The NUSS Guild Hall in Kent Ridge was the site of much excitement and argument on Tuesday night as representatives of all 10 political parties gathered for a pre-election dialogue.
Moderated by Viswa Sadasivan, Chief Editor of Inconvenient Questions, the dialogue ran over an hour longer than planned as speakers argued issues from immigration to education to democracy. Representatives were Benjamin Pwee from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Steven Chia from the National Solidarity Party (NSP), Sim Ann from the People’s Action Party (PAP), Goh Meng Seng from the People’s Power Party (PPP), Kenneth Jeyaretnam from the Reform Party (RP), Harminder Pal Singh from the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), Paul Tambyah from the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Tan Jee Say from Singaporeans First (SingFirst), Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss from the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) and Gerald Giam from the Workers’ Party (WP).
Representatives of all 10 political parties in Singapore take their seats at NUSS political dialogue #sgelections pic.twitter.com/AsN3ipXoTZ
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Mod Viswa Sadasivan: I’m assuming the election is this year. PM keeps saying he can’t confirm but we all know it’s Sept 12! #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Although this isn’t the first time NUSS has organised an election dialogue, this year is the first time the media has been allowed to report on the event. Sadasivan also observed that it was not only the mainstream media that was in attendance, but also alternative online websites.
Much focus was placed on the future, with all parties agreeing that the upcoming election is crucial for Singaporeans to determine the direction in which the country will be headed.
Pwee: We need better ideas for transport, healthcare, minimum wage, etc. Need people w/ diverse background to come forward. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Chia: Singaporeans are tired by the crap put up by the @PAPSingapore government. Cost of living, CPF, inequality, etc. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Sim Ann: The need for strong leadership remains the same. Let’s look back on our last 50 years and see how we’ve moved. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Goh asks if people trust PAP will always be good and clean, emphasises need for separation of powers. #sgelections pic.twitter.com/4gOnm9n5Er
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Jeyaretnam: We at RP believe that instead of natural or artificial aristocracy, we believe in empowering “unnatural peasants”. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Harminder: Times have changed since LKY. Times have changed so much that we need something else for Singapore. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Tambyah: MPs are more than estate managers. Someone to lead the country, not to clear the drains. #sgelections pic.twitter.com/f8Crf3p8pj
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Tan: In a fair society, no elitism or cronyism. Govt has duty to provide generous financial and social support to poor. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Chong-Aruldoss: SPP is a party of holistic social growth. We are not Singapore Inc, citizens not digits of the economy. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Giam: Our call for Singapore to move towards First World Parliament is as relevant today as 2011. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
The issue of town council management cropped up during the dialogue following a question posed by the moderator to Gerald Giam about what he wished had been different about the debate over Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).
Giam: We responded to govt’s accusations… didn’t see need to respond every single time govt kept repeating same issue. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss also highlighted that lapses had been found within the People’s Association:
Chong-Aruldoss says she is alarmed by lapses in People’s Association – why not some talk about that? #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
However, Sim Ann said that the response within government agencies to lapses had been swift, while questions still remained regarded AHPETC:
Sim Ann: In the case of AHPETC, says we have heard fairly lengthy “I don’t want to say excuses” that she doesn’t understand. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Giam: We've done a lot of explaining, just ‘cos PAP doesn't want to accept doesn’t mean we haven’t. #sgelections pic.twitter.com/m7odObhM9Y
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Population and transport issues received an airing at the dialogue, as opposition members said the issues of the past election had not been solved:
Chong-Aruldoss: Transport has not yet been solved. No one is clear of what is really going on with transport system. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Goh: PAP brought in foreign labour, didn't contribute to retirement & healthcare. Foreign labour = worker levy to govt. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Sim Ann: How can we continue the economic activity that supports the services SGeans have come to expect? #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Pwee: Fundamental issues have not been solved. Same processes not giving answers, need more diversity to find solution. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
> to improve productivity. We’ve had negative or flat productivity growth. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Pwee: Need PAP to play along a collaborative line, PAP has no monopoly on power. Put good people in Parliament. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
A question posed from the floor on whether there are trade-offs between democracy and effective governance also received spirited replies:
Giam: If you don’t have checks and balances you’re relying on talents of just a few. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Tan: Denmark, Sweden are effective governments that are also far more democratic than Singapore. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Tambyah: Singapore is maturing as a nation, we have reached a stage where we can trust the people of SG. We’ll see it in #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Singh: We can come up with a model not just for ourselves, but other countries can follow: gd governance and gd democracy. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Jeyaretnam: We shouldn’t credit authoritarian government with Singapore’s economic success. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
> of the people, why would the PAP not be the first to submit to the democratic process? #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Chia: It will be messy but at the end of the day various views would have been taken into account. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
Pwee: The answers do not rest with the people in the PAP alone anymore. #sgelections
— TOC General Election (@GEtocsg) August 18, 2015
