SINGAPORE - With political contestation here becoming more intense, some political parties have taken to claiming that Singaporeans need not fear a change of government, given the country’s first-class public service.

Such rhetoric is alarming, given that the political leadership and the public service pursue a common purpose but play different roles, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.

Speaking at the annual Administrative Service dinner on April 15, DPM Heng said he is convinced that no minister can make effective policies for the long-term interest of Singapore if he focused only on political engagements, and left policy design to the public service.

“If the political leaders I had served in my Admin Service days had done that, and had no policy instincts on what makes Singapore tick, I would have left the public service long ago and so would many of my fellow permanent secretaries,” he told the 320 guests at the dinner at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

“We stayed in service because the political leaders we worked with share the same mission of creating a better future for Singapore, for Singaporeans, and with clear strategic minds.”

Recounting his own experience as permanent secretary under then Minister for Trade and Industry George Yeo, DPM Heng said it was Mr Yeo who set the strategic direction of pursuing free trade agreements (FTAs) and to persuade fellow ministers in other countries on the value of FTAs, while he supervised the details of Singapore’s negotiations.

When he later became a political leader, the permanent secretaries who reported to him – including at the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation – were not afraid to have open and rigorous policy debates.

“Till today, I am very heartened that our educators and Admin Service officers would tell me honestly if my idea was flawed,” he said. “They had the courage to speak truth to power.”

The complementary roles of the public service and political leadership, coupled with a sense of common purpose, is what takes Singapore forward, said DPM Heng.

Besides the importance of trust between the public service and the political leadership, DPM Heng shared five other lessons for Administrative Service officers at the dinner.

Respect and develop the front line

DPM Heng recounted an incident from the earliest days of his career, when as a police patrol office he had to direct traffic at a busy junction as the traffic light h...