Senile Minister :Good govt needn't fear
demos
Is he implying that PAP no good? What a moron!
By Li Xueying
Meeting residents to get feedback on PM Lee's National Day Rally
speech are Marine Parade GRC MPs (from left) Dr Fatimah Lateef, Mr
Lim Biow Chuan, SM Goh, Dr Ong Seh Hong and Mr Seah Kian Peng. --
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
THE sight of demonstrators barging into the office grounds of Thai
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, in a bid to oust his government,
had a telling effect on MP Lim Biow Chuan.
The incident on Tuesday led the Marine Parade GRC MP to declare
last night: 'I'm not in support of allowing protests at Speakers'
Corner.'
But his fellow GRC MP, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, took a
different view.
If a government is good and fair, he said, it need not fear such
scenes. So, in turn, it need not worry about opening up the
political space like allowing demonstrations at the Speakers'
Corner in Hong Lim Park.
'There will be some demonstrations here and there, but with a fair
and transparent government, it won't get out of hand,' he said at a
dialogue with grassroots volunteers in Marine Parade.
On the other hand, if a government is incompetent and corrupt,
people are not likely to confine their demonstrations to the
park.
Instead - never mind what the laws are - they would march down to
Parliament House to change the government.
So, said Mr Goh, what is ultimately important is good governance
that produces results.
'Once you do that, you can allow people to demonstrate in Hong Lim
Park.
'What do demonstrators want? To get public attention to a cause
which they have, maybe the animal lovers' cause or the green
movement.'
And while there may be initial public and media interest, this will
eventually die down, he added.
Mr Goh, with the other four MPs of Marine Parade GRC, were at the
first public discussion by a senior leader to garner reactions to
the National Day Rally last Sunday.
For more than two hours, they discussed the four main topics that
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had raised: cultivating a gracious
society, procreation, the economy and political
liberalisation.
Asked by an undergraduate if the move towards more political
openness was done out of 'necessity', Mr Goh replied: 'Necessity,
in a way. Because to be relevant as a government, you must know the
aspirations of the people.
'We can control you, oppress you. But we'd lose you - you'll move
elsewhere. So we have to move with the times.'
Other participants were concerned about rising prices.
They were most excited by a point made by Mr G.V. Nathan, 56, from
Kaki Bukit.
Aiming it squarely at MP Seah Kian Peng, managing director of
supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice, Mr Nathan said: 'FairPrice
sometimes is not fair.'
When he buys milk powder for his granddaughter from different
FairPrice outlets, the prices differ, he said.
Mr Seah denied it, prompting a loud chorus of 'no' from the
audience.
He explained that the chain practises standard pricing, except when
its various outlets offer their promotional prices at different
times.
When the topic turned to the parenthood package, the lack of
paternity leave and the need for better-quality childcare centres
took the spotlight.
Mr Nukoorsha Kadir, 33, lamented the shutdown of the childcare
centre at his workplace.
Mr Goh suggested that employers team up to provide childcare
centres, with the help of government subsidies.
And the last issue - how to cultivate a more gracious society - was
one which the SM endorsed as most important to him.
'If you have all the wealth and all the babies, but all very
ungrateful and ungracious, then this is not the place for me.'
