By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted:
23 April 2011 2144 hrs
SINGAPORE : The battle of words between the Workers'
Party (WP) and the People's Action Party (PAP) continues over the
opposition party's election slogan.
WP Chairman Sylvia Lim said contrary to criticisms levelled by Law
Minister K Shanmugam, the WP's MPs will block government bills only
if it's against the national interest.
The Workers' Party said it wants to ensure accountability and to
prevent Parliament from becoming a rubber stamp for policies.
Its leaders said having a strong opposition able to form an
alternative government, will lead to political stability.
"In other words, (it's) like a car, you need a spare tyre, right? I
mean, you... depend on four tyres, (if) one tyre (is punctured) and
that's it! You can't move," said Low Thia Khiang, Secretary-General
of the Workers' Party.
He said voters must decide how Parliament should evolve.
This includes whether Singaporeans want a two-party or multi-party
system. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said a two-party system
would not work in Singapore, as there are not enough talents to
form a strong Cabinet.
But Mr Low countered that "it's not for the PAP to decide, neither
is it for the Workers' Party to decide. It is for the voters to
decide. We must always remember that. I think the PAP is being very
arrogant to ignore the wishes and the will of the voters in an
election."
Mr Low also rebutted Education Minister Ng Eng Hen, who said having
opposition MPs would weaken government.
"If Dr Ng is engaging or employing the same old tactic of the PAP
in the early days, it could well threaten that there will be freak
election result, since more than 50 per cent of the seats are
contested. That would be his election strategy," said Mr Low.
He continued: "If this is the assumption, then why hold elections?
Then we might as well have all the PAP MPs... I suppose it's
typical PAP. They want some voices, noises in Parliament, but they
do not want representation from the people."
That's why, in his view, the government expanded the system of
Non-Constituency MPs.
Asked for his response to Mr Shanmugam's challenge for the Workers'
Party to admit its aim was to take over government, and why he
thought the PAP kept pressing on the issue, Mr Low said: "Perhaps
you might want to ask the PAP what is their intention. I'd like to
add here that the Workers' Party has nothing to own up. We are all
here; we are open."
Addressing comments that the Workers' Party sought to block all
government bills, party leaders pointed out that they had supported
PAP policies in the past, such as the Workfare schemes and the push
for productivity.
Chairman Sylvia Lim said that Workers' Party MPs would only object
to constitutional amendments if they were against the interest of
Singaporeans.
Ms Lim said: "As and when Parliament progresses to the point where
we have enough non-ruling MPs to scrutinise constitutional
amendments effectively, I think that is a good day for
Singapore.
"Singaporeans should feel protected that there is actually a group
of people out there who have the power, if necessary, to block the
constitutional amendment if it's made for partisan
advantage."
On PM Lee's comments in a recent interview that both Mr Low and Ms
Lim did not contribute much to Parliamentary debate, Ms Lim said
their contributions were on public record and clear for all to
see.
Mr Lee had also said Mr Low did not respond when Deputy Prime
Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean spoke on civil service
pay scales, to which Ms Lim replied that the speech was made during
the Budget Committee of Supply debates, and Mr Low was prevented by
Parliamentary procedures from responding.
In any case, the party did not have any issues with civil service
salaries as a whole; it was on ministerial pay that he disagreed
with.
On Mr Lee's suggestion that the Workers' Party had removed its call
to lower the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from its manifesto after
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam addressed the topic in
Parliament, Ms Lim said that as new studies have been published,
they were withholding their policy proposal for now, but will
revisit it in due time.
- CNA
