Ho Kwon Ping says that PAP will not suffer same fate as UMNO, but academics think otherwise
Published on 2018-07-13 by Kwok Fangjie
Speaking at an OCBC Forum entitled Singapore Politics and Business in an Age of Disruption (12 Jul), Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Ho Kwon Ping said that the Singapore government is aware of the "jibes made against us and our political system" by the Malaysians. However, this "may not be applicable in totality".
He was a referring to an earlier comment made by Malaysian PM Mahathir bin Mohamad in May to the financial times that Singaporeans – like their Northern neighbours - "must be tired of their government".
"[We are] drawing the wrong lessons if we look at Malaysia and think that the fall of the PAP is imminent for whatever reasons that are happening across the Causeway." Ho said
He added that there is "a high degree of tolerance within Asian countries for even incompetence. But there is very little intolerance for totally selfish regimes which only perpetuate their own well-being."
This marks a huge and critical difference" between both countries and Singapore did not follow the "egregiously blatant" corruption ways of the Najib administration.
Additionally, Singapore is still helmed largely by its second generation of leaders who "clearly remember and largely perpetuate” the principles of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The PAP could possibly lose power over the next 20 years if it cannot rejuvenate
Nonetheless, Mr. Ho also acknowledged the possibility that the PAP might lose power in the next 20 to 30 years.
He noted that political parties historically maintain their passion and integrity of their founders for about 3 generations before "hubris sets in and the rot begins". There “must be an inflow of totally fresh new blood into the political system if we are to avoid" a fall of the PAP.
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