Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is likely to make a major speech following the President's Address at the opening of Singapore’s 13th Parliament two Fridays ago (Jan 15).

This is because he has done so in every debate on The President's Address since he became the PM [12th Parliament (2014, 2011); 11th Parliament (2009, 2006); 10th Parliament (2005)] in 2004.

And everyone will be watching closely whether PM Lee will speak about the following:

"Our innovations have worked. Our political system has delivered stability and progress for Singapore. But this system must be refreshed from time to time, as our circumstances change. The Government will study this matter carefully, to see whether and how we should improve our political system so that we can be assured of clean, effective, and accountable government over the long term.” - Address by President Tan at the opening of the 13th Parliament

If PM Lee is going to address the question about the elected presidency (EP), here are three things for him to consider:

1. The changes made to the political system should be slightly ahead of its time, but just right for the society.

Below are two positive examples of electoral innovations over the decades.

Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) scheme

In 1984, the Parliament passed an act allowing the appointment of up to three NCMPs. This ensures that the Parliament has a minimum of three Opposition candidates.

The move is slightly ahead of its time because there were only two Opposition MPs from 1981 to 1991, and 1997 to 2011 (There were four Opposition MPs between 1991 to 1997). In other words, for most parts, there is usually one NCMP seat (1/3) available for the best "loser".

When PM Lee proposed changes to the NCMP scheme in May 2009 - to increase the minimum number of opposition MPs from three to nine - it was again slightly ahead of its time. There were only two Opposition MPs in parliament before the 2011 watershed election.

Following GE 2011 and GE 2015, it is probably a coincidence that one third of the NCMP seats (3/9) was again available for the "best losers".

Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs)

In 1988, the GRCs scheme was introduced to guarantee a minimum representation of minorities in Parliament.

As The Straits Times pointed out last Sunday, the main criticism of the GRC system was "how much it has grown since it was set up in 1988". While it began with 13 three-member GRCs (39 seats), the Parliamentary Elections Act was amended to allow the maximum number of MPs per GRC to grow from three to four, and then to six.

In May 2009, PM Lee again made the right move regarding GRC size. He highlighted the positives of a smaller GRC team, where voters could identify with the team better. PM Lee concluded that "on balance, smaller GRCs (less than six members) have the edge over larger GRCs (six-member GRCs)". Therefore, he suggested that Singapore should have more smaller GRCs and fewer six-member ones.

While the move was ahead of its time, it was again the right one. There were fewer complaints from the Opposition Parties who lamented previously that the bigger GRCs made it harder for them to field teams. In fact, 2015 GE was the most competitive election since Singapore's independence with all seats contested.

In other words, these electoral innovations indicated a hint of political foresight and a measure of temperance towards changes in the political system.

2. Consider Lee Kuan Yew's first principles towards political changes

The Sunday Times published an interesting parliamentary speech made by the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1984 about why a Constitution must suit the needs of its people.

As Lee gave a tour de force overview about different models of government and their constitutions, he noted that,

"29 years is all the practice that we have. Our attitudes, our practices, have been shaped by our history in these 29 years. How we will progress depends on how we direct our social, economic and political policies, and including how opposition leaders or members accept the basic parameters of what Singapore is about - the independence and sovereignty of Singapore, its multiracial, multi-religious, multilingual, multi-cultural character."

Singapore's electoral innovations have a relative short history too - NCMP scheme (32 years), GRCs scheme (28 years), Nominated MPs (26 years) and Elected President (25 years).

As SMU law professor Eugene Tan rightly pointed out in his Straits Times commentary ("No U-turn needed on the elected presidency"),

"Making hasty changes based on concerns from the 2011 Presidential Election would be unduly reactionary. The 2011 election may well be an aberration in terms of it being highly politicised."

Are our young electoral innovations ready for more changes or an overhaul?

Here is the late PM with some wise words:

"I learnt my constitutional law not so much from my lecturers and my textbooks or my association with people like Sir Ivor Jennings. They taught me the theory.

I learnt it in real life, hands-on experience, and from watching the Malaysian Constitution being amended, over 100 amendments, in just under three years since it was promulgated and it has gone through many more since, as members will know.

I suggest we stick to the Singapore Constitution because it works and I am suggesting this minor amendment (NCMP scheme) in the hope that it will work better." - Lee Kuan Yew on why a Constitution must suit the needs of its people, The Straits Times.

The suggestion of a "U-turn" in the elected presidency, as indicated by Dean Kishore Mahbubani, ST editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang and Tan in their commentaries, would have meant that the government is quite unlike itself, as it seeks to mange a "clumsy" way of change.

It assumes that Singaporeans (and the electorate) do not know better. In an era of the wisdom of crowds and collaborative governance, the change seems to go against this trend by relying on a select few or a  People's Action Party-dominated Parliament to decide who is most suitable as our "second key".

3. The electoral innovations must take into account increased political diversity and good governance.

As President Tony Tan said, our political system must incorporate appropriate stabilisers and checks and balances; give opportunities for alternative views to be considered; and ensure that minority communities not be marginalised.

The electoral innovations since 1984 has, in Tan's words, "delivered stability and progress for Singapore" because the innovations embraced increased political diversity in a more plural society and enhanced Singapore's system of good governance.

More importantly, these innovations acted as "pressure valves", reflecting the aspirations of Singaporeans and releasing the tension caused by Singapore's long-running dominant-party rule.

Will the current EP scheme increase political tension and polarise opinions or will the amended EP scheme divide Singapore and affect good governance?

As American journalist and author Theodore H. White once said: "It is the nature of politics that men must always act on the basis of uncertain fact, must make their judgement in haste on the basis of today's report by instinct and experienced shaped years before in other circumstances."

We look forward to how PM Lee and his government will exercise the art of politics and government, for Singapore's purpose and destiny will depend on this quality of leadership over the next decade.

Related articles:

These days, if you’re pro-establishment, you’ll want to scrap or change the elected presidency

Top photo from Lee Hsien Loong Facebook.

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