Elected Presidency, GRC, NCMP schemes have 'served S'pore well': SM Lee at Jayakumar's new book launch

At the launch of a new book by former Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong praised Singapore's uniquely crafted Constitution. The Constitution includes three distinct institutions: Elected Presidency, Group Representation Constituencies (GRC), and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP). These institutions, according to SM Lee, have served Singapore well over the past five decades.

The GRC system, introduced in 1988, has ensured that minority representation in Parliament is no longer doubted. Minority members of GRC teams enjoy the same mandate and political standing as their teammates. Furthermore, the GRC scheme has discouraged race-based politics in Singapore.

Established in 1984, the NCMP scheme has prevented a situation where a winning party could make a clean sweep in general elections. Opposition MPs are routinely elected, but public expectations for more alternative voices in Parliament have grown.

The Elected Presidency, implemented in 1991, continues to serve as a crucial check and balance in Singapore's political system. Successive governments and elected presidents have operated under this system, with the core concept remaining unchanged. The government's ability to draw on past reserves during emergencies, like the Global Financial Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrates the efficacy of this system.

SM Lee emphasized that Singapore's Constitution is a custom-made document, tailored to the nation's unique circumstances. Unlike other countries with theoretically redrafted Constitutions, Singapore opted for a patchwork Constitution that has been refined over the years. Lee Kuan Yew rejected a foreign-redrafted Constitution due to his belief that it wouldn't work in practice. Instead, he embraced a custom-made Constitution, which has proven to be better suited to Singapore's society and ground realities.