Ministers must review policies to reflect concerns of S'poreans: Dr Balakrishnan
By Joanne Chan | Posted: 14 May 2011 1402 hrs <LINK rel=image_src href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpceccLv.jpg">
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Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD class=update></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- for Facebook Like function --><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=510><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=4><HR align=left color=#dddddd SIZE=1 width=510></TD></TR><TR><TD height=30 vAlign=middle width=510 colSpan=4><?xml:namespace prefix = fb ns = "http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml" /><fb:like class="fb_like fb_edge_widget_with_comment fb_iframe_widget" href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1128853/1/.html" width="510" layout="standard" show_faces="false" action="recommend"><IFRAME style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 510px; HEIGHT: 22px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" id=f345312b13cc11a class=fb_ltr title="Like this content on Facebook." src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?action=recommend&api_key=113370852059819&channel_url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D1%23cb%3Df2c582911497f98%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.channelnewsasia.com%252Ffd712ffcbf685%26relation%3Dparent.parent%26transport%3Dflash&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.channelnewsasia.com%2Fstories%2Fsingaporelocalnews%2Fview%2F1128853%2F1%2F.html&layout=standard&locale=en_US&node_type=1&sdk=joey&show_faces=false&width=510" frameBorder=0 allowTransparency name=f30d5630865811 scrolling=no></IFRAME></fb:like></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=4><HR align=left color=#dddddd SIZE=1 width=510></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
SINGAPORE: Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan said all ministers need to seriously review policies to ensure that the plans implemented reflect the concerns of Singaporeans.
=> In other words, there is nothing wrong with their policies. Just implementation lah! E.g. The additional 900k FTrash to be imported, but just work harder to psycho Sporeans to stomach it better!
Dr Balakrishnan, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will announce his cabinet next week.
Speaking on the sidelines of a victory parade for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Saturday morning, Dr Balakrishnan said the government has to be more flexible in the way it implements policies.
"We all will have to draw right lessons from this election, and I think every minister will have to take a deep hard look at all our policies, everything we do, how we do, how we execute the policies, how we make sure that our policies reflect the key concerns and priorities of Singaporeans. That we implement with the spirit of the policy in mind rather than just more rigidly by the letter of the law," said Dr Balakrishnan.
Dr Balakrishnan said that based on feedback, the government needs to be more sensitive to needs on the ground and policies should reflect that.
The People's Action Party team in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, led by Dr Balakrishnan, had garnered 60.1 per cent of the votes.
On how his team plans to win over the 40 per cent who did not vote for the PAP, Dr Balakrishnan said there must be more outreach and engagement.
Dr Balakrishnan said: "What we want to make sure in our next term, everything that we come up with, every plan, every project is one that is co-created with our residents, their ideas are in it, our residents take ownership for the ideas and for the projects, and for the trade-offs that sometimes that will need to be made."
Dr Balakrishnan pointed out that ministers would not only have to answer to more elected opposition MPs, but also more questions from their own party members.
"I'm sure life will be tougher for ministers in the next five years...because it's not just the presence of more opposition MPs. Our own MPs are going to be re-energised, and are going to be far more active in pursuing issues and matters which they feel deeply in their hearts and to reflect the concerns and anxieties of their residents. I think this is good," said Dr Balakrishnan.
Six opposition MPs from the Workers' Party have been elected, following wins in Hougang single member constituency and Aljunied group representation constituency.
There will also be three Non-Constituency MPs - Mr Yee Jenn Jong and Mr Gerald Giam from the Workers'Party and Mrs Lina Chiam from the Singapore People's Party.
MP Liang Eng Hwa, agrees.
"There will be more issues that I want to champion personally after hearing from the residents and so on. So to that extent, I will be pushing for these issues to be addressed by the policy makers."
=> Start off with showing us the YOG accounts perhaps?
The other two MPs for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC - Mr Christopher De Souza and potential office holder Ms Sim Ann - both said there needs to be a lot more listening to residents and their needs.
