Whose lives?
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Political system must improve our lives
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MS LYNN Lee's commentary last Friday, 'Quality debate v democratic ideals', sadly illustrated exactly what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong cautioned against in the debate on Professor Thio Li-Ann's by-election motion in Parliament: craving 'ideals' regardless of our experience of what works in Singapore.
The acid test of any change to our political system is whether it improves the lives of Singaporeans, and not whether it conforms to some abstract notion of 'democratic ideals' for ideals' sake.
Ms Lee rehashed old objections to the Nominated MP scheme, which the elected MPs in Parliament had debated and rejected many years ago. The scheme aims to widen the range of non-partisan views represented in Parliament, and to improve the quality of debates. Although Ms Lee acknowledges that it has achieved these objectives, she still opposes it, to 'stay true to the principles of a parliamentary democracy'.
There is nothing sacrosanct about having every Member of Parliament directly elected by voters. There are many forms of parliamentary democracy, variously adapted to the specific needs of the countries, which select members of their parliaments in different ways. Even the British Parliament has an upper house consisting entirely of non-elected Lords, with powers to examine and delay legislation.
In many countries, political systems fulfil high ideals like those Ms Lee listed in form, but in practice fail miserably to provide what good political systems should - a just and fair society giving citizens a stake and a voice; a safe and secure environment for all to earn a decent living; full and equal opportunities for children to get a sound education and be their best; and harmony among different races and religions to live peacefully together.
As the Prime Minister emphasised, Singapore has evolved its own political system. It may not conform to every liberal ideal, but it has delivered stability and progress to this nation for over four decades.
By any measure, this is a considerable achievement for our system. We should not lightly change it without understanding how and why it works. Chen Hwai Liang
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister
[email protected]
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Political system must improve our lives
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MS LYNN Lee's commentary last Friday, 'Quality debate v democratic ideals', sadly illustrated exactly what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong cautioned against in the debate on Professor Thio Li-Ann's by-election motion in Parliament: craving 'ideals' regardless of our experience of what works in Singapore.
The acid test of any change to our political system is whether it improves the lives of Singaporeans, and not whether it conforms to some abstract notion of 'democratic ideals' for ideals' sake.
Ms Lee rehashed old objections to the Nominated MP scheme, which the elected MPs in Parliament had debated and rejected many years ago. The scheme aims to widen the range of non-partisan views represented in Parliament, and to improve the quality of debates. Although Ms Lee acknowledges that it has achieved these objectives, she still opposes it, to 'stay true to the principles of a parliamentary democracy'.
There is nothing sacrosanct about having every Member of Parliament directly elected by voters. There are many forms of parliamentary democracy, variously adapted to the specific needs of the countries, which select members of their parliaments in different ways. Even the British Parliament has an upper house consisting entirely of non-elected Lords, with powers to examine and delay legislation.
In many countries, political systems fulfil high ideals like those Ms Lee listed in form, but in practice fail miserably to provide what good political systems should - a just and fair society giving citizens a stake and a voice; a safe and secure environment for all to earn a decent living; full and equal opportunities for children to get a sound education and be their best; and harmony among different races and religions to live peacefully together.
As the Prime Minister emphasised, Singapore has evolved its own political system. It may not conform to every liberal ideal, but it has delivered stability and progress to this nation for over four decades.
By any measure, this is a considerable achievement for our system. We should not lightly change it without understanding how and why it works. Chen Hwai Liang
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister
[email protected]
