Speaking at the Annual Public Service Leadership Ceremony 2024 (17 September 2024) SM Lee said that the government has been able to govern Singapore well because of good public service, good political leadership and the right relationship between the two.
Good policies and good politics
Getting policies right is crucial, because only good policies can turn dreams and aspirations into reality, said SM Lee.
Singapore has a good public service that has thus far been able to deliver results to Singaporeans through good policies.
To be effective, public officers cannot be embroiled in political debates or party politics, SM Lee said.
At the same time, they must understand the political context within which the government functions and the overarching national objectives’ the government is striving to achieve.
Political Leadership
On its part, the Government provides the political leadership that sets the overall direction for the nation with the best interests of Singapore and Singaporeans at heart.
But Ministers cannot confine themselves narrowly to politics alone.
Ministers must master the policies too so that so that they can make sound political decision and give clear guidance and direction to their officials, and work closely together with the public service to develop good policies.
“Only then will they carry conviction when they pitch their policies to the public,” SM Lee said.
“We have held ourselves to this standard all these years. It is an important reason why we have been able to come up with and implement good policies for the nation,” SM Lee added.
Right relationship between the public service and the political leadership
No less important is establishing the right relationship between the public service and the political leadership, SM Lee said.
The respective responsibilities have to be kept clear, and the lines properly drawn, so that the system can work properly.
But at the same time, both sides must work closely together, with mutual trust, respect and understanding, to achieve the ideal combination of the policies and politics to deliver results for the country.
“This is how we have been able to maintain political stability, and deliver good government for Singapore, and kept it going through many terms of government,” said SM Lee.
Keeping our system going in the years ahead
Singapore has come a long way since 1959.
But Singapore faces formidable challenges in the years ahead. Externally, we live in an increasingly turbulent world, with intensifying great power contestation, deglobalisation, and climate change. This will greatly impact a trade-dependent, open economy like ours.
Domestically, we also face difficult challenges – economic transformation, an ageing population, integrating immigrants and work pass holders, and preparing for net zero.
SM Lee said the task of preparing for the future never ends, but we must give ourselves every chance to keep on succeeding.
Mr Lee also sounded a word of caution.
Remember Juncker’s dictum: that governments know what they need to do, but none of them know how to get re-elected after doing it.
“Singapore has been a counterexample, so far, but we are by no means exempt from the rule,” said SM Lee.
Things can go wrong for us too.
“Singaporeans’ expectations and aspirations are rising, and so too their demands on the government. As growth becomes harder to come by, as revenues becomes less buoyant, and as our politics become more fiercely contested, things can go wrong for us too,” SM Lee said.
“If electoral margins get slimmer, the government will have less political space to do the right things. It will become harder to disregard short-term considerations in decision-making. The political dynamics will become very different. Singaporeans must understand the dangers this creates, and so must the public service.”
Concluding, SM Lee said, “I am sounding this caution because it is a different world out there, as the world changes, and as the generations change, we must do our best to renew our system – to ensure that it continues to work well for us, even as things change.”
