Singapore Ruling Party Rattled By Debate On Pandemic Policy

Senior members of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party are concerned that mixed signals from the country’s virus task force are giving the appearance of divisions that could lead to rare infighting, people familiar with the situation said, Faris Mokhtar and Philip Heijmans reported for Bloomberg News.

Photo Insert: The Parliament House of Singapore

The party cadres, who decide which individuals are admitted to the PAP’s top decision-making body, were concerned perceptions of a split could spur members to choose sides in the informal contest to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, whose plans to step aside were delayed amid the pandemic after his heir-apparent bowed out earlier this year.

They said the prime minister or another senior member should take charge and show decisiveness, according to the people, especially in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite having one of the world’s highest vaccination rates, COVID-19 cases have spiked in the wealthy nation-state, which has also been sharply criticized for its mishandling of overseas contract workers (OCWs) who are employed in the manufacturing sector.

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