SINGAPORE: Singapore's system of meritocracy can be
improved for the benefit of all, as part of the ideals of a fair
and just society, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and
Youth Lawrence Wong
He highlighted this as an area that the country can
do better in when he spoke at the Singapore Perspectives seminar on
Monday morning.
The seminar also heard from opposition politician
Sylvia Lim on how the Workers' Party can contribute to politics in
the country.
Governing the future together will mean casting new roles and ties
between the government and citizens, as well as refreshing the
values that Singaporeans cherish.
Mr Wong said while meritocracy ranks top among the values, he
stressed that Singapore does not want a system where its people
seek to advance individual interests at the expense of
others.
Mr Wong said: "We do not want a meritocracy that results in a
closed group of winners where advantages to any individual are
ascribed by birth. What we want is to shape a system of meritocracy
in Singapore that works for the benefit of all and is consistent
with our ideals for a fair and just society.
He added that it is not going to be easy to do this and there are
"no ready-made solutions".
Mr Wong, who is also the Senior Minister of State for
Communications and Information, also believes that evolving
leadership in a new environment of active citizenry and civic
participation will be more challenging.
"It is not always possible to align everyone to the same view.
Leaders also have to decide, explain the basis for decisions they
make and take responsibility for the outcomes," explained Mr
Wong.
With a general election and two by-elections held recently in the
country, the topic of politics was very much predominant at the
Singapore.
Perspectives and participants at the seminar wanted to know what
role opposition politicians and their parties can play in the
country's political development.
Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim, who was one of the speakers at
the seminar, said: "Some people criticise us for being too
moderate. Perhaps they want us to be more rebel-rousing and be more
vociferous perhaps in some of our objections. Fundamentally, we
will have to take the position that we feel is correct by our own
beliefs and which is sustainable. And one of the factors we take
into account is public support.
Ms Lim added: "We gauge our politics by how far the public supports
us. If we find that we have no support for the things we are doing
then it is fine for us to review and do things differently. But so
far as we can see, we do have public support. Singaporeans do
appreciate opposition politics of the sort that we offer them, so
we humbly take that as a support of us and we will still pursue the
line which we think is sustainable and correct."
Ms Lim said that while political parties may have different
ideologies, their focus must still be to ensure the well-being of
Singaporeans.
She said: "We need to constantly check ourselves against (being)
too embroiled in partisan politics to miss the wood for the trees.
The wood here is the people's well-being which should always be the
guiding light in our actions. We should guard against one-upmanship
and ask ourselves where lies the greater good.
"I have personally made it a point to submit submissions to the
government in certain policy areas I am familiar with ahead of
public debate. My experience shows the ministries were objective
and took my views on board to revise legislation."
The opposition politician believes political competition is a
safeguard to improve Singaporeans' lives.
- CNA/al/fa
