Governing means confronting politically difficult issues, not just balancing interests: PM Wong

Speaking at a People’s Action Party conference, PM Wong also warned against populism and “simplistic solutions” to difficult problems.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivers an address at the 2026 PAP Party Awards and Conference on Oct 25, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

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SINGAPORE: The challenge of governance is not just about balancing competing interests but also about confronting issues that would otherwise be politically easier to leave alone, said People's Action Party (PAP) secretary general Lawrence Wong on Sunday (Oct 25).

“But we must also guard against populism – the temptation to offer simplistic solutions instead of confronting difficult realities,” he said at the PAP's Awards and Conference, where cadres are expected to vote in a new slate of leadership into the party's 39th central executive committee (CEC).

On Sunday, Mr Wong cited various issues – including on housing, manpower and political salaries – that the party had to deal with head on.

"The politically convenient option would have been to avoid the issue altogether. But we could not keep putting off a decision that matters for Singapore’s ability to build a strong political leadership team for the future," said Mr Wong on the revision of political salaries.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less "So I decided to address the issue openly in Parliament, explain our decision, and take responsibility for it." In dealing with difficult issues, the PAP government's approach has been guided by constant principles: listening carefully, explaining the trade-offs honestly, making the decision and taking responsibility for the consequences. Mr Wong said that as the governing party, the PAP "cannot shy away from difficult decisions just because they are unpopular". "Nor can we tell people what they want to hear today, only to leave others to deal with the consequences tomorrow," said Mr Wong. "Because when we postpone difficult decisions, we do not make the problems disappear. We simply pass them on to those who come after us – and often leave them with even harder choices later," he added. "So we must have the courage to act – not just for Singaporeans today, but also for our children and grandchildren who will inherit the Singapore that we build." CONSIDER WIDER PICTURE IN BALANCING COMPETING NEEDS Mr Wong said that as part of governing for the long-term, the government must not only deal with the concerns of today but also prepare Singapore for the future. "That means looking ahead. Anticipating problems. And acting before they become more difficult to solve," he said. He cited Indonesia's recent announcement to cut gas exports to Singapore, and how Singapore has been preparing for such risks by investing in liquefied natural gas terminals to import natural gas from different countries without having to rely on pipelines in order to provide options in managing any disruptions. Beyond that, however, Singapore is also studying the potential of nuclear energy as an option for cleaner sources of power. Mr Wong said that the government takes understandable concerns surrounding nuclear energy "seriously". "But we should not rule out an option simply because it is difficult or controversial," he said. "We must assess the risks and trade-offs carefully, engage Singaporeans, and make the right decision to secure our energy future." As the governing party, Mr Wong said that the PAP must deal with competing needs and interests from different groups and consider them against the "wider picture". "We cannot simply tell everyone what they want to hear, or promise everyone what they hope to get," he said. Members of Parliament (MPs) raise in the House issues that matter to their constituents and causes that they feel strongly for. The opposition Workers' Party (WP), too, speaks up on policy issues, said Mr Wong. "But when we look at the positions they have taken over time, they are not always consistent or coherent," he said. One issue which Mr Wong said the opposition party has shifted its position on over the years was on housing. In 2019 when the prices of public resale flats were falling, WP had argued that the government should build fewer new flats. By 2023, after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted construction and led to a shortfall in new flats, the opposition was criticising the government for not building enough flats. "Yet there was no acknowledgement of what it had advocated just a few years earlier," said Mr Wong. Another issue where WP had changed its position on was foreign manpower. WP had called for greater flexibility across industries back in 2012, when the PAP government tightened foreign worker policies. The opposition party then proposed zero growth in foreign workforce during the debate on population policy, amid concerns over the projected population of 6.9 million, but more recently called for easing of foreign worker quotas when small and medium enterprises (SMEs) faced manpower shortages. "You can see how the WP’s position seems to shift with the political winds. But foreign manpower policy cannot simply shift back and forth with the pressures of the moment," said Mr Wong, adding how any "relatively small adjustments" would bring about wider consequences. These issues show how the opposition has taken different positions at different times based on "what they believe will be popular", said Mr Wong. "But these positions do not always add up to a coherent approach that takes account of the trade-offs and longer-term consequences," he said. "This is part of opposition politics. It is easier to argue for a particular position when you do not have to reconcile all the competing demands, or take responsibility for the outcome." Mr Wong said that governing is different, as it requires the party to make difficult choices that will stand the test of time and not just offer what sounds attractive today. Parts of the world have seen the consequences of such populism, with traditional political parties losing ground and "political centre" weakening, and young people taking to the streets in different countries from France to parts of Asia. While the immediate causes differ, the pressures of economic insecurity and affordability concerns are similar, said Mr Wong. While the temptation to "offer quick fixes" to such difficult problems exists, they do not solve underlying problems, he cautioned. "So frustrations persist. Trust in institutions weakens. Politics becomes more polarised," said Mr Wong. "Then it becomes harder to find common ground, build consensus and make the difficult decisions needed for the common good."

