PAP 'trying to confuse voters about WP's aims'
Sylvia Lim says WP wants a 'critical mass' of opposition MPs to check Government
By Kor Kian Beng
The Workers' Party (WP) yesterday rejected the People's Action Party's (PAP) charge that its aim is to create gridlock in Parliament, saying that its objective is to guard against the 'mutilation' of the Constitution.
It would be a 'good day for Singapore', says party chairman Sylvia Lim, if there were enough elected opposition MPs - at least one-third of seats in Parliament - to play this role in blocking constitutional amendments that are made for partisan advantage.
'Singaporeans should feel protected that there is one group of people there who actually have the power to block the constitutional amendments if they are made for partisan advantage,' she said.
Backing her was party chief Low Thia Khiang, who stressed that the WP was pro-Singapore and not out to oppose for the sake of it.
He listed Workfare - a scheme to supplement the incomes of low-income workers - and the ongoing productivity push as examples of policies that it has supported.
Both WP leaders were responding to PAP leaders' criticisms of its election manifesto and campaign slogan: Vote Workers' Party - Towards a First World Parliament.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam attacked the slogan on Friday, saying it was clear from the WP leaders' remarks that its real goal was to block constitutional amendments and policies it disagrees with, and ultimately take over the Government.
He said the WP avoided giving examples of a 'First World Parliament' as it knew voters would reject the gridlock and dysfunction often associated with that model.
Yesterday, Ms Lim said the PAP was trying to 'confuse Singaporeans about our intentions, and also made misleading statements about the slogan in an attempt to cast doubts about it'.
She added: 'The WP believes the voters are intelligent and mature enough to see through the PAP's intentions.'
She was speaking at the party's introduction of its third batch of candidates: businessman Mohd Rahizan Yaacob, 54; private school lecturer Poh Lee Guan, 50; IT consultant Koh Choong Yong, 37; and Mr Toh Hong Boon, 31, a senior research officer at the Genome Institute of Singapore.
Ms Lim said the party had held intense discussions on the slogan and the concept of a First World Parliament.
She reiterated that the WP hopes to see a Parliament with effective checks and balances provided by a critical mass of elected opposition MPs who would scrutinise policies, protect Singaporeans' rights, and ensure amendments to Bills and the Constitution are not 'bulldozed through without proper debate and scrutiny', among other things.
Mr Low added that a dominant-party system as it is now would be detrimental to Singapore's future, as he believes a 'more diversified political environment' would enable younger people to grow and be creative.
But how the system evolves - into a one-party, two-party or a 11/2-party system - depends on the voters, not the PAP or the opposition, said the Hougang MP.
Voters have to decide if they would want a stronger opposition presence in Parliament through their votes, he said.
'It's for the voters to decide, you must always remember that. So I think the PAP is being very arrogant to ignore the will of the voters in an election because that depends on how the voters vote,' he added.
But Mr Low said the WP is not able to form the Government now, and what it can do is to tell Singaporeans to vote its candidates in, and help it take 'a first step' in moving Singapore towards a First World Parliament.
Asked about Education Minister Ng Eng Hen's remarks at another event yesterday that a stronger opposition presence could weaken a strong government that Singapore needs, Mr Low agrees the country needs a strong government, but believes it is more crucial to have a 'strong system of governance'.
He said: 'It means if the Government fails, you have another government ready to take over. That will give you more political stability and a more secure future than depending on one government.
'In other words, like a car, you need a spare tyre, right? I mean, you want to depend on four tyres, one punctured and that's it, you can't move?'
[email protected]
Comments misunderstood?
'Did I say that? Did I say that it doesn't matter if the Workers' Party (WP) makes a wrong judgment? What I am saying is that relatively, if the People's Action Party makes a wrong judgment, the consequences are greater. The WP as a responsible party, of course, will have to put in our framework to scrutinise our candidates, to do what we can.
And I said in no uncertain terms that if the party makes a wrong judgment, it will have to pay a price.
I regret that the Prime Minister has either misunderstood me or purposely twisted my words to suit his comments.'
