With the next General Election on the horizon, a wave of new political hopefuls has emerged—appearing in party colours, social media feeds, and walkabouts across Singapore.
Among them is Mr Lawrence Pek, who served as secretary-general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now aligned with the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), Mr Pek explained his decision to enter the political fray.
“I concluded that my values were more closely aligned with the PSP’s, compared to those of either the ruling party or the other major opposition in Parliament,” he told CNA. “The PSP, in particular, is attracting individuals who believe in constructive politics, who aren’t afraid of scrutiny, and who want to make a difference.”
Mr Pek is one of several highly credentialed professionals who have recently gravitated toward the opposition—signalling a possible shift in Singapore’s political landscape. For many years, opposition parties were perceived as struggling to attract top-tier talent, a view reinforced by remarks from founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew during the 2006 General Election. Back then, he famously declared: “I want a world-class opposition, not this riff-raff.”
But that perception has gradually eroded over the past few elections.
Analysts say the stigma around joining opposition parties has faded, as more Singaporeans seek political alternatives and a more diverse Parliament. The PSP itself has been a catalyst in this shift.
Since its formation in 2019, it has drawn in candidates like government scholar and former investment firm CEO Leong Mun Wai, who entered Parliament as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) after the 2020 General Election.
Mr Leong has also been among the more vocal opposition figures online. In a recent LinkedIn post, he asserted that alternative political voices in Singapore must be “not just present but strong.”
In another post responding to the recent US tariffs debacle, he warned: “In such a volatile environment, Singapore cannot afford a rigid political system that shuts out fresh thinking or diverse voices.”
