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Friends, fellow Singaporeans, good afternoon.
Thank you very much for coming to this lunch gathering to allow me
to thank all of you for helping me in my recent Presidential
Campaign.
Many of you had also helped me in the General Election held a few
months earlier. Some even stood with me as fellow candidates in the
GE. You have been wonderful and unstinting in your support. I would
not have done as well as I did without your help. You have made all
the difference in transforming a little-known political newbie into
a national figure with command of a quarter of the national vote,
all in the short span of four months and against senior experienced
politicians who have been in the public eye for more than 25 to 35
years.
Some commentators tried to diminish your contribution by ascribing
our showing as a hardcore opposition vote. You know which camp they
probably come from. An assenter to Dr Tony Tan’s nomination, a good
friend of mine no doubt, even described me as a much-hyped
opposition. Do we detect more than a tinge of envy in their camp?
Even in victory, they were not gracious. It is hardly a good start
to a dignified Presidency whose declared intention is to unify a
divided nation. Of course, we can understand their frustration and
humiliation at the tiny margin of victory despite all the
high-level endorsement and never-ending publicity. Seen in this
light, our share of the national vote is a phenomenon, not a hype.
The internet helped but it took more than on-line chat to bring
about this phenomenon. It was your hardwork, dedication and
imagination that fascinated and captivated more than half a million
Singaporeans to cast their sacred vote for me. For this great and
selfless effort of yours, I am eternally grateful.
A Vote for Diversity
I am glad that I had offered myself as a candidate in the
Presidential Election. I believe I have contributed to a more
robust debate about the role of the President and other national
issues, and consequently helped Singaporeans understand these
matters better. My candidature had also added to the diversity of
choice for voters and made them think carefully about the issues
and the candidates before them. Singaporeans were offered diversity
and they responded with an overwhelming vote for diversity.
The PE results have given us a clearer indication of the feelings
of Singapore voters. The May GE showed clearly a strong
under-current of unhappiness among Singaporeans. The August PE
clarified their feelings and sharpened our understanding of the
divisions among Singaporeans.
Open Disapproval – Leadership Crisis
The first and foremost conclusion is that 65%, the vast majority
Singaporeans, are not happy with the Government. They have
resoundingly rejected the moral authority of key PAP and PAP-backed
leaders in Government, the trade unions, clan associations and
chambers of commerce, ignored the leadership’s endorsement of its
preferred candidate and given their carefully considered votes to
the others. Never has our nation seen such a clear and outright
show of disapproval. The PAP leadership is in crisis. However much
party leaders might deny in public, the party is split right
through the middle. It is not just about the division between the
elite on the one hand and the grassroots on the other. Even among
many of their former Ministers and Members of Parliament, there is
serious misgiving about the direction that the Government is
embarking upon in its economic, political and social policies. They
feel strongly that the Government has deviated from the original
ideology of the PAP which had always put people first in everything
that they did in the past. Alas, this is no longer so. The current
leaders in their ivory towers are increasinlgy disengaged and
insulated from their members. This is consistent with their elitist
stance towards ordinary Singaporeans, with their tens of millions
of dollars in salaries and pensions, good-class bungalows and elite
lifestyles. A similar division is occurring in its affiliate and
supporting organisations. The leaders can no longer muster the
support of the rank and file and galvanise them to go to battle.
They are like army generals who commanded their soldiers to charge
forward but discovered on turning round that the soldiers were not
following them.
Leadership vacuum
All these signs point to a serious leadership vacuum in Singapore
today. The world has changed, society takes on new perspectives.
Singaporeans particularly the young cry out for new ideas to take
Singapore forward. Yet the PAP is stuck in its old ways. Before the
PE, Dr Tony Tan spoke about the “new normal” in politics after the
GE. But his first act after being elected President was to prove
that nothing has changed, by re-appointing the previous chairman of
the Presidential Council of Advisers. Similarly, following pressure
from the last GE, some unpopular ministers were dropped from
Cabinet, but PM missed one of them so much that he re-hired him to
be his adviser on economic cooperation with China. Is Singapore so
short of leadership talent that even leaders who have questionable
talents have to be recycled for use? Or is it more a case of lack
of confidence in trying out something new and different? How can a
new generation of leaders be nurtured if the old continued to be
re-used over and over again?
PM said he welcomes new ideas and views. But he missed his chance
of showing original thinking and setting himself apart from the old
when he failed to translate his 1991 statement on the Internal
Security Act into reality; he had said he would seriously consider
abolishing it if Malaysia were to do the same. While Malaysia has
announced it will abolish the ISA, Singapore wants to keep it. By
retaining the ISA, PM showed his diffidence as he hangs on to the
Government’s main instrument of fear. If he cannot keep his promise
on such a fundamental issue, what can we expect from the promises
that he has made during and after the May General Election? Will he
prove to be just another man of promises rather than a promising
Prime Minister?
