People's Action Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids People's Action Party
Malay name	Parti Tindakan Rakyat
Chinese name	人民行动党 Rénmín Xíngdòng Dǎng
Tamil name	மக்களின் செயல் கட்சி Makkaḷin Ceyal Kaṭci
Abbreviation	PAP
Chairman	Heng Swee Keat
Secretary-General	Lee Hsien Loong
Vice Chairman	Masagos Zulkifli
Deputy Secretary-General	Lawrence Wong
Assistant Secretaries-General	Chan Chun Sing Desmond Lee
Founders	Lee Kuan Yew Goh Keng Swee Toh Chin Chye S. Rajaratnam Lim Chin Siong ... and others
Founded	21 November 1954; 70 years ago (1954-11-21)
Preceded by	Malayan Forum
Succeeded by	Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)
Headquarters	Block 57B New Upper Changi Road #01-1402 Singapore 463057
Youth wing	Young PAP
Ideology	Conservatism Social conservatism Economic liberalism Civic nationalism Secularism Historical: Democratic socialism
Political position	Centre-right
Colours	White, red, blue
Slogan	Our Lives, Our Jobs, Our Future
Governing body	Central Executive Committee
Parliament	79 / 103

The People's Action Party (PAP) is a big political party in Singapore. It is known for being conservative and generally follows centre-right ideas. The PAP is one of the three main political parties in Singapore's Parliament. The other two are the Workers' Party (WP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

The PAP started in 1954. Back then, it was more of a centre-left party. But in 1961, the first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, changed the party's direction. He wanted it to be more in the centre. After Singapore became independent from Malaysia in 1965, the PAP became the main political force. For many decades, it was the only party with seats in Parliament.

From 1965 to 1981, the PAP was the only party in Parliament. Then, in 1981, the Workers' Party won a seat in a special election. Even so, the PAP has continued to win most of the votes and seats in every election since. It has been in power for over 60 years, making it one of the longest-governing parties in the world.

The PAP believes in free-market economic policies. This means they support businesses and trade with less government control. They have helped make Singapore's economy very open and successful. However, they also support government-owned companies to help the economy grow and create jobs. Socially, the PAP believes in communitarianism and civic nationalism. This means they focus on bringing different groups in Singapore together to form a strong national identity. They also believe in having a strong military to protect Singapore's independence and important trade routes.

How the PAP Started

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister and one of the founders of the People's Action Party.

Some of the PAP's founders, like Lee Kuan Yew, Toh Chin Chye, and Goh Keng Swee, were part of a student group in London called the Malayan Forum. This group was against colonial rule in Malaya in the 1940s and 1950s. When they came back to Singapore, they met often to talk about how to gain independence. They looked for others who shared their ideas to start a political party.

Forming the Party

The PAP officially became a political party on 21 November 1954. Its founders included trade unionists, lawyers, and journalists. Lee Kuan Yew was the first secretary-general, and Toh Chin Chye was the first chairman.

The PAP first took part in the 1955 general election. They won three seats in the legislature. One was won by Lee Kuan Yew and another by Lim Chin Siong, who was the youngest person ever elected to the Assembly at 22 years old. The Labour Front party won that election.

In 1956, Lim Chin Siong and Lee Kuan Yew represented the PAP at talks in London about Singapore's future. These talks failed to get Singapore full self-government. Later, the British agreed to a plan for Singapore to govern itself.

Some PAP members who were seen as "communists" were arrested in the mid-1950s. This happened after riots in Chinese middle schools. In 1957, more PAP members from trade unions were arrested when they won many seats in the party's leadership committee. The "moderate" leaders, including Lee Kuan Yew, refused to take their positions until these members were arrested.

Lee Kuan Yew later convinced the jailed union leaders to support the PAP. He promised to release them if the party won the next elections. Some people believe Lee worked with the British to prevent Lim Chin Siong and his supporters from gaining power because they were very popular.

First Years in Government

The PAP won the 1959 general election with Lee Kuan Yew as their leader. This was the first election where Singaporeans fully elected their own government. Lee Kuan Yew became Singapore's first Prime Minister. He asked for the release of the jailed PAP members to form the new government.

The Great Split of 1961

In 1961, there were big disagreements within the PAP. Some members did not agree with the plan to merge Singapore with Malaysia. This led to a split, and a group of left-wing members left the PAP.

One of the issues was about changing how party leaders were chosen. Lee Kuan Yew saw this as a challenge to his leadership. This caused a rift between the "moderate" PAP members (led by Lee) and the "left-wing" group (led by Lim Chin Siong).

Barisan Sosialis

The group that left the PAP formed a new party called Barisan Sosialis. Many PAP branches and their leaders joined this new party.

Merger Years (1963–1965)

After gaining independence from Britain, Singapore joined the federation of Malaysia in 1963. The PAP was the ruling party in Singapore, but it was an opposition party in the larger Malaysian government. The PAP wanted to win seats in other parts of Malaysia, which upset the main Malaysian party, UMNO. This caused problems between the PAP and UMNO.

