Fresh from a crushing election win on Saturday, the People's Action Party (PAP) is cleaning house in stages and considering constructive debate on its own terms.

Two dozen neophytes are giving the ruling party a shot of fresh blood as it tackles the city state's worst recession since independence and prepares for only its second leadership change in four decades.

Goh, who plans to step down sometime during his new five-year term, said he "will pursue the idea of an alternative policies group" made up of 20 PAP members of parliament who could speak freely without falling under the party whip.

"I hope to get alternative ideas on how to solve problems," he told Singapore media on Tuesday (Nov 6) on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian nations summit in Brunei.

The ruling party has many problems to contend with but the opposition isn't one of them.

The PAP had Saturday's election in the bag before a vote was cast as four opposition parties ran in just 29 of 84 constituencies.

On polling day, Singaporeans voted for the proven performer by handing the PAP all but two seats and lifting its mandate in contested wards to 75 percent from 65 percent in the 1997 poll.

DEBATE NOT SPLIT

Talk of the ruling party cleaving itself into parts has been doing the rounds for years but analysts say the PAP would rather tap itself for fresh ideas than risk a true two-party system.

Gillian Koh, a fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies think-tank, said many of the new PAP recruits were reputed to be quite independent and would help to bring discussions from behind closed doors onto the floor of parliament.

"It's not to engineer any sort of internal split," she told Reuters on Wednesday. "There's still a demand for loyalty but dissent on ideas is fine."

Goh's team will need all the fresh thinking it can get as electronics exports slump and the economy faces a three percent contraction this year after nearly 10 percent growth in 2000.

Some 40,000 jobs are seen disappearing by this time next year, a shocking blow to a tiny island nation of four million people that depends almost entirely on the whims of external demand.

A ministerial committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong plans to examine all areas of the economy to see how costs such as rents and taxes can be cut as competition looms from the likes of regional giants India and China.

VETERAN CABINET FOR NOW

Goh plans to unveil his cabinet line-up, including a new finance minister to replace the retiring Richard Hu, on November 23 but already has been dropping hints.

The future ruling elite -- mostly doctors, bankers and other professionals -- rolled into parliament on the PAP locomotive but veterans will get the nod for most of the heavyweight jobs.

"You can expect most of the old faces to be there," said Goh, who took the helm from Lee Kuan Yew in 1990. "The bigger move will come in 18 to 24 months' time."

Goh made clear the finance brief would not go to a new arrival. But the new cabinet is likely to include some of the more vocal members of the old team including Khaw Boon Wan, until now permanent secretary for trade, and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, managing director of the central bank.

"I don't think it's been the case of a herd of sheep following just one guy or a whole bunch of yes men," Koh said of Goh and the ruling party. "They've always had that kind of internal debate. Now it's just a question of bringing it out."