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This is Part 2 of publichouse.sg’s interview with Minister Chan Chun Sing. You can view Part 1 here: Chan Chun Sing – The price of politics.

By Ko Siew Huey & Andrew Loh

Chan Chun Sing is an earnest man. When talking about policies, the minister speaks with an almost evangelistic zeal, launching into lengthy explanations about the complex considerations behind government decisions.

The Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), and Minister of State, Ministry for Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica), has been thrown into the hot seat overseeing Singapore’s welfare programmes for the needy after the General Election last year.

At a time when income inequality looms as a growing social concern in Singapore, and with calls for the political leadership to do more for the economically disenfranchised, Chan stoically defends the track record of the government from critics who charge that the Government still views “welfare” as a dirty word. The minister, however, is more interested in the substance of the programmes to help the needy than whether Singapore is recognized as a “welfare state.”

While Singapore geared up for its 47th birthday celebration at Marina Bay in the evening, the former stalwart of Potong Pasir made a visit to his former constituency to extend greetings to residents in the early morning hours on Thursday.

Mr Chiam See Tong, secretary general of the Singapore People's Party (SPP) and who was Member of Parliament for the area for 27 years until the ward changed hands to the People's Action Party (PAP) in last year's General Election, was warmly greeted as he and his wife, Non-constituency MP Lina Chiam, made their way through the estate.

By Elaine Ee / Pictures by Biddy Low

The Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), tells publichouse.sg how he views himself as a politician, how he deals with criticism, and what guides him.

It’s tough being a politician in Singapore these days. In some ways, it is even tougher being a People’s Action Party (PAP) politician. Public opinion against the PAP has grown significantly. A 50-year monopoly on power, high ministerial pay and the ruling party’s perceived privilege and elitism—combined with a widening social divide; a more vocal, demanding and questioning populace; and the open platform of the Internet—have alienated this party from many Singaporeans on the ground, as content and comments circulating freely online show. The loss of Aljunied GRC to the opposition Workers’ Party in the last General Election and the WP’s solid victory in the recent Hougang by-election, are perhaps the most prominent signs of unhappiness on the ground with the ruling party.

The following is the speech I had prepared for the forum at the National University of Singapore on 31 October. The forum, titled, "The impact of New Media on Politics and Youths", was organised by the university's Democratic Socialist Club. The other speakers were MP Mr Baey Yam Keng (PAP), MP Mr Yaw Shin Leong (WP), and Mr Tan Tarn How, researcher with the Institute of Policy Studies.

In the end, I decided not to read out the prepared text but to speak off-the-cuff. I quoted from some parts of the text, which I used as a guide to cover most of what I'd wanted to say.

Good evening, Members of Parliament, Mr Baey and Mr Yaw. Good evening also to Mr Tan, Mr Walid, teachers, and students.

I would like to thank the Democratic Socialist Club for this invitation to speak to you. And to Mr Muhd Hakim for facilitating this through email.

For almost 50 years now since our independence from Malaysia, we have been told and coerced – through policies of social engineering and the threat of law – to do what the State wants us to do.