PAP leadership vote: Younger ministers may step up into CEC as some senior figures make way

analysis Singapore PAP leadership vote: Younger ministers may step up into CEC as some senior figures make way Political observers expect gradual renewal rather than an overhaul when PAP cadres elect their central executive committee on Sunday, with a mix of experience and fresh faces. SINGAPORE: A younger generation of leaders could assume greater responsibilities in the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) top decision-making body, with some senior figures potentially making way as part of renewal efforts, said political observers. Cadres will elect the party's 39th central executive committee (CEC) on Sunday (Oct 25). It is the first such election for secretary-general Lawrence Wong since he led the party through his first general election as prime minister. Dr Teo Kay Key, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said nearly a year and a half has passed since GE2025, and Mr Wong would by now have "a better sense of how the team works together, as well as job fit for different individuals". “We might see more of the new or younger ministers become involved in the CEC, to indicate that they will be taking a larger role in helping steer the party under PM Wong’s leadership,” she said. Since last year’s general election, three first-term MPs have taken on key Cabinet portfolios – Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo and Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau. Mr Zaqy Mohamad was also appointed acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs. Mr Siow, Mr Neo and Ms Lau are not in the CEC currently, while Mr Zaqy was co-opted into the committee in July after his appointment. Independent political observer Felix Tan expects them to join the new line-up, calling this "a fairly natural progression, reflecting their growing responsibilities within both the government and the party". Mr Malminderjit Singh, managing director of political consultancy Terra Corporate Affairs, said their inclusion would reinforce Mr Wong's focus on succession planning. “He has already done so on the government side and he would want to continue with that on the party side too, which usually broadly mirrors how he has put in place succession planning in Cabinet,” he said. YOUNGER LEADERS STEPPING UP When Mr Wong's predecessor Lee Hsien Loong faced a party election in 2006 after his first General Election as prime minister earlier in the same year, he kept a strong third-generation core and retained Mr Lim Boon Heng as chairman. Before that, during PAP's 1992 CEC election, Mr Goh Chok Tong took the helm as secretary-general after becoming prime minister two years before. Mr Lee was appointed his first assistant secretary-general then, which signalled he was next in line for the premiership, said Mr Singh. Observers said Mr Wong is expected to put his stamp on the committee as he did with his Cabinet after the General Election, but added that they do not expect radical change. “He has time with another CEC election due in 2028. Incremental change is likely the theme. It will be continuity among change,” said Singapore Management University associate professor of law Eugene Tan. Leaders from the 4.5G and 5G are expected to increase their presence gradually, though Mr Wong still needs to keep faith with his peers from the fourth-generation leadership, said Assoc Prof Tan. “The larger intent is to signal that the party is evolving and so is Singapore, and the party’s top leadership will reflect that,” he said, adding that the CEC may see more minority race and female representation. Even though the secretary-general can co-opt members, newer entrants still need a broad base of cadre support, said Mr Singh. He noted that Mr Wong has "a bumper crop" of senior ministers of state and ministers of state to choose from, and may draw on them for a fresher party slate. Dr Felix Tan said one or two first-term MPs who are not political office holders could also enter the CEC, which would signal they are "destined for more important roles within the party in the coming years". Mr Singh said another development to watch is whether a second assistant secretary-general is appointed. The party's sole assistant secretary-general is Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing. “When Lee Hsien Loong was secretary-general, he had Teo Chee Hean and Tharman as his first and second assistant secretaries-general,” he noted. A second appointment could broaden the party’s senior leadership bench and signal who else might be groomed for higher office, including a potential future deputy prime minister should Mr Gan Kim Yong step aside in the future, he added. SENIOR FIGURES MAKING WAY Some senior figures may make way for younger members, but observers said the shift would be done in a way that retains experience and institutional knowledge. With the limited space in the CEC – 12 elected seats and up to six co-opted ones – some Cabinet members could be left out, Dr Teo said. “Given that this is likely going to be a 4G leadership team, we might see the more senior members take a backseat in the day-to-day running of the party and cede the space to the younger leaders,” she said. Mr Singh, however, said Mr Wong may keep "a core group of senior leaders" for counsel, as he has done in Cabinet, and rely on them to groom younger party leaders. The three oldest members of the current committee are Senior Ministers Lee Hsien Loong, 74, and K Shanmugam, 67, and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, 65. Assoc Prof Tan said that while he does not discount all three senior leaders continuing in the PAP CEC, one or more of the trio can be expected to step down if there is a need to accommodate younger leaders. He added that Mr Lee will likely be elected back into the CEC, calling him "the vital link between the 3G and 4G" as the party's immediate past secretary-general. Dr Felix Tan, however, expects both senior ministers to stay. “While there are some (older members) that he can do without, these two would be difficult to replace in his current tenure,” he said. Senior ministers have served without being in the CEC before, most recently Mr Teo Chee Hean and Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, he acknowledged. But Dr Tan said Mr Wong has so far favoured retaining experienced leaders in his governing team. “Their inclusion would therefore suggest that the CEC is not simply about parliamentary representation, but also about preserving institutional experience and supporting the PAP’s longer-term organisational and leadership needs,” he said. Observers said that Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli may be succeeded by Mr Zaqy as party vice-chairman. “This does not necessarily mean that Masagos no longer has a role to play, but the party may see value in gradually creating more space for the next generation of Malay-Muslim leaders to establish their own profiles within both the party and the community,” said Dr Felix Tan. THE ROLE OF NON-MPS Non-MPs have sat on the committee in every term since 2020, and observers expect this to continue. Mr Ng Chee Meng and Mr Victor Lye, who lost in Sengkang GRC and Aljunied GRC respectively in the 2020 General Election, were co-opted that year. Mr Alex Yeo, who also lost in Aljunied GRC, was co-opted in 2022 alongside Mr Ng. In the last CEC election two years ago, Mr Ng and his former Sengkang teammate Lam Pin Min were co-opted. Mr Ng, Mr Lye and Mr Yeo have since become MPs after winning at last year's General Election. “I do expect PM Wong to see merit in having non-MPs in the party top leadership. It is a way of showing voters in constituencies where the PAP was not elected that they do matter to the party and that they are represented in the party decision-making and policy-making,” said Assoc Prof Tan. Noting that Mr Ng had been included primarily in his capacity as labour chief, Assoc Prof Tan said he anticipates only one unelected GE candidate this time. Given that Dr Lam is from the Sengkang GRC team, the next non-MP could be from Aljunied GRC or Hougang, he said. Dr Felix Tan said that retaining non-MPs would signal they have a longer-term role in the party. He said the PAP could see value in their experience and contributions beyond holding elected office, view them as potential candidates for future elections, or task them with helping to identify, mentor and attract new candidates. However, Mr Singh said their inclusion in the next CEC line-up is not guaranteed, given shifting considerations. “I think some of the non-MPs were brought into the CEC to shore up their party support and standing before the last GE,” he said. Priorities may have shifted toward succession planning and giving newer political office holders a place in the party's top leadership body, he added.