SINGAPORE: The women and youth wings of the ruling
People's Action Party (PAP) are planning to "pursue policy
advocacy", as a response to members' greater desire to have their
views reflected in policy decisions.
This new approach could include taking a public
position on policies.
In an article headlined "WW to pursue policy
advocacy", party newsletter Petir interviewed PAP Women's Wing (WW)
chief Grace Fu, who said the group wants to provide a more
distinctive voice for women here and allow the party to engage
women voters more directly.
Instead of conducting dialogues, where the main speaker, usually a
minister, explains policies and answers questions, "participants
will now instead be divided into small groups, to allow for more
frank and direct discussion of issues", the article said. Views
could also be collected for a policy paper.
Ms Fu, who is also Senior Minister of State, said: "Although the
PAP won 60 per cent of the votes, the WW suffered a setback - we
lost a woman minister. This is a way to galvanise the party, by
encouraging the activists to provide input to the policy-making
process, so they can actively influence the direction of future
policies and push for changes."
PAP MP Ellen Lee, who also sits on the WW exective committee, told
Channel NewsAsia that the new direction is also in response to the
"new environment". Ms Lee reiterated that the WW has "lobbied" for
changes and policy reviews "all this while".
she said: "But it's all on the quiet... now that the environment
has changed, we've got more women - not just women MPs but wing
members and younger ones... they would like to see their efforts
not go to waste in that sense."
Adding that there have also been people "who asked what is it that
we have been doing", Ms Lee said: "It is time for us to come out in
the open about what we are doing."
For Young PAP (YP) chairman Teo Ser Luck, it is about making policy
advocacy in YP a "much more systematic process.. and maybe share it
with the public".
YP vice-chairman Zaqy Mohamad added that with the "new normal"
brought on by the May General Election, there are "a lot more
sentiments, even among Young PAP members, to do more, because they
feel strongly (on issues)."
Mr Zaqy said: "Right now, there is a sense that there are a lot of
opportunities but people do not feel rooted? we need to tell the
leadership to find ways for youth to be more engaged so that they
can sink their roots deeper and feel more valued."
On whether there could be a conflict of interest for the PAP's
women and youth wings to advocate changes or review of policies
crafted by the PAP government, Mr Zaqy felt that PAP backbenchers
in Parliament can, at times, be more critical of policies than the
opposition.
He added: "So I think some of the MPs are already leading the
way."
-CNA/ac