- CNA/cc
By Joanne Chan | Posted: 14 May 2011 1402 hrs <LINK rel=image_src href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpceccLv.jpg">
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Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD class=update></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- for Facebook Like function --><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=510><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=4><HR align=left color=#dddddd SIZE=1 width=510></TD></TR><TR><TD height=30 vAlign=middle width=510 colSpan=4><?xml:namespace prefix = fb ns = "http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml" /><fb:like class="fb_like fb_edge_widget_with_comment fb_iframe_widget" href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1128853/1/.html" width="510" layout="standard" show_faces="false" action="recommend"><IFRAME style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 510px; HEIGHT: 22px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" id=f345312b13cc11a class=fb_ltr title="Like this content on Facebook." src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?action=recommend&api_key=113370852059819&channel_url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D1%23cb%3Df2c582911497f98%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.channelnewsasia.com%252Ffd712ffcbf685%26relation%3Dparent.parent%26transport%3Dflash&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.channelnewsasia.com%2Fstories%2Fsingaporelocalnews%2Fview%2F1128853%2F1%2F.html&layout=standard&locale=en_US&node_type=1&sdk=joey&show_faces=false&width=510" frameBorder=0 allowTransparency name=f30d5630865811 scrolling=no></IFRAME></fb:like></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=4><HR align=left color=#dddddd SIZE=1 width=510></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
SINGAPORE: Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan said all ministers need to seriously review policies to ensure that the plans implemented reflect the concerns of Singaporeans.
=> In other words, there is nothing wrong with their policies. Just implementation lah! E.g. The additional 900k FTrash to be imported, but just work harder to psycho Sporeans to stomach it better!
Dr Balakrishnan, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will announce his cabinet next week.
Speaking on the sidelines of a victory parade for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Saturday morning, Dr Balakrishnan said the government has to be more flexible in the way it implements policies.
"We all will have to draw right lessons from this election, and I think every minister will have to take a deep hard look at all our policies, everything we do, how we do, how we execute the policies, how we make sure that our policies reflect the key concerns and priorities of Singaporeans. That we implement with the spirit of the policy in mind rather than just more rigidly by the letter of the law," said Dr Balakrishnan.
Dr Balakrishnan said that based on feedback, the government needs to be more sensitive to needs on the ground and policies should reflect that.
The People's Action Party team in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, led by Dr Balakrishnan, had garnered 60.1 per cent of the votes.
On how his team plans to win over the 40 per cent who did not vote for the PAP, Dr Balakrishnan said there must be more outreach and engagement.
Dr Balakrishnan said: "What we want to make sure in our next term, everything that we come up with, every plan, every project is one that is co-created with our residents, their ideas are in it, our residents take ownership for the ideas and for the projects, and for the trade-offs that sometimes that will need to be made."
Dr Balakrishnan pointed out that ministers would not only have to answer to more elected opposition MPs, but also more questions from their own party members.
"I'm sure life will be tougher for ministers in the next five years...because it's not just the presence of more opposition MPs. Our own MPs are going to be re-energised, and are going to be far more active in pursuing issues and matters which they feel deeply in their hearts and to reflect the concerns and anxieties of their residents. I think this is good," said Dr Balakrishnan.
Six opposition MPs from the Workers' Party have been elected, following wins in Hougang single member constituency and Aljunied group representation constituency.
There will also be three Non-Constituency MPs - Mr Yee Jenn Jong and Mr Gerald Giam from the Workers'Party and Mrs Lina Chiam from the Singapore People's Party.
MP Liang Eng Hwa, agrees.
"There will be more issues that I want to champion personally after hearing from the residents and so on. So to that extent, I will be pushing for these issues to be addressed by the policy makers."
=> Start off with showing us the YOG accounts perhaps?
The other two MPs for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC - Mr Christopher De Souza and potential office holder Ms Sim Ann - both said there needs to be a lot more listening to residents and their needs.
- CNA/cc
