Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, who was also cofounder of the PAP, ruled Singapore from 1959 to 1990. His success in elevating the city-state from the developing world to an advanced economy during his three-decade rule has been recognized internationally. When he stepped down in 1990, his deputy, Goh Chok Tong, took over. In 2004, PM Goh handed the baton to Lee’s son, Lee Hsian Loong, who has led Singapore since.

It is almost certain that PM Lee will be succeeded by his deputy Lawrence Wong after the 2025 elections, unless the PAP performs poorly. Isn’t it boring when you can’t bet on the question of succession? Isn’t it unexciting to live under a monotonous regime, where everything is planned and controlled, for 64 years?

Unsurprisingly, many feel fatigued and bored.

The political dynamics ahead of elections in Indonesia are totally different from those in Singapore. In Indonesia, for example, nobody knows who will win the Feb. 14, 2024, presidential election. Even the three presumptive candidates are not 100 percent assured a spot in the running until the final day of registration in November.

On the contrary, Singaporeans already know with some measure of certainty that Wong will be their next leader, even though the elections are still two years away. Singaporean politics is scripted like a book. There is no chance for surprises that might wrack your nerves.

In the race for the presidency in Indonesia, the presumptive opposition candidate, Anies Baswedan, a former Jakarta governor, is building an image as an antithesis of incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, while his potential contenders Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo both represent a continuation of Jokowi. Wong will never be the antithesis of his predecessor.

Something different is happening now in Singapore, however. The ruling party has been rocked by three scandals: two corruption cases and a love affair. It is certainly shocking for the PAP and upsetting for Singaporean citizens, but for Indonesians this is just routine.

According to local media, Transportation Minister S. Iswaran and prominent hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng were allegedly involved in a bribery scandal and have come under the scrutiny of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). The two were recently arrested but released on bail.

“I have instructed minister Iswaran to take a leave of absence until these investigations are completed,” PM Lee said.

This is the most shocking graft scandal to hit the ruling party in decades. In 1986, then-minister for national development Teh Cheang Wan was investigated for accepting bribes. He died before he was indicted.

The ruling party is also in the spotlight after Law and Home Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan faced allegations of abuse of power and conflict of interest. PM Lee dismissed the allegations and his trust in the two senior ministers remains intact.

The government opened an investigation after the opposition questioned in May why Balakrishnan and Shanmugam were able to rent two of Singapore’s government-owned colonial-era bungalows along the Ridout Road.

The Straits Times has reported that PM Lee also asked Parliament Speaker Tan Chuan Jin “to go” after the latter’s extramarital relationship with fellow PAP politician Cheng Li Hui made the headlines.

The speaker is married with two children, while Cheng reportedly is unmarried. The two tendered their resignations on July 17.

In February, Lee had reprimanded Tan and instructed him to break up his love affair, but to no avail. The city-state was too small to hide their forbidden love, and PM Lee received new evidence that the two politicians’ love remained burning.

PM Lee has assured the public that the errant politicians will face justice, a promise that in Indonesia will be an endless source of jokes. Many top Indonesian politicians found guilty of graft have received light sentences or generous remissions and have been allowed to reenter politics.

The PAP has transformed the tiny island state into one of the world’s wealthiest and least corrupt nations, and its passport is the world’s most powerful traveling tool. After 54 years in power, the party is now facing the most difficult situation in its history: how to deal with people’s boredom and fatigue. It is not easy, because people simply want something new. They want change even though the government has provided them with a semblance of perfection.

Singapore ranked fifth after Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and Norway in the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International. Indonesia placed 110^th out of the 180 countries surveyed.

With gross domestic product per capita of US$72,794, Singapore is the sixth wealthiest nation in the world, after Luxemburg, Bermuda, Ireland, Switzerland and Norway. By comparison, Indonesia’s GDP per capita is $4,292, and it is struggling to escape from the middle-income trap.

The world’s most powerful passport in 2023 belongs to Singapore, allowing its holders to travel to 192 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival. The Indonesian passport currently ranks 74^th according to the Guide Passport Ranking Index.

When Wong eventually takes office, he will very likely continue the policies of PM Lee and the country’s previous leaders. The system is much tidier than Indonesia’s but boring, at best. The same system has lasted 64 years now, and many, especially young voters, long for change.

The biggest headache for PM Lee and the PAP is how to respond to the boredom and fatigue of the people who are close to saying “enough is enough” with the ruling party.

We in Indonesia are luckier because we have the right to make changes. We can directly elect our leaders, although we may not know if our choice will really contribute to our livelihoods.

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The writer is a senior editor at The Jakarta Post.