Party Beginnings:
The year was 1954. The place: a packed Victoria Memorial Hall, a
name which reminded not a few of the 1,500 present of their British
colonial masters.
The event: the birth of a new political party.
In a country on the threshold of nationhood, among a people
fermenting with anti-colonialism, the People's Action Party was
born.
It was a tumultuous start for the party, fighting for a young
country's independence. Its chosen path - not war or revolution -
but a collective and irrefutable urge for self-determination. PAP
members turned up in short sleeves to show their solidarity with
the workers who pledged loyalty to a new vision.
The first key office-holders included a group of English-speaking
young men, who had been educated overseas. These were Lee Kuan Yew,
who was the party's first secretary-general, Toh Chin Chye, the
party's first chairman and S Rajaratnam, who later held key
ministerial posts in the Government.
The party rallied postal and telecom workers, unionists, school
teachers as well as middle-class men and women. The PAP has a clear
goal - to build a new country, born of the people, fired by their
action and organised by the party.
Party Philosophy: A Socialist
Democracy
Although the PAP worked with communists in the early days, with
anti-colonialism as their mutual platform, we made it clear that
the party had a different set of political values.
Over the years, these values have formed the foundation for the
country's key policies. The party's preference has been for their
ideas to manifest themselves through their policies, rather than be
cast in a theoretical philosophy of manifestos.
The party's multi-racial and multi-religious focus can be seen in
the equal treatment which all races - Chinese, Malay, Indians and
Eurasians - receive in all areas of public service. This includes
equal treatment in education, housing, and health. As a party, they
also raised funds to to support community and social groups working
on education and health across all racial groups.
Politically, the minorities are assured of proportionate
representation in Parliament through the Group Representation
Constituency, or GRC system set up in 1988. MPs can be elected
under single wards or under GRCs, where a group of MPs are elected
as a team. Each team must contain at least one MP who is a member
of a minority group.
The party's focus on meritocracy can be seen most clearly in the
education system, in which one child is ensured of as many
educational opportunities as the next child - regardless of his
parents' financial status. This is through the many scholarships
and bursaries given out for academic excellence.
Party Progress:
On the 45th anniversary of the party in 1999, Mr Goh Chok Tong,
Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the party
since 1992, said: "Let us not celebrate so much past achievements,
but prepare ourselves for challenges ahead...Let us inject our
Party with a new vitality and drive.''
The party now has 15,000 members. It now have a Women's Wing (set
up in 1989) and Young PAP (the youth wing, set up in 1986).
We continue to operate out of a modest headquarters in Upper
Changi, on the outskirts of the city centre.
At the polls the party has been returned to power since Singapore
became independent. It has won 10 General Elections and the party's
two secretary-generals have been Singapore's two Prime
Ministers.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the first PM, set the tone by campaigning on
practical issues which have a real impact on people's lives, rather
than abstract platforms. The 1963 GE was its toughest, with 46.5
per cent of votes coming to the party. Only Mr Lee and Dr Goh Keng
Swee, then Deputy Prime Minister, had clear majorities.
From 1968 to 1980, the PAP held all seats in Parliament, with the
people
granting us huge majorities at each GE.
Since 1981, there has been at least one opposition MP, but the
party has never lost its large majority position.
Over the years, the party's self-renewal has been systematic and
planned.
The 1991 election was based on its manifesto, The Next Lap, which
saw the second generation of political leaders such as Mr Goh Chok
Tong , taking on a bigger role. In that year, we won 60.97 per cent
of the votes.
In 1997, the issue of the upgrading of public housing was a key
component of the campaign. Singapore 21 - Make it our best Home was
its campaign slogan, and the party won 64.98 per cent of the
votes.
In the Nov 2001 General Election, the party won 75.29 per cent of
the votes, the party highest margin yet.
Each election, some 20 new candidates are trained and fielded. The
party continue to attract good men and women to join them to stand
and fight for office. Each generation of leaders builds on the
progress of the past to continue our march to a better and brighter
future for all Singaporeans.
