PAP adopts new resolution, sets up group to champion cause of seniors
By Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the ruling party is determined to keep Singapore an open and compassionate meritocracy, and a fair and just society, as the People's Action Party (PAP) updated its goals for the 21st century at a party convention.
Addressing 1,400 PAP members at the Kallang Theatre yesterday, PM Lee said the party's new resolution was aimed at re-interpreting its goals as the PAP forges a new way forward amid a changing Singapore. "We are at an inflection point. Our society is more diverse. Our economy is more mature. Our political landscape is more contested," he said.
Addressing 1,400 PAP members at the Kallang Theatre yesterday, PM Lee said the party's new resolution was aimed at re-interpreting its goals as the PAP forges a new way forward amid a changing Singapore. "We are at an inflection point. Our society is more diverse. Our economy is more mature. Our political landscape is more contested," he said.
The PAP was responding to this through its renewal and transformation at the mid-term of the Government formed after a watershed general election in 2011.
The changes were in line with Mr Lee's National Day Rally message, of a strategic shift in the social compact, for the state and community to play a bigger role in creating a fair and just society.
Speaking in Malay, Mandarin and English, Mr Lee announced a new PAP seniors group chaired by Parliament Speaker Halimah Yacob and with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong as adviser, to champion the cause of the elderly. Caring for Singapore's pioneer generation is one aspect of a fair and just society, Mr Lee added.
He stressed the need to strengthen the Singaporean identity by maintaining the common space among people of different races and religions, observing that these remain powerful forces and that religious consciousness today is stronger than before.
Mr Lee, the PAP's secretary- general, said the party must be clear about its direction as it alone can provide national leadership. It last revised its founding goals to build a vibrant, multiracial, just and fair society in 1988. It is time to interpret and update them.
"We can all agree these are the right things to do... But what do these ideals mean tangibly, concretely, in this day and age? We must interpret these goals in the new phase and with a new generation," he said.
The resolution statement that party members adopted yesterday was put together after three months of engagement sessions with party activists.On the updated goal to create an open and compassionate meritocracy, Mr Lee said that while the party has always stood for opportunities and meritocracy, the approach must change as there is now a higher level of development, a wider income gap and slowing social mobility.
So Singapore is changing how it grows the economy, away from pure expansion, to higher productivity and new industries. But it must also maximise equality of opportunity and moderate inequality of outcomes.
"We will continue to invest in every Singaporean. Make sure that your success doesn't depend on your background or family circumstances, by helping those who are born with less get to a good starting point," he said.
"We will provide diverse pathways of success, treat all with dignity and respect... Thereby, we can keep our society open, mobile and enable our people to rise."
Supporting the changes, activist Tan Siang Hui, 37, of the Jurong Central branch said: "The resolution gave me a sense of the specific road map and direction at this juncture."
New party wing to be seniors' advocate
Interest group aims to identify older folks' needs, shape related policies
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
Interest group aims to identify older folks' needs, shape related policies
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
THE People's Action Party (PAP) will set up a new wing for seniors that will champion the cause of the elderly.
Its chairman will be Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong will be senior adviser.
The PAP Seniors' Group, or PAP.SG, is the party's response to the growing ranks of older Singaporeans, with those above age 65 set to make up one in five of the population by 2030.
This growing group has much to contribute but also has new needs, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday, making it clear the PAP.SG will be an interest and advocacy group for them.
To the warmest applause of the day, Mr Lee said the PAP.SG will be on the same level as the party's Women's and Youth wings, which are both headed by ministers.
Madam Halimah, an MP for Jurong GRC, envisioned ongoing focus groups to hear from seniors on how to better meet their needs.
"They are not on social media as much, but it does not mean we should not be concerned with their views and challenges," she said last Saturday.
In his speech at the PAP convention yesterday, PM Lee also paid tribute to the pioneer generation of Singaporeans, and said the Government's package for them, focusing on medical needs, should be ready by the next Budget.
The forthcoming universal medical insurance scheme, MediShield Life, will also provide more assurance to older Singaporeans that their health-care needs will be met. It will cover everyone for life and provide better protection against large hospital bills.
"Coverage will be better. Premiums will go up, higher than the current MediShield premiums, but it will be affordable," Mr Lee said. "The Government will help and I think this is something we can afford and should."
The significance of silver Singaporeans was also underlined by Women's Wing activist Chan Hui Min, 40, who addressed the convention on a session it organised, titled The Political Clout Of The Silver Generation In An Ageing Population.
The demographic of senior citizens has become more diverse, she said. Some have family support, some are single and some still have dependants even after retirement.
But they all share a desire to remain financially independent, she noted.
Many of them were concerned with age discrimination at the workplace, she said, and so
would rather stay at home than take on "low-paying, unfulfilling jobs".
Suggestions from the Women's Wing included rental flats in retirement communities and help for asset-rich, cash-poor seniors to monetise their properties.
Madam Halimah's PAP.SG will have 14 members on its executive committee: nine MPs, three former MPs - Professor Koo Tsai Kee, Dr Chiang Hai Ding and Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon - as well as two party activists.
