Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean reflects on the past year and fields three questions on politics, engagement and the search for new leaders.
By Lydia Lim, The Straits Times, 5 May 2012
DPM Teo: The Government has always strived to build a better life for Singaporeans, but there were clearly some policies which couldhave been better designed, implemented or communicated.
In PM's National Day Rally speech last year, and the inclusive Budget this year, the Government has made several changes to address the concerns of Singaporeans. These initiatives will help ensure that Singaporeans have the best opportunities through education to do well and benefit from Singapore's development, can enjoy housing that remains affordable, transport that is reliable and convenient, and health care that caters to families and seniors.
In the wake of the election results, one PAP member expressed concern that 'the more ordinary Singapore's politics, the less extraordinary Singapore will be'. Is this also a concern you have?
This is indeed a risk. Various groups have become more vocal in expressing their views. This is inevitable as Singapore evolves into a more developed and complex society. There will be competing, sometimes contradictory, demands. The key is to strike the right balance to find the best outcome for Singapore and Singaporeans. This, the Government will continue to strive for. But in doing so, it may not always be possible to satisfy everyone.
The question is whether Singaporeans with different interests and views will be prepared to see the larger picture and accept the need for trade-offs and give-and-take, in order for us to progress together as a country. We have been able to do this in the past, much better than other countries. If we can continue to do this, and benefit from fruitful engagement and consultation, then Singapore will be successful in a new environment and new era.
But if we cannot find common ground, and every issue becomes contentious and politicised, then there is a real danger that governance in Singapore will become paralysed, trapped in populist policies, and fail to address the pressing or longer-term challenges that the country faces. We can see this in some other countries, including developed societies with well-educated, sophisticated electorates. Neither the country nor its citizens benefit.
The Government's efforts to engage and reconnect emotionally with Singaporeans have earned both praise and brickbats. How does the Government strike a balance between listening, consultation and being responsive to feedback, and the need to also be decisive and get things done?
Good governance requires good policies and good politics that can address both short-term and long-term concerns of the people. It also requires mutual trust, empathy and respect between the leaders and the people.
While we have always strived to gather feedback from Singaporeans through Meet-the-People Sessions, public consultations, et cetera, we have now opened up many more channels for active consultation, discussion and feedback, including on the new media. PM has recently launched his Facebook page. Consultation will help improve our policies, and take full advantage of the ideas of Singaporeans. One example is the development of the former Rail Corridor.
But on other issues, it is harder to find a happy outcome that satisfies everyone. Bukit Brown is an example. The need for this large and centrally located piece of land to be used for a road and housing cannot be easily reconciled with preserving it as a heritage cemetery. But through consultation, we have found other ways to preserve its heritage.
We also need to build more eldercare centres and rental flats, which inevitably will be close to some residents. We hope that many more Singaporeans understand that their fellow Singaporeans need these facilities, and support such projects. Their own friends or neighbours may one day have a need for them.
Having consultations can raise high expectations that all views and proposals will be accepted. But this is not always possible as the views and proposals can be contradictory, and it can be tough to choose between them.
At some point, it falls to the Government to take a decision, and explain the reasons for it. The fact that a proposal was not adopted does not mean that it was not listened to or taken into account.Understanding and accepting that there are trade-offs to be made is part of the maturing of our society.
Singaporeans who support the PAP Government and want it to succeed in finding a way forward for Singapore worry at the party's continued difficulty in attracting the best and brightest to join its ranks. Can you give an update on the party's efforts?
In the last GE (general election), the PAP fielded a strong slate of promising new candidates. But we were not able to retain all our ministers, nor bring in some of the new candidates with good potential. This is a loss, not just for the party and Government, but in my view for Singapore. We would have been able to do better for Singapore with them on the team. The party continues to engage young and able potential candidates so that we can field a strong team again at the next election.
But it has indeed become more difficult to persuade good men and women to enter politics. This applies to any party intending to form the Government. The environment is more adversarial, the electorate is more demanding and unforgiving. And there are many other avenues for able people in the prime of their lives to pursue challenging and rewarding careers - not just in Singapore but overseas. We all know of prominent examples of this.
But I have also come across many thoughtful and committed Singaporeans who have shared with me their worry about the dangers if current political trends go too far, and that it is even more important now for able people to come forward.
I hope that this will motivate more able people to come forward to serve. Nobody can assume that if they do not step forward themselves, someone else capable will do so, and shoulder the responsibility for Singapore.
After a year watching the new MPs, PAP and opposition perform on the ground and in Parliament, the public is now better able to discern who among them have the sincerity and ability to contribute to leading and governing our country. In particular, the public has had the opportunity to make a realistic assessment of the performance of the new opposition MPs, and how far they have lived up to the high expectations of voters.
Faced with the same realities, even the opposition, when it confronts the issues honestly, finds it difficult to come up with an answer that is very different. For example, in the debate on ministerial salaries, the opposition quietly abandoned their previous drastic proposals, endorsed the same key principles and came up with an answer which was very similar.
And they have vacillated on the issue of foreign workers, arguing for fewer foreign workers in the past, but now arguing against reducing foreign workers in several major industries.
Even the opposition has come to realise that choosing the wrong person for election into Parliament can result not just in damaging the interest of the residents in a particular constituency, but also the functioning of our whole government system.
Ultimately, the goal must be to get the best possible team into Parliament so that we can form the best possible government for Singapore.
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