No 3-year wait for sorry on Mas Selamat escape
I REFER to last Friday's Insight article ('3 Ps behind PAP's image problem'). This sentence in the report is most unfair to the Government:
'For instance, many Singaporeans were unhappy that they had to wait three years for an unqualified apology from the Government on the escape of terrorist detainee Mas Selamat Kastari. Mr Lee (Hsien Loong) apologised for it during a lunchtime rally at UOB Plaza during the recent campaign.'
In fact, then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng did apologise and it was reported on the front page of The Straits Times on Feb 29, 2008. He apologised in Parliament on Feb28, the very next day after the escape. The front page of ST prominently quoted him as saying: 'This should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.'
Was this not an apology plain and simple?
And on April 21, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in Parliament: 'DPM Wong updated Parliament the very next day, and apologised for the lapse.'
He also added: 'Apologising? That was the first thing which Mr Wong Kan Seng did as Deputy Prime Minister in Parliament, the day after this occurred, and I think that is adequate. I would say that when the Deputy Prime Minister speaks, he speaks on behalf of the Government.'
If what was said was not an apology from the Government, may I ask what is?
The People's Action Party Government isn't perfect and is determined to improve. The 'tardiness', 'arrogance' and 'inefficiencies' of the PAP that the article hurled is unfair to the 52 years of good work that the PAP has done for Singapore.
Lionel De Souza
I REFER to last Friday's Insight article ('3 Ps behind PAP's image problem'). This sentence in the report is most unfair to the Government:
'For instance, many Singaporeans were unhappy that they had to wait three years for an unqualified apology from the Government on the escape of terrorist detainee Mas Selamat Kastari. Mr Lee (Hsien Loong) apologised for it during a lunchtime rally at UOB Plaza during the recent campaign.'
In fact, then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng did apologise and it was reported on the front page of The Straits Times on Feb 29, 2008. He apologised in Parliament on Feb28, the very next day after the escape. The front page of ST prominently quoted him as saying: 'This should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.'
Was this not an apology plain and simple?
And on April 21, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in Parliament: 'DPM Wong updated Parliament the very next day, and apologised for the lapse.'
He also added: 'Apologising? That was the first thing which Mr Wong Kan Seng did as Deputy Prime Minister in Parliament, the day after this occurred, and I think that is adequate. I would say that when the Deputy Prime Minister speaks, he speaks on behalf of the Government.'
If what was said was not an apology from the Government, may I ask what is?
The People's Action Party Government isn't perfect and is determined to improve. The 'tardiness', 'arrogance' and 'inefficiencies' of the PAP that the article hurled is unfair to the 52 years of good work that the PAP has done for Singapore.
Lionel De Souza