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CHANGES announced to the political system can give voters what they want: the best of not two, but three, worlds.
They will get the best MP to look after the constituency; the best government taking care of the country; and more alternative voices in Parliament so debate and policy formulation can be more robust.
Labour chief Lim Swee Say drew this conclusion in Parliament yesterday as he endorsed changes to the political system that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Wednesday.
AN F1 car’s engine has a capacity of 2,4000cc, about the same as a high-end Toyota Camry model.
But while the Camry’s engine generates 167 horsepower – a measure of how powerful a car is – the F1 car has 700hp and can reach top speeds of more than 400km an hour.
This is because the F1 car does not rely just on engine size, but on other factors such as better fuel systems and boosters to improve performance, Mr Cedric Foo (West Coast GRC) noted yesterday, using the car as an analogy for the economy.
Straits Times, 30 May 2009
ST link
By Han Fook Kwang, Editor
I HAD been reluctant to write this piece defending The Straits Times’ coverage of the Aware saga. Some of my colleagues had wanted the paper to put out its side of the story in the face of criticisms over how we covered the saga. But I wasn’t keen to make the paper the focus of this long-running debate, for I’ve always felt that newspapers shouldn’t be active players in the stories they cover. Our job is to report accurately and fairly what is happening and to make sense of it for our readers so they can draw their own conclusions. However, critics have assailed us over these very issues, and I have little choice now but to set out the facts concerning our coverage after two MPs spoke about it in Parliament this week.
On Tuesday, Nominated Member of Parliament Thio Li-ann said that reporting on the saga had been biased and lacked a diversity of views. She did not name The Straits Times but everyone listening to her would have concluded that she was referring to this newspaper.
Were we biased and one-sided in our coverage? This is best answered by detailing how we covered the story.
Source: National Solidarity Party, 29 May 2009
The National Solidarity Party welcomes the proposals, albeit half-hearted ones, to change the electoral system, as announced by MP Lee in Parliament on Wednesday. Improvements to the system have in fact been long overdue, ever since his predecessor promised the electorate some form of political pluralism and a “kinder and gentler” nation way back in 1990.
The recent attempt to “open up” the electoral system is not unexpected. The tide of change has found favour with the new, younger generation of voters. Coupled with the wave of discontent over the Authorities’ apparent haplessness in tackling the current economic tsunami, the next General Election may spring several surprises. At least one GRC is expected to fall. Thus, being fearful of losing a 6-seat GRC, the Government could have decided to lighten its impact by reducing its size.
SINGAPORE : The opposition National Solidarity Party (NSP) has welcomed the proposed amendments to the electoral system, calling them “long overdue”.
But the NSP described them as “half-hearted” attempts.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said his government will shrink the size of Group Representation Constituencies (GRC); ensure a minimum of nine opposition MPs in the House; and make Nominated MPs a permanent feature of the parliamentary system.
SINGAPORE: Analysts and People’s Action Party (PAP) Members of Parliament (MPs) have said the proposed amendments to the electoral system will bring about a stronger parliamentary system, one that better reflects the sentiments of the people.
The changes to the electoral system are aimed at fostering greater debate in Parliament. And with a minumum of nine opposition MPs in the House, some political watchers said it will be far easier for them to organise and champion certain issues.
Former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin said: “The PAP probably faces a problem of its own success. Because it is overwhelmingly represented in Parliament, and the opposition is somewhat weak, especially in its ability to articulate the issues of the day, … in the interest of trying to develop a more mature political system in the future, these amendments are being proposed.”
SINGAPORE: Jobs and charting the future of Singapore’s economy took centre stage on the last day of parliamentary debate on the President’s Address on Friday.
NTUC Secretary-General and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Lim Swee Say, said Singaporeans should stop looking at foreign workers as competitors. Instead, they should ask themselves how they can be the best in the world in their respective fields.
Since 1992, Singapore has had 10 years of full employment coupled with GDP growth that is higher than the global average, an achievement not seen elsewhere.
SINGAPORE: Leader of the House Mah Bow Tan has reminded MPs that they must maintain decorum and be responsible when making statements in Parliament.
This is to keep public trust in Singapore’s parliamentary system, Mr Mah said before Parliament was adjourned on Friday.
Without identifying the MP, Mr Mah, who is also the National Development Minister, said a member of the House had criticised the media based on unverified information.
