Singapore's Dilemma: Coping with the Paradoxes of Success

Summary

Since 1959, when the People's Action Party (PAP) came to power, Singapore has been among the world's most successful countries “by any measure” at improving its citizens’ welfare. The result is that after thirty-seven years, Singaporeans expect — almost by “right” — clean, efficient and effective government and a continually growing economy and increasing prosperity. However, over time the people have become a little less willing to make the political trade-offs and sacrifices (for example, partially constrained political freedoms) that have helped make the dominant party, the PAP, so adept at “delivering the goods” while not catering to popular demands. The paradox that hits a dominant party, if history is a guide, is that over time growing numbers of people simply want a change, regardless of the performance of a government. The PAP's dilemma has been to overcome this burden of history, and to reverse the slow decline since 1980 in its percentage of the popular vote in general elections.

Politics: Preparing for the General Election

This was the year (1996) the general election was expected — virtually all year — but was not called until late in December. Nomination day was December 23, and polling day set for nine days later, the legal minimum for the campaign, on 2 January 1997. The prolonged preparation for this election monopolized the political agenda. This was a year when the PAP applied itself, with all its considerable energy and creativity, to meticulously and systematically planning and laying the groundwork for the election.

The issues, actions, strategies that emerged, and the constitutional changes that were enacted, offer a glimpse of the kind of society that is emerging in Singapore as it heads into the new millennium. The groundwork consisted of three facets: (1) publicly addressing many of the difficult issues directly in the hope of defusing them; (2) party recruitment, election strategies and constitutional electoral changes;