SINGAPORE, Sept 10 — People’s Action Party (PAP) heavyweights used a final flurry of rallies last night to urge voters to give them a strong mandate so that the Government can continue working with the people to guide the country forward.

Book-ending his party’s campaign, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong — who also spoke at the party’s first rally on Sept 2 — took to the stage at Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency and told the crowd that the PAP had worked hard over the past 50 years to improve the lives of Singaporeans.

Speaking at a field at Boon Keng Road, Lee said the party has a solid report card, unlike the Opposition, which only tries to pick on subjects to rile the people against the government but offers no concrete plans on how to go about implementing their proposals. “This election, we are showing you a report card. We are proud of it. We are asking for your mandate to work with us and help us to make things better for Singapore,” he said, to loud cheers.

“There are challenges which the Government cannot avoid, which Singapore cannot avoid.

“We have to deal with them, we have to work at them, we have to make progress at them, and we have done that,” he said, reminding voters that the election is one in which the future direction of the country is at stake and a wrong vote could have disastrous consequences.

“In my team, every candidate has his or her own special contribution,” said Lee, who was speaking at one of six PAP rallies held last night across the island.

“If we lose one, it will weaken my team. If we lose two, the loss will be obvious. Lose more, I think, it might affect people’s lives, to a point where I don’t have enough MPs to form a government... I think it’s not a joking matter,” he said.

Lee’s underscoring of the importance of having good leaders to lead Singapore beyond SG50 was echoed by other senior PAP leaders, some of whom also joined Lee in criticising the Opposition.

At East Coast GRC, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam assured Singaporeans that the Government was changing to meet the changing needs of Singaporeans and ensure social mobility.

 Labelling the leadership of the past top-down and “often heavy-handed”, he said different times call for different leadership styles.

“Strong leadership means listening, actively engaging, changing your mind when the situation changes or when you get better ideas from others, continually adapting, but leading all along the way.

“Strong leadership is … moving with people but also moving people with you into a better future,” he said.

At Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said the PAP had delivered on its promises over the past 50 years, and urged voters “not to have an Opposition for the sake of having an Opposition”.

At a press conference earlier in the day, Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam chastised the Opposition for not being honest and specific about how its proposals would be funded, while expressing his shock at some proposals that have been put forward, such as cutting defence spending by 40 per cent, raising corporate taxes and parking the Ministry of Health under the Ministry of Defence.

One common theme expressed by PAP leaders as the campaign drew to a close was for Singaporeans to examine clearly and dispassionately who should work with them to lead the country forward.

“Don’t think of one election, think of two elections, three elections. The question to ask, for us in a multiracial society, would there be a harmonious multiracial society 10 years down the road if there is a sudden change in the political situation?” said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who yesterday made his second appearance in the Opposition-held Aljunied GRC in this campaign to throw his weight behind the PAP team seeking to wrestle the ward back from the WP.

In wrapping up the campaign, Prime Minister Lee spoke of how far the country has come in 50 years, but offered a reminder that moving forward is more important.

“We’ve had a good 50 years.

“Third World to First, SG50, good reason to celebrate.

“We helped to make this journey possible. We must go forward now, to make the next journey just as fulfilling, just as successful, just as amazing to the world, and to ourselves,” he said.

“And we’d like to walk this journey together with you, the PAP, together with you.

“So I ask you tomorrow, think about it, Friday (tomorrow), when you vote, you know who to vote for on Friday (tomorrow).” — TODAY