Singapore PM says his govt 'did not get every call right' during Covid-19

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday conceded that his government "did not get every call right" in the COVID-19 crisis, but assured that the key is to keep learning and be prepared to make the tough calls.

In a speech delivered at the administrative service appointment and promotion ceremony, the Prime Minister noted that trust in his government has been key to Singapore's management of the pandemic.

To continue building this trust, it needs a top-notch public service that works hand-in-glove with the political leadership, he said at the ceremony held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Lee described COVID-19 as a stern test for the government and highlighted several key takeaways. One of which is the need to make tough calls, especially in times of uncertainty and ambiguity.

For instance, Singapore had to make a judgment call at the start of the pandemic when little was known about the virus. Whether to let the outbreak burn through our population, and hope to reach safety through herd immunity, or to tighten up and keep our cases as low as possible, until we learnt how to keep our population safe, Lee said sharing his deep insight into managing the coronavirus crisis, Channel News Asia reported.

"Both had their risks but Singapore decided right from the onset that it would not pay the high price in human lives," the Prime Minister said. So it closed its borders, implemented strict measures and imposed a two-month circuit breaker in April 2020 when schools and workplaces were shut and dining out was not allowed. But a year later, the emergence of the highly infectious Delta variant rendered a zero-COVID strategy less and less tenable, Lee pointed out.

Public mindsets also had to be changed, such as the considerable public anxiety that came with high daily cases and urging COVID-19 patients to recover at home, he said.

Fortunately, we executed the shift at just about the right time, and coped well with the subsequent Delta, followed by Omicron surges, said Lee.

He noted that the government had to make many difficult and consequential choices over the past two years, often without an established playbook nor the luxury to wait and see.

We had to judge what was best at that point with incomplete information, and act on that in the fog of war, said the Prime Minister of Asia's financial hub that went into "circuit breaker" type lockdown during the peak of the coronavirus.

He added that indecision or waiting for all the facts to come before acting would have been far worse.

Lee, however, acknowledged that the government "did not get every call right".

"We have had our share of challenges and setbacks these past two years but the key is to keep on learning and improving; and as we discover more information, to be prepared to update, revise or even reverse our decisions, he said.

Lee also said that trust in the government was key to Singapore's handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

He described this as trust that the Government has the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans at heart, is competent and will make the right decisions on behalf of Singaporeans.

Singaporeans displayed that trust when they accepted the government's advice and decisions, and they complied willingly with strict safe management measures, and when they came forward to get vaccinated, said the Prime Minister.

This trust is precious and to continue building and nurturing it, Singapore must have a top-notch public service with capable and committed officers who possess the right ethos and values and are dedicated to serving Singaporeans responsibly and honestly.

We need first-class minds, able to grasp and tackle complex, inter-connected problems, and come up with creative ideas and workable solutions, said 71-year old Lee. But we also need a first-class team, cohesive and mission-oriented, focused single-mindedly on getting the job done.

Yet, there is one more vital ingredient of success. For the public service to do its job, it needs to work hand-in-glove with the political leadership, noted Lee.

The ministers have to get the politics right, understand the key issues and identify our priorities, exercise their political mandate, set the direction and chart the country's strategy, he said, adding the need to also be hands-on to ensure that policies are well designed and implemented.

Then they can carry their decisions with the public, assure the population, and lead Singapore throughout this journey, said the Prime Minister.

Importantly, the political leadership has to give public servants the political support and cover they need. This will enable public servants to focus on their tasks, carry out their duties professionally and not be distracted or intimidated by political theatrics or grandstanding.

At the same time, public servants should appreciate the political context, translate overall strategy into workable policies, and implement and execute the plans, he said.

The political leadership and public service must complement and support one another, and trust each other to play their respective roles, he said, adding that this partnership is crucial.

Lee went on to add that amid a renewal in Singapore's political and public service leadership, there is a need to renew the trust that exists between the current generation of ministers and senior public service officers, and extend it into subsequent generations.

Tuesday's event was the first appointment and promotion ceremony held physically in two years.

Singapore had 1,140,569 coronavirus infections and 1,303 deaths since the epidemic started. There were 2,392 infections and 76 imported cases as well as two deaths reported as of Monday.