Civil servants must be politically non-political. Don’t believe me? Listen to PM Lee’s speech.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave a suitably thorough, albeit meandering 35-minute speech on April 26, 2016, at the annual Administrative Service promotion ceremony and dinner at Shangri-La Hotel.

The prime minister took the opportunity to outline, very broadly and in some detail, what the civil service should and should not be, a day before the Bukit Batok by-election hustings proper began.

The contents of his speech, like the length of speech itself, was at odds a lot of times: Long and short on details; thorough, but yet broad; effusive and nebulous, yet cogent and still logically valid.

To a lay person, you are bound to get a headache trying to wrap your head around what he said is required of the civil service — which is to meld together and embody seemingly disparate ideals by being many things to many people at the same time.

To civil servants, good luck.

Civil service must be neutral

First off, PM Lee made it clear that there will always be a fine balance between the civil service being neutral and non-political, but still being politically-sensitive and responsive.

Civil servants must, therefore, remain non-partisan (“maintain a certain detachment from politics”) and Singapore must continue to maintain this fine balance.

 

But civil service and political leadership must share same beliefs and values

However, PM Lee also explained that it remains crucial that the political leadership and civil service share the same beliefs, values and ideals — meritocracy, clean government, multiracialism, inclusive development and economic growth.

This is so as the civil service is not independent of the elected government, unlike the judiciary.

The civil service is obliged to serve the government of the day under Singapore’s system.

PM Lee said: “The civil service must therefore understand the political context and the thinking of the political leadership.”

Yet, civil service and political leadership must be different

Non-partisan civil servants have different roles from elected politicians.

Ministers look after politics by getting a sense of the ground, deciding the national direction, selling policies to the public and making them work.

Ministers in politics must provide political guidance to the civil servants to deliver results.

But a minister cannot influence his civil servants politically.

 

Elected politicians must protect civil servants from politics

He must also protect civil servants from political interference and not involve them in political activities.

As for civil servants, their responsibility is policy. They do this by translating political goals into workable plans.

With a duty to society, civil servants must work for the people and come up with sound policies. But yet, remain impartial and non-political.

Civil servants must not campaign for or against any party (even the incumbent), nor misuse state resources or powers for partisan purposes.

Remain politically non-political, in other words

However, nor should civil servants shy away from carrying out their duties when a matter is politically controversial.

Last, but not least, despite their distinctive roles, PM Lee said, the political leadership and civil service must have a broad consensus on values and priorities, with the sense of mission for Singapore and a strong ethos of service for Singaporeans — a virtuous circle that has to be kept going so that political leaders and the civil service can work hand-in-hand to lead Singapore forward.

PM Lee said in Singapore’s founding years, political leaders and civil servants were “cut from the same cloth”.

So, it is not surprising that some civil servants became ministers and civil servants were “talent-spotted” to join politics.

These days, PM Lee concluded, Singapore is in a different phase today, as it is no longer politically-dormant.

The post-independence generation, born into growth and prosperity, has more diverse experiences and interests and wants to be heard.

The PAP is still in a strong position, but the opposition has more fertile ground to till and is constantly active, with elections fiercely contested.

“The political leadership and the civil service have to work hand-in-hand in this new environment, with each understanding its respective role,” he said.

That means, the civil service must be politically non-political.

Or rather, non-politically political.

Or maybe, non-political, but having political sense, but still non-political.

Or appear so.

But never apolitical.

 

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- Belmont Lay