Still, because the article argued, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) will win within the upcoming general elections because of, amongst other things, its “powerful organization, relentless attacks on the opposition and a compliant press.”
They cannot stand that the people they’re used to lecturing are actually doing higher overall than they’re
Economically, Singapore’s gross domestic product per capita is over A$109,000 ($80,000), the fifth highest on purchasing power parity, “well ahead of the UK,” Shanmugam added.
Referring to the media, he replied: “[The Economist] “Of course, he prefers a situation like within the UK, where one person can control the mainstream media, and politicians look to him, and media owners can influence who gets elected and who becomes prime minister.”
Who is Lawrence Wong from Singapore? From political underdog to next prime minister
Who is Lawrence Wong from Singapore? From political underdog to next prime minister
Shanmugam said Singapore provides its residents with “significantly higher health care, housing and education” regardless of sophistication and race.
The republic can be doing higher by way of public security and social cohesion, he added.
Shanmugam highlighted that, for instance, 85 percent of all crime cases reported in England and Wales were closed with out a suspect being caught, while greater than 100 neighborhoods solved “0 percent” of reported automotive thefts. England and Wales are a part of the United Kingdom.
Singapore’s Wong and China’s Li agree to reinforce ‘mutually useful cooperation’
Singapore’s Wong and China’s Li agree to reinforce ‘mutually useful cooperation’
The minister said such a situation could be “unthinkable and unacceptable” in Singapore.
Shanmugam also cited how a political donor within the UK recently made a racist remark that led to no consequences, while someone in Singapore will likely be charged in court for making similar comments.
– What is the worth of your sneer? he asked.
The Economist’s 740-word article called Wong a “compromise candidate” who was not the primary alternative amongst 4G leaders. He added that he was a “highly competent former technocrat.”
Nevertheless, he argued, Wong “is guaranteed a majority in upcoming polls that can make the leaders of many other countries cry.”
Despite the high probabilities of winning for him and the party, the article said that “there’s more at stake” within the upcoming elections.
“What’s at stake for Mr. Wong when he goes to the countryside is not his stake [and the 4G’s] a formal mandate, but rather moral legitimacy,” he said.
This is in light of how many younger Singaporeans no longer judge the party based on its “traditional emphasis on delivering economic growth”, but instead demand “greater equity” in growth and “more participatory” policies, she argued.
Commenting on how continuity should be expected despite a change in leadership, an article in The Economist stressed that “at least one key member of the old guard”, Shanmugam, will remain in the government.
The article opined that Wong, a “guitar-strumming, self-confessed nerd raised on an East Coast housing estate,” is more closely associated with Singaporeans “than most of the ruling elite” and starts with a degree of goodwill.
Singapore’s first Prime Minister on social media: Can Lawrence Wong win Gen Z votes?
Singapore’s first Prime Minister on social media: Can Lawrence Wong win Gen Z votes?
However, the next polls will be a key test for him.
“If the opposition wins significantly more than 10 of the 87 seats it currently holds, the candidate will take turns starting from behind,” it said.
TODAY has contacted The Economist for comment.
