Singapore polls may see a wild card at play

Split screen image of Lee Hsien Loong (R) and his younger brother Lee Hsien Yang (L). Photo: AFP/Facebook

By Ivan Lim
Former AJA President
Contributor to AsiaN

Singapore: The unbroken record of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) of winning every general election since 1959 gives it a proud bounce ahead of fresh polls. The party could be buoyed once again by this factor as the nation is tipped to hold a general election after the annual budget in February. But this time there could be a new twist.

One enduring factor that accounts for the PAP’s success has been the passionate campaign speeches that resonated with voters, especially the incomparable oratory of its unassailable leader, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the city-state’s founder Prime Minister.

Such as this rousing Fullerton rally speech in 1980: “Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him. Or give it up. This is not a game of cards. This is your life and mine”

Tapping into this cry in the 2015 general election, Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong, 68, reprised his father’s famous ’game of cards’ quote. On Sept 11, the PAP regained power with a thumping 70 per cent of the votes cast, winning 83 of the 89 contested seats. Mr Lee Kuan Yew died on 23 March 2015 setting off an outpouring of popular grief.

It was a signal recovery from the 2011 GE when an Opposition upswing sent the PAP vote count to an all-time low of 60.14 per cent.
The coming general election that will see a transition to a fourth generation PAP leadership team could see a wild card in play: the Prime Minister’s estranged younger brother Hsien Yang contesting the polls on an Opposition ticket. That would potentially complicate the PAP’s game plan and excite voters over the prospect of a tantalising Lee vs Lee contest.

Thus far, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, 63, a business executive, has been playing his cards close to his chest. He has openly criticised the PAP led by his brother, saying it “is no longer the PAP of my father”, adding in a Facebook posting that “it has lost its way”. He was apparently lamenting that the current PAP leaders have fallen short of the high standards of the party’s founders.

The Cambridge-educated younger Lee’s rhetoric jived with those of the founder of the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP), Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who had been a Lee Kuan Yew loyalist.

Endorsing Dr Tan, Mr Lee Hsien Yang described the ex-PAP veteran as the kind of leader Singapore “deserves”, presumably in contrast to those now in the PAP. He noted that Mr Tan has pledged to groom future parliamentarians who serve the country and the people “before party and self”.

Short of formally casting his lot with the PSP, Mr Lee Hsien Yang has been seen with Dr Tan “walking the ground”, even visiting the ‘tiger’s den’- the electoral ward of PM Lee.

A political hot potato they could exploit to put the PAP on the defensive is the million-dollar salaries of PAP ministers.  PAP leaders believe they have to pay competitive salaries vis-à-vis the private sector to attract the best talent to join the government. Controversially, former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong reckoned that any candidate who earns below $500,000 a year would be a mediocre choice.

This was not what motivated the old generation of PAP politicians, with Dr Tan Cheng Bock affirming: “You go in (to serve), you don’t care about your pay cut.”

As a Member of Parliament, from 1980 to 2006, he said his monthly allowance was $1,430 and when he decided to be a full-time MP, he “spent a fortune”, paying up to $10,000 to have a doctor look after his clinic.

“So don’t talk about money,” he said in an interview. He was proud to serve and would not compromise on this value [of selfless service]. “‘If my grandchildren are not proud of “Ah Kong’ [grandfather] then I would have lost.”

While ready to welcome Mr Lee Hsien Yang to the PSP, DrTan made it clear he has to abide by the party’s terms. The stipulation, added the PSP secretary general arose from a common perception that Mr Lee HsienYang might pursue a personal agenda arising from his feud with PM Lee over their father’s last will on the demolition or preservation of their family house at 38 Oxley Road.

The dispute spilled into the open in June 2017 when Mr Lee Hsien Yang and sister Dr Lee Wei Ling issued statements in Facebook alleging that PM Lee wanted to preserve the house “to inherit Lee KuanYew’s credibility”. PM Lee has denied the allegations.

However, his siblings elaborated in subsequent statements that PM Lee’s “popularity is inextricably linked to Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy” and “his political power is drawn from his being Lee KuanYew’s son.”

PM Lee described as “absurd” their further accusations that he and his wife, Madam Ho Ching, harboured “political ambitions” for their son, Li(Lee) Hongyi.

“We uphold meritocracy, which is a fundamental value of our society,” he said.

Mr Li Hongyi,33, a top official in the government digital services Data Science Division of Government Technology Agency of Singapore has himself said in a Facebook post.

“For what it is worth, I really have no interest in politics.”

Nevertheless, political observers are not ruling out that Mr Li,a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may be included in the batch of new and young candidates the PAP plan to field in the forthcoming General Elections as part of its long-term leadership renewal.

The question of a dynastic succession, at this juncture, is moot as the PAP government has already put in place a fourth- generation team of ministers headed by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat.

Mr Heng, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, is slated to succeed Prime Minister Lee when he steps down as planned in 2021.

The Lees saga revolved around Lee Kuan Yew’s seventh and final will relating to his estate, especially on the disposition of the family house. It was at the basement of the mansion that the late Lee conducted meetings with other nationalists that led to the founding of the People’s Action Party. It has historic and heritage value. On the flipside, Mr Lee has made it known he did not relish the idea of visitors hiking through his house-turned-monument in his honour.

The Lee siblings have called a truce on public exchanges on their row as it was seen to be affecting the First Family’s reputation.

In a surprise turn, Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s wife, Mrs Lee Suet Fern, a top lawyer, faces a Law Society disciplinary tribunal for professional misconduct over her supposed role in drafting and executing the late Mr Lee’s last will. The Attorney General Chambers has cited a case of conflict of interest as her husband is a beneficiary of the late Lee Kuan Yew’s estate.

Separately but related to “Oxleygate” affair, Mr Li (Lee) Shengwu, son of  Mr Lee Hsien Yang and  Mrs Lee Suet Fern  is also facing contempt of court charges. The Attorney General’s Office accused the Harvard assistant economics professor of “scandalising the judiciary’ in a Facebook post in 2017.

Thus, Mr Lee Hsien Yang finds himself entangled, having to do battle on various fronts. At the moment, it is only speculation whether he would be ready to take the fight beyond the legal arena.