Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong lamented about his party’s declining popularity saying that younger Singaporeans are not like the older generation, and that their bond with the ruling party PAP are “less instinctive and more transactional”.
“Also, older voters from the Pioneer Generation who lived through Singapore’s early struggles for survival will be replaced by younger voters whose bond with the PAP is less instinctive, and more transactional.”
The former Prime Minister also recounted that the 2011 General Election was his low point and lamented that Marine Parade voters did not think about what he has done for Singapore when he was PM:
“When the result for Marine Parade was announced, I felt the deep disappointment and gloom in our supporters. I too did not expect Marine Parade GRC to poll only 55 per cent. It was a lesson in the vagaries of elections. What you had done for the people as an MP or PM did not matter as much as the prevailing mood of the people.”
Calling Singapore a “settled democracy”, ESM Goh Chok Tong also said that he do not expect the ruling party to win when he is no longer around. He also acknowledged that the quality of the Opposition is getting better:
“I cannot be around for the next 40 years, it will be difficult for a new person to get the same support as me for various reasons. With Singapore now a “settled democracy”, elections in future will depend more on the mood of the day that is influenced by prevailing politics. Opposition parties will grow and attract better qualified members.”