The National Solidarity Party (NSP) has called on the ruling
People's Action Party and the opposition Workers' Party not to
exploit the ongoing hawker centre cleaning dispute for "political
gain".
NSP secretary-general Hazel Poa said on Monday night in a
statement that her party is "troubled by what we see as the
declining level of discourse in our politics recently", and "a
growing culture of partisan bickering".
Ms Poa called on both parties to focus on a thorough
post-mortem, and to focus debate instead on recent licensing rules
for news websites and the country's preparedness during the recent
haze. These are issues which are "top of mind for all Singaporeans"
currently, she added.
Ms Poa said the website rules would have a chilling effect on
free expression. She also asked why the Government did not issue
stop-work orders during the peak of the haze, and why the
Government's stockpile of masks bought with taxpayer money were
given to retailers to sell for profit. She also suggested an
"emergency response czar", or a senior minister, to head an
inter-ministry committee to ensure the Government communicates
clearly in emergencies.
Ms Poa added that "good leaders do not point fingers
when things go (wrong) or single out private citizens in an attempt
to embarrass them."
She did not elaborate. But a week ago, Minister for
Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim named blogger Ravi
Philemon as among those who caused unnecessary public anxiety
during last month's haze by spreading rumours. Mr Philemon is a
member of NSP.
Ms Poa said leadership is about being honest and open about
errors, and focussed
on problem-solving.
"That is the kind of leadership that Singaporeans voted
for in the last general elections, not what we have been seeing in
Parliament of late," she said, adding that elected MPs have a duty
to ensure that parliamentary sessions focus on
discussing issues that matter to the
people.
