PA surveys community & govt confidence amid pending general election

Residents across Singapore are being called upon to share their opinions in a new survey aimed at gauging the level of community involvement and the state of social relations within the country.

The People’s Association (PA), under the leadership of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has commissioned the survey, which is being conducted by ASCENTIQ throughout February and March.

The survey seeks to explore residents’ confidence in the Singapore government, its leadership, and their participation in community activities. Participants are required to answer over 47 questions, ranging from simple yes or no responses to more detailed ratings on a scale of 0 to 10.

To acknowledge the time and effort of the respondents, each participant is rewarded with a S$10 NTUC voucher.

The survey comes amid the possibility of an early election being called this year, following Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s announcement last year of his intention to hand over leadership to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

PM Lee has the discretion to decide the timing of the next election, which must be held no later than 23 November 2025, and may call for it when he deems it advantageous to the People’s Action Party (PAP).

In 2022, former Member of Parliament Mr Leon Perera raised questions regarding the government’s policy on publishing comprehensive data sets from government-commissioned survey data.

In response, Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Communication and Information, highlighted the government’s approach to balancing the publication of data with the protection of personal information and the potential sensitivity of survey findings.

While many survey findings, such as the annual Labour Force Survey and the Household Expenditure Survey, are made public, Mrs Teo noted the challenges in publishing specific datasets.

“However, specific datasets may not be suitable for publication. Survey respondents often give their consent on the understanding that their responses will be kept confidential. They entrust their personal data in confidence, and we take this seriously,” said the Minister.

“Removing personal identifiable information is not enough. Parts of a dataset can involve very small samples which heightens the risk of re-identifying survey respondents significantly. This is especially so for longitudinal panel surveys. Instead, we may share more sensitive data directly with researchers looking into relevant topics, with additional safeguards.”

Whether the findings will be openly shared or utilized internally for policy formulation, whether to call for an early election or simply gerrymandering by PAP, remains to be seen.

So far, signs suggest that the election could be held as early as June to avoid potential scandals for the PAP government and to sidestep the anticipated Temasek earnings report and the trial of Iswaran’s corruption charges.

Below are the questions that interviewees are being asked.

1. I agree with how the Government runs Singapore.
2. The Government listens to its citizens and understands their aspirations.
3. The Government contributes well to the citizens.
4. Singaporeans from all walks of life are united and will stand through good and bad times.
5.  I am hopeful for the future of Singapore and Singaporeans
6. How much confidence do you have in the Singapore leadership (excluding members of parliament)?
7. How much confidence do you have in public services (PUB/HDB, etc)?
8. How do you rate the government agencies’ competency? How do you rate the government agencies’ integrity?
9. How do you rate the government agencies’ dedication to the country?
10. How do you rate the government agencies’ care about citizens?
11. How do you rate the government agencies’ sincerity?
12. How do you rate the government agencies’ connection with the people?
13. I feel a sense of solidarity with other Singaporeans regardless of race, language, religion and background.
14. The different people that makeup society are interdependent and will need one another to achieve happiness and prosperity for everyone, regardless of their background.
15. I treat people respectfully and accept the differences at work and in day-to-day social life
16. In my experience, I have been treated respectfully, and my differences are accepted at work and in day-to-day social life.
17. Acceptance of people speaking their differences in customs, preference in expression, and identity in public
18. In your experience, people accept my differences in customs, preference in expression, and identity in public.
19. I am considerate of my differences in customs, preference in expression, and identity in public that I would keep in a private space.
20. Others are considerate of my differences in customs, preference in expression, and identity in public that I would keep in a private space.
21. Living in a fair society with a level playing field regardless of race, language, religion and background
22. The effort that I put in will result in a better life for me and my family.
23. The potential tensions and disagreements between different people in our society are well-managed regardless of background.
24. People here in my neighbourhood act in consideration for one another.
25. People in my neighbourhood settle disputes amicably
26. People here in my neighbourhood look out for one another.
27. In my neighbourhood, neighbours are also friends.
28. Are you in any digital chat group with other people in your neighbourhood?
29. Did you engage in any volunteer work with any organisation in the last 12 months?
30. Did you participate in any citizen engagement efforts with any agencies in the last 12 months?
31. Did you attend any community events in the last 12 months?
32. I am aware of what grassroots organisations are there.
33. I am aware of grassroots organisations that are driven to build a community to look after those who need help in the neighbourhood.
34. Grassroots organisations are relevant in explaining government policies and conveying the sentiments to the government.
35. I want to work with grassroots organisations to build a better Singapore.
36. In the last 12 months, did you interact with the grassroots organisation?
37. Community centres are important providers of community activities for the community to come together.
38. Resident Centres are the focus point for community lives in the neighbourhood.
39. In the last 12 months, did you visit a community centre?
40. In the last 12 months, did you participate in any programmes organised by the People’s Association and grassroots organisations?
41. Have you heard about Chingay?
42. Chingay signifies Singapore’s multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society.
43. Chingay brings people from different races, religions, backgrounds and walks of life together as a community.
44. Chingay displays volunteer spirit.
45. I feel a strong sense of pride as a result of Chingay.
46. I am more interested in understanding the different cultures and traditions in Singapore as a result of Chingay.
47. In the last three years, did you participate in Chingay or any associated event or watch it on TV?