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A survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) polled Singaporeans about a range of topics relating to Singapore's Covid-19 experience, including their trust in the government's leadership.

The survey focusing on leadership was conducted from April to June 2022, after the announcement that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had been selected as the leader of the People’s Action Party (PAP)’s 4G team.

Best possible 4G leader?

Out of around 1,000 respondents, "around six in 10" trusted that the Singapore government has the best possible 4G leader in three different contexts:

• To navigate divisions within society
• To navigate Singapore’s dealing with other countries
• To help Singapore navigate post-Covid-19 economic recovery

The survey's findings were presented in a working paper on Jul. 14.

The scores for each of the three contexts varied from 57 to 60 per cent, as follows:

Who is more likely to trust?

There were a few demographic groups that were found to be more likely to trust that the Singapore government has the best possible 4G leader, according to the working paper.

These are:

• Those who are more highly educated
• Those with higher levels of satisfaction with how the government handled the pandemic
• Those with a greater level of receptiveness toward living with Covid-19 as endemic

The researchers pointed out that the government's prioritising of "scientific management" of the pandemic may have appealed to those who were better educated, contributing to their trust of DPM Wong's future leadership.

Who is less likely to trust?

However, there were also groups that were less likely to trust that the Singapore government has the best possible 4G leader, namely those who worry over the rise in cost of living.

"For those who are more concerned about cost of living issues, their ability to trust DPM as the best possible leader may be influenced by how well they see their financial woes resolved," suggested the working paper.

You can read the working paper in full on IPS's website.

Respondents generally confident in Singapore economy's post-Covid-19 recovery

A majority of Singaporeans were also found to trust that Singapore remains competitive, would emerge stronger from the current crisis, and that the government knows how to navigate the global economy, lead Singapore in a post-pandemic world, and deal with new virus strains.

Some 64 per cent also said they were confident that Singapore is well-prepared to face the next pandemic, based on its performance in the current pandemic.

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Top image via Lawrence Wong on Facebook