The People's Action Party (PAP) must be able to "keep faith" with its older members while connecting with the next generation of young Singaporeans as well as the young electorate, said Minister for National Development and PAP Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Lee.

In addition to bringing more diverse voices into the PAP as activists, this approach will also offer the party opportunities to "look out for people who can serve Singaporeans in different capacities, including, if appropriate, as candidates [for General Elections]," added Lee.

Lee was replying to a question from Mothership at a doorstop interview following a thank-you event held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Jun. 8 for 400 activists and partners who "played a key role" in the Refresh PAP exercise.

Mothership observed a number of personalities at the event, including TikTok influencer Simonboy, Nothing But Cheeseburgers (NBCB) founder Tommy Wong, and actress Ann Kok.

PAP wants to be a "pan-national movement'

Lee shared one common consensus during the PAP refresher exercise, which involved more than 2,300 activists and partners, is that PAP "wants to be a pan-national movement which unites Singaporeans" while acknowledging the differences in opinions, needs, and aspirations held by different groups.

"We don't cater to specific demographic groups. We don't cater to specific ethnic groups. We want to cater to all Singaporeans, and we want to continue to be seen by Singaporeans and be felt by Singaporeans as a pan-national movement where all Singaporeans can get represented and their interests addressed," said Lee.

As such, in addition to conducting external engagements, PAP will also have to "learn how to organise [itself] better internally" so that it can carry out the changes to the Social Compact from the Forward Singapore exercise and widen the PAP's tent as Singaporeans become more diverse.

"Internally, [we need] to be able to embrace and encompass a greater diversity of aspirations and goals from this broader tent of the PAP," added Lee.

Hone skills to address 'sensitive social issues'

An increasingly diversified Singaporean society also means that the PAP needs to hone its skills so that it can address sensitive social issues while ensuring Singapore remain united, said Lee.

This is because different groups of Singaporeans may sometimes come into conflict because "they see different sides of the issue" and may have "polar opposite perspectives on what Singapore should be doing on specific issues".

Here, Lee cited the repeal of section 377A of the Penal Code and the policy revision which allowed female Muslim staff in Singapore's public healthcare to wear tudung as examples.

The refresh PAP exercise thus offered opportunities for the party to enhance its skills to converse and help Singaporeans develop "a sense of understanding" as well as "a sense of give and take" so that the PAP can ensure Singapore's "730 sq km of land continue to be home for all Singaporeans", said Lee.

Engage 'Friends of PAP'

To help the PAP keep Singapore united in the face of an increasingly diversified society as well as external challenges, Lee said the party will strive to engage stakeholders from the friends of the PAP "more systematically and more extensively".

Lee added the "Friends of PAP" are people who understand the challenges PAP is trying to address and support its efforts in governing Singapore despite coming from different sectors and communities.

By working with Friends of PAP, the party will be able to "address the major challenges that [Singapore] face", such as challenges brought forward by Artificial Intelligence, and better navigate a society that is more open, diverse, and where its citizens are more educated.

Lee said,

"We need to be able to organise ourselves more strongly and tap on these people in order to help us get better views, come up with better ideas, help us get feedback from the ground, including from experts, professional sectors, and community groups, [so that we can] better communicate the trade-offs, tensions, challenges, and our ideas to Singaporeans."

Background

In a speech by Prime Minister and Deputy Secretary-General of PAP Lawrence Wong at the thank-you event, the Refresh PAP exercise was led by Lee and other 4G leaders, and involved more than 2,300 party activists.

Wong shared that during the engagements, the PAP "affirmed [its] longstanding commitment to be the party for all Singaporeans" and recognised it "must do more to achieve this goal".

As such, Wong said the PAP will embark on several initiatives, with one being setting up two new groups within the party, which will focus on mental health and climate change, respectively.

The former will be led by Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Communications and Information and Chair of the Young PAP, whereas the latter will be led by Koh Poh Soon, SMS for Sustainability and Environment and Manpower.

PAP will also continue to grow its network of "PAP friends and partners" and invite corporates, social service organisations, and individuals who "find common purpose with the PAP" and "want to make a contribution to Singapore" to work with the party, added Wong.

Top images by Andrew Koay/Mothership