Consistent leadership is what makes Singapore a nation, says Sec-Gen Lee Hsien Loong

In Secretary-General Lee Hsien Loong’s last speech as PAP chief, he highlights how a smooth leadership transition has benefitted Singapore.

At 70 years old, the PAP has reached a milestone.

But what is it that makes the PAP successful?

A deep and abiding duty of care for Singaporeans, a dedication to service and adapting to change have played a part. However, strong and stable leadership transition is one often overlooked factor behind PAP’s longevity and electoral success.

Speaking at the biennial PAP conference (24 Nov), SecretaryGeneral Lee Hsien Loong, who is also Senior Minister, highlighted the importance of good succession planning.

“Leadership transition – its planning, preparation, and execution – is one of the most important responsibilities for a party and political leader…We have a duty to ensure that Singapore continue to have good leadership, not just during our term in office, but also beyond,” said Sec-Gen Lee.

Having led the PAP for 20 years, Sec-Gen Lee shared that he would propose to the CEC to elect DSG Lawrence Wong as new Secretary-General.

“This will complete the leadership transition from me to my successor,” added Sec-Gen Lee.

But as Sec-Gen Lee noted, “We cannot take such orderly transitions for granted. That is because disruptive leadership changes bring discontinuity and upheaval, which leads to a situation where both the party and the country suffer.”

Instead, the seamless handover has allowed Singapore to maintain consistent leadership and direction for the country. It has enabled the government to draw up long-term plans to address issues that do not have quick fixes.

All these stand in sharp contrast to many other countries, which found themselves (and their governments) weakened by infighting and disruption.

“For Singapore, we are very fortunate to have avoided all these bad scenarios and stayed cohesive,” said Sec-Gen Lee.

“That is why we must do our best to keep our system stable, and elect good leaders always, who will selflessly prepare their successors and hand the responsibility on when the time comes,” he added.

For now, that time has come as Sec-Gen Lee prepares to hand over the final reins of leadership to DSG Wong.

It marks the end of an era in leadership, but also signals the continuation of the PAP’s promise of honesty, incorruptibility, and a steadfast commitment to uplift the lives of fellow Singaporeans.