“If we didn’t do well, I’m sorry. But we’ll try better next time.”
It was an apology Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong saw fit to repeat twice on Tuesday during the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) first midday rally at Boat Quay, next to UOB Plaza.
PM Lee acknowledged that the government’s initiatives have had “side effects” such as gambling addiction problems among Singaporeans due to the opening of integrated resorts.
He also mentioned congestion on public transport due to the increase in the arrival of foreigners.
“These are real issues and we will address them. But I hope you understand that when these issues trouble you, disturb you or disrupt your lives, bear with us, we are doing our best for you,” PM Lee told a crowd of about 1,000 people.
The PAP secretary general continued: “And if we did not do well, I am sorry, but we will try better next time.”
PM Lee continued his message to voters on Monday, stressing that “no government is perfect… we will make mistakes.” He cited the escape of terrorist Mas Selamat and the flooding in Orchard Road as examples.
“But when it happens, we must acknowledge it, apologize, take responsibility and put things right. If we have to discipline someone, we will do so, and we must learn from the lessons and not make the same mistake again,” PM Lee said.
However, he explained the difficulties of making decisions with incomplete information.
For example, if the government had known that there would be a sudden surge in demand for HDB flats in mid-2009 and that foreigners would have created such congestion on the roads, it would have stepped up plans to build more flats and MRT lines.
“We are sorry that we didn’t get it exactly right, but I hope you understand and bear with us because we are doing everything we can to fix the problems,” he said.
The government will build 22,000 housing units this year and open a new MRT line every year for the next seven years.
Overall, however, the government has “got things right more often than they have gotten them wrong,” said PM Lee, who is also secretary-general of the PAP.
For example, the arrival of foreign workers contributed to the Republic’s 14.5 percent economic growth last year, and subsequently led to the budget surplus and the Grow and Share package.
But the Prime Minister warned: “However good we are, we and the PAP in particular, must never become complacent.” Wearing white, he noted, does not grant an “automatic right to become the government.”
“Never forget that we are here to serve the voters, to serve Singaporeans and not to dominate the people,” he said, reiterating his message on leadership at the Young PAP’s 25th anniversary rally recently.
Ang Mo Kio GRC frontbencher, who will face a challenge from a Reform Party team, PM Lee also noted that the ideals and passions of the PAP government have not changed in the past 50 years, but “our policies have been updated, our approach has changed, our style has changed.”
He contrasted this with the approach of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who “tells it like it is”.
Over the weekend, MM Lee’s comments that voters in Aljunied GRC would regret voting for the Workers’ Party and would have five years to “repent” if they did so have sparked much controversy.
But PM Lee said: “I think they have become accustomed to our style. We don’t try to do it MM-style. We do it our way, taking time to talk, to explain… to overcome some of these working problems so that we can move in the right strategic directions.”
While MM understands the difference between Singaporeans today and those of previous generations, “whether in normal times or election times, you can rest assured that he is still the same MM,” PM Lee said.
Towards the end of his 30-minute speech, PM Lee addressed young voters under the age of 35, who make up as many as a third of the 2.3 million eligible voters.
Urging them to think carefully before voting, he said: “You belong to the country, but the country belongs to you.”
“So please come forward, go your way to build this nation, but also take good care of Singapore. It is a precious jewel; understand it, how it works, what are its important components, what is its spirit, how to improve it.”
There were a total of eight speakers during the two-hour PAP rally, including Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and six new candidates.
They discussed issues such as education, community, members of Parliament, low-wage workers and the need for a steady hand to guide Singapore through difficult times.
Chen Yan, 37, a new citizen, said PM Lee’s speech was “inspiring and encouraging”. As a first-time voter, she feels “proud to be a Singaporean”.
Director Sanjir Shah, 46, said: “While the messages were nothing new, what struck me most was the humility. (PM Lee) seems sincere.”
However, businessman Dexter Wong, 35, felt PM Lee should have addressed high ministerial salaries as it is a matter within the government’s control, unlike flooding, and student Cherrie, 23, said she still wants to see more diversity in Parliament.
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