The group has had one meeting thus far, said Madam Halimah, but indicated that it will tap the PAP Community Foundation, the ruling party's charity arm, to support the needs of the elderly in a similar way to how it currently provides subsidised child care and kindergarten education.
PM: Party won't falter on guarding common space
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
THE People's Action Party will not falter on guarding the race- and religion-free common space that allows Singapore's different ethnic groups to live together harmoniously, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.
Making his first public comments on a campaign to allow Muslim women to don the hijab in uniform, which is disallowed for some professions, Mr Lee broadened the issue into one of maintaining a "Singaporean Singapore".
In Singapore, people have not been forced to conform to one culture and every group has extensive freedom to practise their own religion, he said.
But the other side of this arrangement is the groups' commitment to accommodating the common space - "to compromise, to give and take, be pragmatic" - without which Singapore will be weakened, he said.
Without this, different groups will cross paths once in a while but exist in separate social circles, which is "not what we mean by social cohesion", he said.
Mr Lee emphasised that every group in Singapore wants "things to be more their way".
The Chinese community wants more Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools where Mandarin is the first language and more public signs and train announcements in Mandarin.
The Malay community wants women to be allowed to wear the hijab with uniforms, and more government help for madrasahs.
The Indian community wants the wider use of Tamil in public signs like at the airport, and support and status for other Indian languages besides Tamil.
"When possible, we want to allow people to live their own lives and accommodate their desires," said Mr Lee. "But as we adjust, we must always keep Singapore a home where all races can live in peace and harmony."
Allowing the common space to be eaten away by giving in to one demand or the other will snowball, he said. "We will end up weakened, fractious, with the problems other countries have like ethnic strife, racial tensions, communal politics."
Contrary to what some believe, race and religion remain powerful and growing markers of identity in Singapore, he said. Religious consciousness is stronger now in all groups than 10 or 20 years ago, he noted.
"I will never reach a point where I don't have to mention a 'Singaporean Singapore' in a party resolution like this," Mr Lee said, referring to an updated mission statement adopted by the PAP yesterday.
Activists in the audience appeared to share his view.
"I agree that we have space to practise our religion without imposing our way of life on others," said Punggol West activist Muhammad Hazri Abdul Halil, 40.
"I hope the community accepts the statement he has given on this hijab issue, because there are constraints that we don't know about, like the (possible reaction) from other groups."
PAP must fight to get message across: Chan Chun Sing
By Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
By Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
THE ruling People's Action Party (PAP) must fight to get its message across in every street and corner of cyberspace, Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing said yesterday.
It must "continuously and strenuously" defend the common space for people to speak up in, because if it does not, then others will occupy that space and make the party irrelevant, he warned PAP members at their convention.
"We must not concede the space - physical or cyber. We will have to learn from the 1960 generation of PAP pioneers - to fight to get our message across at every corner - every street corner, every cyberspace corner, be it in the mass media or in the social media," said Mr Chan, who is the party's organising secretary and chairman of its youth wing.
"We will have to do battle everywhere as necessary," he added.
His rallying cry echoed a similar call by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who urged PAP activists to fight for what they believe in, amid a more contested political environment, and convince Singaporeans that their cause is right. "We must rebut untruths and correct half-truths, especially online," he said.
The PAP must also engage other groups, not just to get their votes but so that they are part of a broader coalition of supporters and advocates, said Mr Lee, who is the PAP's secretary-general.
And it must also counter the moves of the opposition and stand firm, he said.
"They may throw stones at you, they may attack you, they may work against you but we stand firm. We are the PAP. We are proud of what we are doing. We are doing right," he said.
Turning to his team of MPs and ministers, PM Lee said the new ministers have gained confidence in presenting and defending their policies and are learning to make tough decisions and handle crises.
The 22 new MPs have also been doing well and are learning how to defend themselves and score points.
"By the next general election, they should be ready to defend their seats," he said.
In his speech, Mr Chan set out three priorities at the national level for the PAP. The first is to deliver a better life for Singaporeans by integrating policies across different areas to achieve the desired impact. The second is to enable Singaporeans to search for and develop solutions for themselves and their communities. The third is to improve its communications.
At the local level, Mr Chan said the PAP must connect its national policies to the needs on the ground, and its MPs must show there is a difference between themselves and others.
"Unlike others, we do not wait for the Government to solve the difficult issues. We are the Government... We close the last mile, and we go the extra mile," he said.
Khaw: Key role for PAP in managing changes
Party chairman also lauds activists who went the extra mile to help residents
By Goh Chin Lian, The Sunday Times, 8 Dec 2013
Party chairman also lauds activists who went the extra mile to help residents
By Goh Chin Lian, The Sunday Times, 8 Dec 2013
As Singapore embarks on a strategic shift in its approach to nation building and charts a new way forward, the ruling People's Action Party's leadership has to play the important role of managing policy changes, party chairman Khaw Boon Wan said last night.
Referring to the theme of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally in August, in which he set out a new way forward in social policy, Mr Khaw said at the PAP awards ceremony last night: "Singaporeans look to us, the PAP, to ensure that their welfare is protected."
