• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

GCT’s speech avoids mentioning obstacles towards inclusive leadership and equitable society

by onlinecitizen
20/08/2017
in Opinion
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

by Chris Kuan

“We must guard against social inequity as a new fault line in our society,” said Emeritus Senior Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong at a National Day Dinner for his Marine Parade GRC on Saturday.

But the point is; isn’t the macroeconomic policies of the government of which he was once Prime Minister responsible for those social inequity in the first place and the refusal of the government to do more through its tax and spend policies and the immense build up of the reserves help the poor and the lower income.

More to the point, can you really guard against social inequity in a meaningful way when your own policies contributed to it? And what so inclusive about this government, when ministers can condescend to assume that old folks are collecting cardboards for exercise as an example?

Mr Goh further said that meritocracy protects the country against “the greater dangers of nepotism and cronyism”.

But Singapore already has high levels of cronyism according to the Economist, the result of large swath of the Singapore economy captured by state owned companies or require intervention from the government.

2016 Economist’s crony index

But good that he argues for an avoidance of group think but given meritocracy seems to be based on measurables such as exam results and connections with the establishment or acceptance of existing governing narratives, how is that really going to avoid group think when these are ingredients for cognitive bias.

More to the point – can anyone of real merit and competence stepped up to serve the nation as Mr Goh urged if that person disagrees with the People’s Action Party (PAP)?

How is such a person able to step up against such odds. Or is Mr Goh only referring to competent people who agree with the PAP and so restrict the person within the same group of Singapore Armed Forces and civil service people. If so, how is that to avoid group think or cognitive bias that he urged?

Mr Goh credited the country’s stability to Singaporeans having successively elected a strong government. “This enables the government to plan for the long term and prepare for contingencies … a strength which most other elected governments lack,” he said.

There is no guarantee that any plan will work or are not errors. The government can boast of planning for the long term, but if so, errors committed can also cause long term damage. Look at the Foreign Talent policy or real estate prices and there have been past policy failures. Being able to plan long term is not a unique strength. Many countries with better standard of living, more inclusive societies and more innovative and productive economies do very well with periodic change in government and with strong opposition. We do not need navel gazing.

Mr Goh also said, “The Elected Presidency is likewise “a check against a populist and profligate government”

So presumably a government other than the PAP is a danger because they can be populist and Mr Goh’s speech avoids mentioning obstacles towards inclusive leadership and equitable society of ligate. But wasn’t Tharman’s famous “cabinet discussion is leaning towards the left” a sign that the PAP is also populist. What is so bad about populism if it is responsible populism, like helping the poor and lower income? As for profligate government, one supposed that a government other than the PAP may “raid” the reserves like according to a past minister by reducing prices of HDB flat?

So if Workers’ Party’s suggestion of reducing HDB prices was raiding the reserves and was therefore profligate, then how come the increased grants provided by HDB to first time flat buyers not raiding the reserves by the same reasoning and therefore not profligate? Look, you won’t find me arguing against greater use of the reserves or reducing the pace of reserves accumulation so that we have more social spending and lower HDB prices but let’s stop all these double talk.

You know why it is that I keep saying about political language right?

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Malaysian court sentences man to 1,050 years’ jail, 24 strokes of the cane, for raping stepdaughter 105 times
AFP

Thai court jails activist for 28 years jail for royal defamation

26/01/2023
Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall
Community

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

26/01/2023
KKH’s lack of continuous monitoring baby’s vital signs “was not ideal”, said State Coroner
Health

KKH’s lack of continuous monitoring baby’s vital signs “was not ideal”, said State Coroner

26/01/2023
Dozens of COVID protesters still behind bars in China: HRW
AFP

Dozens of COVID protesters still behind bars in China: HRW

26/01/2023
8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan
AFP

8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan

26/01/2023
“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉
Health

Nurse disabled permanently after vaccine injury and sacked by SGH; Did the hospital advise her to apply for VIFAP?

26/01/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Malaysian court sentences man to 1,050 years’ jail, 24 strokes of the cane, for raping stepdaughter 105 times

Thai court jails activist for 28 years jail for royal defamation

26/01/2023
Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

26/01/2023
KKH’s lack of continuous monitoring baby’s vital signs “was not ideal”, said State Coroner

KKH’s lack of continuous monitoring baby’s vital signs “was not ideal”, said State Coroner

26/01/2023
Dozens of COVID protesters still behind bars in China: HRW

Dozens of COVID protesters still behind bars in China: HRW

26/01/2023
8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan

8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan

26/01/2023
“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

Nurse disabled permanently after vaccine injury and sacked by SGH; Did the hospital advise her to apply for VIFAP?

26/01/2023
Man and 2-year-old daughter fell into hole in bridge at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, “seconds away from drowning”

Man and 2-year-old daughter fell into hole in bridge at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, “seconds away from drowning”

26/01/2023
Ruling on Trump ban marks defining moment for Facebook panel

Meta says Trump to be allowed back on Facebook, Instagram

26/01/2023

Trending posts

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
27

...

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
26

...

GCT’s speech avoids mentioning obstacles towards inclusive leadership and equitable society

by onlinecitizen
20/08/2017
0

...

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

AGC asked to explain purposes of 68 private letters of inmates illegitimately forwarded to prosecutors

by The Online Citizen
21/01/2023
16

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
34

...

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

Has HDB flats become “more affordable” by “selling” at a shorter lease of 50-years?

by Leong Szehian
25/01/2023
18

...

August 2017
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Jul   Sep »
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
  • Contact Us

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

wpDiscuz