Does the PAP
impose partisan loyalties amongst civil servants in its quest to
'fix the opposition'?
Although the website of the Public Service Division (PSD) PSD
(Role)> Nurturing Talent> Progressive Policies [link][archive] states "Remaining completely neutral in
all political matters and matters of public controversy" as part of
the "principles of incorruptibility, integrity and propriety" that
the civil service abides by, it remains doubtful if the PAP
government really respects this rule/ distinction.
In 03May2006, during parliamentary general elections, PM Lee warned
voters that if even 10 opposition members were elected into
parliament, then he would "spend all my time thinking what's the
right way to fix them, to buy my supporters votes, how can I solve
this week's problem and forget about next year's challenges?"
('PM Lee says countries worldwide respect and admire
Singapore's proven system' [YouTube/@1m10s]).
That same election, the buying of supporters votes through
preferential selection for the lift upgrading programme (LUP) in
Hougang and P.Pasir was offered in lieu of voters in the two
opposition held constituencies voting for PAP MPs rather then
returning their incumbent opposition MPs.
"Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has expressed concern that
Hougang and Potong Pasir residents will lose out on upgrading if
they do not vote for the People's Action Party" [CNA, 26Mar2006] and ('Upgrading should be a
separate issue from the General Election' ['petition online']),
To their honour, neither opposition ward voters gave the PAP any
credit in response to the blatant bullying and pork barrel
politicking that the PAP had engaged.
Later, in 2009, when the MND/ HDB decided that in any case, all
constituencies should eventually undergo the lift upgrading scheme
as part of the national HDB LUP ('Lift Upgrading Programme to
be completed as scheduled in 2014' [CNA, 06Mar2009]); MND Minister MBT,
contrary to statutory specifications regarding the proper conduct
of the LUP, decided to, through the PA's overtly partisan and thus
illegitimate 'grassroots adviser' scheme, announce to the residents
of the 2 opposition constituencies about their respective
constituency's inclusion in the LUP via the respective loosing PAP
candidates of the last general election; unsurprisingly, this
abnormality yielded a barrage of online complaints besides opening
a Pandora's box about PAP impropriety wrt compliance with statutory
laws, ('Town Council Act (CAP 329A) states clearly that Govt
must work with Town Councils (run by MPs) to implement LUP'.
[TR, 29Oct2009][alt link]).
Critical to appreciating the LUP conspiracy is the existing PA
'grassroots advisers' scheme'; its essence is described in an ST
report as: "PAP MPs are appointed as advisers to the grassroots
organisations in their wards by the People’s Association (PA).
In the two opposition wards, the PA
picked the PAP candidates who contested but lost in the wards in
the last two polls as the grassroots advisers."
('‘Adviser over MP’ raises many questions': [ST, 22Oct2009][alt link])
It is noted at both PA website [link] and its govt directory record [link][archive], that PM Lee is the chairman of PA,
with Mr Mah BT the first board member on the list, ditto many other
PAP ministers and MPs.
The MND's last public response to multiple complaints about loosing
PAP electoral-candidates announcing the LUP in opposition wards
adds complicity, with MND admitting: "Opposition MPs cannot be
appointed advisers, because they do not answer to the ruling
party." ('Advisers and MPs have different roles' [ST,27Oct2009]); by so, the MND has very much
confirmed the fact that in the PA, its grassroots advisers must
"answer to the ruling party"- isn't this syndromic of systemic
partisan cronyism if not nepotism that the PAP has imposed
throughout the ranks of the civil service if not just the PA and
the MND?
There is of course no mention of any partisan political loyalties
in the PA's role and mission statement on 'gov.sg', [link][archive] and rightly so, :
"The People's Association is a statutory board promoting
racial harmony and social cohesion, nurturing leadership, providing
community services and outward bound training and facilitating
communications between the Government and the people. The mission
is to promote active citizenship and multiracial harmony, connect
the citizens for community bonding and volunteer work, provide
affordable access to lifeskill and lifestyle activities, and to
bring people closer to one another and to the government."
This undue and overt partisan loyalty imposed by the PAP
government upon the PA and other statutory boards under its
executive governance is thus improper and prejudicial, not to
mention unconstitutional (see: "'Civil servants under the
constitution hold their allegiance to the president..'",
'Integrity of election process a hot topic during youth
forum': [CNA, 17May2009]) to the fair and transparent
conduct of government affairs.