The National Development Minister was speaking to 1,400 activists at Kallang Theatre.
He also stressed that amid policy changes, the party's purpose and values have remained constant. The PAP continues to act for Singaporeans, build a fair and just society and maintain high standards of integrity, he said.
He also stressed that amid policy changes, the party's purpose and values have remained constant. The PAP continues to act for Singaporeans, build a fair and just society and maintain high standards of integrity, he said.
His speech comes ahead of today's party convention, when PM Lee, the PAP's secretary-general, will address party leaders and activists on the theme of this year's convention, "Our New Way Forward: A Call to Action".
The PAP will also adopt a major resolution statement setting out its broad directions.
Giving a report card of the party's progress in the past year, Mr Khaw said it has strengthened party machinery, stepped up training of activists and recruited more members.
Party activists also played an active role in the Our Singapore Conversation, while the policy changes that Mr Lee announced in his Rally speech are being put in place.
Citing efforts to stabilise the housing market as an example of a policy change that needs to be managed, Mr Khaw said his ministry will start tapering off its massive home construction programme when supply and demand return to balance.
"We will however do so in a measured way, allowing the market to adjust," he assured.
The highlight last night was the presentation of medals to 353 party activists. Topping this year's honours list were Mr Kuek Chiew Peng, 58, Mr Samuel Ling, 54, and Mr Lim How Kim, 61, who received commendation medals.
They are known to go the extra mile to solve residents' problems and "hold their hands through the toughest journeys", Mr Khaw said.
Also honoured with a dedicated service star was Madam Tay Kwee Huay, 81, an activist at Geylang Serai for 50 years.
Rallying the base and drawing in others
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2013
TO WIN an election, a political party needs to succeed at two crucial things. The first, to fire up its base; the second, to capture swing voters.
The People's Action Party (PAP) is in no danger of losing government, but yesterday, mid-way through its most electorally challenging term in 50 years, it threw precisely such a one-two punch.
First, it rewarded a pillar of its party base. Yesterday's party convention was titled "Our New Way Forward" and could have been subtitled "The Silver Chapter".
Besides announcing the formation of a Seniors' Group on a par with its Youth and Women's wings, headed by Speaker Halimah Yacob and former prime minister Goh Chok Tong, party leaders emphasised repeatedly the debt the PAP owes to its older members.
The Seniors' Group will be a lobby group and a voice for them.
It is timely and strategic, given Singapore's rapidly ageing demographic and the policy conundrums that throws up.
But from a leadership that has always been gripped by renewal and its standing among the young, this was also a surprise and reward for older members who have stayed staunch through decades of benign neglect.
Little wonder that yesterday's largely silver audience greeted the news with the loudest cheers of the day.
Beyond the rank-and-file, that the older generation of Singaporeans in general are the PAP's most loyal supporters is not lost on the party leadership. This segment of the voting base has been told they are not being taken for granted.
The second task, of capturing swing voters, is invariably the harder one.
After the 2011 General Election, an Institute of Policy Studies survey of 2,000 voters saw 45.4 per cent identifying themselves as swing voters, up from 40 per cent in 2006.
Yesterday, the PAP adopted a major resolution, its first in 25 years, that laid out a mission statement for a new generation.
The resolution said that it wanted to build an "open and compassionate meritocracy" that preserved social mobility. It enshrined "a system of progressive benefits and taxes" and pledged to moderate the excesses of the free market.
It was a party-wide riposte to those who charge that the PAP is too elitist and focused on economic growth over social development.
Coming after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech charting a shift towards more state and community support for those in need, it sent the message that the progressive policies over the last few years were not populist handouts.
They were, and continue to be, ideologically and spiritually at one with what the PAP stands for.
In crafting the resolution, the PAP returned to its "democratic socialist" roots and interpreted them anew. It has a history of remaking itself in this way in response to electoral setbacks.
After seeing a 12.9 percentage point drop in its vote share in the 1984 General Election, it embarked on a series of consultations that culminated in an "Agenda for Action" that was adopted as a resolution in 1988.
What that agenda contained is perhaps less important than what happened next. The party agenda was brought to Parliament, where it was endorsed and adopted as the National Agenda.
It is unlikely that this year's resolution will be tabled in Parliament. Besides giving the 10 opposition MPs the chance to lob potshots, such a move risks sparking irritation among Singaporeans who no longer see the PAP's Agenda as synonymous and identical with the country's.
Herein lies the problem which no resolution can solve. For the first time in its history, the PAP no longer has free rein to set the agenda for the country, and then to bring the people along.
While it has shown itself to be impressively responsive once again, this comes years after large swathes of Singaporeans first showed fatigue with the excesses of the free market, immigration and meritocracy. It is a reaction - some would say a delayed one.
Where once the PAP would decide, now it affirms.
This will be welcomed by many Singaporeans, the majority for whom a PAP-less Singapore is still unthinkable.
But whether the one-two punch can deliver a knock-out depends on those unpredictable swing voters, some of whom will take this as reward for their departure.