President S R Nathan: Political system must evolve

May 19, 2009
POLITICS
Political system must evolve
By Clarissa Oon

SINGAPORE'S political system is 'not set in stone' and must evolve in response to changing circumstances, President S R Nathan said last night.

In particular, it must resonate with the young. New leaders need to be found to connect with a new generation of Singaporeans, he added.

Like their predecessors, these younger leaders 'understand how Singapore works'.

What is different about them is that they 'bring with them fresh thinking and energy to set and achieve new goals', he said in his address at the opening of the second session of Parliament.

Coming at the end of a wide-ranging speech on the country's economic, social and political challenges, the President's remarks reflect a growing recognition that there are younger voters who are dissatisfied with the system, said MPs and political analysts.

Said assistant law professor Eugene Tan of the Singapore Management University: 'It gave me a sense that the Government recognises there could be pockets of Singaporeans who feel the political system is not responsive, not adaptive, or too authoritarian.'

Many who hanker for change are younger Singaporeans who want 'a lot more say' and 'greater involvement and participation in the political process', said Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC).

The need for the political system to evolve was first raised by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong last July at a dinner in the opposition-held Hougang ward. He said the 'status quo cannot last forever', but added that any refinements to the system should not lead to division or chaos.

While the President's remarks last night are another sign that some re-tooling of the system is on the Government's agenda, they give nothing away as to what those tweaks might be.

One possible change is the size of group representation constituencies (GRCs), said Mr Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio GRC).

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