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SINGAPORE – In Chinese tradition, the end of 60 years marks the completion of a full life cycle and symbolises the dawn of a new beginning.
Rather fitting, then, that as Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence in 2025, the leaders of its two largest political parties have renewal on their minds.
For the PAP and Workers’ Party – the only two parties to have had elected MPs in Parliament for more than a decade now – the May 3 general election will not just be about seats won in the here and now.
Each party’s performance at the ballot box will shape the foundations on which its next chapter of growth will be built.
One such pivotal year for the PAP was 2011. Mr Lee Hsien Loong, then aged 59, was prime minister. He brought many of the PAP’s key fourth-generation leaders – including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat – into politics that year.
The only exception was Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. Mr Ong also contested the 2011 General Election, but as part of the PAP team that lost Aljunied GRC to the WP. Four years later, he was fielded in Sembawang GRC, where he won and is the anchor minister today.
Fast-forward 14 years from that watershed 2011 election: Mr Wong, 52, is prime minister and secretary-general of the PAP.
Like his predecessor, renewal is on his mind too. In 2025’s election, his party will field 32 new faces, including several high-flying civil servants who quit their jobs to join politics. It is the PAP’s biggest refresh in recent years.
Some of these fresh faces will likely form the backbone of the party’s fifth-generation leadership. All are expected to bring something different to the table.
“When the new candidates come in, they will inject fresh energy, new ideas and diverse perspectives to strengthen our team,” PM Wong said at the launch of the party manifesto on April 17.
He added that the PAP has renewed its team to be prepared for the future, so it can offer Singaporeans “a capable and strong team at the helm, not just for the next five years, but also for the next 10 to 20 years”.
But that strong team must first earn their seats. And as Mr Ong and former Cabinet minister Ng Chee Meng – who anchored the team that lost Sengkang GRC to the WP in 2020 – can testify, there are no guarantees.
Each such loss weakens the PAP’s leadership slate. Losing candidates – even if they win a seat in the following election in a “safer” constituency – miss out on years of political experience. And as electoral contests become sharper, no constituency can be said to be truly safe.
The WP’s next-generation leaders will have their mettle similarly tested in the hustings. Its leader, Mr Pritam Singh, has had an eye on its future since he took over in 2018.
“You want to bring in people, and not just bring in people… bring in people who are better than me,” the Leader of the Opposition told reporters on April 18, during a press conference to announce four of the party’s new faces.
At the WP’s annual members’ forum in January 2025, he also set out the consequences of failure. “If we are not successful in bringing in new people, the Workers’ Party will have a big problem in the years to come. It will run a real risk of becoming irrelevant to Singaporeans,” he said.
His predecessor, Mr Low Thia Khiang, put it more bluntly in 2018, when he handed over the reins to Mr Singh: “Without new blood, the party will die a natural death.”
Parts of the WP’s next-generation leadership team are already in place. Fronting the launch of its manifesto on April 17 were three newer MPs – Mr Gerald Giam, Ms He Ting Ru and Associate Professor Jamus Lim. Party chairwoman Sylvia Lim said they have learnt from their parliamentary experience, and are now able to helm such major projects.
But its medium-term goal is for opposition MPs to occupy one-third of the seats in Parliament.
In 2020, it won nine seats in two group representation constituencies – Aljunied and Sengkang – and the single seat of Hougang. The winning of a second GRC, in particular, was regarded by WP members as a triumph that must make its fears of an opposition wipeout less likely. Yet, all things considered, the numbers show it still has some way to go.
The WP has said it will not field enough candidates in 2025 to carry out its medium-term plans. How quickly it can achieve its political goals will be dictated by its performance at the polls, and whether or not its key candidates do well.
Where does that leave the other opposition parties?
Many are still jostling for a seat at the table. Injecting new blood may not be a priority at this point, when parties are striving for an electoral breakthrough. Even so, they need to keep the long game in mind.
The Progress Singapore Party has made its presence felt on the political scene ever since its first electoral outing in 2020. But half of its recently elected central executive committee members are aged 60 and over. Only three of the 12 are under 50.
In the same vein, the Singapore Democratic Party has been led by the same man – Dr Chee Soon Juan – for some 30 years.
Age brings experience, and there is value in having seasoned hands at the helm.
But for smaller opposition parties to have staying power, voters will also need to know there are steady hands to receive the torch when the time comes.
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