"So I decided to address the issue openly in Parliament, explain our decision, and take responsibility for it."

In dealing with difficult issues, the PAP government's approach has been guided by constant principles: listening carefully, explaining the trade-offs honestly, making the decision and taking responsibility for the consequences.

Mr Wong said that as the governing party, the PAP "cannot shy away from difficult decisions just because they are unpopular".

"Nor can we tell people what they want to hear today, only to leave others to deal with the consequences tomorrow," said Mr Wong.

"Because when we postpone difficult decisions, we do not make the problems disappear. We simply pass them on to those who come after us – and often leave them with even harder choices later," he added.

"So we must have the courage to act – not just for Singaporeans today, but also for our children and grandchildren who will inherit the Singapore that we build."

CONSIDER WIDER PICTURE IN BALANCING COMPETING NEEDS

Mr Wong said that as part of governing for the long-term, the government must not only deal with the concerns of today but also prepare Singapore for the future.

"That means looking ahead. Anticipating problems. And acting before they become more difficult to solve," he said.

He cited Indonesia's recent announcement to cut gas exports to Singapore, and how Singapore has been preparing for such risks by investing in liquefied natural gas terminals to import natural gas from different countries without having to rely on pipelines in order to provide options in managing any disruptions.

Beyond that, however, Singapore is also studying the potential of nuclear energy as an option for cleaner sources of power.

Mr Wong said that the government takes understandable concerns surrounding nuclear energy "seriously".

"But we should not rule out an option simply because it is difficult or controversial," he said.

"We must assess the risks and trade-offs carefully, engage Singaporeans, and make the right decision to secure our energy future."

As the governing party, Mr Wong said that the PAP must deal with competing needs and interests from different groups and consider them against the "wider picture".

"We cannot simply tell everyone what they want to hear, or promise everyone what they hope to get," he said.

Members of Parliament (MPs) raise in the House issues that matter to their constituents and causes that they feel strongly for.

The opposition Workers' Party (WP), too, speaks up on policy issues, said Mr Wong.

"But when we look at the positions they have taken over time, they are not always consistent or coherent," he said.

One issue which Mr Wong said the opposition party has shifted its position on over the years was on housing.

In 2019 when the prices of public resale flats were falling, WP had argued that the government should build fewer new flats.

By 2023, after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted construction and led to a shortfall in new flats, the opposition was criticising the government for not building enough flats.

"Yet there was no acknowledgement of what it had advocated just a few years earlier," said Mr Wong.

Another issue where WP had changed its position on was foreign manpower.

WP had called for greater flexibility across industries back in 2012, when the PAP government tightened foreign worker policies.

The opposition party then proposed zero growth in foreign workforce during the debate on population policy, amid concerns over the projected population of 6.9 million, but more recently called for easing of foreign worker quotas when small and medium enterprises (SMEs) faced manpower shortages.

"You can see how the WP’s position seems to shift with the political winds. But foreign manpower policy cannot simply shift back and forth with the pressures of the moment," said Mr Wong, adding how any "relatively small adjustments" would bring about wider consequences.

These issues show how the opposition has taken different positions at different times based on "what they believe will be popular", said Mr Wong.

"But these positions do not always add up to a coherent approach that takes account of the trade-offs and longer-term consequences," he said.

"This is part of opposition politics. It is easier to argue for a particular position when you do not have to reconcile all the competing demands, or take responsibility for the outcome."

Mr Wong said that governing is different, as it requires the party to make difficult choices that will stand the test of time and not just offer what sounds attractive today.

Parts of the world have seen the consequences of such populism, with traditional political parties losing ground and "political centre" weakening, and young people taking to the streets in different countries from France to parts of Asia.

While the immediate causes differ, the pressures of economic insecurity and affordability concerns are similar, said Mr Wong.

While the temptation to "offer quick fixes" to such difficult problems exists, they do not solve underlying problems, he cautioned.

