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Is Singapore transforming into a democracy?
In the end, the People's Action Party (PAP) acknowledged how democracy was “maturing” in Singapore and how the opposition parties had an important role to play in the best interest of the people.
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Supporters of the opposition Worker's Party wave party flags as they gather in the Hougang public housing district during the counting of votes of the general elections in Singapore, in the early hours of July 11, 2020. Singapore's long-ruling party retained power convincingly, but the opposition made gains. (AFP/Roslan Rahman)
P
erhaps something is truly changing in Singapore for the better when the President’s Address built on the recent 2023 budget charted the upcoming trajectory of policymaking in the city state.
The emphasis was given on measures to ensure better social mobility and enhanced cohesion, a new understanding of the meaning of success and a strong attention on vulnerable segments of society.
To reassure the capitalists there and beyond, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong provided reassurances that the general approach, the secret formula that in the past guaranteed prosperity to the country, remained intact.
Singapore, he explained, was still prioritizing expanding the economic pie while striving to come forward with a new social compact that while it was generous and cares for the needs of the society did not create too much dependency on the state.
Yet the proposals from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) are almost making Singapore resemble a Scandinavian land in the tropics.
But the debate following the President's Address is interesting not just because of the progressive welfare policies, many of them “social innovations,” that were discussed. After all, this is a crucial year before the next general elections that must be held no later than Nov. 23, 2025, and what transpired in the parliament holds significance also for the future of democracy in the country.
The sharpness and intensity of the debate itself indicates that politics in the country is changing and for the better.
