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    PAP must do more to connect with voters: Khaw

    The People's Action Party (PAP) must try harder to connect with voters, said its chairman Khaw Boon Wan.

    Speaking at the party's convention on Sunday, Khaw, who is also National Development Minister, said the ruling party has do better in communicating and presenting policies in a way that resonates with the people, reported AsiaOne.

    He also shared the party's postmortem of this year's general election, which saw the PAP’s total share of vote fall to 60 per cent, its lowest ever.

    In his written speech, Khaw said stronger mood for opposition voices, strengthening of the opposition, shift in demographics and the era of the digital age were the underlying trends in this year’s polls.

    The key challenges ahead, Khaw highlighted, will be intense competition and changing the perception that the government is not listening.

    "As the governing party, we are for the whole population and have to implement long-term rational policies," Khaw said.

    "For the opposition, they merely criticise, advocate populist policies and appeal to emotions. They conveniently shy away from stating their position on difficult trade-offs which the government has to make," he added.

    To communicate more effectively with the people, the party plans to overhaul its external engagement and outreach strategy, and be more active in listening as well as countering mistaken views.

    PAP members must adjust their style to make stronger emotional connections with the people, he stressed.

    To reach out to the online community, Khaw asked PAP members of parliament (MPs) and activists to make full use of online media and connect with the young.

    "Ministers, in turn, must pay close attention to the political presentation and communication of our policies, so that Singaporeans can see that what we are doing, as being for improving their lives," said Khaw

    "We must not turn populist, but we must work harder to build political support for hard policies," he added.

    Khaw pointed out that there are more young voters now and some of them are influenced not just by what they read on the Internet, but also by a certain mood for political change. This is propagated by digital media, where anti-establishment messages are posted and translated into the physical world.

    He noted that "our society has become more politicised and this has energised the opposition."

    Prime Minister and party secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong echoed Khaw’s view.

    PM Lee saw that as Singapore evolves, new generation Singaporeans have diverse perspectives and they will live in a new political environment that is more vocal and demanding.

    Good policies will be essential, but they need to go together with good politics, PM Lee said.

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    533 comments

    • Palak beceng  •  5 months ago
      PAP must do more to help Singaporean and not foreigners...must do more to help the poor singaporean to live better / must do more to listen the voice of local singaporean / must do more to create more jobs for singaporean and not foreigners and bla bla bla bla ....... and not to collect millions of dollars.... and do less...
      • teo 5 months ago
        YES YES bring down the public housing prices, rental and fees and taxes. Make our dollars buy more. Stop bitting our blood, sweat, tears earnings.
      • Citizen A 5 months ago
        More Australians are moving to Singapore!!! Straits Times 28 Nov 2011. My question -- we need PAP to confirm whether they are taking away jobs from Singaporeans? Surely, these people aren't construction workers, few are waiters and hospitality service officers, none are SAF soldiers, nor Civil Servants, nor elite Admin Service officers, nor ministers. So they are not taking jobs that Singaporeans shunned. So, what jobs are they taking from us???
      • ET 5 months ago
        How to connect if yaacob will have guidelines on internet very soon.
    • Vinz  •  5 months ago
      How Ironic when PEOPLE's Action Party has to Try Harder to CONNECT with the PEOPLE~
      • Tan 5 months ago
        They seems to use mouth more than action nowadays. Even more ironic!
      • Vinz 5 months ago
        Exactly~
        No PEOPLE, No ACTION...only know how to PARTY after Bonuses & Increments!!!
      • Darth Farder 5 months ago
        ahahahah that is a gd one Vinz
    • gnow  •  5 months ago
      The point here is not whether PAP is able to connect with the voters but rather whether the policies implemented are for the GOOD of SINGAPOREANS. With this I meant from the perspective of the people and not from the government's perspective.
    • Rs-steve  •  5 months ago
      Does he means that all the while they are not listening??
      So he does admits that most of the time the governing party are not listening to the citzens, but only act according to what they think that it's the best policy, which will benefits us?
      • Justin Lin 5 months ago
        For better connection with the people, start by disbanding the People's Association as that is the most annoying source of contact
      • Yc 5 months ago
        Rs-Steven..Khaw didnt admit they were not listening. On the contrary, he merely said they should do this..." and be more active in listening as well as countering mistaken views."

        In other words, pretend to listen, then argue back.
      • deep 5 months ago
        Benefit Singaporeans?? I think benefit the elites ONLY.
    • thethethe  •  5 months ago
      PAP must do more .....
      We singaporeans dun want you to do more, the more you do the more problems we have under your stupid ideas.
      • notsoluck 5 months ago
        Like it said again and again Brian dead, how can it be do anything for you people out there
      • ET 5 months ago
        " the more you do the more problems we have under your stupid ideas."Is It MORE GST,MORE ERP,MORE TRANSPORT FARE,MORE FT & WKER ???
    • Champlain  •  5 months ago
      Mr. Khaw, I think an issue is that PAP MPs are NOT living among the masses, they are in exclusive premium housing and looking down the people from an "bird eyes" view without experincing their daily challenges.

