This is another post about Mr Harpreet Singh’s suggestion that the PAP doesn’t think a minority can or even should become Prime Minister. He presented a distorted, one-sided picture of what PAP leaders have said recently on this score.
Then-DPM and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in 2019 that segments of our population, especially the older Singaporeans, were not ready for a non-Chinese PM. He was sharing his observations, acknowledging the different mindsets of our diverse population, not endorsing their views.1
In 2021, then-DPM Lawrence Wong clarified the PAP Government’s view at an IPS forum. He said he would welcome the prospect of having a PM from a racial minority, and looked forward to that day.
While a minority should be aware of prevailing attitudes on the ground – e.g. surveys do indicate that some Singaporeans felt more comfortable with someone of their own race as PM – Mr Wong emphasised that such mindsets should not be accepted, and we must work hard to change them.2
In 2022, Minister K Shanmugam said in an interview with the BBC that it is inaccurate to say that a racial minority cannot be PM in Singapore. On the contrary, it is entirely possible and should not be ruled out. While race is a factor in politics, Mr Shanmugam added that a good candidate from a minority race can bridge the gap if fellow MPs have the confidence that he or she can lead them and win elections.3
And last year, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the HarmonyWorks! Conference: “We must have the best leader. And the best leader—he may be Chinese, may be Malay, may be Indian, may be some other race, may be Eurasian. It does not matter — if he can win Singaporean support and mobilise Singaporeans and command respect in the world, he should be the Prime Minister.”4
We have come a long way since we separated from Malaysia 60 years ago because we had a different vision of how a multi-racial society should be organised. There is now a stronger Singaporean identity transcending racial distinctions.
Footnotes
[1] Today, “Older generation of S’poreans not ready for non-Chinese PM: Heng Swee Keat”, 29 March 2019.
[2] The Straits Times, “S’pore should work hard to change attitudes of race bias for PM: Lawrence Wong”, 26 June 2021.
[3] BBC HardTalk – Transcript of Interview by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, 29 June 2022.
[4] SM Lee Hsien Loong, Harmony Works! Conference 2024, 3 August 2024
