Summary. The youth wing of Singapore’s ruling party, Young PAP (YP), is pursuing closer ties with the Chinese Communist Youth League, two YP executive committee members told PolOffs on August 27. Recent YP “study visits” to China have focused on political education and recruitment. In contrast, YP’s relations with fraternal parties in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan are less active. Though YP membership has recently increased by about 150% to approximately 9,000, it remains a relatively small organization even by Singapore standards. It has never fulfilled its intended role of cultivating new leadership for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), with only one former member in a cabinet-level position. Instead of influencing policy, YP appears geared toward creating a positive image of the PAP for young Singaporeans, with the ultimate goal of encouraging them to become PAP members.
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