Just one year into his job as Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong cried. He choked when he spoke at the May Day rally.
It was a moment to take stock and assure unionists that the government has got their back. But to many people’s surprise, PM teared up as he read out a message from a Singaporean who was one of many on the Air Force flight anxious to return home from a war-torn Persian Gulf.
He took a sip from his glass, recovered quickly and continued speaking.
No PM has cried in their first year into the job. Mr Lee Kuan Yew did it six years after. Mr Lee Hsien Loong’s tears came much later, when he spoke about how the older generation fought hard to create a modern-day miracle.
Mr Goh Chok Tong broke the spell and never shed a tear in public. And politicians crying in public is no big deal, as Mrs Margaret Thatcher, Ms Teresa May, and Mr Winston Churchill have done it.
But what makes PM Wong’s case unusual is that he couldn’t keep his emotions in check at such a young age (54) and that too very early in his Premiership.
The war in the Middle East, the closing of a critical artery like the Strait of Hormuz, the AI revolution threatening to take away Singaporeans’ jobs, the record low birth rate that leaves fewer young people to take care of a fast-growing, greying population, the danger of immigrants taking over jobs... all these must have weighed on his shoulders as he spoke.
A friend told me how surprised he was with what his 24-year-old grandson told him. “He said that our politicians should not cry in public. It makes them appear weak and vulnerable.”
Coming from a young Singaporean, that reaction surprised me. I had always thought that younger Singaporeans have a softer heart, having grown up in a country of plenty, unlike the older ones who have been hardened by harsh times.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s reign was a tough slog with the separation from Malaysia and the pullout of British forces delivering twin body blows that made Singapore a tough place to grow up in.
The ruling PAP preached the steel-in-your-spine mantra at every opportunity. Hard talk and action made it into a macho party. Crying in public reflected weakness in leadership and was a definite no-no.
Seen in this context, PM’s tearful display can be seen in a negative light. But we are in a new Singapore where empathy and decency are erasing an Alpha model of governance. Even political rivals are not treated as bitter enemies.
Yes, PM Wong cried. So what?
PN Balji is a veteran journalist and media consultant with over 40 years of experience. He is the former editor of The New Paper and TODAY, and the author of the book Reluctant Editor.
