SINGAPORE: Singapore faces significant challenges that will need to be dealt with for possibly over the next 10 years, and the sooner the next General Election is held, the sooner Singaporeans can be rallied together to deal with those issues and uncertainties ahead, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat in an interview with CNA on Wednesday (May 27).

"I would say that, yes, elections are coming nearer by the day," said Mr Heng, in response to a question on whether Singaporeans will have to wait until Phase 3 after Singapore exits the "circuit breaker period" for the General Election to be held.

"The sooner we get it done, the earlier we can rally everybody together to deal with these very significant challenges ahead, and also to deal with these very significant uncertainties in the months and years ahead," said Mr Heng. 

Singapore's next General Election must be held before Apr 14 next year, and Parliament has to be dissolved in January.

"A long runway" will be required for Singapore to tackle the economic and structural challenges, and a united Singapore will help the country emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is not a set of issues that we deal with over the next six to nine months or one year, but a set of issues that we need to deal with over the next five and even 10 years for us to emerge stronger, for us to manage this crisis of a generation as best as we can,” said Mr Heng

“So it is important for all Singaporeans to begin to focus our minds on how we can come together to overcome this crisis of our generation and how we can then rally together to emerge stronger.”

More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/general-elections-singapore-heng-swee-keat-covid19-12775996