Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s repeated calls for a “strong and competent government” may once have resonated as a guiding principle, but today, those words sound hollow in the face of the glaring shortcomings of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) 4G leadership.
The former Prime Minister’s speech on 8 February, intended to inspire confidence and unity, instead served as a reminder of the growing cracks within his party—cracks that neither rhetoric nor nostalgia can hide.
Singapore’s reputation for exceptional governance was built on meritocracy, foresight, and leaders who met challenges head-on. But today’s 4G leaders, many argue, lack that same calibre.
Their handling of critical issues, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, has been marked by missteps, slow responses, and questionable judgment.
The poorly received design and delays of ERP 2.0, the SimplyGo debacle, and the disastrous ACRA NRIC disclosure lapse highlight more than operational missteps—they expose a leadership out of its depth when it comes to technological change and accountability.
With artificial intelligence and digital innovation reshaping economies worldwide, the 4G leaders’ lack of foresight and inability to adopt forward-looking strategies reflect a failure to understand the demands of a tech-driven future.
What we have witnessed is not strong leadership but a group of leaders running on autopilot, relying on outdated policies while the ground beneath them shifts rapidly.
Take the cost-of-living crisis, a persistent issue for many Singaporeans. Despite widespread public concerns over rising food prices, housing costs, and the controversial GST hikes—opposed by many who called for a deferral—the 4G leadership’s response has been uninspiring and, at times, dismissive.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who led the push for the two-tier GST hike as Finance Minister, has shown little flexibility, insisting on the policy which many believe exacerbated the problem.
Instead of offering innovative solutions to address inflation and wage stagnation, the Government has relied on temporary measures like CDC vouchers (a euphemism for food stamps) and rebates meant to offset the costs their own policies have driven up.
These band-aid solutions provide short-term relief but fail to address the root causes of financial strain for ordinary citizens.
Meanwhile, the 4G leadership insists that its current measures to promote the total fertility rate will succeed, despite a steady decline over the past two decades. If this isn’t a sign of insanity or incompetence, what is?
These are not the actions of visionary leaders prepared to steer the nation through turbulent waters, but of politicians content with mediocrity.
The failure to articulate a clear economic strategy is another glaring weakness. Inequality continues to widen, and social mobility—a cornerstone of Singapore’s early success—has become increasingly elusive for many.
The 4G leadership has not only failed to address this widening gap but has struggled to convince Singaporeans that it even has a plan to reverse it. Instead of decisive action, citizens are fed empty reassurances that everything will be fine—words that ring hollow to an increasingly disillusioned public.
Lee Hsien Loong’s insistence on “competency” becomes especially ironic when viewed in light of the scandals plaguing his administration.
The long-overlooked extramarital affair involving Tan Chuan Jin, the former Speaker of Parliament—with Lee Hsien Loong’s years-long knowledge of it—the corruption charges against former Transport Minister S Iswaran, and the controversies surrounding Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan over their Black and White bungalows leases at Ridout Road highlight deeper, systemic issues within the party.
These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a larger problem: a leadership that lacks accountability and has grown complacent. The PAP’s once-strong image of integrity and discipline has been undermined by these scandals, eroding public trust.
Rather than addressing these issues directly, Lee Hsien Loong continues to perpetuate the narrative that the PAP is the only party capable of governing Singapore. But this narrative is crumbling. Singaporeans are no longer willing to buy into the myth of PAP’s invincibility when the evidence of its failures is plain to see.
The problem with the current leadership is not just that they are faltering—it is that they seem unaware of how far they have fallen.
They cling to the legacy of past leaders like Lee Kuan Yew, invoking his name to reassure citizens that the country is still on the right path. Yet their actions contradict this legacy, most notably in the ongoing dispute over the fate of the late leader’s family home, where LKY’s wishes have been ignored, and family members critical of the Government have been persecuted.
But the Singapore of today is not the Singapore of the 1960s. The challenges are different, and so are the demands of its people. The PAP’s inability to evolve with the times risks undoing the very progress it once championed.
Singapore was built on principles of meritocracy and excellence—principles that allowed it to punch above its weight on the global stage. But these ideals are eroding as 4G leaders take the people’s trust for granted and settle for mediocrity.
Singaporeans deserve leaders who can rise to the occasion, not those who crumble under the weight of privilege and power. Citizens are calling for a government that is not only competent but also accountable, adaptable, and capable of inspiring confidence.
If Lee Hsien Loong truly believes in the importance of a “strong and competent government,” then it is time for him to take a hard look at the state of his party.
The 4G leaders have repeatedly shown they are not living up to the high standards Singaporeans expect. Until this reality is acknowledged, no amount of speeches about unity or competency will restore the public’s trust.
