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Between 1981 and 1991, Singapore underwent a defining decade of political change. Former Senior Minister S. Jayakumar, who helped shape three landmark constitutional reforms, sits down with three young CNA journalists at the Old Parliament House, where these laws were passed. Drawing on his new book, he revisits a question that had concerned Lee Kuan Yew since the 1970s: could future elections leave too few minorities in Parliament? He traces how that concern led to proposals, Cabinet disagreements and difficult choices that ultimately shaped Singapore's GRC system.
0:00 Critics: GRCs developed to disadvantage the opposition
5:32 Lee Kuan Yew’s commitment to safeguarding minority representation
8:04 The Twin Constituencies proposal
9:16 Ahmad Mattar: Special safeguards could create “crutch mentality”
13:47 How the proposal evolved
14:54 S. Jayakumar’s turning point
17:37 How relevant are GRCs today?
20:29 Securing minority representation in Singapore’s highest office
24:31 Other safeguards for multiculturalism in Singapore