Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (LHL) has submitted his formal resignation effective may 15th and advised President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to appoint finance minister Lawrence Wong as his replacement. After more than 19 years in office, LHL has resigned a mostly successful prime ministership, though he lacked the same kind of international presence as his father he has kept the model stable, accepting necessary liberalisation and making appropriate u-turns when public sentiment bubbled up(like in 2011 against immigration), as well as allowing the existence of a formal parliamentary opposition(something his father has never accepted). His Singapore is clearly a freer place than that of his fathers, though he was also never afraid of suing a critic into bankruptcy using the country's strict libel laws. Singapore today is a richer, and most would agree better place to live than when he first took office though critics will point to a lack of focus on welfare and an increasing obsession with GDP metrics, along with a rising cost of living, as well as start of a possible housing crisis as week points.
Traditionaly(though there have only been 3 so it's hard to say if it's precedent) general elections are called in Singapore upon the elevation of a new prime minister and opposition parties have reacted as such. The Worker Party(WP) though the formal opposition is still beset with scandals which caused it to loose 3 out of it's 10 MP's* as well as the possible conviction of it's leader on charges arising from the resignation*. The Social Democratic Party(SDP) has launched its campaign with its perennial leader Chee Soon Juan still at the helm, promising to campaign on immigration and foreign workers.
Lawrence Wong as finance minister lacks some of the profile of previous holders of that role, but has positioned himself as continuity candidate(duh). So far there's no real indication of any real break in policy from LHL but only time will tell. There are some worrying signs for the PAP, younger voters are less likely to vote for the PAP and there has been increasing frustration regarding a housing policy that seeks to disadvantage them at the expense of existing property owners**. Their previous gambit to hold a covid-election in 2020, and use the rally-around the flag effect to wipe the opposition totally out of parliament backfired with their first-time loss of a GRC.
My own personal view of the election is that a PAP majority is certain and it's a coin-flip if the opposition gains seats. The youth discontent pushing on the PAP hasn't faded away with non the PAP's initiatives to combat the frustration moving the needle much, New-built estates like Sengkang continue to concentrate more young families(key sources of opposition strength) but the opposition is remains incoherent. The PAPs Singapore is a concrete thing with communitarian social polices, limited welfare, openness to foreign investment, harsh approach to law & order, as well as substantial state ownership of the economy. The opposition is splintered into an incoherent mess, much of their populist strength derives from opposition to immigration (often of the racist variety) but the left-liberal who make-up much of the activist class for the opposition (even if they agree with the policies) find that fact deeply uncomfortable. The opposition might try to campaign on those grounds but they can't traffick in kind of rethoric to give it real strength, and the other populist personality cults than can are so appalling otherwise that no real electoral benefit can be clawed from the issue. The WP's argument is opposition not for the possibility of taking power but merely to provide a check on the PAP has provided a solid base, but limits its room for growth.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/sdp-to-campaign-on-immigration-and-foreign-worker-issues-for-upcoming-general-electionhttps://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/Letter-Exchange-between-PM-Lee-Hsien-Loong-and-President-Tharman-Shanmugaratnam*MP Leon Perera's resgination on the grounds of a martial affair with party activist Nicole Seah is unlikely to have much effect given it was overshadowed by the resignation of PAP MP Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui on similar grounds
