It is possible that SK PAP politicians are just damn good at their jobs -- The modern history of Singapore does seem to suggest this.
But it's also possible that no viable oppositions are allowed to organize effectively enough to compete fairly.
My personal yardstick for judging a healthy and mature democracy is counting how many times political power has changed hands without violence -- Singapore is yet to score after 60 years.
> But it's also possible that no viable oppositions are allowed to organize effectively enough to compete fairly.
The odds are stacked against the opposition — for some reason, elected Members of Parliament are required to manage their individual town councils as well. The opposition that won a group constituency recently got a lawsuit slapped against them for "mismanagement" [1].
It's a mix. PAP are quite competent and has improved lifes greatly. On the hand there is the GRC concept that screw opposition. GRC are constitutcies which are worth multiple parliament seats. Only one was won by opposition and that was by a razor thin margin. GRC also make gerymendering easier and less obvious.
But it's also possible that no viable oppositions are allowed to organize effectively enough to compete fairly.
My personal yardstick for judging a healthy and mature democracy is counting how many times political power has changed hands without violence -- Singapore is yet to score after 60 years.