‘Competitors but not enemies’: Sylvia Lim on PAP & WP MPs' shared 'duty' to S’poreans

The People’s Action Party (PAP) and Workers’ Party (WP) are "competitors but not enemies" in Parliament, said WP party chair Sylvia Lim.

Speaking in Parliament on Sep. 26, Lim said both PAP and WP have "common cause".

She was speaking on the fifth day of the debate on the President’s Address.

Lim and Kenneth Tiong were the two opposition MPs to speak.

"The people have elected us to act on their behalf, to ensure Singapore endures for the long term, to work towards a Singapore built to last," she said.

Potential of Parliamentary system

She also clarified with PAP MP Victor Lye that she does not aspire to another system, but believes that Singapore’s system "can still do better".

"I would want to be part of the effort to make our system even more robust," she said.

Lim was addressing Lye’s question for clarification on whether she aspired to a different system as she cited another country’s parliament in her speech.

Lye agreed with Lim that they were not enemies, but friends, having known each other for a long time.

Lye and Lim were opponents in the 2015 general election, where Lye was fielded in the PAP team contesting Aljunied GRC. The WP ultimately won, but by a slim margin.

However, he wished to clarify Lim's reference to the UK parliament.

Lim highlighted that what was most striking to her in that moment in the UK parliament was the "momentary expression of trust in each other".

She added that she saw some flashes of that in the last few days, but hopes it can be sustained.

UK Parliamentary anecdote

This clarification was in reference to Lim having attended a parliamentary sitting in the UK last month.

Lim remembered how a shadow minister from UK’s main opposition, the Conservative Party, had asked for an assurance from his political opponent from the Labour Party.

The shadow minister stated that if his political opponent gave him that assurance, he would accept it, Lim said.

That moment set her thinking hard, she added.

This is because both were "political competitors" and "yet able to give each other some credit and credibility".

Serving the public

Lim added that she carries this hope for Singapore’s Parliament.

She said: "Politics is competitive, but why are we in this? I would like to believe that the main motivation is a calling to serve the public in elected office, a calling that is most meaningful and noble."

Lim also emphasised her hope that in this term of Parliament, MPs could build trust in the house as "all colleagues here are fellow Singaporeans" who have made a choice to leave their comfort zones to take up national office.

This means believing that a fellow MP has "good motivation" even if an MP disagrees with them.

Shared duty

Lim emphasised that overriding duty of MPs is not to their political parties, but to Singaporeans.

She added that regardless of affiliation, MPs have a duty to speak for their constituents and ensure that this chamber works for them.

This means "questioning the government" and holding it to account "rigorously, if necessary".

In addition, the government should "always demonstrate that it is sharing as much information as possible in the house".

Lim said that in the long run, it is Singaporeans who need to decide if the balance of power in the house should be changed.

Good scores but could be better: Lim

Lim said Singapore had "largely healthy scores" across six out of eight indicators in the results of a 2024 ranking by the World Justice Project.

It compiles an index of countries centred around four principles — accountability, just law, open government, and accessible and impartial justice.

But Singapore, which ranked 16th out of 142 overall, did not fare as well in the other two indicators.

The first was were "open government", which measures how much information is the government shares with the public as well as public accountability.

The second is "constraints on government powers". This measures how far those who govern are bound by law.

Lim said that one likely reason for Singapore’s results may be the "imbalance" in Parliament, where almost 90 per cent of the seats are filled by the PAP.

Opposition MPs' role

Lim noted that the recent 2025 general election saw the PAP win an overwhelming majority in Parliament.

"We respect the outcome of the elections. That said, it is a fact that in the house, the government agenda is set by the leaders of the ruling party, and party discipline demands that ruling party MPs vote in support of the government agenda."

She said opposition MPs are expected to "take an independent line".

"Speaking from experience, this is not easy, especially when one is surrounded and vastly outnumbered. But that is our obligation and that is what voters expect us to do."

In his follow up question, Lye asked whether the reference to "imbalance" and being "vastly numbered" meant that Lim is "questioning" the outcome of the 2025 general election.

Lim replied that she made it clear that she respects the outcome of the general election.

Top image from MDDI/YouTube, Canva, PAP's Facebook page, WP's Facebook page