"So frustrations persist. Trust in institutions weakens. Politics becomes more polarised," said Mr Wong. "Then it becomes harder to find common ground, build consensus and make the difficult decisions needed for the common good."

In Singapore, Mr Wong says that the government must take worries about livelihoods and the future seriously, but must guard against populism.

"Above all, we must never allow our politics to become so divided that we lose the ability to work together for Singapore’s future," said Mr Wong.

"That is why, as the governing party, the PAP must always take the wider and long-term view."

And this would involve considering the interests of Singapore as a whole – and not just the interests of those who speak up most loudly – and make difficult choices and take responsibility for the consequences.

KEEPING PAP A BROAD-BASED PARTY

Mr Wong said having the courage to make difficult decisions did not mean believing that the Government always knew best or was always right.

“We must stay close to Singaporeans. Listen to their concerns and experiences. And be prepared to change when something is not working as we intended,” he said.

He noted that PAP activists had been discussing issues including jobs and artificial intelligence, housing and education, and said such ground feedback could shape policy.

“These conversations matter. Because even a policy that looks good on paper may not work as well on the ground,” he said.

Mr Wong cited enhancements to paternity leave, shared parental leave and the Home Caregiving Grant as examples of policies that had been influenced by feedback from PAP branch chairs and activists.

He added that the party must also reach beyond its existing circles and engage Singaporeans with different views and backgrounds, including those who may not join the PAP or agree with it on every issue.

“That is how we keep the PAP a broad-based party – connected to people from all walks of life, and in touch with the changing aspirations of Singaporeans. That is also how we renew our party,” he said.

“Renewal is not just about fielding new candidates in an election. Renewal is about refreshing our ideas, broadening our membership and expanding our networks.”

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黄之锋总理在人民行动党大会上发表讲话时，也警告人们不要诉诸民粹主义，并告诫人们不要用“简单化的方法”来解决难题。

2026年10月25日，总理黄循财在人民行动党2026年颁奖典礼暨党代会上发表讲话。（图片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：人民行动党秘书长黄循财周日（10月25日）表示，治理的挑战不仅在于平衡相互冲突的利益，还在于直面那些在政治上更容易被搁置的问题。

“但我们也必须警惕民粹主义——不要试图提供简单的解决方案，而是直面困难的现实，”他在人民行动党颁奖大会上说道。预计干部们将在大会上投票选出新一届领导班子，组成该党第39届中央执行委员会（CEC）。

周日，黄之锋列举了该党必须正面应对的各种问题，包括住房、人力和政治薪酬等。

黄先生在谈到政治薪酬调整问题时表示：“从政治角度来看，最便捷的做法是完全回避这个问题。但我们不能一直拖延这项关乎新加坡未来能否建立一支强大的政治领导团队的重要决定。”

