Singapore’s majority PAP Government makes it easy to push through decisions

I read the report on what Minister Heng Sweet Keat said to the Singaporean mainstream media after the conclusion of a 6 day trip to Japan with bemusement. In that interview, he stated that Singapore's "single-layer system of government means it can be more decisive about testbedding new technology than most other countries" 

Obviously, this was said in the spirit that this high degree of autonomy is beneficial in that our ease of decision making would lead to time saved, less red tape and attract more potential partners to test out innovation in Singapore. However, is this really a good thing?

What sorts of technology are being tested? Do they have health repercussions on Singaporeans? Are they dangerous? With the ease of decisions being made on such matters by a "single layer" government, would we even know if anything dangerous or harmful is happening in our own backyard? Do we even have a say?

As the government of Singapore, its priority should be to empower its people and to ensure that they are accountable to the people who voted for them.  The "no big deal" way in which Heng has declared that "we also have regulatory sandboxes where usual rules do not apply, and that allows for innovation to be tested and tried in a proper setting" is highly disturbing not just because of the cavalier way in which he is dismissing the rights of Singaporeans to have a view on what is being tested but because it is said with so much finality. In other words, we are the government, we decide, we don't have to tell you what we are deciding but you just have to live with it.

Surely there ought to be more transparency as to the nature of such tests. Will there be pollution? Are there other implications to our well being?

What Heng is essentially saying is that the government will not need to disclose to us what is being tested and where. It can simply unilaterally agree. This would mean that even if it was harmful to our health, we would never even know!

While attracting foreign investment and being business friendly is important, there as to be a balance. Speed is not everything! Consultation groups and the like exist in foreign countries to ensure that the rights of all affected can be managed. They are there to protect the citizens of a given country to ensure that profit is not put above all else. The fact that complex decisions with potential far-ranging consequences such as these take a while to be decided upon is a good thing as it shows that the issues are being adequately considered from all sides.

This is what happens when there is no transparency and accountability. It could lead to decisions that could lead to harm being unilaterally decided while the people actually affected remain ignorant of the dangers.

This entry was posted in Opinion.

---