SINGAPORE — Veteran editor PN Balji seems to be vexed by one pressing issue in Singapore more than any other: the fourth-generation (4G) leaders and the challenges they will continue to face amid the longstanding “groupthink” approach of the government.
Known for his trenchant analysis of Singapore’s sociopolitical affairs, Balji addressed the 4G leadership issue extensively in a new book, “Transition: The Story of PN Balji”, which was released earlier this month.
Written by former media veteran Woon Tai Ho, “Transition” arose from his regular casual coffee meetings with Balji.
From these meetings, the CEO of media consultancy Rights Asia asked Balji for his views on the key long-term challenges facing Singapore, and about his family life and career.
The ongoing pandemic has exposed the lack of decisive leaders in the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) government, as attested by the stop-start and inconsistent safe management measures to combat COVID-19, according to Balji, who was previously the top editor at TODAY and The New Paper.
“In my book, today’s leaders must be bold enough to throw the old playbook away and start afresh with new ideas and thinking. They must have a rebellious streak in them, like Lee Kuan Yew and, to a smaller extent, Goh Chok Tong,” said the media consultant.
He was unrelenting in his candid assessment of the 4G leaders, saying that they are “not up to the mark”. Unlike the previous generations of leaders, the current leaders dare not make difficult and hard decisions, according to Balji.
While Balji still gave a passing mark to the 4G leaders, when measured against the gold standards of their predecessors, he gave them a score of 6.5 out of 10. They have performed poorly while at the forefront of tackling what Balji considered as possibly the crisis of the century.
“The enemy is invisible, and it mutates. Leaders need to make hard decisions and have the ability to convince the public to follow. In the last two years, I have been very disappointed with these leaders.”
Shortcomings of COVID-19 taskforce
Balji also questioned the handing over of the portfolio of Health Minister from Gan Kim Yong to Ong Ye Kung last year while Singapore was still in the midst of the pandemic. He argued that even a capable politician needs time to be fully operational and called the move a “knee-jerk response”.
Similarly, Balji said the pandemic decision-making process revolving around a triumvirate of Ong, Gan, who is now Trade and Industry Minister, and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong reflects a “distinct lack of self-confidence” among the leaders and has led to public confusion over their messaging.
In a crisis, one person has to lead the charge to give clear directions, according to Balji. “When you don’t have that kind of leadership, and instead have three ministers fronting a crisis, and when tough questions are asked, they look at each other. It doesn’t give me confidence. In a crisis, responsibility cannot be shared.”
PAP has also not managed its succession planning well, Balji said. The author of "Reluctant Editor" cited the example of how former Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, the original successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, fumbled on the political stage on two notable occasions.
He referred to the motion proposed by Heng to ask the Workers’ Party MPs Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim to recuse themselves from financial matters relating to the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, during which Heng stumbled badly and had to be assisted by Lee to argue his case. It was “painful” to watch Heng “so lost and unprepared”, he added.
The other occasion was when Heng bungled while making a speech on Nomination Day during the 2020 General Election. Heng’s gaffes highlighted how Singapore’s “political succession is still stuck in the mud”, Balji argued.
Groupthink is PAP's Achilles’ heel
PAP's shortcomings are largely due to its groupthink approach of running the country, according to Balji.
Despite the government’s arguments that it has drawn alternative ideas by recruiting former critics in the public service and that it pays highly competitive salaries, Balji is not convinced. “They rely on the same means of recruiting new members into their party, their groupthink is their Achilles’ heel.”
Balji mentioned, for instance, the significant role that the military plays in Singapore politics – an issue that the book says “many know but few want to highlight” – in which top military personnel retire and later get senior political and administrative positions.
Following the anointment of Wong as Singapore’s next PM, Balji was asked about his leadership potential.
Balji was somewhat impressed by Wong, saying that the 49-year-old Marsiling-Yew Tee MP “exudes confidence and communicates clearly” and is prepared to move away from the establishment’s conventional ways of running the country.
Nonetheless, he warned, “The 4G leadership knows that hardliners in Cabinet are waiting to pounce on them if they stray too far away from PAP’s ideology. It is this game they must win if Singapore is to enter a new era of governance and politics.”
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/fourth-generation-leaders-pn-balji-new-book-085054006.html
PAP’s 4G leadership—A hollow echo of Singapore’s past excellence
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s calls for a “strong and competent government” ring hollow in light of the 4G leadership’s glaring failures. From mishandling the cost-of-living crisis to scandals involving key ministers, the PAP’s current leadership has shown a lack of vision, accountability, and adaptability, leaving Singaporeans increasingly disillusioned.
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s repeated calls for a “strong and competent government” may once have resonated as a guiding principle, but today, those words sound hollow in the face of the glaring shortcomings of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) 4G leadership.
The former Prime Minister’s speech on 8 February, intended to inspire confidence and unity, instead served as a reminder of the growing cracks within his party—cracks that neither rhetoric nor nostalgia can hide.
