Fostering a responsible and respectful political culture is the first step, but we could be even more ambitious.
The dilemmas inherent in Singapore’s electoral system are well-known. Each citizen has only a single vote to express his or her choice of government, local representatives, town council management, and satisfaction or otherwise with the ruling party’s performance.
Furthermore, the first-past-the post system creates a zero-sum contest where one party’s gain is another’s loss.
Under such circumstances, there is every incentive for the ruling party to distance itself from ideas raised by opposition parties, even if they are good ones, so as not to let the opposition claim credit for them.
Imagine an alternative where the contest of ideas expands rather than restricts the policy space, and where good initiatives are welcomed by voters of all stripes with credit shared around. Such a society would harness the collective ideas and energy of all citizens for the general good.
This scenario is not outside the realm of possibility. Singapore’s unique tripartite partnership, described as the “secret sauce” of harmonious industrial relations, illustrates how traditional competing interests can be transcended to attain win-win outcomes.
Likewise, it is conceivable, though certainly not easy, for Singapore to evolve an extraordinary brand of politics that would give the nation a unique competitive advantage in a turbulent world.
Terence Ho is Associate Professor (Practice) at the Institute for Adult Learning, Singapore University of Social Sciences. He is the author of Future-Ready Governance: Perspectives on Singapore and the World (2024).
_0.jpg?itok=CetcM4aA "PM Wong thanks Teo Chee Hean, Heng Swee Keat for their service to Singapore as they retire from politics")
