the rest who are not in the inner clique, SERVE AND FXXX OFF
Ministers may serve just two terms in future: SM
Creating space in Cabinet for new arrivals is vital for self-renewal, he says
By Teo Wan Gek
SENIOR Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday indicated that the days of Cabinet ministers serving several terms may be numbered.
There will come a time when they will serve just two terms, he said at a dialogue with grassroots leaders when explaining why some MPs have to step down after only two terms.
In an ideal situation, a Member of Parliament should serve three terms, he said.
But as some Ministers serve longer than three terms, the PAP has had no choice but to retire some of its MPs who have served fewer than three terms to make way for the newcomers.
If it does not do so, it would not be able to achieve self-renewal which, he said, was in the interest of the country.
However, long years in Cabinet may no longer be the case in future.
Said SM Goh: 'You want to bring in new people who can be given responsibilities, (then) you have to create space in the Cabinet for new people coming in.
'So a time will come, when ministers will not serve more than two terms, generally speaking, so we can have new blood coming in.'
The exception, he added, could be made for former prime ministers.
He made the point to about 300 grassroots leaders from the Kampong Ubi-Kembangan and Kaki Bukit wards in the Marine Parade GRC, which he leads.
During the dialogue, one of them said that the retirement of two-term MPs like Dr Ong Seh Hong was disruptive and upset residents.
Later, speaking to reporters, Mr Goh noted that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong 'has a tough time ahead'.
'If he has, say, five new men that can make it as ministers, then where is he going to put them? That's a real problem.
'We need to have vacancies for new people,' he added.
In the interest of self-renewal, the People's Action Party (PAP) typically replaces about one-quarter of its MPs at each election, bringing in 20 to 25 new faces.
But with ministers staying around longer, this meant that some backbenchers serving two terms might also have to be retired.
Thus the party has 'a tough time trying to decide who will have to make way for renewal... this is actually a very painful process.'
In the Cabinet, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is in his 11th term since Independence, followed by SM Goh (eight terms), Senior Minister S. Jayakumar (seven terms), Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng (seven terms), PM Lee (six terms) and Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng (six terms).
Besides Marine Parade GRC, several other constituencies were also a hive of activity yesterday.
The PAP teams for Tampines, Sembawang, Jurong, Moulmein-Kallang and West Coast GRCs were out in force introducing new faces to residents.
Opposition parties were also out doing walkabouts in their targeted constituencies.
In Marine Parade GRC, SM Goh introduced his potential successor to Marine Parade grassroots leaders, saying Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan Jin, is one of the people whom PM Lee is testing out, to form the core team of the fourth generation leadership.
He made the introduction before the dialogue at which he also discussed the issue of the relatively long line of PAP newcomers from the public sector.
He admitted that despite its efforts, PAP has not been successful in getting people from the private sector, as those in their 40s are content where they are.
'Ideally we should have one to two people from the private sector in their 40s, then there's a diversity.
'But they don't want to come in. If they are number two, they can become number one. There's much more freedom, no flaming or slamming by netizens. Life is comfortable for them, so very few want to come in.'
SM Goh also addressed the need to introduce younger people into Parliament.
'If you don't give younger people a chance, the candidates that we get will always be in their mid-30s. That will be a mistake. The young can play a very important part,' he said.
He was referring to Ms Tin Pei Ling, 27, a new PAP candidate on the Marine Parade GRC team, who has been the subject of heated online controversy.
'My advice is that this election, should not over-emphasise on just one person. She (Ms Tin) has to learn, as do all the other candidates, that once you are a public face, people will examine you, your past may come and visit you. But she will overcome this.'
SM Goh also revealed the campaign theme for his GRC, saying it is to transform the area into a '4G home.'
It stands for Great homes, Gracious people, Generosity and Green. 'To me, a place which is worth living in, must have the social capital, the social environment and the social rapport,' he said.
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Ministers may serve just two terms in future: SM
Creating space in Cabinet for new arrivals is vital for self-renewal, he says
By Teo Wan Gek
SENIOR Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday indicated that the days of Cabinet ministers serving several terms may be numbered.
There will come a time when they will serve just two terms, he said at a dialogue with grassroots leaders when explaining why some MPs have to step down after only two terms.
In an ideal situation, a Member of Parliament should serve three terms, he said.
But as some Ministers serve longer than three terms, the PAP has had no choice but to retire some of its MPs who have served fewer than three terms to make way for the newcomers.
If it does not do so, it would not be able to achieve self-renewal which, he said, was in the interest of the country.
However, long years in Cabinet may no longer be the case in future.
Said SM Goh: 'You want to bring in new people who can be given responsibilities, (then) you have to create space in the Cabinet for new people coming in.
'So a time will come, when ministers will not serve more than two terms, generally speaking, so we can have new blood coming in.'
The exception, he added, could be made for former prime ministers.
He made the point to about 300 grassroots leaders from the Kampong Ubi-Kembangan and Kaki Bukit wards in the Marine Parade GRC, which he leads.
During the dialogue, one of them said that the retirement of two-term MPs like Dr Ong Seh Hong was disruptive and upset residents.
Later, speaking to reporters, Mr Goh noted that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong 'has a tough time ahead'.
'If he has, say, five new men that can make it as ministers, then where is he going to put them? That's a real problem.
'We need to have vacancies for new people,' he added.
In the interest of self-renewal, the People's Action Party (PAP) typically replaces about one-quarter of its MPs at each election, bringing in 20 to 25 new faces.
But with ministers staying around longer, this meant that some backbenchers serving two terms might also have to be retired.
Thus the party has 'a tough time trying to decide who will have to make way for renewal... this is actually a very painful process.'
In the Cabinet, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is in his 11th term since Independence, followed by SM Goh (eight terms), Senior Minister S. Jayakumar (seven terms), Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng (seven terms), PM Lee (six terms) and Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng (six terms).
Besides Marine Parade GRC, several other constituencies were also a hive of activity yesterday.
The PAP teams for Tampines, Sembawang, Jurong, Moulmein-Kallang and West Coast GRCs were out in force introducing new faces to residents.
Opposition parties were also out doing walkabouts in their targeted constituencies.
In Marine Parade GRC, SM Goh introduced his potential successor to Marine Parade grassroots leaders, saying Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan Jin, is one of the people whom PM Lee is testing out, to form the core team of the fourth generation leadership.
He made the introduction before the dialogue at which he also discussed the issue of the relatively long line of PAP newcomers from the public sector.
He admitted that despite its efforts, PAP has not been successful in getting people from the private sector, as those in their 40s are content where they are.
'Ideally we should have one to two people from the private sector in their 40s, then there's a diversity.
'But they don't want to come in. If they are number two, they can become number one. There's much more freedom, no flaming or slamming by netizens. Life is comfortable for them, so very few want to come in.'
SM Goh also addressed the need to introduce younger people into Parliament.
'If you don't give younger people a chance, the candidates that we get will always be in their mid-30s. That will be a mistake. The young can play a very important part,' he said.
He was referring to Ms Tin Pei Ling, 27, a new PAP candidate on the Marine Parade GRC team, who has been the subject of heated online controversy.
'My advice is that this election, should not over-emphasise on just one person. She (Ms Tin) has to learn, as do all the other candidates, that once you are a public face, people will examine you, your past may come and visit you. But she will overcome this.'
SM Goh also revealed the campaign theme for his GRC, saying it is to transform the area into a '4G home.'
It stands for Great homes, Gracious people, Generosity and Green. 'To me, a place which is worth living in, must have the social capital, the social environment and the social rapport,' he said.
[email protected]
