Shanmugam to Workers' Party: Reveal your real aim
Its intention seems to be 'to block constitutional changes, policies' in House
By Rachel Chang
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20110423/ST_IMAGES_P1BLURBS23-1DP.jpg
THE Workers' Party should come clean and own up to Singaporeans that its aim as an opposition in Parliament is to block constitutional amendments and policies, and ultimately take over the Government, Mr K. Shanmugam said yesterday.
However, its leaders have avoided clarifying what they mean by a 'First World Parliament' as they know Singaporeans will reject the gridlock and dysfunction often associated with the model, the Minister for Home Affairs and Law added.
Firing the ruling party's latest broadside at the opposition party's manifesto and key campaign platform - that of having a First World Parliament - he said the picture emerging from WP leaders' remarks is that they want to do more than just enter Parliament to question policies.
They, in fact, want 'to block constitutional amendments. They will also block other policies they disagree with'.
He came to this conclusion because the WP rejects in principle the Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) scheme, which allows the highest-scoring losers at an election to enter Parliament. An NCMP can question but cannot vote on constitutional amendments or money Bills.
'So now we have it: they want to block government policy. The aim is, of course, to take over the Government. There is nothing unique about an opposition party wanting to do that,' he said.
'What is unique is an opposition party denying it wants to do that, and for the real picture to be teased out, bit by bit.'
Why is the WP so reluctant to admit this is what it really wants, Mr Shanmugam asked.
Because once 'they admit this, then Singaporeans will see' what it means by a First World Parliament.
'We see many examples of how First World Parliaments actually function. The fact that the WP seems embarrassed to refer to any specific example is quite telling.'
Mr Shanmugam's latest comments came after WP leaders said there was no need for them to specify which model of a First World Parliament they had in mind - a question PAP leaders have posed since the WP released its manifesto earlier this month.
At the introduction of new candidates on Thursday, WP chairman Sylvia Lim said Singapore should chart its own course, 'taking baby steps forward' towards having a Parliament that can be a robust check on the Government.
WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang said the notion of the opposition causing a 'government shutdown', which nearly happened in the United States, was unrealistic: 'We haven't started to walk, so the PAP shouldn't think we can fly.'
Ms Lim also jibed that Mr Shanmugam be given a copy of the WP manifesto so he could read carefully its description of what it means by a First World Parliament.
Characterising the last as a 'personal' remark, Mr Shanmugam told The Straits Times after a walkabout in his Chong Pang ward: 'I suppose this is what they mean by First World debate. I will ignore these remarks.'
He added: 'So I come back and ask: Which First World country did you have in mind, exactly, when you coined the slogan? And if you claim that it is a 'uniquely Singaporean' model that you were thinking of, then please tell us what will be unique about this model, which is not to be found in other First World countries.
'The WP can't have it both ways: claim it wants a First World Parliament but refuse to identify any First World country, and also refuse to identify in what respects its model will be unique.'
He also refuted the WP's point that the People's Action Party too speaks of running a 'First World government' but does not specify which First World government it is modelled after.
Said Mr Shanmugam, citing how Singapore had been ranked highly by global agencies in areas such as rule of law, economic competitiveness, education and efficiency: 'This is disingenuous. The outcome, the results of governance, are measurable... The governance in Singapore can be compared with specific First World countries and ranked.'
Singapore has been identified as having 'one of the world's best performing school systems, one of the most liveable cities, with an excellent health and transport infrastructure'.
'So there is nothing airy-fairy about the claim that governance in Singapore is 'First World'. It means exactly that. You take any First World country - our governance is comparable to any such country, overall.'
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Its intention seems to be 'to block constitutional changes, policies' in House
By Rachel Chang
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20110423/ST_IMAGES_P1BLURBS23-1DP.jpg
THE Workers' Party should come clean and own up to Singaporeans that its aim as an opposition in Parliament is to block constitutional amendments and policies, and ultimately take over the Government, Mr K. Shanmugam said yesterday.
However, its leaders have avoided clarifying what they mean by a 'First World Parliament' as they know Singaporeans will reject the gridlock and dysfunction often associated with the model, the Minister for Home Affairs and Law added.
Firing the ruling party's latest broadside at the opposition party's manifesto and key campaign platform - that of having a First World Parliament - he said the picture emerging from WP leaders' remarks is that they want to do more than just enter Parliament to question policies.
They, in fact, want 'to block constitutional amendments. They will also block other policies they disagree with'.
He came to this conclusion because the WP rejects in principle the Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) scheme, which allows the highest-scoring losers at an election to enter Parliament. An NCMP can question but cannot vote on constitutional amendments or money Bills.
'So now we have it: they want to block government policy. The aim is, of course, to take over the Government. There is nothing unique about an opposition party wanting to do that,' he said.
'What is unique is an opposition party denying it wants to do that, and for the real picture to be teased out, bit by bit.'
Why is the WP so reluctant to admit this is what it really wants, Mr Shanmugam asked.
Because once 'they admit this, then Singaporeans will see' what it means by a First World Parliament.
'We see many examples of how First World Parliaments actually function. The fact that the WP seems embarrassed to refer to any specific example is quite telling.'
Mr Shanmugam's latest comments came after WP leaders said there was no need for them to specify which model of a First World Parliament they had in mind - a question PAP leaders have posed since the WP released its manifesto earlier this month.
At the introduction of new candidates on Thursday, WP chairman Sylvia Lim said Singapore should chart its own course, 'taking baby steps forward' towards having a Parliament that can be a robust check on the Government.
WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang said the notion of the opposition causing a 'government shutdown', which nearly happened in the United States, was unrealistic: 'We haven't started to walk, so the PAP shouldn't think we can fly.'
Ms Lim also jibed that Mr Shanmugam be given a copy of the WP manifesto so he could read carefully its description of what it means by a First World Parliament.
Characterising the last as a 'personal' remark, Mr Shanmugam told The Straits Times after a walkabout in his Chong Pang ward: 'I suppose this is what they mean by First World debate. I will ignore these remarks.'
He added: 'So I come back and ask: Which First World country did you have in mind, exactly, when you coined the slogan? And if you claim that it is a 'uniquely Singaporean' model that you were thinking of, then please tell us what will be unique about this model, which is not to be found in other First World countries.
'The WP can't have it both ways: claim it wants a First World Parliament but refuse to identify any First World country, and also refuse to identify in what respects its model will be unique.'
He also refuted the WP's point that the People's Action Party too speaks of running a 'First World government' but does not specify which First World government it is modelled after.
Said Mr Shanmugam, citing how Singapore had been ranked highly by global agencies in areas such as rule of law, economic competitiveness, education and efficiency: 'This is disingenuous. The outcome, the results of governance, are measurable... The governance in Singapore can be compared with specific First World countries and ranked.'
Singapore has been identified as having 'one of the world's best performing school systems, one of the most liveable cities, with an excellent health and transport infrastructure'.
'So there is nothing airy-fairy about the claim that governance in Singapore is 'First World'. It means exactly that. You take any First World country - our governance is comparable to any such country, overall.'
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