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 his address at the PAP 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 elect members of the party's 39th central executive committee (CEC).

On Sunday, Mr Wong cited various issues – including 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 – leave it to my successor to do. 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 of 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 a difficult decision, we do not make the problem disappear. We simply pass them on to those who come after us – and we often leave them with harder choices later," he added. "So , comrades, 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."

"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 a difficult decision, we do not make the problem disappear. We simply pass them on to those who come after us – and we often leave them with harder choices later," he added.

"So , comrades, 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."

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

One issue on which Mr Wong said the opposition party has shifted its position over the years was 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 on which WP had changed its position 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 the 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 their 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 that 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 or the 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.

He pointed to developments elsewhere in the world, where traditional political parties have lost ground and the "political centre" has weakened, and young people have taken 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.

“Quick fixes" may be tempting, but they do not solve the underlying problems, he cautioned.

"So the 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."

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

In Singapore, Mr Wong said 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 the good of Singapore," said Mr Wong.

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

This would mean considering the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans as a whole – not just those who speak up most loudly – while weighing competing needs, making difficult choices and taking responsibility for the consequences, he said.

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. We must 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 when a policy looks good on paper, it 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 the PAP,” 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颁奖典礼暨大会上发表讲话。（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，而是直面艰难的现实，”他在人民行动党颁奖大会上说道。大会上，干部们预计将选举该党第39届中央执行委员会（CEC）成员。

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——留给我的继任者处理。但我们不能再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了。”

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，大挑战 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：“因为当我们推迟一个棘手的决定时，问题并不会消失。我们只是把问题留给了后来者——而且我们往往会让他们以后面临更艰难的选择。” “所以，同志们，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。”

“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——而且我们往往会让他们以后面临更艰难的选择，”他补充道。

“所以，同志们，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。”

平衡相互冲突的需求

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，最终做出正确的决定，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。

“但当你回顾他们历年来所采取的立场时，你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，反对党近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。

“你可以看出他们的立场似乎会随着政治风向而改变。但外籍人力资源政策不能仅仅因为一时的压力而摇摆不定，”黄先生说，并补充道，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的方法，既考虑到了权衡取舍，也考虑到了长期后果，”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。

他指出世界其他地方的发展趋势，传统政党失去了阵地，“政治中心”也变得虚弱，从法国到亚洲部分地区，不同国家的年轻人都走上了街头。

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，“快速解决办法”或许很诱人，但它们并不能解决根本问题。

“因此，民众的不满情绪持续存在。对机构的信任度下降。政治变得更加两极分化，”黄先生说。

“这样一来，就更难找到共同点、达成共识，也更难做出对公共利益至关重要的艰难决定。”

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）

黄先生表示，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，我们绝不能让我们的政治分裂到如此地步，以至于我们失去了为了新加坡的利益而共同努力的能力。”

“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。”

他说，这意味着要考虑新加坡和新加坡全体人民的利益——而不仅仅是那些声音最大的人的利益——同时权衡各种相互冲突的需求，做出艰难的选择，并承担相应的后果。

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。我们必须倾听他们的担忧和经历。当某些事情没有按预期进行时，我们必须做好改变的准备。”

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，但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。

“这样我们才能保持人民行动党的广泛基础——与各行各业的人们保持联系，并了解新加坡人不断变化的愿望。这也是我们更新人民行动党的方式，”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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