Singaporeans just want a team that delivers results: Swee Say

Lynn Lee, Straits Times 2 Feb 08;

A SPARKLING economy and jobs for almost everyone saw Singapore come out tops in a study on how 56 countries fared last year.

'There was this little red star - not little red dot - Singapore,' Minister (Prime Minister's Office) Lim Swee Say said yesterday, citing a survey reported in The Economist, which included economic powerhouses such as China, India and the United States.

It showed that last year, Singapore was the only country to have achieved both high economic growth and full employment.

The economy expanded by 7.5 per cent and the unemployment rate was 2.1 per cent - a 10-year low.

Explaining what these numbers meant for workers, Mr Lim, the secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), said retrenchments hit a 14-year- low, while unionised firms paid out the fattest bonuses in 18 years.

Mr Lim, who said this at a discussion wrapping up the day-long Institute of Policy Studies conference, was not just delivering another report card on Singapore.

Rather, he was making this point: that these results matter to Singaporeans and they want a high-performing government that can continue to deliver them.

For that matter, they are not fussy about whether there is a one-party or multi-party system. 'If the single party turns out to be the best government...then so be it.'

'But if this one party turns out to be a bad government, obviously as NTUC chief, I will mobilise my workers to vote for a better government,' he said, as the audience chuckled and applauded.

Mr Lim's comments were in response to a question on whether there was a cost to continuing one-party dominance in politics.

The discussion's moderator, Professor Kishore Mahbubhani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, posed it as it had come up in an earlier session on what Singapore politics would be like in 2030.

There, Straits Times Associate Editor Zuraidah Ibrahim and political correspondent Peh Shing Huei envisaged a variety of possibilities for Singapore's political system in an era without Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

One scenario: Values like the primacy of economic development over political freedom could change.

This could be a result of new ideas and mindsets that the waves of immigrants bring in, they said in a presentation.

But going by current trends, both were doubtful that a two-party state would emerge in the next 20 years.

At most, it would be a '1.5 party system', said Mr Peh.

'This is simply because... the opposition is not strong enough, and Singaporeans have a high comfort level with the PAP. Also, the PAP has shown that it is determined to maintain an overwhelming majority in Parliament,' he added.

How different in 2030?
Ministers say changes may be necessary, but should not be rushed
Nazry Bahrawi, Today Online 2 Feb 08;

AS FOUR Ministers fielded a slew of questions about the nation's future at a dialogue session organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on Friday, change was the hot topic.

Be it economy, foreign policy, socio-cultural or politics, the questions that emerged reflected one sentiment: How different will Singapore in 2030 be from what it is today?

With politics, for instance, what is the cost of continued single party domination to Singapore?

Said Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office: "The question is not so much what is the cost of a single party but rather, what is the cost of a poor government or a bad government?"

Speaking as National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) chief, he added: "If that single party turns out to be the best government which we can have for the Singapore workers, so be it."

But not ruling out the possibility of change, Mr Lim said to applause: "But if this single party turns out to be a bad government, then obviously as NTUC chief, I will mobilise my workers to vote for a better government."

Responding to a question about succession planning within the People's Action Party (PAP), Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister of Environment and Water Resources and also Minister in Charge of Muslim Affairs said: "Strategies have not changed ... we have to invite them to tea sessions, and sometimes we even have to cajole them."

While acknowledging that people could contribute to society other than joining political parties, he added: "There is no other solution at this point in time other than the fact that we should continue to invite good people to join and contribute."

A question was asked about the nature of the top-down role that the government here has played in stimulating the economy given the increasing complexity of our own economy and the growing unpredictability of global economic trends.

Taking this question on was Foreign Minister George Yeo, formerly Minister for Trade and Industry, described the Government's philosophy as "practical".

Allaying fears that the government are only concerned about big companies and not small ones, he told the gathering: "I don't think we are committed to whether the investments or the company should be big or small, so long as they generate wealth to the people and create employment opportunities."

Looking out for all
Straits Times 2 Feb 08;

'I've heard this phrase - the middle class, the sandwich class - a lot, especially the last three weeks because I'm trying to explain what a means test is all about, and to assure them it will not be 'mean' for all Singaporeans whether it is low income, middle income or upper income...

Government policies have always looked after all income groups. We have to because...if you just purely look after the low income - which means 10 or 20 per cent - and make it difficult for the rest of society, say 60, 70 or 80 per cent, how do you carry the votes come election time?'

HEALTH MINISTER KHAW BOON WAN, responding to a question on whether the middle class has been neglected

A PRACTICAL MINDSET

'There is a certain practical cast of mind among Singaporeans: You don't work, you don't eat.

And parents are constantly telling their children: 'You better study hard, so you can get good jobs, then you make something of your lives'.

The reason why we have been able to achieve fairly efficient and simple governance is because Singaporeans want this. And they want this not because they think in abstract it is a good thing, but because they know that life is merciless, that unless you contribute, your family suffers.'

FOREIGN MINISTER GEORGE YEO, on what has shaped the political culture in Singapore

LONG-TERM SURVIVAL

'As a young country, a small country, we cannot help but have a sense of insecurity.

We only have 3.6 million Singaporeans. And for us to say we want to share this 3.6 million with the rest of the world, with America, Europe and China ... China has the Great Wall, America has the Big Apple, UK has Manchester United, all these things, they are so irresistible.

Singapore, small little country, we don't have anything. What we are trying to do is create this Singapore for ourselves, try to secure long-term survival.'

MINISTER IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE LIM SWEE SAY, on why Singapore is not ready for dual citizenship

CASTING THE NET WIDE

'I'll be very candid, I've been involved in the process for two elections, there are good people that we have invited and they declined.

It is something which we have to continue to strive (for). There's no other solution other than the fact that we have to continue to invite good people to join and contribute...

We have to try and cast the net as wide as possible. Strategies have not changed, frankly speaking.

We have to go invite them to tea sessions, talk to them, we have to tell them the bigger picture.'

ENVIRONMENT AND WATER RESOURCES MINISTER YAACOB IBRAHIM, on efforts to ensure political succession