Singapore’s reputation for exceptional governance was built on meritocracy, foresight, and leaders who met challenges head-on. But today’s 4G leaders, many argue, lack that same calibre.
Their handling of critical issues, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, has been marked by missteps, slow responses, and questionable judgment.
The poorly received design and delays of ERP 2.0, the SimplyGo debacle, and the disastrous ACRA NRIC disclosure lapse highlight more than operational missteps—they expose a leadership out of its depth when it comes to technological change and accountability.
With artificial intelligence and digital innovation reshaping economies worldwide, the 4G leaders’ lack of foresight and inability to adopt forward-looking strategies reflect a failure to understand the demands of a tech-driven future.
What we have witnessed is not strong leadership but a group of leaders running on autopilot, relying on outdated policies while the ground beneath them shifts rapidly.
Take the cost-of-living crisis, a persistent issue for many Singaporeans. Despite widespread public concerns over rising food prices, housing costs, and the controversial GST hikes—opposed by many who called for a deferral—the 4G leadership’s response has been uninspiring and, at times, dismissive.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who led the push for the two-tier GST hike as Finance Minister, has shown little flexibility, insisting on the policy which many believe exacerbated the problem.
Instead of offering innovative solutions to address inflation and wage stagnation, the Government has relied on temporary measures like CDC vouchers (a euphemism for food stamps) and rebates meant to offset the costs their own policies have driven up.
These band-aid solutions provide short-term relief but fail to address the root causes of financial strain for ordinary citizens.
Meanwhile, the 4G leadership insists that its current measures to promote the total fertility rate will succeed, despite a steady decline over the past two decades. If this isn’t a sign of insanity or incompetence, what is?
These are not the actions of visionary leaders prepared to steer the nation through turbulent waters, but of politicians content with mediocrity.
The failure to articulate a clear economic strategy is another glaring weakness. Inequality continues to widen, and social mobility—a cornerstone of Singapore’s early success—has become increasingly elusive for many.
The 4G leadership has not only failed to address this widening gap but has struggled to convince Singaporeans that it even has a plan to reverse it. Instead of decisive action, citizens are fed empty reassurances that everything will be fine—words that ring hollow to an increasingly disillusioned public.
Lee Hsien Loong’s insistence on “competency” becomes especially ironic when viewed in light of the scandals plaguing his administration.
The long-overlooked extramarital affair involving Tan Chuan Jin, the former Speaker of Parliament—with Lee Hsien Loong’s years-long knowledge of it—the corruption charges against former Transport Minister S Iswaran, and the controversies surrounding Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan over their Black and White bungalows leases at Ridout Road highlight deeper, systemic issues within the party.
These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a larger problem: a leadership that lacks accountability and has grown complacent. The PAP’s once-strong image of integrity and discipline has been undermined by these scandals, eroding public trust.
Rather than addressing these issues directly, Lee Hsien Loong continues to perpetuate the narrative that the PAP is the only party capable of governing Singapore. But this narrative is crumbling. Singaporeans are no longer willing to buy into the myth of PAP’s invincibility when the evidence of its failures is plain to see.
The problem with the current leadership is not just that they are faltering—it is that they seem unaware of how far they have fallen.
They cling to the legacy of past leaders like Lee Kuan Yew, invoking his name to reassure citizens that the country is still on the right path. Yet their actions contradict this legacy, most notably in the ongoing dispute over the fate of the late leader’s family home, where LKY’s wishes have been ignored, and family members critical of the Government have been persecuted.
But the Singapore of today is not the Singapore of the 1960s. The challenges are different, and so are the demands of its people. The PAP’s inability to evolve with the times risks undoing the very progress it once championed.
Singapore was built on principles of meritocracy and excellence—principles that allowed it to punch above its weight on the global stage. But these ideals are eroding as 4G leaders take the people’s trust for granted and settle for mediocrity.
Singaporeans deserve leaders who can rise to the occasion, not those who crumble under the weight of privilege and power. Citizens are calling for a government that is not only competent but also accountable, adaptable, and capable of inspiring confidence.
If Lee Hsien Loong truly believes in the importance of a “strong and competent government,” then it is time for him to take a hard look at the state of his party.
The 4G leaders have repeatedly shown they are not living up to the high standards Singaporeans expect. Until this reality is acknowledged, no amount of speeches about unity or competency will restore the public’s trust.
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2025/02/09/paps-4g-leadership-a-hollow-echo-of-singapores-past-excellence/
This letter published in the Shit Times forum really made my day HAHAHAHA
LET'S LEETIRE THE PAP AT THE NEXT GE!!!!!
Fucking weak leaders create hard times, nuff said.
Wah Stroke Heng's past political failings kenna dredged up again, will he suffer another stroke upon reading this?
Not up to mark 就 not up to mark, 没办法的。
Do tell us something new Mr Balji, something that's worth your weight in salt.
I would be worried if they are up to the mark, then the opposition would stand scant chance of wiggling their way into parliament. :P
FUCK THE PAP!
Very brave of him to speak the truth, guess it's only a matter of time before the PAP fixes him and bans his book altogether.