新加坡：人民行动党（PAP）秘书长黄循财周日（10月25日）表示，治理的挑战不仅在于平衡相互竞争的利益，还在于直面那些在政治上本更容易置之不理的问题。
SINGAPORE: The challenge of governance is not just about balancing competing interests but also about confronting issues that would otherwise be politically easier to leave alone, said People's Action Party (PAP) secretary general Lawrence Wong on Sunday (Oct 25).
“但我们也必须警惕民粹主义——即提供简单化解决方案、而非直面艰难现实的诱惑，”他在行动党的颁奖典礼暨大会上表示，与会党员预计将选出该党第39届中央执行委员会（CEC）成员。
“But we must also guard against populism – the temptation to offer simplistic solutions instead of confronting difficult realities,” he said at the PAP's Awards and Conference, where cadres are expected to elect members of the party's 39th central executive committee (CEC).
周日，黄循财列举了住房、人力和政治薪金等党必须正面应对的各项议题。
On Sunday, Mr Wong cited various issues – including housing, manpower and political salaries – that the party had to deal with head on.
谈及政治薪金的修订，黄循财说：“在政治上便利的做法本是完全回避这个问题。但我们不能一直拖延一个关乎新加坡能否为未来打造强有力政治领导团队的决定。”
"The politically convenient option would have been to avoid the issue altogether. But we could not keep putting off a decision that matters for Singapore’s ability to build a strong political leadership team for the future," said Mr Wong of the revision of political salaries.
“所以我决定在国会公开回应这个问题，解释我们的决定，并为此承担责任。”在处理棘手问题时，行动党政府的做法一直遵循恒定原则：认真倾听、诚实说明利弊权衡、作出决定并为后果负责。
"So I decided to address the issue openly in Parliament, explain our decision, and take responsibility for it." In dealing with difficult issues, the PAP government's approach has been guided by constant principles: listening carefully, explaining the trade-offs honestly, making the decision and taking responsibility for the consequences.
黄循财表示，作为执政党，行动党“不能仅因决定不受欢迎就回避艰难抉择”。
Mr Wong said that as the governing party, the PAP "cannot shy away from difficult decisions just because they are unpopular".
“我们也不能今天只说人们爱听的话，却把后果留给别人明天来处理，”黄循财说。
"Nor can we tell people what they want to hear today, only to leave others to deal with the consequences tomorrow," said Mr Wong.
他补充道：“因为当我们推迟艰难决定时，问题不会因此消失。我们只是把它们转嫁给后来者——往往还会让他们面临更艰难的抉择。”
"Because when we postpone difficult decisions, we do not make the problems disappear. We simply pass them on to those who come after us – and often leave them with even harder choices later," he added.
“因此，我们必须有勇气采取行动——不仅是为了当下的新加坡人，也是为了将继承我们建设的新加坡的子孙后代。”平衡相互竞争的需求黄循财表示，作为着眼长远的执政者，政府不仅要处理当下的关切，还要为新加坡的未来做好准备。
"So we must have the courage to act – not just for Singaporeans today, but also for our children and grandchildren who will inherit the Singapore that we build." BALANCING COMPETING NEEDS Mr Wong said that as part of governing for the long-term, the government must not only deal with the concerns of today but also prepare Singapore for the future.
他说：“这意味着要着眼未来，预判问题，并在问题变得更难解决之前采取行动。”
"That means looking ahead. Anticipating problems. And acting before they become more difficult to solve," he said.
他引述印尼近期宣布削减对新加坡天然气出口一事，指出新加坡一直在为这类风险做准备，投资建设液化天然气接收站，以便从不同国家进口天然气，不必依赖管道，从而在应对任何中断情况时拥有更多选择。
He cited Indonesia's recent announcement to cut gas exports to Singapore, and how Singapore has been preparing for such risks by investing in liquefied natural gas terminals to import natural gas from different countries without having to rely on pipelines in order to provide options in managing any disruptions.
除此之外，新加坡也在研究核能作为更清洁电力来源的一个选项的潜力。黄循财表示，政府“严肃对待”民众对核能可以理解的担忧。
Beyond that, however, Singapore is also studying the potential of nuclear energy as an option for cleaner sources of power. Mr Wong said that the government takes understandable concerns surrounding nuclear energy "seriously".
