CONFIDENTIAL
DEMOCRACY IN SINGAPORE
1. The political system of Singapore, a former British dependency, is based on the Westminster model. At the centre is the primacy of the Constitution. "Democracy" in the western liberal sense is to some extent constrained. Singapore's leader, Lee Kuan Yew, like his neighbours in Malaysia and Indonesia considers that unlimited democracy is inappropriate for developing nations in Asia. All these countries faced internal communist threats in the post-war decades and as a result adopted legislation to extend political and social controls. This contributed to the continuing constraints on democratic practice. In all these states the same party or parties or leader have been in power for decades: the People's Action Party (PAP) in
Singapore from 1959 to date. This has clearly contributed to stability and to economic development, but also attracts criticism of the lack of genuine political freedom.
-
2. The modern state of Singapore is the creation of Lee Kuan Yew who has had strong views about its form and workings and who is responsible for its authoritarian and efficient image. Lee is strongly aware of Singapore's earlier vulnerability to the spread of communist influence, the hostility of neighbours, and racial and industrial unrest. His view is that stability must come before democracy; Singapore's problem has been how to maintain stability despite the destabilising tendency of one-man-one-vote in a new society divided by race, language and religion. He has encouraged the growth of a meritocracy to govern Singapore, which believes that the rights of the individual are subservient to those of the community. Singaporeans have been content to accept a high degree of regulation because this has been accompanied by rapid economic development giving the state the second highest standard of living in Asia, after Japan.
3.
Singapore became an independent republic in 1965 on leaving the Federation of Malaysia, and its Constitution is generally based on that of Malaysia, as adapted for a small unitary state. Its Parliament is unicameral and elected every five years by universal and compulsory adult suffrage. Parliament elects the President who serves as Head of State and appoints the Prime Minister, who in turn recommends Cabinet appointments to the President. A recent amendment provides for the introduction in 1993 of an elected President with powers over the reserves and appointments to key positions. There is speculation that Lee Kuan Yew will stand, but he has denied that he will. An amendment in 1988 converted a number of constituencies to Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) which are contested by teams of 3 candidates including at least one from a minority community, mostly Malay or Indian. Other amendments provide for a non-constituency MP scheme designed to bring a few opposition MPs into parliament, and for the appointment of up to 6 Nominated MPs (NMPs) for 2 year terms with the stated aim of accommodating constructive dissent. Parliamentary sessions are short, generally docile, and have been compared to the workings of a Town Council.
4. Singapore has been governed since 1959 by the People's Action
CONFIDENTIAL