Teamwork and Leadership: Lessons from TOC’s Face to Face Forum

I didn’t have the opportunity to attend Face2Face but from what i have heard and read, it seems to be an “ok-lah” forum. Nothing amazing or inspiring. At least the political parties present have clarified their stances on major policies such as conscription and public housing. Good start to get the ball rolling for the elections. Notable absentee? The PAP. No surprises there.

I wouldn’t go into talking about policy or which party has policies that are right or wrong here. Instead, i’ve also noticed that the WP was the only party which chose not to send their Secretary-General down to the forum. Instead, the party nominated the younger newbie by the name of Gerald Giam to attend the TOC forum. Thoughts of a Cynical Investor is worried that the WP lacks the balls to show unity amongst the rest of the opposition, given that the WP has been engaging in really low-profile tactics and have shyed away from publicity. What the WP chose to do at forum reveals a few things about the party and its rivals for power:

1. The Workers’ Party knows how to work as a team

The Workers’ Party seems to be a party that doesn’t stick to the old “tried and tested” route of having the leader speak at every forum. Even the Chairman, Slyvia Lim, was not nominated to attend the forum. Some people may consider this a snub, but then again, Low Thia Kiang and Sylvia Lim are not the be it and end all of the Workers’ Party. In a nutshell, and contrary to the “Thoughts” of a Cynical Investor, the WP has “balls” and does things differently. Giving the go-ahead for Gerald to attend this forum on behalf of the party clearly shows that the WP has the people to take over Low and Sylvia when need be, and that they’re not afraid to work as a team and to let other members share the limelight when need be. And what a time to start throwing potential candidates into the limelight indeed, at a discussion forum which is held during the eve of a major election!

Secondly, the Workers Party has moved on from JBJ’s strategy as leader in the 80s and 90s. No doubt JBJ was a great man but many people (including Michael Barr) has observed that he couldn’t build a coalition of people, preferring to deal with the PAP head on as a sole rebel. The current leadership in the party seems to have reversed that leadership model, though much has yet to be seen from this current batch of leaders in regards to the WP positioning itself as a credible alternative to the PAP.

2. The other Opposition Parties are still stuck in old mode of governance

Continuing from the points above, it seems that most of the other opposition party Secretary-Generals are still stuck in the old rules of leadership and are probably too eager to seize any chance to be in the limelight. Ironically, some of these parties have equally (if not more talented) people than their Sec-Gens who can represent their parties at major forums like Face2Face. Two parties spring to mind here: The Reform Party (RP) and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). Both parties have undergone a recent influx of talent, with Tony Tan-Hazel Poa couple team and Dr Vincent Wijeysingha/Dr James Gomez being capable spokespersons for the respective parties. To be fair to RP, Tony and Hazel have been fielded in major forums in the past year, and SDP’s Pre-Election Rally has given the other members some speech time. Unfortunately both leaders probably overlooked everything else, chose not to be brave and went with TOC’s request to send their leader instead.

What a missed opportunity to build and strengthen a party, and to show off their talents to the public.

Then there are the other parties where the Sec-Gen is probably the most capable member on the block: National Solidarity Party (NSP), Socialist Front (SF) and Singapore People’s Party (SPP) chose to send their leaders instead of other “subordinate” members. Nothing too surprising and nothing too inspiring either when you examine their lineup. This reflects poorly on all these parties: is there anyone else besides the Sec-Gen who can turn up to represent these parties at a major discussion forum, or are the rest of the party members part of the Sec-Gen’s cannon fodder during election time? Much needs to be asked about the teamwork and leadership in these other opposition parties. I suppose the problem with opposition disunity also lies with the fact that the parties have often been led a commonly-trodden path by a single person rather than policies or beliefs, and this really has to change for the better.

At least they still have some little time before the next election to make some changes.

3. Gerald Giam will be an vital part of Team WP during the GE.

This may not come as a big surprise, given that Gerald Giam is a member of the Workers’ Party Executive Council and probably the only member of WP who has some experience in governance. He has even published a book compiling his various blog and forum postings. By throwing Gerald into the much need limelight, the WP is showing that it has equally capable talent and that Gerald will probably be fielded (or perhaps head a team) in very important contests. Aljunied GRC perhaps? Maybe taking over Low Thia Kiang in Hougang? Let the speculation roll. But i can say one thing: not fielding Gerald during this GE would be the stupidest thing for the Workers’ Party to do (in some time), especially after all the publicity and limelight showered on him.

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So Face to Face has come and gone, no doubt there will be other major events showcasing these parties before the next GE. I do hope that some of these leaders can come to their senses and start letting their other members to step into the arena instead of propelling themselves to the limelight all the time. Time to introduce the policies and the people behind the vision. Be a team.

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