Singapore in 2014: Managing Domestic and Regional Concerns and Signalling a New Regional Role

In 2014 the government made a number of new political appointments and signalled that it was preparing the country for the fourth generation political leadership. It also acted on concerns about the cost of housing and medical fees, especially for the older pioneer generation that had helped build Singapore. In regional relations there were a few hiccups with Malaysia over toll charges for vehicles crossing the common causeway and unhappiness with the Indonesian decision to name a warship after two Indonesian marines who were tried and executed in Singapore for a terrorist act during Indonesia’s Confrontation against Malaysia. Singapore also initiated a number of ventures that appear to signal a greater leadership role in arbitration and disaster management.

Political and Legal Developments

In domestic politics the most significant development was the PAP government’s announcement in April that two members of the Cabinet had been made full ministers. They are Tan Chuan Jin who was made Manpower Minister, and Lawrence Wong who was made Minister for Culture, Community and Youth. The government announced that together with two other earlier appointees — Education Minister Heng Swee Keat and Social and Family Development Minister Chan Chun Sing, the appointments also reflected future priorities for the government during an important period of transition that will require emphasis on social and manpower issues.¹ These appointments appear to have consolidated a group of younger ministers who are likely to be identified with a fourth generation leadership. Importantly, Tan Chuan Jin and Chan Chun Sing’s appointments are well in line with having a core pool of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) scholars within the Cabinet. The current pool also includes Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang.

In other political news, former presidential candidate Tan Jee Say announced the formation of a new political party called “Singaporeans First”.² It is likely that this development is closely related to seemingly high levels of dissatisfaction among locals with the high percentage of foreigners in the domestic population. There are constant complaints among locals that infrastructure facilities and services are being stretched on account of the new arrivals. Additionally, there is also a segment within the population that regards foreigners as responsible for taking away jobs from the locals. The government is aware of the disquiet at the ground level and has been trying to address the shortage of medical and transport facilities in particular. It has also agreed to slow down the recruitment of foreign workers, much to the chagrin of small and medium enterprises that complain about a shortage of workers in the services sector. In any event, it remains to be seen if this new party will fare well in the elections that are scheduled to be held by January 2017 and challenge the seeming strength of the Workers’ Party in representing the political opposition. The Workers’ Party has already been subjected to criticisms by the PAP-led government of incompetence in the running of the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC). Additionally, in December it was fined S$800 (US$590) for running a Chinese New Year fair without a permit from the National Environment Agency (NEA) in Hougang Central.³

In November 2014, blogger Roy Ngerng was found guilty of defaming Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with his blog posts. The damages are yet to be assessed. The charges relate to claims by Roy that amounted to Lee having criminally misappropriated contributions into the local equivalent of the national pension fund — the Central Provident Fund (CPF). An earlier offer of an apology and payment for damages came to naught when Ngerng’s offer of S$5,000 was rejected as “derisory” by Lee.⁴ Earlier on in October, Ngerng had been charged with five others for public nuisance when taking part in a protest in Hong Lim Park in September and disrupting a charity carnival for the Young Men’s Christians Association (YMCA). Additionally, Ngerng, and another speaker, Han Hui Hui...