PM Lee now says degrees “not as important” after former govt scholars join opposition

[Watchman]

PM Lee now says degrees “not as important” after former govt scholars join opposition

January 26, 2010 by admin

Obviously taken aback at two former government scholars joining the opposition, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is now singing a different tune from the PAP’s usual elitist stance.

The Straits Times reported last week of a former SAF scholar Tony Tan joining the Reform Party led by Cambridge-educated Kenneth Jeyaretnam. His wife, a former PSC scholar, will consider joining the party in the next few weeks.

In response to a question at the Singapore Perspectives Forum, on recent reports about ex-government scholars joining the opposition, PM Lee said:

“For the opposition it’s a change – one scholar or two you think “wow” this is a luminous transformation. Well it is a significant development we will look, but finally let’s look at the person. Not what degrees he has, but what he is he able to do for Singapore.”

The PAP loves to boast about the academic qualifications of its candidates during every election which the opposition is having difficulties attracting though the gap appears to be narrowing in recent years.

Judging from his tone, PM Lee doesn’t seem to think much of the two former government scholars in the Reform Party:

“We hope that anybody who enters politics is somebody of not just ability but integrity and commitment. These are young people who have got good records academically and been in the civil service. We wish them well but we hope Singaporeans will judge individuals like that as rigorously as they would judge individuals who join the PAP side. In other words, it’s not just what degree you have but what sort of person are you and what can you do. That is a matter you can scrutinise before they come in and the PAP scrutinise very hard before they can come in. But it has to be scrutinised by the voters after they have come in and make a wise choice whom to commit.”

Prime Minister Lee must have forgotten what his father said during the 1984 election rally at Potong Pasir. Then the Prime Minister, Lee revealed the “O” level results of PAP candidate Mah Bow Tan and SDP candidate Chiam See Tong and sneered at the latter for scoring “Cs” while Mah is a straight “A” student.

Chiam eventually won the seat by garnering 60 per cent of the valid votes while Mah had to enter Parliament via a GRC in the next election.

Regardless of how hard the PAP “scrutinize” their candidates, it is ultimately up to the voters to access their performance and judging from the PM Lee’s “accomplishments” since the last election, it will very hard to convince Singaporeans to give him and his team another “overwhelming” mandate again.