“但我们不应仅仅因为某个选项困难或有争议就将其排除在外，”他说。
"But we should not rule out an option simply because it is difficult or controversial," he said.
“我们必须仔细评估风险与取舍，与新加坡人展开接触沟通，并作出正确决策，以保障我们的能源未来。”
"We must assess the risks and trade-offs carefully, engage Singaporeans, and make the right decision to secure our energy future."
黄循财表示，作为执政党，行动党必须处理不同群体相互竞争的需求与利益，并将其置于“更大局面”中加以考量。
As the governing party, Mr Wong said that the PAP must deal with competing needs and interests from different groups and consider them against the "wider picture".
他说：“我们不能只是告诉每个人他们爱听的话，或答应每个人他们希望得到的东西。”
"We cannot simply tell everyone what they want to hear, or promise everyone what they hope to get," he said.
国会议员在议会提出关乎选民利益的议题，以及他们强烈关注的诉求。黄循财说，在野党工人党也会就政策议题发声。
Members of Parliament (MPs) raise in the House issues that matter to their constituents and causes that they feel strongly for. The opposition Workers' Party (WP), too, speaks up on policy issues, said Mr Wong.
“但如果我们审视他们一贯采取的立场，会发现这些立场并不总是一致或连贯的，”他说。黄循财指出，住房问题是在野党多年来立场发生转变的一个议题。
"But when we look at the positions they have taken over time, they are not always consistent or coherent," he said. One issue on which Mr Wong said the opposition party has shifted its position on over the years was on housing.
2019年，当组屋转售价格下跌时，工人党主张政府应减少建设新组屋。
In 2019 when the prices of public resale flats were falling, WP had argued that the government should build fewer new flats.
到了2023年，新冠疫情扰乱了建筑进度，导致新组屋供应短缺，反对党转而批评政府建屋不足。
By 2023, after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted construction and led to a shortfall in new flats, the opposition was criticising the government for not building enough flats.
黄循财说：“然而，对于几年前自己主张过的立场，却没有任何承认。”工人党改变立场的另一个议题是外籍人力。
"Yet there was no acknowledgement of what it had advocated just a few years earlier," said Mr Wong. Another issue on which WP had changed its position on was foreign manpower.
早在2012年，当人民行动党政府收紧外籍劳工政策时，工人党曾呼吁各行业应给予更大的灵活性。
WP had called for greater flexibility across industries back in 2012, when the PAP government tightened foreign worker policies.
随后，在人口政策辩论中，面对预计人口达690万的担忧，该反对党提出外籍劳动力零增长；但近期，当中小企业面临人力短缺时，又呼吁放宽外籍劳工配额。
The opposition party then proposed zero growth in the foreign workforce during the debate on population policy, amid concerns over the projected population of 6.9 million, but more recently called for easing of foreign worker quotas when small and medium enterprises (SMEs) faced manpower shortages.
黄循财说：“你可以看到，工人党的立场似乎随政治风向转移。但外籍人力政策不能仅因当下的压力而反复摇摆。”他补充指出，任何“相对微小的调整”都会带来更广泛的后果。
"You can see how the WP’s position seems to shift with the political winds. But foreign manpower policy cannot simply shift back and forth with the pressures of the moment," said Mr Wong, adding how any "relatively small adjustments" would bring about wider consequences.
黄循财说，这些议题显示，反对党根据“自认为会受欢迎”的立场，在不同时间采取不同立场。
These issues show how the opposition has taken different positions at different times based on "what they believe will be popular", said Mr Wong.
他表示：“但这些立场并不总能构成一个连贯的方案，兼顾权衡取舍和长远后果。”
"But these positions do not always add up to a coherent approach that takes account of the trade-offs and longer-term consequences," he said.
他说：“这是反对党政治的一部分。当不需要调和所有相互竞争的需求，也不必为结果负责时，主张某个特定立场会容易得多。”黄循财指出，执政则不同，要求政党作出能经得起时间考验的艰难抉择，而非仅提供当下听起来诱人的方案。
"This is part of opposition politics. It is easier to argue for a particular position when you do not have to reconcile all the competing demands, or take responsibility for the outcome." Mr Wong said that governing is different, as it requires the party to make difficult choices that will stand the test of time and not just offer what sounds attractive today.
