WELCOMING OPPOSITION PRESENCE
As society matures, its politics will evolve too, said Mr Wong, adding that he therefore welcomes opposition presence in parliament.
“In this General Election, Singaporeans have chosen to send both PAP (People’s Action Party) and WP MPs here, and both sides have a duty to serve Singaporeans faithfully.”
The PAP does not assume it is “automatically entitled to govern” just because it has done so since self-government, said Mr Wong.
“Our right to lead must be earned by working hard and delivering results that improve the lives of Singaporeans. Doing well in one election does not guarantee success in the next.”
He said he expected the WP to keep the PAP on its toes in this term of government, by raising questions, scrutinising policies and holding the government accountable.
“This is their role as the opposition, and I’m sure they will play it vigorously. The WP will try to build up its ranks and grow its presence in parliament over time, as any political party would,” said Mr Wong.
“One day, it will want to take over from the PAP as the ruling party, even if it may not say so openly now. That is the nature of political competition.”
That said, at the end of the day, political parties are “servants of the people” and there “will surely be consequences” if any party falls short of the public’s high expectation and standards.
“So let us all conduct our politics – with seriousness, with integrity and with a deep sense of responsibility for the longer-term interests of our nation.
“That’s how I hope our politics will evolve and our democracy can strengthen over time,” he said.
