The Singaporean Lesson Việt Nam Ignores: Why Politics, Not Just Economics, Is the Real Model

The leaders of the Communist Party of Vietnam, much like ordinary citizens, admire Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore’s skyscrapers, viewing the city-state as a role model for development in Asia. During his official visit to Singapore in March 2025, General Secretary Tô Lâm delivered a speech praising Singapore, calling it a model of development. [1]

What is interesting about Singapore, and what no Vietnamese leader has ever mentioned, is that Lee Kuan Yew and his People’s Action Party (PAP) never demanded to lead “comprehensively and absolutely,” either during the nation’s founding years or after it became an “Asian Tiger.”

Consider the results of the parliamentary election held on May 3. Despite a decisive victory, the PAP secured only 65.6% of the votes and 87 out of 97 seats in Parliament. [2] This figure was already higher than the 61.2% it won in the 2020 election, and the party had to share votes with other legally recognized political parties. Compared with Việt Nam’s figures of over 90% or nearly 100%, Lee Kuan Yew and his successors fall far short of Vietnamese leaders in terms of vote share, though Singapore’s achievements are what Việt Nam deeply admires.

The People’s Action Party (PAP) was founded in 1954 with the main goal of fighting for Singapore’s independence from British colonial rule. [3] The party won power in the general election on May 30, 1959, and its founder, Lee Kuan Yew, became the nation’s first prime minister when the government was officially formed on June 5.

The PAP has continuously governed Singapore since then. However, Singapore is not a one-party state.

During the election held on May 3, there were 11 opposition parties contesting, along with two independent candidates. [4] The official website of Singapore’s Election Department publishes full information about all candidates, their political parties, and the number of votes they received. [5] In that election, the Workers’ Party, the main opposition party, won 10 seats in Parliament, maintaining the same number as in the 2020 election.

The ruling PAP neither demands absolute leadership nor wins elections with nearly 100% of the votes as in Việt Nam; Tô Lâm nor any other Vietnamese leaders have ever mentioned Singapore’s model of a competitive political system.

Learning from economic policies is one thing, but the underlying political system that promotes competition, meritocracy, and the rule of law is what truly defines Singapore’s success. Since the nation’s founding, Lee Kuan Yew regarded human capital as Singapore’s key competitive advantage. [6] His most notable economic policy reflecting this vision was maintaining strict standards for a top-tier public education system that remained accessible to everyone.

This seemingly simple principle of meritocracy drove economic development by creating social mobility opportunities for everyone, with little tolerance for complacency or corruption. When opportunities for advancement are supported by a fair and transparent judicial system, the business environment thrives.

Singapore’s new Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor. He also holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School. In contrast, very few, if any, senior leaders in Việt Nam have received formal and advanced training in public administration and economics at prestigious universities abroad. [7]

Over the past few decades, many young Vietnamese have studied abroad and achieved success overseas. Yet those who choose to return and contribute often end up leaving again, as Việt Nam’s political system leaves little room for them.

According to Professor Ilian Mihov, Lee Kuan Yew’s greatest contribution and the key to Singapore’s success was his understanding that sustainable development requires more than sound economic policy. [8]

Any policy can be reversed, and every growth incentive can be dismantled. What truly set Lee Kuan Yew apart was his ability to build an institutional framework for Singapore’s sustainable development, which includes the rule of law, an efficient government apparatus, an ongoing fight against corruption, and overall stability.

In Việt Nam’s one-party state, the Communist Party continues to rule because the people have no other choice. Any attempt to form an opposition party is met with force and imprisonment. In Singapore, the People’s Action Party (PAP) has continued to lead even though voters have alternatives, because it has earned their trust.

Singapore’s electoral system offers several clear advantages to the PAP. However, other opposition parties are allowed to exist, contest elections, and have in fact succeeded, as the Workers’ Party has won seats in Parliament and established itself as the official opposition. [9] This competition forces the PAP to listen to the aspirations of voters.

To some extent, the PAP has also begun to seriously consider the need for a broader social welfare system, something the party had long resisted for decades. [10] For example, the ruling party has introduced daycare programs for children and the elderly.

It has also emphasized that it understands public concerns about housing issues and has accelerated the construction of affordable homes. These expanding welfare measures have likely reduced the appeal of the Workers’ Party’s proposals to strengthen the social safety net and introduce unemployment benefits, while reinforcing public confidence in the PAP.

​​Overall, compared with 2020, the PAP’s stronger victory this time may be a result of its responsiveness and policy adjustments, and partly from voters’ expectation that an experienced party can maintain stability amid global political and trade turbulence caused by the Trump administration’s policies in the United States.[11]

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The electoral lesson from Singapore shows that a multi-party system does not necessarily lead to political instability. On the contrary, a competitive multi-party system can strengthen the ruling party’s legitimacy. By being forced to understand voters’ aspirations—as seen in their support and attitudes towards the opposition—the ruling party can make appropriate adjustments and prove its legitimacy, even when voters have a choice.

Việt Nam should not only look to Singapore’s economic policies for lessons. It should also learn from the way Singapore invests in education, rewards and promotes talent, and builds the rule of law alongside an efficient system of government.

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Hoàng Mai wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 9, 2025. J. Miu translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.