      Would you able to feel the pain when a bowl of noodle costs $3.50 from $2.50 of 3 years back ? I guess when with the high salary that have numbed the senses of PAP MPs and leaders, so how would you able to really connect with people ?
    • wahheng  •  5 months ago
      Now then realised that must be more connected to the ppl. So now admitting that u guys are sleeping all this while. Paid so much to sleep n awaken now, what a joke.
    • 团结就是力量  •  5 months ago
      Sorry to correct you.
      you are wrong in saying that "As the governing party, we are for the whole population"

      It should be corrected as 'we are for the whole world' as we perceived that the PAP gov has treated foreigner better than their own citizen.

      What with the full scholarship with monthly allowances given to foreigner that we have not heard of been given to citizen?
      If I am wrong and that it have been given to citizen, but we do not hear so much of.

      And this scholarship should be given to Singaporean 1st, as we have alway heard this from the Gov, but not actually practise in the real life.

      "Even you have changed the soup, BUT the 'medicine' inside is still the same, so will there be a real CURE?"
    • Hannsg  •  5 months ago
      When the people in Serangoon Garden petition to their MPs and MBT not to proceed with the Worker's Dormitory. However, MBT chose not to give in and stand firmed on his decision and would rather spent more then a million $ to build an excess road just for them. MBT is actually the man single handedly handed the Aljunied GRC to the WP.
    • NOMERCY  •  5 months ago
      Mr cow you dun hv to worry singaporean lives. You hv to worry youself the 2016 election. You must bring all your buddies malaysian to sinkapoor. Otherwise, gold bowl would become carbon steel bowl. The HDB still yet to solve. You are trying to score point.
    • toothless  •  5 months ago
      Best thing for Khaw Boon Wan to do now is to solve the housing issues. Let the results speak for itself.. 5 yrs later if he screws up out he goes. I don't think it's a priority for him to comment on other things to divert attention away from the issues that his ministry must solve.
    • aso kah  •  5 months ago
      PAP must do more to connect...I listen I very scared.All these year,they connect more and more with our pockets.ERP conncects,HDB connects,GST connects..They are not interested to connect with your face,your identity,all blank blank to them.They zoom in to connect with your pockets,so I listen I get more scared
    • display  •  5 months ago
      I would say, there is couple things which makes singaporean very unhappy.
      1st, too much FT in singapore, especially those PR whom making use singapore to earn money and not wanting to convert to singaporean.
      2nd, the cpf ruling of min sum and age withdrawal. (badly affect low and middle income singaporean)
      3rd, HDB flats over priced (draining up your cpf)??

      I do believe without changing this 3 thing or improve on it. Its hard to get support from pro-opposition voters.
    • Jack  •  5 months ago
      ensure help is given to low-income families now
    • Aftermath  •  5 months ago
      It not about doing more, it about doing the right things.
    • Sporean  •  5 months ago
      i stay in East Coast GRC. Mr Lim Swee Say, I haven't seen you since the GE 2011 lei. Almost can't remember what you look like already and also not sure if u gain or lose weight. Don't expect people to approach you lei, come out from your safety net and do your job to approach the people. Ask Mr. Khaw to teach you if you don't know how.
    • Jin2012  •  5 months ago
      Khaw, khaw, khaw you black crow, most ruthless and cunning of all the black crows.
      In the end, you got no where to go except to Hell where you will pay and pay for all the sufferings you have caused to us.
    • KNS  •  5 months ago
      For so long, Singaporeans have been trying to communicate & connect with PAP, but it seems that PAP does not wish to connect with the people of Singapore. PAP's policies seem only to pursue GDP, money and higher $alarie$ & bonu$e$ for themselves. The welfare of Singapore citizens are always compromised. We feel our land being trully invaded by too many foreigners. And we are paying the negative consequences of these bad government decisions in our daily life in transport, housing, food prices and job competition. I was at Orchard Road last Sunday and was shocked to see the streets and foodcourts full of Filipinos. I am not proud of our home country anymore, in fact, I feel foreign in my home country. I still remember the ridiculous Straits Times headline which ask employers not to dicriminate Singaporeans, in Singapore... I don't think this is the type of country Singaporeans pay taxes and Singapore males do National Service hope to build and defend. If PAP continues to ignore the voice of Singaporeans, we will continue to support opposition parties hoping for a better and caring government for the people of Singapore.
    • bigmoon  •  5 months ago
      Connecting pple to let our people to stay in JB for retirements....
    • KONG  •  5 months ago
      KBW, let me remind you that you have a LOUD MOUTH n NO BRAINS. You accused the opposition only critise n populist. you forget CSM cited the Tang hong/Wei Zheng story. irrespective of differences of ideas, opposition walks toward same goal (4 the better of Singapore)............ how can you serve the citizens.....better reserve a ward 4 yourself at JB.

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