US-China ties in ‘a more challenging place’, but remains to be seen where tensions are headed under Trump: PM Wong

Mr Wong reiterated a point he made in an interview before taking office, that he does not take the mandate from Singaporeans for granted.

“I do not assume that I will continue as prime minister or that the PAP (People’s Action Party) will automatically form the next government,” he said.

When the next general election arrives, the PAP will present to the people its track record and what it has done in this term of government, said Mr Wong.

“We hope that will be sufficient to earn confidence and trust from Singaporeans, and we hope they will give us the chance to govern Singapore,” he said.

He said the government is concerned, because of the recent American elections and contests elsewhere, about election outcomes where “society becomes more divided, more polarised, and then there is no winner”.

“Yes, the election may produce a winner. But in the end, everyone is worse off because it makes it harder to govern, and it makes it harder for countries to move forward,” said Mr Wong.

He said the government has safeguards in place to address this, having put in place measures to counter falsehoods, deepfakes and misinformation while explaining its considerations to Singaporeans.

“We hope at the end of the day that Singaporeans themselves will do their part, because at the end of the day, Singaporeans hopefully will understand what’s at stake is choosing the right party to govern,” said Mr Wong.

This is important for Singapore as it charts its way through a world that is “becoming more dangerous, more turbulent, more volatile, more difficult for small countries like us”, he added.

Ultimately, elections will come and go, but everyone, including the government, the people and all political parties, should ensure that society does not end up divided after that, said Mr Wong.

“We try our best not to go down the path of political populism and opportunism, but find ways to keep our society strong, united, and maintain a high level of trust, because that’s essential for Singapore to stay relevant and to survive in this new world,” he said.

This is the second press conference Mr Wong has held to engage with local media since he took office in May.

At that time, he had pledged to hold more press conferences so that the government could better communicate its “thinking and considerations” to the public.

He said then that “when there are some new developments” or when there is “new thinking”, it would be useful for himself or relevant ministers to meet with the media in press conferences.

In August this year, Mr Wong on his 100th day in office met with the media to elaborate on topics and policies he spoke about at the recently held National Day Rally.

During the session at the National Press Centre, he touched on the core principles and values underpinning the country’s policies, cost-of-living concerns and the importance of creating a family-friendly environment, among other issues.