It was suggested at the WP rally last night that even if George
Yeo loses his ministerial portfolio because PAP doesn't win
Aljunied GRC, the 2nd minister can always step in to fill his
shoes.
No man is
indispensable.
Excerpts from a blog entry.
"The PAP says they have plenty of talented new candidates. They
may be inexperienced in managing affairs of state, but no minister, however experienced, acts
alone. He’s just one person atop a large,
professional civil service in his ministry that is always going to
be more experienced and familiar with matters under its purview
than any minister can ever be. As Kenneth Jeyaretnam, leader of the
Reform Party, has said many times: ministers may change but the civil
service stays and will remain there to keep things
running."
"Not only will the civil service stay, I think their voice will
be better heard. It’s like this: after 50 years of having the same
party in office, the balance between the party and the professional
civil service is now badly unbalanced. With no risk of change in the political
seat, ministers have unconsciously lost their willingness to listen
to advice. Civil servants, however good their ideas, have learnt it
is better to shut up and just take orders than to argue an
alternative point of view with their bosses.
Putting ministers on notice that if they do not listen carefully
to popular opinion and to professional advice, they can be voted
out, will engender a more open mindset at the top of each ministry.
This in turn creates a climate where good, alternative ideas within
the civil service can bubble up."
...... to read the rest, click here.