Because of these disagreements, Malaysia's Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, asked Singapore to leave Malaysia on 9 August 1965. Singapore then became an independent country.

After Independence (1965 to Present)

A PAP election rally at Tampines Stadium.

Since 1966, the PAP has held most of the seats in Singapore's Parliament. In 1966, the opposition party, Barisan Sosialis, left Parliament. This happened after some of their leaders were arrested. For the next four elections (1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980), the PAP won every single seat in Parliament.

Opposition parties returned to Parliament in a special election in 1981. In the 1984 general election, opposition parties won seats for the first time in 21 years. From then until 2011, the PAP faced only a few opposition Members of Parliament (MPs). In the 2011 general election, the Workers' Party won six seats, which was a big step for the opposition.

Even with more opposition, the PAP still holds a very large majority in Parliament. This means they can easily change Singapore's laws and even the Constitution.

Changes in Leadership

The PAP has been Singapore's governing party for a long time. Over the years, its leaders have passed power from one generation to the next.

First to Second Generation

By 1984, the first group of PAP leaders had been in charge for about 25 years. They were getting older, and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew wanted to train younger leaders. He believed that the older leaders should pass on power while they were still strong and could choose their successors.

So, in September 1984, power was given to the second generation of leaders. They were elected to the party's main committee, the Central Executive Committee (CEC). Lee Kuan Yew was the only "old guard" leader who remained in the committee.

The older leaders wanted to make sure that future leaders would use their power wisely. They considered adding limits to the Prime Minister's power, like having a President elected by the people with real powers. This change was made to the Constitution in 1991.

Second to Third Generation

In the late 1980s, the next group of leaders had two main figures: Lee Hsien Loong (Lee Kuan Yew's son) and Goh Chok Tong. Lee Hsien Loong had strong support from the military and government departments. Goh Chok Tong had more influence in the civil service and other government-linked companies.

Lee Kuan Yew remained Prime Minister until 1990, when he stepped down and Goh Chok Tong took over. Lee Hsien Loong later became Prime Minister in 2004.

Third to Fourth Generation

On 23 November 2018, new leaders from the fourth generation were chosen for important roles in the party. Heng Swee Keat and Chan Chun Sing became the First and Second Assistant Secretaries-General. This was a big step in passing leadership from the third to the fourth generation.

In May 2019, Heng Swee Keat became the only Deputy Prime Minister. Many thought he would be the next Prime Minister. However, in April 2021, Heng announced he would step aside. He said he wanted younger and healthier leaders to take over. After his decision, several other ministers were considered as possible future leaders.

On 14 April 2022, Lawrence Wong was chosen as the new leader of the PAP's fourth-generation team. He received strong support from the party. His selection was approved by the government ministers and then by the PAP Members of Parliament.

How the Party is Organized

People's Action Party activists during the 2011 general election.

The People's Action Party headquarters in New Upper Changi Road.

When the PAP first started, it was organized in a way that gave a lot of power to a small group of core members. Later, the party changed its ideas and moved more towards the centre-right.

The party has special members called "cadres." These members can attend party meetings and vote for the leaders of the party's main committee. To become a cadre, a party member needs to be nominated by their local MP and go through interviews with ministers or MPs.

Central Executive Committee and Secretary-General

The main power in the PAP is held by the CEC, which is led by the secretary-general. Since the PAP has won every election since 1959, the Prime Minister is usually also the secretary-general of the party. Important positions in the CEC are often held by government ministers.

The rules for choosing the CEC have changed over time. Now, the CEC nominates some members, and the rest are chosen by a meeting of party members.

HQ Executive Committee

Below the CEC is the HQ Executive Committee (HQ EXCO). This committee manages the party's daily operations and oversees 14 smaller groups.

These groups include:

• Branch Appointments and Relations
• Constituency Relations
• Information and Feedback
• New Media
• Malay Affairs
• Membership Recruitment and Cadre Selection
• PAP Awards
• Political Education
• Publicity and Publication
• Social and Recreational
• Women's Wing (WW)
• Young PAP (YP)
• PAP Seniors Group (PAP.SG)
• PAP Policy Forum (PPF)

Young PAP and Online Presence

The Young PAP is the party's youth group. It is for young adults and students in Singapore who support the PAP and are interested in politics. The current chairman of the Young PAP is Janil Puthucheary. The group was first set up in 1986 and was renamed Young PAP in 1993. It aims to attract young members and allows them to have different views from the main party leaders. The age limit for members was raised from 35 to 40. By 2005, the group had over 6,000 members.

Since 1995, the Young PAP has been active online. They aim to share information about Singapore's politics and culture. They have set up blogs and social media accounts to connect with people. In 2007, the PAP started an effort to respond to critics online, believing it was important for the party to have a voice in cyberspace.

