In an interview with ASEAN journalists on Thursday (Jun 4), says the quality of the opposition in Parliament, and substance of debate in Parliament is what counts as progress for Singapore's style of democracy.
- POSTED: 05 Jun 2015 18:00
- UPDATED: 05 Jun 2015 18:32
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's interview with ASEAN journalists on June 4, 2015 (Photo: MCI)
SINGAPORE: In a wide-ranging interview with a group of ASEAN journalists who are in Singapore for a learning journey on Thursday (Jun 4), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was asked about Singapore-style democracy and its stage of development.
Mr Lee stressed that democratic progress comes from quality discussion in Parliament, not the number of opposition members. He described the duty of the opposition as one to "raise serious issues which concern the country, which offers real alternatives to the population and which then debates the hard choices which the country has to make".
"If they do that, whether they have one member, whether they have ten members, they are good opposition," Mr Lee said. "If they don’t do that, you may have 20, 30 members, you are not being responsible. So, I would not go on the numbers. I would go on the substance of the debate.”
Mr Lee said Singapore's democratic system, with regular elections is one that works for the country. "It is a system which has delivered stable Government and competent Government for Singapore and one which has a mandate to govern effectively and do what Singapore needs," he said.
Still, Mr Lee said expectations are changing and this in turn will affect the way the Government operates, so the Government will adjust accordingly. "We are looking for our own way forward. I don’t know if you call it a Singapore model for other people to follow, but it is a model which Singapore is making it work for ourselves," he stated.
Turning to the PAP's governance, Mr Lee said the key is in delivering policies which are in the interest of the people. He acknowledged though that it doesn't mean the party can "win everybody".
"In the last election we had 60 per cent of the votes. So, it is a clear majority but it is not 100 per cent. But I think that is so in any society. It is not possible however hard you work," he said.
“I am not sure whether I would put it as what went wrong," Mr Lee elaborated.
I would say 60 per cent is a good result. If you look at the developed countries, in Britain, they have just had an election, 60 per cent voted and about one-third voted for the Tories. So that means 20 per cent of the population have chosen this present government of the United Kingdom. And if you go to America it is also about 60 per cent voting and about 50 per cent will win you the presidential elections. Sometimes 50 per cent plus one vote. Sometimes even less than 50 per cent."
Mr Lee said that is the way democracy works. "There are different views within the society. We try our best to bring together people so that we have a broad consensus of support for the government. You may not like everything which the government does. But on balance, you are prepared to say this Government is not bad. We vote for it.”
Asked about Singapore after the death of its founding father Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee, who is the former Prime Minister's eldest son, said a new team has been in charge since 1990.
"Well, Mr Lee retired as Prime Minister 25 years ago in 1990 and he retired from the Cabinet completely four years ago in 2011. And really a new team has been in charge since 1990 and there has been a turnover even in the new team, so I am not the second generation leader, I am the third Prime Minister.
"So in a way, Mr Lee has been preparing Singapore for the day when it carries on without him for a very long time and now he has left, it is a very sad thing that on the 50th anniversary he is not able to be with us to celebrate the success which he had such a big part in creating, but I think he has prepared well and Singapore is well set to move ahead and take our country further steps forward," Prime Minister Lee said.
"Of course, we would have like to continue to have his wisdom, his advice, the confidence that he has been with us all along and that whatever happens, he can help us to see through from thick or thin, but the reality is increasingly in the last 15 years, it is a new team which has been taking Singapore, making the decisions, carrying them, persuading people or dealing with problems when they have risen and I think that will continue to be so now.”
Mr Lee added that what he has learned from his father is to continuously put in the effort to make Singapore better. “Well, I think in all the years he was in Government, he never stopped making the effort to make Singapore better. And you have to be able to do that.
"I remember going to one country once, and this was about 25 years after the Government had taken power," Prime Minister Lee recounted. "It is a Latin American country and every time their people briefed us before the revolution - it was like this, after the revolution it is like this. But the revolution is 25 years ago. What happens since the revolution? Not so many things have happened since the revolution. But that was the milestone and after that, well, they just carry on and no, not so much progress.
"I think we have tried very hard not to be that bad, and we have to keep on moving forward. There are also stresses and strains moving forward. It is not so easy to keep on making progress because people have to change. But if you do not make progress, I think we would be finished.”
Prior to their interview with Mr Lee, participants of the 7th ASEAN Journalists Visit Programme (JVP) organised by the Ministry of Communications and Information called on Education Minister Heng Swee Keat on Wednesday, and also visited agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority, National Gallery Singapore and ITE College Central.
- CNA/ly
