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May 4, 2011
GE 2011
BG Tan admits PAP needs to address public frustration
By Leonard Lim
BG Tan says some feel 'we need to be more compassionate'. -- ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW
THE ruling party's moral authority to lead will take a hit if it does not address public frustration and angst, said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.
The candidate in the People's Action Party (PAP) team contesting in Marine Parade GRC admitted some voters were 'troubled, angry even' over issues such as the fairness of the GRC system and attacks on the opposition.
'Some feel that you're being talked down to, that there's not enough listening, that we need to be more compassionate and less calculative,' he said at a lunchtime rally at UOB Plaza. 'Whether real or not, if we are unable to address these perceptions and sentiments, our moral authority to lead will erode.'
A softer approach in engagement is needed, said the 42-year-old, tipped by many to be part of Singapore's fourth-generation leadership.
'I know we need to listen and to communicate our ideas better. We need to balance efficiency and effectiveness, and to temper it with more heart,' he said.
He said he would listen respectfully, care for those less able to fend for themselves, and have the courage to do the right thing and change what needs to be changed.
The key is to continue to earn the electorate's trust and respect, he stressed. This would provide a strong mandate so that the Government can make hard decisions and long-term plans to secure the country's future.
He was the second of six new PAP faces who spoke at the event. In his nine-minute speech, he also recounted how Singapore was thought to be impregnable, but still fell to the Japanese during World War II.
Raffles Place, where the rally was held, was among the sites that were bombed.
He said the world is getting more challenging and complex, so it is even more important that Singapore is united and decisive.
And in a reference to opposition parties' policy proposals that would change the underpinnings of Singapore's economy, he added: 'I am not prepared to gamble away our children's future on the basis of bravado and rhetoric, nice-sounding ideas and theories.'
May 4, 2011
GE 2011
BG Tan admits PAP needs to address public frustration
By Leonard Lim
BG Tan says some feel 'we need to be more compassionate'. -- ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW
THE ruling party's moral authority to lead will take a hit if it does not address public frustration and angst, said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.
The candidate in the People's Action Party (PAP) team contesting in Marine Parade GRC admitted some voters were 'troubled, angry even' over issues such as the fairness of the GRC system and attacks on the opposition.
'Some feel that you're being talked down to, that there's not enough listening, that we need to be more compassionate and less calculative,' he said at a lunchtime rally at UOB Plaza. 'Whether real or not, if we are unable to address these perceptions and sentiments, our moral authority to lead will erode.'
A softer approach in engagement is needed, said the 42-year-old, tipped by many to be part of Singapore's fourth-generation leadership.
'I know we need to listen and to communicate our ideas better. We need to balance efficiency and effectiveness, and to temper it with more heart,' he said.
He said he would listen respectfully, care for those less able to fend for themselves, and have the courage to do the right thing and change what needs to be changed.
The key is to continue to earn the electorate's trust and respect, he stressed. This would provide a strong mandate so that the Government can make hard decisions and long-term plans to secure the country's future.
He was the second of six new PAP faces who spoke at the event. In his nine-minute speech, he also recounted how Singapore was thought to be impregnable, but still fell to the Japanese during World War II.
Raffles Place, where the rally was held, was among the sites that were bombed.
He said the world is getting more challenging and complex, so it is even more important that Singapore is united and decisive.
And in a reference to opposition parties' policy proposals that would change the underpinnings of Singapore's economy, he added: 'I am not prepared to gamble away our children's future on the basis of bravado and rhetoric, nice-sounding ideas and theories.'
