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SINGAPORE – In an intense debate on Wednesday (September 2), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong crossed swords with opposition leader Pritam Singh on the issue of encouraging Singaporeans to vote for the opposition, confident that the Popular Action Party would still be formed. the government of the day.
Any political party that does so is an “opportunist” and this tactic will eventually result in the system failing, Prime Minister Lee said.
Stressing that elections are about voting for who will lead the government, he added that the country’s political system can only work if people vote “sincerely, honestly, according to what they really want.”
But the head of the Workers’ Party (WP) replied that the residents of the GRC of Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang, where his party was victorious in the recent general elections, “are not opportunists” and that the parliamentarians in these areas work hard. to prove your worth.
Their exchange followed a speech by Prime Minister Lee in which he detailed why it is crucial for Singapore to get its policy right.
In it, he recounted how a middle-aged woman approached Chief Minister Teo Chee Hean during the election campaign. The woman asked Mr. Teo if it was true that voting for the opposition would simply mean “two people working for you instead of one,” since PAP’s plans for the area would still be carried out, she said.
In response to this anecdote, Singh said there is another perspective, citing how he has been asked why the elected opposition deputy is not listed in the area community club.
Voters who say they want the PAP in government but also want an opposition in Parliament are giving voice to what many Singaporeans feel, Singh said.
His duty, and that of his fellow deputies, is to be responsible for their duties, he added.
“It is not easy; we are also pressured by our own supporters. But, as the Prime Minister correctly said, I believe that we owe our allegiance to something greater. And we will do our best with Singaporeans. And if we are not good enough, we deserve to be voted on. And that’s how the system should work. “
Prime Minister Lee responded that the Non-Constituent MPs (NCMP) scheme ensures that there will be opposition MPs in Parliament to hold the PAP accountable.
If people believe that the PAP government is doing something wrong, they should be rejected, he said. But if Singaporeans vote “tactically”, they will one day get a result they did not intend.
“I think it is wrong to teach people to do. You go to elections, you vote for the person you trust, who will run your system, who will run your government,” Lee said, criticizing these “free rider tactics.” .
“And our system is designed so that if it does, it’s stable. If it doesn’t … it’s asking for trouble.”
He added that he understands why Singh has chosen to extol the message that voters can safely vote for his party, given that the PAP will continue to form the government. “But I tell you that this is not the right moral morality and it is not the right thing to do for Singapore.
In response, Mr Singh said that the WP MPs have had their “growing pains” but that they have done their best in the circumstances they find themselves in, and would not be in Parliament today if they were messing things up. .
Residents voted for the WP because they know that having elected opposition MPs is ultimately good for Singapore, he said.
“It is not just the NCMP version of the opposition, with full respect to all those who are NCMPs in this Parliament and to those who came before. It is when opposition deputies are elected that the government listens most closely, and that means something for people to see. “
Taking the Prime Minister’s suggestion that his tactics were dishonest, Singh said: “The biggest moral imperative I have, and it’s a huge burden … was whether the people running for office could move on.”
This was the hardest decision he had to make, as the “biggest pain” would be choosing someone who turns out to be uncommitted.
He added: “I am not desperate for power, Prime Minister, but we have to get good people if we want to move this country forward … At this point in our growth, I think we have to grow our roots as a loyal opposition.”
It is the first time that the government has recognized the position of Leader of the Opposition, he said. “We have many, many more miles to go, but we are not chasing a destination. We intend to do well with Singapore.”
PM Lee gave him a brief reply, saying that he had already covered Mr. Leong’s first question at length. “It doesn’t add anything new. In fact, it reinforced the problem exactly. Pritam Singh is not the only one making this argument, and if everyone makes this argument, everyone is going to get in trouble.”
He added that Mr Leong’s other question could be debated in Parliament another day, but it did not address the central theme of his speech. “I’m talking here about what path Singapore’s policy is going to take, what are the risks in this direction, what we need to do to make it go well.”
This article was first published in The times of the strait. Permission is required for reproduction.