The Government is seriously short of new ideas and new leaders.
Nature abhors a vacuum. The leadership vacuum has to be filled. A
non-PAP Government is in sight. But much needs to be done to
achieve it. We must understand what Singaporeans are telling us
with their vote. The PE vote has shown that Singaporeans want a
diversity of choice.
They have signalled that they want an end to a single dominant
party that has been a distinctive feature of Singapore’s politics
in the last 50 years.
Coalition Government
Diversity of views is the hallmark of a mature and developed
society. Society and choices in life are simply not cast in just
black and white. There is a multitude of colours in between.
Different people have different circumstances in life and
accordingly make different choices to suit their circumstances or
beliefs. Singapore society is maturing and we want our diverse
views to be respected and represented, not trampled upon or
subordinated to others. These diverse views cannot be adequately
represented by a single political party. In the PE, Singaporeans
have shown their preference for three large distinct blocs of
opinion. During the May GE, one PAP minister derided the notion of
diversity among opposition parties and described it as rojak. I
responded by saying that rojak was delicious; it was Singapore’s
favourite national dish and we should not be ashamed or even make
fun of it. Diverse views coming together in a coalition government
will be far more representative of the diverse groups of people in
society. To be a stable government, the partners in the coalition
will need to accommodate each other’s interests and concerns and as
a result will become a broad-based government that will take care
of the interests of all partners and their supporters.
Coalition governments are common across the world today. More than
75 countries have some form of a coalition government. The
experience of many developed countries with coalition governments
has shown us that they can produce stable governments, social
cohesion and credible economic performance. They have also nurtured
great global companies and innovative thinkers. Finland has had
coalition governments for 94 years and experienced its most stable
government since independence under a “rainbow coalition” of 5
parties. Their rainbow coalition is not unlike our rojak but
without the sprinkle of nuts and spice. It also boasts of one of
the better known global companies Nokia. Denmark with a population
of about 5 million has at least 13 Noble Prize winners, Singapore
with a similar population, has none. Even the United Kingdom which
has a coalition government since last year, has its share of great
companies and has not seen them or investments leave the country.
Only yesterday, we read that a Singaporean tycoon, my good old
schoolmate from RI, has invested a few hundred million dollars in a
British company. So be wary when PAP tells you that coalition
governments will frighten away investments.
Singaporeans should not fear but must be prepared for the
eventuality of a coalition government. Like-minded individuals and
political parties in the opposition will need to get together more
often and build themselves into a cohesive and potent force. We
should also reach out to members and supporters of the PAP who are
disillusioned with their current party leadership and want to
continue contributing to Singapore in a meaningful way. Together
with them, we can forge a powerful combined majority to serve
Singapore. In the next few years, I will dedicate my effort to
building up this broad coalition of forces and strengthening our
ranks with many more talented Singaporeans who have the passion to
serve Singapore. We must work towards being in a position to offer
ourselves as a credible alternative government in the next GE. It
is our duty to do so. We owe it to the people of Singapore to fill
the leadership vacuum.
A Book to Inspire
We live in exciting times. We have reached a critical turning point
in our political history. We, you and me, have been a part of this
process that stretched over the last two elections. We should write
a book about our journey so that it can serve as an inspiration for
future generations of Singaporeans. I have discussed this with some
of the principal players and they all supported the idea. It is too
good an opportunity to be missed. Few nations if any, have ever
held two nation-wide elections in a span of four months. Fewer
still are key players who took part in both. The book will be the
story of extraordinary men and women who fought Singapore ‘s 2011
General Election in May and the Presidential Election in August.
Together with their loyal and dedicated supporters, they displayed
great courage and conviction, and in so doing changed the political
landscape forever. It will be an inspirational book that provides
an analysis of the GE and PE with a focus on the themes of Maturity
and Courage, and what these 2 elections and the response of
Singaporeans portend for the future of Singapore. It is a book
written by players, not bystanders. Each player describes a
personal journey in his or her own perspective. The book aims to
inspire, inform and acknowledge Singaporeans for their role in
positively changing the political landscape of Singapore and
helping her move towards a more mature democracy. We target to
launch the book before Christmas.
Engaging the community
We have a long and exciting road ahead. We must engage our
supporters and the community on a continuing basis. In addition to
the book, a group of us plan to organise a number of community
outreach activities such as forum discussions, tuition centres,
care-centres for children, the elderly and people with special
needs, and legal and medical clinics for the poor. These activities
need resources and volunteers. We are working out the plans now and
will share them with you soon.
Meanwhile, please enjoy the rest of the lunch and the camaraderie
of your friends and fellow travellers.
Once again, thank you for all your support in my Presidential
campaign. I hope to see you again in the months and years ahead as
we work together for a better Singapore for all Singaporeans.
