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<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Teo: In SG, pragmatism comes first woh..</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>8:45 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 4) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>31214.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Apr 6, 2010
Substance, not style, directs S'pore policy
For Govt, pragmatism means policy first, persuasion second: DPM
<!-- by line -->By Rachel Lin
http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNews/Story/STIStory_510832.html
IT WAS on his first visit here in 2008 that American economist Bryan Caplan discovered a peculiarly Singaporean flavour to the word 'pragmatism'.
In the United States, he said, pragmatism was synonymous with populism. The pragmatist does not commit political suicide by force-feeding policies, no matter how sound, to a hostile public.
In Singapore, however, pragmatism takes on the exact opposite meaning. No matter what the polls say, a programme will be implemented based on a sober assessment of its merits.
Dr Caplan's observation was Singapore's approach to popular politics in a nutshell, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said yesterday at this year's National University of Singapore (NUS) Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum.
He was responding to a question from first-year NUS sociology student Muhammad Farouq Osman, 21, who felt that the Government's didactic tone was a turn-off to voters.
Mr Farouq had singled out a comment from Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, made in January, that he felt was particularly alienating. Then, Mr Lee had said that if National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan were to lose Tampines GRC, Singaporeans should sell their flats quickly as they would no longer be of any value.
'He's basically saying: 'Don't vote for the opposition', and my thinking is that most Singaporeans don't like to be told what to do, especially regarding politics,' Mr Farouq said. 'They deserve more respect.'
Mr Teo reminded his audience that, for the Government, policy came first; persuasion, second. This was its brand of pragmatism. Returning to Dr Caplan's example, he noted that in the US, not implementing congestion pricing is 'pragmatic', because it is politically difficult to do.
In Singapore however, congestion pricing is done - and it is 'pragmatic' because it is the correct thing to do, as it solves a problem. 'Then (the Government tries) to persuade the people about it.'
Still, Mr Teo admitted that politicians ignored the human factor at their peril. The Government still has to engage people with sensitivity and to avoid preaching.
In this respect, he concurred with Mr Farouq. Said Mr Teo: 'I don't like being told what to do. I prefer to think that I make up my own mind and, I think, so do most Singaporeans.' Indeed, Mr Farouq bluntly admitted that he was so offended by Mr Lee's words that he would have voted against the PAP in Tampines GRC - even if he thought that the party's economic policies were fundamentally positive.
However, Mr Teo begged the audience to consider the Minister Mentor's legendary brusque style before making the call.
To much laughter, he said: 'You know MM. He's got a wealth of experience. He's probably heard this question (about Mr Mah's electoral prospects) multiple times and he is famous for telling it like it is.
'So, you know, we accept what he says at face value. I mean, he's like that.'
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Substance, not style, directs S'pore policy
For Govt, pragmatism means policy first, persuasion second: DPM
<!-- by line -->By Rachel Lin
http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNews/Story/STIStory_510832.html
IT WAS on his first visit here in 2008 that American economist Bryan Caplan discovered a peculiarly Singaporean flavour to the word 'pragmatism'.
In the United States, he said, pragmatism was synonymous with populism. The pragmatist does not commit political suicide by force-feeding policies, no matter how sound, to a hostile public.
In Singapore, however, pragmatism takes on the exact opposite meaning. No matter what the polls say, a programme will be implemented based on a sober assessment of its merits.
Dr Caplan's observation was Singapore's approach to popular politics in a nutshell, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said yesterday at this year's National University of Singapore (NUS) Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum.
He was responding to a question from first-year NUS sociology student Muhammad Farouq Osman, 21, who felt that the Government's didactic tone was a turn-off to voters.
Mr Farouq had singled out a comment from Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, made in January, that he felt was particularly alienating. Then, Mr Lee had said that if National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan were to lose Tampines GRC, Singaporeans should sell their flats quickly as they would no longer be of any value.
'He's basically saying: 'Don't vote for the opposition', and my thinking is that most Singaporeans don't like to be told what to do, especially regarding politics,' Mr Farouq said. 'They deserve more respect.'
Mr Teo reminded his audience that, for the Government, policy came first; persuasion, second. This was its brand of pragmatism. Returning to Dr Caplan's example, he noted that in the US, not implementing congestion pricing is 'pragmatic', because it is politically difficult to do.
In Singapore however, congestion pricing is done - and it is 'pragmatic' because it is the correct thing to do, as it solves a problem. 'Then (the Government tries) to persuade the people about it.'
Still, Mr Teo admitted that politicians ignored the human factor at their peril. The Government still has to engage people with sensitivity and to avoid preaching.
In this respect, he concurred with Mr Farouq. Said Mr Teo: 'I don't like being told what to do. I prefer to think that I make up my own mind and, I think, so do most Singaporeans.' Indeed, Mr Farouq bluntly admitted that he was so offended by Mr Lee's words that he would have voted against the PAP in Tampines GRC - even if he thought that the party's economic policies were fundamentally positive.
However, Mr Teo begged the audience to consider the Minister Mentor's legendary brusque style before making the call.
To much laughter, he said: 'You know MM. He's got a wealth of experience. He's probably heard this question (about Mr Mah's electoral prospects) multiple times and he is famous for telling it like it is.
'So, you know, we accept what he says at face value. I mean, he's like that.'
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