Party Ideas

Asian Democracy

Some experts say that the PAP often talks about "Asian democracy" and "Asian values." They believe these ideas are based on Asian culture and Confucianism. They use these ideas to explain why Singapore's democracy is different from Western democracies. For example, Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, believed that Singapore would be better off without a Western-style liberal democracy.

Because of this, some people, especially in Western countries, describe the PAP's way of governing as "semi-authoritarian" or like a "nanny-like" government. They mean that the government has a lot of control over people's lives. However, many Singaporeans continue to vote for the PAP because they value economic growth, stability, and practical solutions more than strong checks and balances by opposition parties.

Economic Policies

The PAP has always believed in some level of welfare spending and government involvement in the economy. However, since the 1980s, they have favored free-market policies. This means they support a system where businesses can operate freely with less government interference. Singapore is known for having one of the world's freest and most open economies.

Lee Kuan Yew once said that he learned from Hong Kong that too much government welfare can make people less motivated to succeed. He wanted to change Singapore's welfare policies to encourage people to work hard.

Since Singapore became independent in 1965, the PAP has also supported creating government-owned companies, called Government-linked Corporations (GLCs). These companies were started to boost industrialisation and help the economy grow, especially to create jobs. This was important in the early years when there wasn't much private money or expertise. These GLCs are involved in many important areas like shipbuilding, aviation, defense, telecommunications, and banking. Some GLCs also work with foreign companies to bring in new skills.

Social Policies

Since the PAP first came to power, a key idea in Singaporean politics has been that Singapore is a small and vulnerable country surrounded by bigger neighbors. This idea of "survival" has shaped many of its policies. Experts say the PAP's main ideas include being practical, believing in meritocracy (where people succeed based on their abilities), supporting multiracialism (different races living together peacefully), and valuing Asian values/communitarianism (focusing on the community rather than just the individual).

In 1989, Singapore's President said that Singapore needed a set of shared national values to unite its people. In 1991, the PAP officially introduced "Shared Values" for the country. These five values were: putting the nation before the community and society before oneself; the family as the basic unit of society; respecting and supporting individuals in the community; seeking agreement instead of arguments; and promoting racial and religious harmony. These values were meant to be different from a "more Western, individualistic way of life" and to support "traditional Asian ideas of morality, duty, and society."

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has spoken about the need for a system where people respect leaders and avoid division between the public and the elite.

Views on Other Ideas

The PAP is generally cautious about communist political ideas. Even though they worked with some pro-labour co-founders who were later accused of being communists, the party has moved away from those ideas. In recent years, some observers believe the party has adopted some left-of-centre ideas in certain areas to keep winning elections.

The socialism that the PAP practiced in its early years was very practical. They did not believe in taking over private businesses. By the late 1970s, the government's main idea was self-reliance, similar to the American idea of rugged individualism. Even so, the PAP still called itself a socialist party. They pointed to their control over the private sector, their involvement in the economy, and their social policies as proof. In 1976, the PAP left the Socialist International group after facing accusations of holding political prisoners without trial.

Symbolism

The PAP's symbol is a red thunderbolt and a blue circle on a white background. The red thunderbolt stands for action, and the blue circle represents different cultures coming together. This symbol also appears on party flags during parades. PAP members often wear white shirts and white trousers at party events. This white uniform symbolizes that the party and its government are honest and pure.

Leadership

List of Chairmen

Portrait	Name	Term of office		Time in office
	Toh Chin Chye	21 November 1954	5 January 1981	26 years, 45 days
	Ong Teng Cheong	5 January 1981	16 August 1993	12 years, 223 days
	Tony Tan	1 September 1993	3 December 2004	11 years, 93 days
	Lim Boon Heng	3 December 2004	1 June 2011	6 years, 180 days
	Khaw Boon Wan	1 June 2011	23 November 2018	7 years, 175 days
	Gan Kim Yong	23 November 2018	26 November 2022	4 years, 3 days
	Heng Swee Keat	26 November 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 201 days

List of Secretaries-General

Portrait	Name	Term of office		Time in office	Refs
	Lee Kuan Yew	21 November 1954	3 August 1957	2 years, 255 days
	T. T. Rajah	13 August 1957	3 September 1957	21 days
	Lee Kuan Yew	20 October 1957	14 November 1992	35 years, 25 days
	Goh Chok Tong	15 November 1992	6 November 2004	11 years, 357 days
	Lee Hsien Loong	7 November 2004	Incumbent	20 years, 220 days

Central Executive Committee

As of 30 July 2023, the Central Executive Committee includes these members:

Current Members of Parliament

Single Member Constituency

4 Member Group Constituency

5 Member Group Constituency

• Tan Chuan Jin and Cheng Li Hui left the PAP and their roles as Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament on 17 July 2023.
• S. Iswaran was suspended from his duties on 12 July 2023 due to an investigation. He later resigned from the PAP, his role as Transport Minister, and as a Member of Parliament on 18 January 2024.

Electoral History

Legislative Assembly Elections

Legislative Assembly Special Elections

Malaysian Parliament Elections

Singapore Parliament Elections

Parliamentary Special Elections

See also