Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Moving in
Seven months after JBJ’s death, the son wants to carry on his struggle, raising prospect of a face-off with Lee Hsien Loong. By Seah Chiang Nee
Apr 18, 2009

SINGAPOREANS have long had an insipid sense of political apathy aggravated by many years of top-down government, but a small breeze may be blowing.

Even among activists, few are ready to take the plunge of challenging the government in elections like in most other countries.

Even the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has to offer rich incentives to attract them.

But in these times of crisis, when the political life-span of the 85-year-old Lee Kuan Yew nears its sunset years, the ground may be starting to shift.

With talk of a snap election by the year-end, more Singaporeans with good credentials are trickling towards the fledgling opposition camp.

Their entry into politics augurs well for the growth of democracy in Singapore.

The latest is a big catch for the opposition. He is the 50-year-old son of the late opposition icon JB Jeyaretnam, Lee’s erstwhile foe for decades.

Kenneth has announced he has joined the new Reform Party, has been co-opted into its leadership and seeks to stand in the next election.

The Reform Party was set up by Jeyaretnam before he died of heart failure, aged 82, seven months ago.

Kenneth said the decision was to honour his father’s long struggle for a freer society, and he would inject his own economic ideas for Singapore’s future. He will not be the only opposition recruit.

When an election date becomes clearer, more candidates may rise to the surface.

Lee had predicted such a trend many years ago.

He believes that after he leaves, a new breed of bright, well-educated youths – who hitherto shun politics – will emerge to challenge the PAP.

These would be graduates from top foreign and local universities who would join opposition parties to contest in elections.

Secondly, Lee has also expressed confidence that the PAP will remain in power but only for two more elections (10 years); after that, anything goes.

Thirdly, Lee doesn’t rule out a future PAP leadership splitting into two factions after he has left, perhaps along ideological lines.

Well, the Minister Mentor is still around, relatively healthy (he’s now visiting Vietnam) and revealing no sign of wanting to go.

However, his prophesy of an infusion of youthful talent in the opposition may be coming true, even while he is still in office.

Kenneth’s arrival on the scene is a case in point. He seems to have some political acumen despite his lack of experience.

“Like the Prime Minister, I also have a double first (in Economics) from Cambridge,” he said. PM Lee Hsien Loong’s is in Mathematics.

Academic qualifications rank very high among the Singaporean voter’s preferences in a candidate.

When Hsien Loong entered politics, his Double First was a strong appeal among heartlanders, a card Kenneth is now using to good effect.

Jeyaretnam’s son is married and has a 12-year-old boy. He worked in London’s financial sector for several years before returning with his family to Singapore last April.

It has immediately raised a “Son versus Son” buzz among old-timers who still remember the old verbal battles between their respective fathers, Jeyaretnam and Lee.

Most people, however, dismiss it as unlikely. Both men are very different from their fathers, possessing none of dad’s confrontational stances or propensity for heated debate.

Even if Kenneth gets elected – a big if – the two men may face each other in Parliament in a more sombre, logical manner. At any rate, modern House rules will probably forbid any heated arguments.

Both Lee and Jeyaretnam were lawyers and master debaters, while their sons are less aggressive by nature.

In these days, when Singapore needs a new strategy for its future survival, Kenneth’s discipline as a trained economist (something Jeyaretnam lacked) may be more important.

He is an important catalyst for the recruitment of professionals by his party and the opposition in general.

It comes at a time when the government is facing its strongest public pressure in many years because of a number of unpopular policies and the severe economic downturn.

Another potential candidate is Tan Kin Lian, former PAP elite and ex-CEO of NTUC Income (insurance giant of the National Trades Union Congress).

Tan became a folk-hero of sorts when he organised weekly rallies to help Singaporeans recover their losses from being “misled” into investing in the defunct Lehmans structured notes sold by the local DBS Bank.

An active blogger, he has not shown his hand yet, but says he may possibly contest as a candidate for an established opposition party.

Meanwhile, the main opposition parties have reported an increase in their recruitment of younger potential candidates.

The long surviving SPP leader, Chiam See Tong, who has recovered from a stroke, hopes to battle in a bigger pond, fighting in a group constituency, and to let his wife defend his strong turf at Potong Pasir.

“I already have a team. We have one doctor, one accountant, two lawyers,” he told a reporter.

The opposition Workers Party was recently hit by resignations of four cadre members, including two past candidates.

Officials, however, say the loss is more than made up for by new recruits. “The process of renewal is on track,” said its leader and MP Low Thia Khiang.

Its team is getting younger, with nine of 15 CEC members below the age of 40.

For the PAP, however, the worry is voter reaction, rather than the opposition moves. That will decide its fortunes.

(This was published today in The Star, Malaysia).