SINGAPORE – Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned on April 21 that Singapore’s political and civil service leaders must “work much harder” to sustain the virtuous cycle of sound policies and effective governance, as global instability threatens the city-state’s exceptional prosperity.
Speaking at the Administrative Service dinner, Lee stressed that favorable conditions—like U.S.-anchored stability, peace, and China’s market opening, fueled past growth, but the next 60 years promise less cooperation, heightened dangers for small nations, and faltering Western models turning populist. Civil servants must offer conviction-backed recommendations, not rote implementation, partnering closely with ministers on analytically robust policies while staying apolitical yet directional.
Good politics remains essential: Governments need electoral backing for tough measures, backed by public trust in track records. Lee called for “generalist” officers to weigh national trade-offs, constantly rethink policies, and harness citizen energies for bottom-up renewal, reinforcing social cohesion against challenges.
He lauded retirees like former civil service head Leo Yip for pandemic coordination and reforms, manpower’s Ng Chee Khern for labor laws, and home affairs’ Pang Kin Keong for security innovations amid the Iran war,exemplars as new chief Chan Heng Kee takes helm. Singapore’s system demands excellence to stay “exceptional, safe, and thriving.”