PAP branch chairs stress sincere engagement with residents, echoing PM Wong's address at party conference

Encouraging people to express their views respectfully, working with them to build the future and engaging residents sincerely are key to the People's Action Party (PAP) remaining a broad-based party.

Speaking as PAP secretary-general at the party conference on Sunday (25 October), Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong said the party must stay connected with people and understand their changing aspirations to continue winning the support of each generation. Branch chairs interviewed agreed with him.

Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, Fengshan branch chair and a Member of Parliament (MP) for East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC), said, “In terms of being a broad-based party, really it's about believing and appreciating in the strength of differences and of variety of thought, variety of perspective.”

“As a branch chair or as a member of parliament, we are able to open up pathways and opportunities for many more Singaporeans to serve. That would be one way to champion openness.”

Madam Hazlina has noticed that more young people recognise the value of speaking up and are more willing to express their views. She believes this should be encouraged, as these voices help shape Singapore's future, whether through policymaking or public discussion.

“I do hope for a lot more Singaporeans to continue to find the value of their perspectives and to be able to be courageous to share it — respectfully, of course — in the spirit of building.”

Queenstown branch chair Eric Chua, who is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Social and Family Development, said Singapore has become a super-aged society. While older people have care needs, they also have a wealth of life experience and skills and want to continue contributing to society.

Chua said Queenstown is preparing a programme to match older residents' interests and expertise with opportunities to put their skills to use and give back to society. These could include tutoring children from disadvantaged families or serving as community guides to pass on the neighbourhood's cultural heritage.

On building connections with people, Ayer Rajah branch chair Cassandra Lee, an MP for West Coast-Jurong West GRC, said the best approach is to experience their lives first-hand and understand the challenges and difficulties they face.

Lee said that over the past year, younger PAP MPs have continued engaging people on the ground to understand their constituencies' demographic profiles and the challenges residents face, and have actively responded to their needs. Young PAP has also held discussions on issues that matter to young people and conveyed their views through MPs in Parliament, in the hope of incorporating this feedback into policy.

Serangoon branch chair Chan Hui Yuh said that although the branch is in a constituency won by the Workers' Party, its active rank-and-file members continue to serve residents on the PAP's behalf. The key is to listen to residents' concerns and views and relay them to the party leadership, ensuring that policies reflect people's everyday realities and respond to their needs, from formulation to implementation.

Chan said, “We must win residents over with care and sincerity, so they can see that we genuinely want to help them.”