'Emergence of Fabulous Five in next GE essential'
By Li Xueying & Rachel Lin
IN 2001, there were the so-called Super Seven - the seven rookie MPs deemed to be of ministerial calibre.
In 2006, there were the Terrific Three.
Come the next general election, there should be at least a Fabulous Five, to form part of the core of the fourth-generation Cabinet.
MPs from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) said that is the minimum number of potential office-holders who need to be inducted at the next polls, to ensure that leadership succession proceeds smoothly.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the PAP Conference on Sunday that the party will have, by the next polls, 'enough talent to form the nucleus of the next generation of leaders'.
Emphasising that leadership renewal is critical - not just for the party but the entire country - Mr Lee said that there are not enough young ministers now to form a new core team for a future Cabinet.
So far, the party has interviewed more than 40 people. Of those who will make the cut - the PAP customarily refreshes about a quarter of its ranks with 20 to 25 new faces - at least five should have the potential to be ministers, said some MPs.
Others think there should be around 10, as 'not all - perhaps five or six - would make the grade', as Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong put it.
Together with four or five younger current office-holders - names such as Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, 49, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, 49, Mr Gan Kim Yong, 51, and Ms Grace Fu, 46, surfaced - they will form the core of the next leadership, said the MPs.
Five of the Super Seven are now ministers: Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Dr Ng Eng Hen, Mr Raymond Lim and Dr Balakrishnan.
One of the Terrific Three, Mr Lui, has been appointed minister. Mr Lee Yi Shyan is Minister of State while Ms Fu is Senior Minister of State.
In the current 21-strong Cabinet, MPs estimate that five or six form the 'nucleus' - the heavyweights who make the major decisions.
They expect the handover to the next generation of leaders to be completed in two terms, given that PM Lee has said that he wants to find a team that can take charge after two more elections when he turns 69. He is now 58 years old.
To get there, however, ministers have to be groomed. And it takes at least five years, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew back in 2001. 'Teo Chee Hean, George Yeo, Lim Hng Kiang. Even my son, Lee Hsien Loong... it took them five years before they got an understanding of the style, the people, what has to be done, how the Government works, our relations with our neighbours...'
As to what the slate of new leaders should look like, Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua said that they should be in their late 30s or 40s. That way, they 'can have a few years as a minister of state... by the time they become minister,' she said.
As for the more intangible qualities, MPs listed empathy, the ability to bridge gaps in an increasingly divisive society and foresight in putting Singapore ahead in the global economy.
Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Baey Yam Keng noted in particular the need for them to engage increasingly critical voters who are 'more exposed to digital space and a more open environment'.
All this - plus a shorter apprenticeship period - means a steeper learning curve for Singapore's fourth prime minister, said the MPs.
By Li Xueying & Rachel Lin
IN 2001, there were the so-called Super Seven - the seven rookie MPs deemed to be of ministerial calibre.
In 2006, there were the Terrific Three.
Come the next general election, there should be at least a Fabulous Five, to form part of the core of the fourth-generation Cabinet.
MPs from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) said that is the minimum number of potential office-holders who need to be inducted at the next polls, to ensure that leadership succession proceeds smoothly.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the PAP Conference on Sunday that the party will have, by the next polls, 'enough talent to form the nucleus of the next generation of leaders'.
Emphasising that leadership renewal is critical - not just for the party but the entire country - Mr Lee said that there are not enough young ministers now to form a new core team for a future Cabinet.
So far, the party has interviewed more than 40 people. Of those who will make the cut - the PAP customarily refreshes about a quarter of its ranks with 20 to 25 new faces - at least five should have the potential to be ministers, said some MPs.
Others think there should be around 10, as 'not all - perhaps five or six - would make the grade', as Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong put it.
Together with four or five younger current office-holders - names such as Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, 49, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, 49, Mr Gan Kim Yong, 51, and Ms Grace Fu, 46, surfaced - they will form the core of the next leadership, said the MPs.
Five of the Super Seven are now ministers: Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Dr Ng Eng Hen, Mr Raymond Lim and Dr Balakrishnan.
One of the Terrific Three, Mr Lui, has been appointed minister. Mr Lee Yi Shyan is Minister of State while Ms Fu is Senior Minister of State.
In the current 21-strong Cabinet, MPs estimate that five or six form the 'nucleus' - the heavyweights who make the major decisions.
They expect the handover to the next generation of leaders to be completed in two terms, given that PM Lee has said that he wants to find a team that can take charge after two more elections when he turns 69. He is now 58 years old.
To get there, however, ministers have to be groomed. And it takes at least five years, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew back in 2001. 'Teo Chee Hean, George Yeo, Lim Hng Kiang. Even my son, Lee Hsien Loong... it took them five years before they got an understanding of the style, the people, what has to be done, how the Government works, our relations with our neighbours...'
As to what the slate of new leaders should look like, Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua said that they should be in their late 30s or 40s. That way, they 'can have a few years as a minister of state... by the time they become minister,' she said.
As for the more intangible qualities, MPs listed empathy, the ability to bridge gaps in an increasingly divisive society and foresight in putting Singapore ahead in the global economy.
Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Baey Yam Keng noted in particular the need for them to engage increasingly critical voters who are 'more exposed to digital space and a more open environment'.
All this - plus a shorter apprenticeship period - means a steeper learning curve for Singapore's fourth prime minister, said the MPs.
