Govt-people 'emotional connection' important: PM
By Lynn Lee
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with the PAP Ang Mo Kio GRC team at Ang Mo Kio MRT station on Wednesday. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday said he was addressing 'the emotional connection' that a government must have with its people when he apologised for mistakes made under his watch.
'We considered carefully and I thought this was a suitable message to Singaporeans at this stage of the campaign to focus minds on key issues,' he told reporters after meeting commuters at Ang Mo Kio MRT station on Wednesday morning.
'So one set of issues is the policies...but the other set of issues is the politics of it, and also the emotional connection, which is very important, between the government and the people.'
A day earlier, Mr Lee apologised at the People's Action Party's (PAP) lunchtime rally at Boat Quay for the government's mistakes and said they would try to do better the next time. Among other things, he acknowledged that the government could have moved faster to address shortfalls in public housing and transport.
PM Lee added on Wednesday that he felt that it was a message that people wanted to hear and which the government wished to send out. When something went wrong, the government should let the people know that it realised it had not done enough, he said.
'Admitting our mistake is the first step towards correcting it,' said Mr Lee, who is leading the PAP five-member team for Ang Mo Kio, facing off the Reform Party.
By Lynn Lee
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with the PAP Ang Mo Kio GRC team at Ang Mo Kio MRT station on Wednesday. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday said he was addressing 'the emotional connection' that a government must have with its people when he apologised for mistakes made under his watch.
'We considered carefully and I thought this was a suitable message to Singaporeans at this stage of the campaign to focus minds on key issues,' he told reporters after meeting commuters at Ang Mo Kio MRT station on Wednesday morning.
'So one set of issues is the policies...but the other set of issues is the politics of it, and also the emotional connection, which is very important, between the government and the people.'
A day earlier, Mr Lee apologised at the People's Action Party's (PAP) lunchtime rally at Boat Quay for the government's mistakes and said they would try to do better the next time. Among other things, he acknowledged that the government could have moved faster to address shortfalls in public housing and transport.
PM Lee added on Wednesday that he felt that it was a message that people wanted to hear and which the government wished to send out. When something went wrong, the government should let the people know that it realised it had not done enough, he said.
'Admitting our mistake is the first step towards correcting it,' said Mr Lee, who is leading the PAP five-member team for Ang Mo Kio, facing off the Reform Party.
