During the Ask PM Lee segment on Thursday evening, PM Lee hinted that more ITE and Poly grads may be selected to run as candidates for the PAP in the next election.
A member of the public had pointed out that the government is shifting focus to value non-grads and asked whether this could mean that we may see more non-degree holder MPs in the future under the PAP.
In response, PM Lee had said "I hope so. We will try very hard to look for them. And whenever we find a good man or good woman, we will field him."
He explained how they are "casting their net very wide" for the next election. He also pointed out that there are currently already some MPs who are diploma holders such as Zainudin Nordin from Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and Charles Chong from Joo Chiat SMC.
PM Lee also took the opportunity to point out that for these two, the PAP had not been looking specifically at their educational qualifications.
"We didn't choose them because they were poly graduates, or despite them being poly graduates, we just chose them and they happened to be. And I think that's the way it should be," he explained.
For MPs, it may not be as important to be of a "quality" educational background as their most important role is their day to day interactions with the residents and their ability to represent them in parliament.
It is more important to have good people skills and dedication to the residents. They must be able to relate to and understand the average Singaporeans in their wards. In fact, this is something that may be difficult for elites with good degrees and high paying jobs to understand at all. A good example was Dr Koh Poh Koon in the Punggol East By election who made a fool of himself by saying that "everyone has a car".
However, there is an entirely different role for ministers. In Singapore, the focus for ministerial appointments has always seemed to be to pick individuals who have elite jobs and were scholars at prestigious overseas universities.
Would even this change in the future if there were capable non-degree holders who showed they had what it takes to be a minister?