ST Forum
I REFER to the current debate on the efficacy of Singapore's largely one-party political system.
Last Saturday, Mr Rayner Teo ('Logic favours two-party system') and Mr Vincent Tan ('Government better off with checks and balances') rightly pointed out the dangers of how monolithism can be Singapore's bane, but failed to understand the essence of democracy. Diversity of voices and variegated constitutional representation may be loosely classified as components of democratic governance, but by themselves they are not democracy.
Democracy is not about having a cacophony of voices. It is not about positive discrimination. Democracy is about levelling the ground, and bringing every citizen to the same level. It is about empowering the minority, preventing tyranny by the majority, while synergising the actions of citizens towards the goals of a puritanic society. It must harmonise voices and act as a conduit for all members of society. A multi-party system is not a sure way to achieve the perfect ideals that underline an ideal democracy - but effective and potent democratic institutions are.
Democratic institutions such as the media, community representative groups (racial, religious and so on), think-tanks (political, social or economic) and labour unions are powerful tools to keep any single power in check. Communities of foreign workers and multinational corporations ensure that the Government will not adopt xenophobic policies; local communities ensure that the Government will take care of its citizens. The platforms available for these discussions (via the think-tanks and unions) allow both parties to find a common ground where a mutually commutative relationship can exist. The media then acts as broadcaster and watchdog of these policies and the flux in the system. All democratic institutions in this complex chain are both mutually empowering and disempowering. This is the true essence of democracy - when there are many avenues for discourse, and each is as significant as the others.
Yes, we may lack active political and citizenry introspections of what qualifies Singapore-the-country as Singapore-the-country.Yes, our political scene is not as exciting as that of Taiwan. Our politicians do not go on hunger strike, nor do they exhibit their elocution qualities on a daily basis. I am relieved they do not. Such infatuation with one perfect avenue (political discourse) will only poison the other (media).
British prime minister Winston Churchill once said that the citizens of a democratic society always want their leaders to put their ears to the ground. But when the leaders do so, how are they able to hear everyone? We must understand our roles in a democratic society firstly as citizens. We provide the information via democratic institutions, and elect good men and women to do what our leaders should do - harmonize our voices.
This can be readily achieved in single- or multi-party system. It just cannot be achieved in a system that has no democratic institutions. And that should have been the focus of our attention and debates.
Sng Hong Shen
I REFER to the current debate on the efficacy of Singapore's largely one-party political system.
Last Saturday, Mr Rayner Teo ('Logic favours two-party system') and Mr Vincent Tan ('Government better off with checks and balances') rightly pointed out the dangers of how monolithism can be Singapore's bane, but failed to understand the essence of democracy. Diversity of voices and variegated constitutional representation may be loosely classified as components of democratic governance, but by themselves they are not democracy.
Democracy is not about having a cacophony of voices. It is not about positive discrimination. Democracy is about levelling the ground, and bringing every citizen to the same level. It is about empowering the minority, preventing tyranny by the majority, while synergising the actions of citizens towards the goals of a puritanic society. It must harmonise voices and act as a conduit for all members of society. A multi-party system is not a sure way to achieve the perfect ideals that underline an ideal democracy - but effective and potent democratic institutions are.
Democratic institutions such as the media, community representative groups (racial, religious and so on), think-tanks (political, social or economic) and labour unions are powerful tools to keep any single power in check. Communities of foreign workers and multinational corporations ensure that the Government will not adopt xenophobic policies; local communities ensure that the Government will take care of its citizens. The platforms available for these discussions (via the think-tanks and unions) allow both parties to find a common ground where a mutually commutative relationship can exist. The media then acts as broadcaster and watchdog of these policies and the flux in the system. All democratic institutions in this complex chain are both mutually empowering and disempowering. This is the true essence of democracy - when there are many avenues for discourse, and each is as significant as the others.
Yes, we may lack active political and citizenry introspections of what qualifies Singapore-the-country as Singapore-the-country.Yes, our political scene is not as exciting as that of Taiwan. Our politicians do not go on hunger strike, nor do they exhibit their elocution qualities on a daily basis. I am relieved they do not. Such infatuation with one perfect avenue (political discourse) will only poison the other (media).
British prime minister Winston Churchill once said that the citizens of a democratic society always want their leaders to put their ears to the ground. But when the leaders do so, how are they able to hear everyone? We must understand our roles in a democratic society firstly as citizens. We provide the information via democratic institutions, and elect good men and women to do what our leaders should do - harmonize our voices.
This can be readily achieved in single- or multi-party system. It just cannot be achieved in a system that has no democratic institutions. And that should have been the focus of our attention and debates.
Sng Hong Shen