Thus, if the PM (like he said [YouTube/@1m10s]) is unable to avoid imposing
partisan loyalties upon statutory boards such as the PA, then he
ought to resign from his post as Chair of the PA or else revise the
constitution of the PA so that the PA can be "like most stat
boards, whose chairmen are usually the permanent secretary of the
parent ministry or some other senior civil servant" ('How PAP
uses taxpayer-funded grassroots for political gain' [G Giam, 10Oct2009]).
In conclusion, Mr Lee's cold and calculated efforts at corrupting
the integrity and impartiality of statutory boards to act in his
fancy as a wedge between legitimate opposition MPs and their
grassroots/ supporters, at the expense of national funds is most
reprehensible if not already an incursion upon the constitutional
sanctity of the civil service. "Civil servants under the
constitution hold their allegiance to the president."
('Integrity of election process a hot topic during youth
forum' [CNA, 17May2009])
In the words of PM Lee: "..we demand high standards of integrity
and performance from every public servant, MP and office-holder. We
assess them rigorously and objectively, and apply disciplinary
rules fairly and impartially to all. This is what Singaporeans
expect from their Government. And this is what we have delivered
and will continually strive to achieve".('Ministerial Statement
by PM Lee HL in Parliament on 21Apr2008' [link])
But really, in the midst of this admission of culpability, what
assurance is there that PM Lee's systemic civil service incursions
and impositions, besides enhancing PAP political hegemony, will
really do Singapore much if any possible good?
-------
References/ resources:
- '(PSD) Maintaining High Standard of Conduct':
"The Civil Service works under a Code of Conduct based on the
principles of incorruptibility, integrity and propriety. Civil
servants are expected to conduct themselves with impartiality and
honesty at all times, by: Remaining completely neutral in all
political matters and matters of public controversy ... "
[PSD (Role)> Nurturing Talent> Progressive
Policies]
- 'SM Goh concerned Potong Pasir, Hougang residents will
lose out on upgrading': "Mr Goh says: 'I do not want
the two constituencies to be left behind, especially Potong Pasir,
an old estate. Five years down the road, assuming Chiam do win,
there will be no upgrading'." [CNA, 26Mar2006]
- 'PM Lee says countries worldwide respect and admire
Singapore's proven system': "...I'm going to spend all
my time thinking what's the right way to fix them, to buy my
supporters votes, how can I solve this week's problem and forget
about next year's challenges?.. " [CNA:03May2006][YouTube/@1m10s]
- 'Integrity of election process a hot topic during youth
forum': "'Civil servants under the constitution hold
their allegiance to the president. The symbolism that is attached
to that is we actually serve at the pleasure of a politically
neutral institution. It is one of the values of the civil service
that we are politically impartial,' said Ms Owi. " [CNA, 17May2009]
- '‘Adviser over MP’ raises many questions':
"PAP MPs are appointed as advisers to the grassroots
organisations in their wards by the People’s Association (PA).
In the two opposition wards, the PA
picked the PAP candidates who contested but lost in the wards in
the last two polls as the grassroots advisers."
[ST, 22Oct2009][alt link]
- 'Advisers and MPs have different roles' Lim Yuin
Chien, Press Secretary to the Ministry of National Development:
"the government-appointed adviser, his main role is to assist
in implementing national programmes, such as government campaigns,
and HDB's upgrading programmes, including the Lift Upgrading
Programme (LUP)... Opposition MPs cannot
be appointed advisers, because they do not answer to the ruling
party." [ST,27Oct2009]
- 'How PAP uses taxpayer-funded grassroots for political
gain': "The People’s Association (PA), ..Like all
other stat boards, it receives a yearly grant from the government
to run its programmes and cover operational costs. .. It spent a total of $320 million last
year.However unlike most stat boards, whose
chairmen are usually the permanent secretary of the parent ministry
or some other senior civil servant, PA’s chairman is none other
than the Prime Minister. .. No other
public sector board in Singapore has so many “Men in White” on
it..." [G Giam, 10Oct2009]
- 'Town Council Act (CAP 329A) states clearly that Govt
must work with Town Councils (run by MPs) to implement
LUP'. [TR, 29Oct2009][alt link]
- 'Separation of powers' [wiki]: "The separation of powers is a model for
the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient
Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part
of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic. Under this
model, the state is divided into branches, each with separate and
independent powers and areas of responsibility so that no one
branch has more power than the other branches. The normal division
of branches is into an executive, a legislature, and a judiciary.
..."
- 'Civil servants – no longer politically
neutral?': "The question which arises is: should civil
servants be involved in a political party and participate in its
activities?" [TOC, 27Feb2011]
