I'm not surprised LHL admits that a Culture of Fear is Bad
when his administration is under bad light..
=====================
NO WITCH HUNTS, PLEASE
By Low Ching Ling
April 24,
2008
RESPONSIBILITY was the word of the day in Parliament yesterday.
Should the minister whose ministry oversees the Internal
Security Department (ISD) step down because of lapses among some
down the line?
The mistakes allowed Singapore's most dangerous terrorist Mas
Selamat Kastari to break out of the Whitley Road Detention Centre
twomonths ago.
Well, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng is not to blame, the
Prime Minister said.
Mr Lee Hsien Loong spoke about government accountability in
Parliament yesterday.
Yes, a minister is accountable for his ministry's policies and
operations. But does the axe have to fall on him every time someone
below him errs?
No, PM Lee said. That's the easy way out.
'It may temporarily appease an angry public, but it will not
fundamentally solve the problem.'
Instead, look at who is responsible.
'The basic issue is whether the person is culpable,' PM Lee
said. 'If so, we must act against him, however senior his
position.'
'But if he is not at fault, then we must have the moral courage
to state so, and support him.
'This way, everybody within the organisation can be confident
that when something goes wrong, they will not be sacrificed for
political expediency.'
PM Lee said: 'I am satisfied... that (Mr Wong) and (the) top
management were not to blame... DPM Wong, as the minister, and the
director of ISD, both continue to have my full confidence.'
But some Members of Parliament (MPs) were not convinced.
Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim asked: Does the Government think
it should not be blamed for the escape?
PM Lee replied: 'Anything which happens on the Government's
watch, the Government is responsible.'
But, 'the buck has to stop somewhere', he added.
'If you take this to the logical conclusion, it should go all
the way up to the Prime Minister and every time something happens
in the Government, you change prime ministers,' he said.
'I don't think that is how this government works.'
NORM ELSEWHERE
He said: 'There are some countries where, when things go wrong
down the line, ministers routinely fall on the sword... It's part
of the culture.
'But then what happens is that instead of getting the problem
solved, the ceremonial change of guard is seen as the solution of
theproblem.
'So the fundamentals do not get altered. After some time, the
problem pops up again, you change ministers or government
again.'
The 'C' word came up too.
Nominated MP Eunice Olsen asked if complacency would set in if
lines of responsibility are not drawn. PM Lee doubts so.
'I think that we are taking it seriously and those who deserve
to be reprimanded or punished or removed will be... Those who
don't, will not.'
But while MP Inderjit Singh said he has not lost faith in DPM
Wong and the ISD, he feels the Government should 'send signals
correctly' to Singaporeans, civil servants and politicians.
'That when you make a mistake, you need to be appropriately
punished... I'm not suggesting that we punish (the minister), but I
think the signal that we send is very important.'
Yes, PM Lee agreed, civil servants must know they have to 'face
the music' if they make a mistake.
But one has to take care it does not turn into a 'witch
hunt'.
PM Lee said: 'When a mistake happens, you get to the bottom of
the matter before you decide to punish people.
CULTURE OF FEAR BAD
'Because if you generate the culture where nobody wants to make
mistakes and they are afraid to do something for fear of making
mistakes, that would be the biggest mistake of all.'
But opposition MP Low Thia Khiang was not swayed.
He pointed out: 'When we debated the ministers' salaries, we
talked about pegging them to the private sector.
'But in the private sector, when something goes wrong, heads
roll, including the CEO.
'But when something goes wrong here, we're talking about honest
mistakes.'
PM Lee replied that the line has to be drawn somewhere.
He said: 'Even (Mr Low) has not suggested that I should resign
because I appointed (Mr Wong)...'
PM Lee then asked Mr Low if he thought Mr Wong's head should
roll.
Mr Low kept mum.
'No answer. So I think that settles the point,' PM Lee
said.
But now they are not doing anything and not afraid to do
something!