RULING PARTY’S DOMINANCE
The “enduring dominance” of the PAP has compromised fair political competition, Ms Poa said at the rally.
While the PAP only clinched 61.24 per cent of the votes in GE2020, it took 83 seats in parliament out of an available 93, she noted, adding that the dominance is likely to continue for some time to come.
“On a positive side, it ensures continuity in our policies and fosters stability,” she added. “On a negative side, it allows the ruling party to put and keep in place rules that create an unlevel playing field and hinder fair political competition.”
While meritocracy has been central to Singapore’s social compact, Ms Poa said it “can only exist where there is fair competition”.
She added: “Only when competition is fair can the best person win, rather than the person who has the best connections or the person who has the most money or any other advantage not related to ability.”
She highlighted recent changes to Singapore’s electoral boundaries, noting that some opposition politicians who have laboured for years in an SMC have seen their efforts gone to waste when the ward is absorbed into a GRC.
All 13 PSP candidates, who will stand in West Coast-Jurong West and Chua Chu Kang GRCs, as well as Bukit Gombak, Pioneer, Kebun Baru and Marymount SMCs, spoke on Thursday.
Echoing Mr Leong, Dr Tan reminded supporters that he started the PSP “because I honestly feel the PAP has lost its way”.
“It sounds strange that I should leave a party that I helped for 26 years. But I feel that the PAP has definitely lost its way,” said Dr Tan, the last to speak at the rally.
The PAP is not the same as when he was an MP, said Dr Tan, who will turn 85 in a few days.
Dr Tan entered politics during the 1980 election under the PAP’s banner, becoming the MP for Ayer Rajah SMC. He held that seat until 2006, when he stepped down from politics and his ward was absorbed into the former West Coast GRC. He later resigned from the party in 2011 to run for president.
“We challenged the government of the day then, although we were in the PAP,” said Dr Tan, recalling how he voted against the Nominated MP scheme and argued with Singapore’s first Education Minister Goh Keng Swee about the education system.
“That is what I always believe that Members of Parliament who go into Parliament must do that, and not just toe the line.”
PAP representatives used to come from all walks of life, including “ordinary men”, he said. Now, they come from the civil service and the army, he added.
“This is dangerous. There will be groupthinking. To me, it is inbreeding. And when there’s inbreeding, there is no way you can change policies within that system,” said Dr Tan.
Throughout their time debating in Parliament, Mr Leong and Ms Poa contributed their NCMP salaries to party funds and “didn’t take a cent”, said PSP’s chairman.
“One of the reasons why I left the PAP is when I find that everything we talk about is money. I think that is not correct,” said Dr Tan.
If PSP members win seats in this election, parliament will be different, he stressed, adding that his party will join forces with WP and others who are elected to ensure issues that concern Singaporeans “will get the attention” of the government.
“Why? Because we hear you. I don’t know whether they hear you or not.”