Written by Ng E-Jay
28 May 2009
Changes to the Parliamentary system were announced by PM Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday. They include:
Written by Ng E-Jay
27 May 2009
I read with absolute shock and dismay Mr Steven Tan’s ST forum (online) letter “Useful programme except for condom excerpt” published on 20 May, in which the writer criticized the school educational programme Breaking Down Barriers conducted by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) for teaching students how to use a condom.
While Mr Tan praised the programme for providing accurate facts about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and imparting useful skills such as strategies on how not to succumb to persuasion, he said that teaching students how to use a condom “gives a mixed and confusing message“, that “students are not likely to heed or remember to practise safe sex just because they have attended a lesson on condom use“, and that students are unlikely, in the heat of the moment, to “remember or follow the steps to use a condom correctly”.
Written by Ng E-Jay
26 May 2009
During the opening address to the second session of Singapore’s eleventh Parliament on 18 May, President SR Nathan spoke on a diverse number of issues like positioning Singapore for economic recovery, resisting protectionism, preparing the nation for a less benign global landscape, strengthening social cohesion and ensuring security, and evolving our political system. Since his speech offered little new insights other than rehashing the old platitudes dished out by the ruling party, I had expected the Parliamentary debates on Monday to offer little as well.
But I was wrong, as MP Sam Tan (Tanjong Pagar GRC) promptly took Singaporeans to task by insinuating that they were mollycoddled, that “many see Government help as an entitlement, something that they should tap on as a first port of call, rather than a last resort“.
(Some pictures of the event are attached with this article)
Written by Ng E-Jay
25 May 2009
Carrying placards that read “Hear Our Plea“, “Support Our Subsidy” and “Give Us Dignity“, some disabled members of our society assembled at Hong Lim Park last Saturday to make a strong pitch for public transport subsidies.
A total of four speakers addressed the audience of around 30 that had gathered at around 5pm to hear the rally, including the visually handicapped as well as a deaf speaker who used sign language.
One speaker, Reena Rajasvari, had been calling for the Government to grant disabled people public transport subsides for 10 years, including approaching her Member of Parliament for help, but to no avail.
Written by Ng E-Jay
21 May 2009
Last weekend, Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong made a police report on defamatory comments about him posted online, which allege that he is corruptly receiving foreign funding from a Swedish politician, and that he is a “mole” of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) who has agreed to “represent” them in Parliament.
Mr Siew has issued strong rebuttals to these spurious allegations on his blog. In his post “The line has been crossed” dated 18 May 2009, he said that the attacks are “vile, vicious and malicious attacks“, and are “nothing short of character assassination“. He also said that the “latest attack goes beyond anything that a reasonable person could possibly perceive as being a valid or legitimate exercise of the right to free speech“.
Written by Ng E-Jay
15 May 2009
I refer to the Straits Times forum letter “Let it in while benign to develop herd immunity” penned by Professor Lee Wei Ling, published on 13 May 2009.
In her letter, Prof Lee argues that it is impossible to prevent the H1N1 influenza virus from entering Singapore, and that temperature screening might be ineffective because at least 30% of patients are asymptomatic, and even those who eventually become symptomatic are infectious for at least the first 24 hours before symptoms appear.
At this late stage of the debate on the Presidents Address, I will focus on the coming security challenges, and evolving the political system including responding to the Prime Ministers Statement yesterday on changes to the system.
The coming security challenges
The security landscape of Singapore is set to become more demanding than ever in the coming months.
By Khairulanwar Zaini with contributions by Ravi Philemon and Andrew Loh
Sylvia Lim has welcomed the Trojan horse to enter Troy, and whatever good that can come out of this, it will be a Pyrrhic victory for the Workers’ Party.
Her speech was awkward and painful, not least for the inconsistencies of argument, but also the fact that the Workers’ Party – undeniably the best prospect among the multitude of opposition parties – sacrifices principles to swallow hook, line and sinker the PAP’s tactical masterstroke.
The NCMP scheme fulfills the exigent need of more opposition presence, but retards the overall growth of political liberalization and the concept of an elected representative legislature.
By Terrence Voon , Jeanette Wang & Zakir Hussain
SINGAPORE Table Tennis Association (STTA) chief executive Chew Soo Sheng is set to announce his resignation, after less than a year in charge.
Sources confirmed that Chew, who joined the association after the Beijing Olympics last August, is stepping down owing to personal reasons.
This comes after The Sunday Times revealed yesterday that two high-ranking officials were preparing to leave the STTA.