Gearing up for GE: Securing mandate for 4G leaders

As one MP says: “The real work is walking the ground every day.” Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing chatting with a stallholder at the Marketplace @ Block 58 New Upper Changi Road in July. ST FILE PHOTO
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Ng Chee Meng with pre-schoolers at a Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC event in July. “The 4G leaders have become more prominent in the public eye,” says one political observer. LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE PHOTO
Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong with children on the rooftop of Oasis Terraces in February. For MPs, it is not just about the infrastructure projects, but also the programmes tailored to residents’ needs. ST FILE PHOTO
Education Minister Ong Ye Kung meeting devotees at Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple last year. “Sure, the runway for the 4G (leadership) is short... but I think they are shaping up fine,” says one observer. ST FILE PHOTO
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Smooth leadership transitions have been a hallmark of the People's Action Party (PAP), and at the next general election, it will have to seek a mandate for its next generation of leaders - the 4G.

It will have to convince voters that despite the shorter runways and time to gain political experience, the current slate of leaders has what it takes to carry Singapore into the next lap.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on September 22, 2019, with the headline Gearing up for GE: Securing mandate for 4G leaders. Subscribe