Speaking on lessons drawn from the political upheaval experienced in Malaysia, Balakrishnan said the PAP, which has governed Singapore uninterrupted since 1959, once took comfort in Umno and BN’s long dominance of the Malaysian political landscape, stretching back to 1956.
“Then 2018 happened. So now the pressure is on the PAP. It is like being the last man standing,” he told Malaysian journalists during a recent media roundtable.
“What it means is that each succeeding election is going to get more and more difficult for us.”
BN had historically dominated Malaysian politics. Together with its predecessor, the Alliance Party, it governed the nation uninterrupted for nearly 61 years following independence in 1957.
But in the 14th general election, Pakatan Harapan swept to power with 121 parliamentary seats, while BN’s share plunged from 133 to 79 seats, alongside the loss of most state governments.
Its presence in the Dewan Rakyat has further diminished, with BN presently holding only 30 seats following the 2022 general election.
PAP, by contrast, has never lost an election since forming Singapore’s first fully elected government in 1959.
Balakrishnan said any political party that stays in power for a long time tends to face three existential dangers.
“The first and biggest threat to a political party’s longevity is corruption. Sooner or later, corruption erodes and destroys your support and credibility. We remain hyper aware of that threat,” he said.
Balakrishnan said the second danger, incompetence, becomes most visible in crises, when complacency sets in and the government fails to respond effectively.
The third threat, he said, is losing touch with reality. “People see you from far away. You are disconnected from your people and your ground.”
To endure, Balakrishnan said the PAP must retain its “obsession” for maintaining accountability and staying close to voters.
“We go after corruption ruthlessly. We insist on high standards of competence, and when we fall short, we admit our mistakes, correct them, and improve, because nobody is perfect. And we make sure we stay in touch,” he said.
“Singaporeans demand honesty and integrity in their leaders,” said Balakrishnan. If they do not believe you, nothing you say or do counts. So number one is integrity.”
On compassion, he said citizens want to know they are led by real people with conviction, empathy and purpose.
“They want to know you as a person. It does not mean they will agree with everything you say — they may not even like you.
“But they want to know there is a real person who believes in something, feels for something, has a heart for people, and wants to do things (for them).”