Netizens disagree with SM Lee that losing ministers could weaken government
Senior Minister (SM) Lee Hsien Loong has sparked online debate after claiming that it’s “ridiculous” to think the government won’t be weakened if the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) loses key ministers in the next General Election (GE).
His comments came during a walkabout at 630 Bedok Reservoir Road Market and Food Centre in Aljunied GRC on Tuesday (29 Apr), as reported by The Straits Times (ST).
SM Lee responds to Pritam Singh’s comment
Drawing a comparison to any functioning team, SM Lee said every group has key members whose contributions are vital, and others who support them in complementary ways.
If individual members didn’t matter, he argued, then forming a good government with just anyone would be easy, and there would be no need to build a capable team.
SM Lee said that it’s a “ridiculous argument” to say that the ruling party losing ministers won’t weaken the current government.
Source: Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook
His remarks appeared to be a response to statements made by Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh the day before.
On 28 April, Mr Singh had questioned whether the PAP truly needed over two-thirds of Parliament to function effectively, adding that it’s a “weak argument” to say that losing key Ministers would leave the government to “lose its bearings”.
He stressed that even if all 26 of the party’s candidates were elected, the PAP would still have more than enough seats to govern and pass laws, pointing out that in such a scenario, WP MPs would still be outnumbered by PAP MPs at a ratio of roughly two or three to nine.
Netizens disagree with SM Lee
However, many netizens weren’t convinced by SM Lee’s argument.
One Reddit user recalled the 2011 elections, noting that even though the PAP lost George Yeo, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan stepped up.
They also added that Aljunied did not turn into a slum as a consequence of the PAP losing the GRC.
Source: Reddit
Another commenter dismissed the claim entirely, saying this narrative plays out every election and that they weren’t buying it this time either.
Source: Reddit
Yet another netizen argued that it ultimately comes down to political strategy.
They felt that the PAP would have done its due diligence to minimise the risk of losing “key” ministers.
Source: Reddit
Some users tried to reassure others that Singapore is built on strong institutions — not just individuals — and that the country would continue to function smoothly regardless of who’s in Cabinet.
Source: Reddit
Also read: GE2025: Lee Hsien Loong leads PAP slate in Ang Mo Kio GRC, marks his 8th GE in constituency
GE2025: Lee Hsien Loong leads PAP slate in Ang Mo Kio GRC, marks his 8th GE in constituency
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Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao.
