papie by default checks in.
back in 2009:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/431930/1/.html
PAP
MPs rebut Low Thia Khiang's views on role of opposition
party
By S
Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 26 May 2009 2010
hrs
SINGAPORE:
Opposition MP Low Thia Khiang had said on Monday that a more
effective opposition presence can provide checks and balances on
the ruling party. However, Members of Parliament (MP) from the
People's Action Party (PAP) on Tuesday rebutted his views, calling
Mr Low's arguments simplistic and incorrect.
Mr Low had asked what recourse Singaporeans have if the ruling
party were to abuse its power, trample on people's rights and
become corrupt.
Indranee Rajah, Deputy Speaker and MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC,
replied that the citizens of Singapore have the right to vote
against the PAP, and said Mr Low's suggestion is
unsound.
She said: "If that day ever comes, then the people are at liberty
to vote out the PAP government and should do so in that
situation.
(as a born and bred Singapore citizen, I don't really mind
losing my liberty to vote twice by default in 2001 and 2006. After
all i support PAP. they produced, produce and are still producing a
clean, white, supportive and reliable government.)
"The premise
of Mr Low's suggestion is flawed. He's really saying just in case
PAP becomes corrupt in the future, then people had better vote for
the opposition now.
"But if you apply the same logic, then the argument can also be
made that if you vote in the opposition, then they may become
corrupt in the future, so in order to avoid that, you might as well
vote for PAP now."
Ms Rajah stressed that it has been acknowledged internationally
that with the PAP government at the helm, Singapore is one of the
least corrupt countries in the world.
(agreed. we're one of the least corrupt countries and even
though got huge difference between incorrupt country and
incorruptible governance... even though according to democracy
index we're one stop above bangladesh and one stop below bolivia...
even though the freedom house don't consider us an electoral
democracy state... i still support PAP. afterall... there was a
time when people said that singapore won't make it, but we
did.)
She said:
"Going by Mr Low's argument, the logical outcome is that in every
other country in the world with an opposition it should be squeaky
clean, and in Singapore, in which a large majority of the
Parliament comes from a single party, then Singapore should be the
most corrupt country in the world. That as we know is not the
case.
(tsk. mr low was trying to say that fair competition leads to
political moderation. also means country leaders quite likely, are
then compelled to think of the people, act of the people and
produce results for the good of the people in order to win future
votes. and having 1 choice which basically means no choice really
sucks. because when position in power is guaranteed, leaders become
complacent but it's fine, really. i still support PAP. after all,
the PAP has the strongest team with outstanding individuals running
their office for the past wonderful 40 odd years.)
"Since we have only two elected opposition members in Parliament,
the fact that we currently have an honest and clean government
clearly cannot be attributable to the opposition and must obviously
be due to something else...
"It's due to the fact that the PAP government has set for itself
and its Members of Parliament a high degree of accountability and
integrity."
MPs argued that it is better to preserve a corruption-free
political system, and to maintain a political culture that does not
tolerate corruption.
Josephine Teo, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, said: "Is it better for
Singapore to support an opposition - even if it is not up to mark -
in the hope that it could govern well when it overthrows a corrupt
PAP? Or is it better to make sure that the PAP does not fail
Singaporeans, that it has the strongest team to serve
Singaporeans?"
Joining the debate, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Hri Kumar, added
that the challenge now is to increase the talent pool so that there
is a solid team to form the government.
"Today, a minister must be appointed from the ranks of elected
MPs," he said. "But it is not easy getting good people to run for
office.
"Why not give the Prime Minister the option to appoint outstanding
individuals from outside the rank of elected MPs to his cabinet?
The pool of talent available to the PM will increase substantially
and we can draw on the experience of many capable
individuals."
Nominated MP (NMP) Dr Loo Choon Yong said he thinks that after 19
years of testing out the NMP scheme, it is now time to make the NMP
scheme a permanent feature of Singapore's
Parliament.
He urged the government to amend the Constitution so that
Parliament need not debate the issue of retaining the scheme each
time a new Parliament sits after a general
election.