他指出，世界其他地方的发展显示，传统政党失去立足之地，“政治中间派”力量减弱，从法国到亚洲部分地区，年轻人纷纷走上街头。
He pointed to developments elsewhere in the world world, where traditional political parties have lost ground and the "political centre" has weakened, and young people have taken to the streets in different countries from France to parts of Asia.
黄循财表示，虽然直接诱因各不相同，但经济不安全感和对负担能力的担忧等压力却是相似的。他警告说：“‘速效药’或许很诱人，但无法解决根本问题。”
While the immediate causes differ, the pressures of economic insecurity and affordability concerns are similar, said Mr Wong. “Quick fixes" may be tempting, but they do not solve the underlying problems, he cautioned.
“因此挫败感持续存在。对体制的信任减弱。政治变得更加两极分化，”黄循财说。
"So frustrations persist. Trust in institutions weakens. Politics becomes more polarised," said Mr Wong.
“于是寻找共同点、建立共识、为共同利益做出艰难决定，变得更加困难。” 总理黄循财于2026年10月25日在2026年人民行动党党庆暨大会上发表演讲。
"Then it becomes harder to find common ground, build consensus and make the difficult decisions needed for the common good." Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivers an address at the 2026 PAP Party Awards and Conference on Oct 25, 2026.
黄循财表示，在新加坡，政府必须严肃对待民众对生计和未来的担忧，但必须防范民粹主义。
In Singapore, Mr Wong said the government must take worries about livelihoods and the future seriously, but must guard against populism.
“最重要的是，我们绝不能让政治变得如此分裂，以至于我们失去为新加坡未来共同努力的能力，”黄循财说。
"Above all, we must never allow our politics to become so divided that we lose the ability to work together for Singapore’s future," said Mr Wong.
“这就是为什么，作为执政党，人民行动党必须始终着眼大局、着眼长远。” 这将涉及考虑新加坡的整体利益——而不仅仅是那些呼声最高的人的利益——并做出艰难抉择，为后果负责。
"That is why, as the governing party, the PAP must always take the wider and long-term view." And this would involve considering the interests of Singapore as a whole – and not just the interests of those who speak up most loudly – and make difficult choices and take responsibility for the consequences.
保持人民行动党作为一个广泛基础的政党 黄循财表示，有勇气做出艰难决定，并不意味着认为政府总是最清楚、总是正确的。
KEEPING PAP A BROAD-BASED PARTY Mr Wong said having the courage to make difficult decisions did not mean believing that the Government always knew best or was always right.
“我们必须贴近新加坡人。倾听他们的关切和经历。并准备好在某些做法未能达到预期效果时作出改变，”他说。
“We must stay close to Singaporeans. Listen to their concerns and experiences. And be prepared to change when something is not working as we intended,” he said.
他指出，人民行动党活动分子一直在讨论就业与人工智能、住房与教育等议题，并表示此类基层反馈能够塑造政策。
He noted that PAP activists had been discussing issues including jobs and artificial intelligence, housing and education, and said such ground feedback could shape policy.
“这些对话很重要。因为即使一项政策在纸面上看起来不错，在实际执行中可能效果不如预期，”他说。
“These conversations matter. Because even a policy that looks good on paper may not work as well on the ground,” he said.
黄循财引用增强陪产假、共享育儿假和家庭照顾津贴为例，说明这些政策都受到了人民行动党支部主席和党员活动家反馈的影响。
Mr Wong cited enhancements to paternity leave, shared parental leave and the Home Caregiving Grant as examples of policies that had been influenced by feedback from PAP branch chairs and activists.
他补充说，党也必须走出既有圈子，接触持有不同观点和背景的新加坡人，包括那些可能不会加入行动党、或并非在所有议题上都同意行动党立场的人。
He added that the party must also reach beyond its existing circles and engage Singaporeans with different views and backgrounds, including those who may not join the PAP or agree with it on every issue.
“这就是我们让行动党保持为一个广基础政党的方式——与各行各业的人保持联系，并与新加坡人不断变化的期望保持同步。这也是我们更新党的方式，”他说。
“That is how we keep the PAP a broad-based party – connected to people from all walks of life, and in touch with the changing aspirations of Singaporeans. That is also how we renew our party,” he said.
“更新不仅仅是在选举中推出新候选人。更新是关于刷新我们的理念、拓宽我们的党员基础和扩大我们的网络。”
“Renewal is not just about fielding new candidates in an election. Renewal is about refreshing our ideas, broadening our membership and expanding our networks.”