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，大脑筋急转弯 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 “所以我决定在国会公开讨论这个问题，解释我们的决定，并承担责任。” 在处理棘手问题时，人民行动党政府始终遵循以下原则：认真倾听，坦诚解释利弊权衡，做出决定并承担后果。黄先生表示，作为执政党，人民行动党“不能因为某些决定不受欢迎就回避它们”。 黄先生说：“我们也不能今天只说人们想听的话，明天就把后果留给别人。” 他补充道：“因为当我们推迟艰难的决定时，问题并不会消失。我们只是把问题留给了后来者——而且往往会让他们以后面临更艰难的选择。” “因此，我们必须有勇气采取行动——不仅是为了今天的新加坡人，也是为了我们的子孙后代，他们将继承我们共同建设的新加坡。” 黄先生表示，作为长期治理的一部分，政府不仅要应对当下的挑战，还要为新加坡的未来做好准备。“这意味着要展望未来，预见问题，并在问题变得更加难以解决之前采取行动。”他说道。他以印尼近期宣布削减对新加坡的天然气出口为例，指出新加坡一直在投资建设液化天然气接收站，以便从不同国家进口天然气，而无需依赖管道，从而为应对任何供应中断提供多种选择。除此之外，新加坡还在研究核能作为更清洁能源的潜力。黄先生表示，政府“认真对待”围绕核能的各种合理担忧。“但我们不应仅仅因为某个选项困难或存在争议就将其排除在外。”他说道。 “我们必须认真评估风险和权衡利弊，与新加坡民众沟通，做出正确的决定，以确保我们的能源未来。”黄循财先生表示，作为执政党，人民行动党必须处理来自不同群体的各种相互冲突的需求和利益，并将其置于“大局”中考虑。“我们不能简单地迎合每个人的喜好，也不能简单地承诺每个人想要得到的东西，”他说。国会议员在议会中提出选民关心的问题以及他们强烈支持的事业。黄循财先生指出，反对党工人党也会就政策问题发表意见。“但当我们回顾他们历年来的立场时，会发现他们的立场并非总是前后一致或前后连贯，”他说。黄循财先生表示，反对党多年来立场摇摆不定的一个问题就是住房问题。2019年，当公共转售组屋价格下跌时，工人党曾主张政府应该减少新建组屋的数量。到2023年，新冠疫情扰乱了建筑业，导致新组屋供应短缺，反对党开始批评政府组屋建设不足。“然而，他们却对几年前自己提出的主张视而不见，”黄先生说道。工人党立场转变的另一个问题是外籍劳工。早在2012年，人民行动党政府收紧外籍劳工政策时，工人党就呼吁各行业提高灵活性。在人口政策辩论中，鉴于预计人口将达到690万，反对党曾提议外籍劳工数量零增长。但最近，当中小企业面临劳动力短缺时，工人党又呼吁放宽外籍劳工配额。“你可以看出，工人党的立场似乎随着政治风向而摇摆不定。但外籍劳工政策不能仅仅因为一时的压力而摇摆不定，”黄先生说道，并补充说，任何“相对较小的调整”都会产生更广泛的影响。黄先生表示，这些问题表明，反对党在不同时期采取了不同的立场，而这些立场都基于“他们认为哪些做法会受欢迎”。他指出，“但这些立场并不总是能形成一个连贯的方案，既要考虑到各种利弊，也要考虑长远后果。”他补充道，“这是反对党政治的一部分。当你不必调和所有相互冲突的需求，也不必承担后果时，为某个特定立场辩护就容易得多。”黄先生指出，执政则不同，它要求政党做出经得起时间考验的艰难抉择，而不仅仅是提供当下听起来有吸引力的东西。世界某些地区已经目睹了这种民粹主义的后果：传统政党的支持率下降，“政治中间派”力量削弱，从法国到亚洲部分地区，世界各地的年轻人都走上街头。黄先生表示，虽然直接原因各不相同，但经济不安全感和负担能力问题带来的压力却是相似的。他警告说，虽然人们很容易想要“提供快速解决方案”来解决这些难题，但这些方案并不能解决根本问题。 “因此，不满情绪持续存在，对机构的信任度下降，政治更加两极分化，”黄先生说。“这样一来，就更难找到共同点，达成共识，并做出对公共利益至关重要的艰难决定。”

“所以我决定在议会公开讨论这个问题，解释我们的决定，并承担相应的责任。”

在处理棘手问题时，人民行动党政府始终遵循以下原则：认真倾听，诚实地解释利弊权衡，做出决定并承担后果。

黄先生表示，作为执政党，人民行动党“不能因为某些决定不受欢迎就回避这些决定”。

“我们也不能今天只说人们想听的话，明天却让其他人来承担后果，”黄先生说。

“因为当我们推迟艰难的决定时，问题并不会消失。我们只是把问题留给了后来者——而且往往会让他们以后面临更艰难的选择，”他补充道。

“所以我们必须有勇气采取行动——不仅是为了今天的新加坡人，也是为了我们的子孙后代，他们将继承我们共同建设的新加坡。”

在平衡相互冲突的需求时，要考虑更广阔的视角。

黄先生表示，作为长期治理的一部分，政府不仅要处理当下的问题，还要为新加坡的未来做好准备。

“这意味着要向前看，预见问题，并在问题变得更加难以解决之前采取行动，”他说。

他提到印尼最近宣布削减对新加坡的天然气出口，并指出新加坡一直在投资液化天然气终端来应对此类风险，以便从不同国家进口天然气，而无需依赖管道，从而为应对任何中断提供多种选择。

除此之外，新加坡还在研究核能作为更清洁能源选择的潜力。

黄先生表示，政府“认真对待”公众对核能的合理担忧。

“但我们不应该仅仅因为某个选项很困难或有争议就排除它，”他说。

“我们必须认真评估风险和权衡利弊，让新加坡民众参与进来，并做出正确的决定，以确保我们的能源未来。”

