Loss of Aljunied ‘not entirely unexpected’: ex-PAP chairman
The impact of the People's Action Party's (PAP) loss in Aljunied may have been significant, but did not come as a complete shock, says former party chairman Lim Boon Heng.
He made these remarks on Friday evening in a speech to current and retired members of parliament (MPs) at Parliament House, adding that it was always a question of when the party would lose its first Group Representation Constituency (GRC), reported The Straits Times.
Mr Lim also revealed that even before the elections, many with the party felt getting a share of 60 percent of votes and losing a GRC and "a couple of single seats" would still have been a "good result."
As it turned out at the May elections, the ruling party ceded Aljunied GRC to the Workers' Party, which garnered 54.7 per cent of the valid vote count.
In addition, the party's overall vote share fell to 60.1 per cent from 66.6 per cent in 2006, with many slimmer margins of victory in constituencies than before.
Mr Lim also mentioned that the fall in vote share for the PAP stemmed from Singaporeans' desire for a wider range of views and stronger debate.
"That desire has grown stronger, and it has always been a matter of time when it would find expression," he said.
He also attributed the loss to other factors such as the strengthening of the opposition in terms of candidates presented and their leverage on areas where the ruling party faltered, as well as social media and the empowerment of young people to speak up on issues that mattered to them.
"This time, younger Singaporeans conveyed to their parents what transpired in the social media," he said. "Whereas in the past parents advised their children who to vote for, this time children were advising their parents."
In his speech, Mr Lim called on MPs to conduct their analyses carefully, in order to draw the right lessons from this year's election for the future. He also advised the PAP's new generation of leaders to avoid "destructive" engagement, something he said most democracies tend towards.
"If negative politics prevail, and our younger leaders become reluctant to introduce right but unpopular policies, we will lose a strength of the past -- that of being able to look long-term, to shape our future," he said.
He also offered advice to new MPs, reminding them to keep their focus on the people they serve, as well as to hone their social media communication skills, in order to assist in explaining government policies to Singaporeans.
"People want their MPs to reflect their concerns and worries in Parliament," he said. "MPs must master the art of doing so, without scoring own goals. It can be done."
