The People’s Action Party, which has dominated Singapore since independence, marked its 50th anniversary with a warning that its long-term survival hinges on attracting younger members willing to challenge its policies. “If we do not have these arguments within the party, they will surface as inter-party competition,” founding Prime minister Lee Kuan Yew said in remarks published yesterday, a day after the party’s anniversary celebrations.

The PAP faces no imminent threat to its hold on power. The cash-strapped, fragmented opposition holds just two of parliament’s 84 seats and has long complained that frequent legal action by PAP officials chills dissent.

In an anniversary speech on Sunday, Lee said arguments on alternative policies should stay within the PAP rather than erupt between the parties, and that younger politicians were needed – underlining fears the party could lose touch with young people. “The key to PAP’s longevity is self-renewal continually, inducting younger men and women of ability and integrity, with high energy levels,” said Lee, who at age 81 remains highly influential as the third most powerful minister in cabinet.