly 61 years following independence in 1957.
In the 14th general election, however, Pakatan Harapan swept to power with 121 parliamentary seats, while BN’s tally plunged from 133 to 79 seats and it lost control of most state governments.
Its presence in the Dewan Rakyat has since shrunk further, with BN now holding only 30 seats after the 2022 general election.
By contrast, PAP has never lost an election since forming Singapore’s first fully elected government in 1959.
Balakrishnan said any party that remains in power for a long time faces three existential dangers.
“The first and biggest threat to a political party’s longevity is corruption. Sooner or later, corruption erodes and destroys your support and credibility. We remain hyper aware of that threat,” he said.
The second danger, he said, is incompetence, which becomes most visible in times of crisis when complacency sets in and the government fails to respond effectively.
The third threat is losing touch with reality.
“People see you from far away. You are disconnected from your people and your ground,” he said.
To endure, Balakrishnan said PAP must retain its “obsession” with accountability and staying close to voters.
“We go after corruption ruthlessly. We insist on high standards of competence, and when we fall short, we admit our mistakes, correct them, and improve, because nobody is perfect. And we make sure we stay in touch,” he said.
“Singaporeans demand honesty and integrity in their leaders,” he added. “If they do not believe you, nothing you say or do counts. So number one is integrity.”
On compassion, he said citizens want to know they are led by real people with conviction, empathy and purpose.
“They want to know you as a person. It does not mean they will agree with everything you say, they may not even like you.
“But they want to know there is a real person who believes in something, feels for something, has a heart for people, and wants to do things for them.”