WP chief Low Thia Khiang's response to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's charge that the Hougang MP was cavalier in saying it doesn't matter if the WP picks a wrong candidate as the consequences would be less serious than the PAP's
Sylvia Lim says WP wants a 'critical mass' of opposition MPs to check Government
By Kor Kian Beng
The Workers' Party (WP) yesterday rejected the People's Action Party's (PAP) charge that its aim is to create gridlock in Parliament, saying that its objective is to guard against the 'mutilation' of the Constitution.
It would be a 'good day for Singapore', says party chairman Sylvia Lim, if there were enough elected opposition MPs - at least one-third of seats in Parliament - to play this role in blocking constitutional amendments that are made for partisan advantage.
'Singaporeans should feel protected that there is one group of people there who actually have the power to block the constitutional amendments if they are made for partisan advantage,' she said.
Backing her was party chief Low Thia Khiang, who stressed that the WP was pro-Singapore and not out to oppose for the sake of it.
He listed Workfare - a scheme to supplement the incomes of low-income workers - and the ongoing productivity push as examples of policies that it has supported.
Both WP leaders were responding to PAP leaders' criticisms of its election manifesto and campaign slogan: Vote Workers' Party - Towards a First World Parliament.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam attacked the slogan on Friday, saying it was clear from the WP leaders' remarks that its real goal was to block constitutional amendments and policies it disagrees with, and ultimately take over the Government.
He said the WP avoided giving examples of a 'First World Parliament' as it knew voters would reject the gridlock and dysfunction often associated with that model.
Yesterday, Ms Lim said the PAP was trying to 'confuse Singaporeans about our intentions, and also made misleading statements about the slogan in an attempt to cast doubts about it'.
She added: 'The WP believes the voters are intelligent and mature enough to see through the PAP's intentions.'
She was speaking at the party's introduction of its third batch of candidates: businessman Mohd Rahizan Yaacob, 54; private school lecturer Poh Lee Guan, 50; IT consultant Koh Choong Yong, 37; and Mr Toh Hong Boon, 31, a senior research officer at the Genome Institute of Singapore.
Ms Lim said the party had held intense discussions on the slogan and the concept of a First World Parliament.
She reiterated that the WP hopes to see a Parliament with effective checks and balances provided by a critical mass of elected opposition MPs who would scrutinise policies, protect Singaporeans' rights, and ensure amendments to Bills and the Constitution are not 'bulldozed through without proper debate and scrutiny', among other things.
Mr Low added that a dominant-party system as it is now would be detrimental to Singapore's future, as he believes a 'more diversified political environment' would enable younger people to grow and be creative.
But how the system evolves - into a one-party, two-party or a 11/2-party system - depends on the voters, not the PAP or the opposition, said the Hougang MP.
Voters have to decide if they would want a stronger opposition presence in Parliament through their votes, he said.
'It's for the voters to decide, you must always remember that. So I think the PAP is being very arrogant to ignore the will of the voters in an election because that depends on how the voters vote,' he added.
But Mr Low said the WP is not able to form the Government now, and what it can do is to tell Singaporeans to vote its candidates in, and help it take 'a first step' in moving Singapore towards a First World Parliament.
Asked about Education Minister Ng Eng Hen's remarks at another event yesterday that a stronger opposition presence could weaken a strong government that Singapore needs, Mr Low agrees the country needs a strong government, but believes it is more crucial to have a 'strong system of governance'.
He said: 'It means if the Government fails, you have another government ready to take over. That will give you more political stability and a more secure future than depending on one government.
'In other words, like a car, you need a spare tyre, right? I mean, you want to depend on four tyres, one punctured and that's it, you can't move?'
[email protected]
Comments misunderstood?
'Did I say that? Did I say that it doesn't matter if the Workers' Party (WP) makes a wrong judgment? What I am saying is that relatively, if the People's Action Party makes a wrong judgment, the consequences are greater. The WP as a responsible party, of course, will have to put in our framework to scrutinise our candidates, to do what we can.
And I said in no uncertain terms that if the party makes a wrong judgment, it will have to pay a price.
I regret that the Prime Minister has either misunderstood me or purposely twisted my words to suit his comments.'
WP chief Low Thia Khiang's response to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's charge that the Hougang MP was cavalier in saying it doesn't matter if the WP picks a wrong candidate as the consequences would be less serious than the PAP's
