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Singapore's 4G leaders are being prepared as well as they can, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam, and said that unlike some countries, Singapore's political leadership feels that "some degree of training, some degree of experience" is generally useful before one becomes a minister or prime minister.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in an interview published on Apr. 8, Shanmugam discussed Singapore's leadership team, and their experience in handling various crises.

Some countries don't require top leaders to have experience

SCMP asked Shanmugam for his assessment on how the leadership transition is taking place, and how the new team is "making their mark."

Shanmugam said he thinks the team is "doing well." He pointed to professions like policemen and teachers and said they undergo training.

However, this is not so for political leaders in other countries:

"But you know, if you want to be a Prime Minister, in most countries, you don’t need any training. All you need to do is stand for elections, look somewhat good, say something attractive, and you could be elected.

And there are enough places where that has happened. Then it's hit and miss. The person may be good; the person may not be good."

He added that what struck him as "interesting" is that even if you wouldn't consider ministers and prime ministers holding the most important jobs in the country, you wouldn't say they are the least important jobs either. He gave the example of working at a bank, where senior positions require experience. However, this wasn't true of politicians in some other countries, but not in Singapore.

PM Lee's experience before becoming PM

Shanmugam gave the example of the current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong.

"He came into politics in 1984, he started as a Minister of State. Then, he became a Minister, then Deputy Prime Minister. Look at the Ministries he has been in – Trade and Industry, Finance, Defence – a variety of Ministries", Shanmugam said.

In addition to handling various portfolios, ministers have weekly Cabinet discussions to tackle various problems, which Shanmugam said is "just as important."

Here, ministers discuss issues, taking into consideration the views of Singapore's neighbours and the global powers, and discuss how to deal with the situation. PM Lee had 20 years of experience before he became prime minister in 2004, and by then, he had already seen "most of the problems."

"How many countries are there where people have 20 years of experience in ministerial portfolios? There will be some, but it's not common," Shanmugam added.

He mentioned former prime minister Goh Chok Tong, who held a variety of portfolios like defence and finance for about 15 years before becoming prime minister.

Experience and track record

Shanmugam also discussed PM Lee's nearly two decades in his role as PM, noting the crises he had to go through, and the "lived reality" of Singaporeans.

Shanmugam cited the metric of GDP growth between 2004 and 2023, and the rise in median income of his constituents, after adjusting for inflation. He also cited benchmarks like the unemployment rate and earning ability by which to judge the track record of the leadership team over the past couple of decades.

"Focus on what has happened between 2004 and 2023. Is that all luck? Luck plays a part. Bad luck can finish you off. But, how much of it is the experience and the ability to do the right things at the right time?" Shanmugam said.

Lawrence Wong and other members of the 4G team have extensive experience

Shanmugam then turned to Lawrence Wong, the person to succeed PM Lee, should the PAP win the next general election.

While Wong entered politics in 2011, he previously worked as Principal Private Secretary to the PM and held other senior civil service positions, therefore giving him an understanding of public policy.

Shanmugam noted that Wong now had 12 years of experience after starting out as a Minister of State in politics.

While he may not have as much time in politics as PM Lee when he took the top job, he would still have "quite a lot", he said.

It's not only Wong who has a wide range of experience in politics, but other members of the 4G leadership too. Shanmugam gave the example of National Development Minister Desmond Lee.

"He was in public service. Then, he’s been with me at Home Affairs, so he understands security. Now, he is dealing with a problem, an issue which bedevils many countries – housing. And I think he is dealing with it successfully.

Because, Singapore’s housing issues are unique. It's a question of how quickly you can get it, and whether you can get it at a certain price, taking into account CPF. Those are the expectations, to pay most of your repayment through your Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings. Which other city, international financial centre, offers you that? He will, I have no doubt, deal with it."

Preparations for the 4G leaders have been done as well as they can

Shanmugam also mentioned the Covid-19 pandemic, where many of the 4G leadership team got involved.

"All these are invaluable experiences. It doesn't automatically mean that they will succeed, or anyone will succeed. Luck, as I said, plays a part. You will only know when they actually take over. But, whatever you can do to prepare them, I think a lot has been done," he added.

Shanmugam's own future role

However, he declined to answer a question on his own role under the future leadership.

"The answer is a combination of my views on whether I want to stay, together with the views of the next Prime Minister. That is not a discussion I can have in public," he said.

On what is the "most misunderstood" thing about himself

The minister also answered a question on what he believes is the most "misunderstood" thing about him, and said that should be asked of other people who know him. He added:

"I'm not quite what, sometimes, is publicly thought about me by some people. I am probably an economic liberal, and on social policy, probably middle ground, maybe slightly conservative, in terms of values. But I’m not somebody who believes in imposing my views or values on other people, or on their lives.

The portfolios have required me to take a tough line, but the one motivating factor, which I think is the same for all the other ministers, is that ultimately, is it good for the broader Singaporean public?"

Singapore's system allowed Shanmugam to succeed

Shanmugam also discussed his own personal history of coming from a "very modest background." He credited Lee Kuan Yew's policies for allowing him to attend Raffles Institution without having any particular social advantages, and again, being able to get into law school despite having "zero social capital."

"And I never had to interview for a job. People interviewed me to try and get me into their law firms. If I had been born in any of the other countries that I could have been born in, I wouldn’t be – forget about being a minister – I wouldn’t be anywhere as successful as I was in Singapore."

He said that his success is thanks to Singapore's "clean, effective system" that allowed him to study and do well. As Singapore's economy grew, there was a demand for lawyers and other ancillary services. Shanmugam also added that his skin colour did not matter in his work, and most of his clients were Chinese.

So while Shanmugam is a "strong believer" in the system, it doesn't mean that it must be kept to if it's not working.

"If you look at meritocracy, what my parents gave me, is very different from what I give my children. Then, I look at the people in Yishun, and I know that the parents can’t give what many middle-class parents can give, and therefore the state must come in," he added.

Be prepared to debate

Shanmugam also believes in being direct in putting forth his views, and "far more clear and direct about taking on alternate views."

"I believe in saying what I think," he explained. "I think it’s important that we have focused debates, to make sure that chaff and nonsense don’t get currency.

"My view is that you need to apply the logic to different viewpoints, in the public arena. You have viewpoints, let’s debate. Either you’re right, or I am right. Maybe, sometimes, both of us are partly right. But you must be prepared to debate."

Top image via K Shanmugam/Facebook