Is Singapore ready for an Indian or Malay prime minister? Survey suggests so

Singaporeans are ready to accept a prime minister from the minority community, a new survey showed, nearly two weeks after the Southeast Asian nation picked an ethnic Indian as its head of state.

More than three in five Singaporeans told polling company YouGov Plc that they are ready for an Indian or Malay prime minister, according to the survey published on Wednesday.

Younger Singaporeans were more in favour of a qualified leader from an ethnic minority group compared to the older generation of citizens, the findings showed.

The results reflect a growing acceptance of giving minority leaders an opportunity to lead the Southeast Asian nation, made up mostly of ethnic Chinese with a sizeable Indian and Malay population.

Singapore’s ruling party passes test after series of political scandals

This week, a leader from the PAP said that it was too early to draw a conclusion that Singapore was ready for a non-Chinese prime minister based on Tharman’s victory.

“It will come one day because the Singapore society is maturing,” Heng Swee Keat, a deputy prime minister, was quoted as saying by the Straits Times.

Singapore is preparing for a rare handover of power as Lee plans to step aside as prime minister after nearly two decades in office. Lee’s succession is expected to coincide with national polls that must be called by 2025.

YouGov interviewed 1,000 Singaporeans above the age of 21 between September 8 and 11 for the survey.