黄先生表示，作为执政党，人民行动党必须处理来自不同群体的相互冲突的需求和利益，并从“大局”考虑这些问题。

他说：“我们不能简单地告诉每个人他们想听的话，也不能向每个人承诺他们希望得到的东西。”

国会议员在议会中提出与其选民息息相关的问题以及他们强烈支持的事业。

黄先生表示，反对党工人党也会就政策问题发表意见。

“但当我们回顾他们历年来所采取的立场时，会发现这些立场并不总是前后一致或连贯的，”他说。

黄先生表示，反对党多年来在住房问题上的立场发生了转变。

2019年，当公共转售组屋价格下跌时，工人党曾主张政府应该减少新建组屋的数量。

到 2023 年，新冠疫情扰乱了建筑业，导致新公寓短缺，反对派批评政府没有建造足够的公寓。

“然而，它却丝毫没有承认自己几年前所倡导的理念，”黄先生说。

工人党改变立场的另一个问题是外籍劳工问题。

早在 2012 年，人民行动党政府收紧外籍劳工政策时，工人党就呼吁各行业提高灵活性。

反对党在人口政策辩论中提出外籍劳工零增长，原因是人们对预计人口将达到 690 万表示担忧；但最近，当中小企业面临人力短缺时，反对党呼吁放宽外籍劳工配额。

黄先生表示：“你可以看出工人党的立场似乎会随着政治风向而改变。但外籍劳工政策不能仅仅因为一时的压力而摇摆不定。”他还补充说，任何“相对较小的调整”都会产生更广泛的影响。

黄先生表示，这些问题表明，反对派在不同时期采取了不同的立场，而这些立场是基于“他们认为什么会受欢迎”。

“但这些立场并不总是能形成一个连贯一致的方法，考虑到权衡利弊和长期后果，”他说。

“这是反对派政治的一部分。当你不必调和所有相互冲突的要求，也不必承担结果责任时，为某个特定立场辩护就容易得多。”

黄先生表示，执政与执政不同，它要求政党做出经得起时间考验的艰难抉择，而不仅仅是提供今天听起来有吸引力的东西。

世界部分地区已经感受到了这种民粹主义的后果，传统政党逐渐失去阵地，“政治中间派”力量削弱，从法国到亚洲部分地区，不同国家的年轻人纷纷走上街头。

黄先生表示，虽然直接原因各不相同，但经济不安全感和负担能力方面的担忧所带来的压力是相似的。

他警告说，虽然人们很想为这类难题“提供快速解决方案”，但这并不能解决根本问题。

“因此，不满情绪持续存在，对机构的信任度下降，政治更加两极分化，”黄先生说。“这样一来，就更难找到共同点，达成共识，并做出对公共利益至关重要的艰难决定。”

黄先生表示，在新加坡，政府必须认真对待民众对生计和未来的担忧，但必须警惕民粹主义。

黄先生说：“最重要的是，我们绝不能让新加坡的政治分裂到如此地步，以至于我们丧失了为新加坡的未来共同努力的能力。”

“正因如此，作为执政党，人民行动党必须始终着眼于更广阔、更长远的视角。”

这意味着要考虑新加坡整体的利益，而不仅仅是那些声音最大的人的利益，并做出艰难的选择，承担相应的后果。

保持人民行动党是一个基础广泛的政党

黄先生表示，有勇气做出艰难的决定并不意味着相信政府总是最了解情况或总是正确的。

他说：“我们必须与新加坡人民保持密切联系，倾听他们的担忧和经历，并且当某些事情没有按预期进行时，要做好改变的准备。”

他指出，人民行动党积极分子一直在讨论就业和人工智能、住房和教育等问题，并表示这种基层反馈可以影响政策。

“这些对话很重要。因为即使一项政策在纸面上看起来不错，在实际操作中也未必能取得同样的效果，”他说。

黄先生列举了陪产假、共享育儿假和居家护理津贴的改进措施，作为受到人民行动党支部主席和积极分子反馈意见影响的政策示例。

他还补充说，该党还必须走出现有的圈子，与不同观点和背景的新加坡人接触，包括那些可能不会加入人民行动党或在每个问题上都同意该党观点的人。

“这就是我们如何保持人民行动党是一个基础广泛的政党——与各行各业的人们保持联系，并与新加坡人不断变化的愿望保持同步。这也是我们更新党的方式，”他说。

“革新不仅仅是在选举中推出新的候选人。革新还意味着更新我们的理念，扩大我们的成员规模，并拓展我们的人脉网络。”

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