SINGAPORE - A day after Education Minister Heng Swee Keat unveiled the members of a committee which will lead the national conversation, Opposition figures yesterday lashed out against the lack of Opposition representation.
In particular, some of them pointed to the inclusion of seven People's Action Party political officeholders, in the 26-member committee - including Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, and Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong - as a sign that it was a partisan exercise, despite Mr Heng's remarks last Saturday that it was not.
Several Opposition politicians TODAY spoke to were also keen to distance their parties from the national effort, even though the Government has made it plain, on several occasions, that the conversation must be as inclusive as possible.
The Workers' Party, which has the most number of Opposition Members of Parliament, was unable to respond to TODAY's queries by press time.
Non-Constituency MP Lina Chiam said her Singapore People's Party (SPP) was "deeply disappointed" that the committee only included PAP politicians.
Pointing to the exclusion of bloggers as well, she reiterated the need for alternative voices on the committee. "Otherwise, Singaporeans will regard this as yet another publicity stunt by the Government (and) not regard it as a sincere or genuine conversation, let alone a national one. Given these circumstances, the SPP will be deliberating whether we even have a role to play in this or not," said Mrs Chiam.
Noting how a couple of ministers did not take up Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) offer to participate in its forums, SDP Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan said "the Government has never entered a conversation with us".
Said Dr Chee: "Therefore, it cannot be for the SDP to state how it intends to participate (in the national conversation initiative)."
He added: "The SDP has always been a part of the framework, proposing alternative policies and research papers as well as public forums ... A conversation is only as strong as the participants: If the participants are selected from those inclined to agree, little policy development will result."
Concurring, the National Solidarity Party's (NSP) Secretary-General Hazel Poa said that, for the conversation to be inclusive, the PAP "can start by not simply talking to people who already agree with them".
Ms Poa said the NSP "will continue to engage in national conversation by publicly putting forward our points of view on matters of national interest" through the Internet and the media. However, Reform Party's (RP) Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam said the RP is "not taking part in a state-managed exercise" as he demanded for "freedom of expression".
'Committee will not direct conversation'
On Saturday, in response to why "alternative voices" like bloggers and Opposition MPs were not included on the committee, Mr Heng told reporters that the initiative "is not a partisan exercise". He added that "every Singaporean is welcome to provide their views, including members of the Opposition, and the committee will be happy to receive their feedback and ideas."
Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin told TODAY "the idea is indeed to be inclusive". "Many of us feel very strongly about bringing in a wide range of voices and have been discussing the people whom we can and should meet. It is not possible to converse about our future if we are blinkered," he said.
He added that as far as the civil society space is concerned, "we will gather their points from their stated positions, their posts and conversations with us online and off line, we'd also meet a range of them in person though we can't meet all".
Said Mr Tan: "Hence, social commentators, influential bloggers, opposition members and others will be involved, along with Singaporeans and groups who may not have articulated their views, especially online."
He stressed that the conversation is "among Singaporeans, in which Government leaders will be among the participants. The committee we have formed will not direct the conversation."
Former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharuddin said he does not see the need for Opposition figures on the committee. He said: "At the end of the day, it is about the decisions the Government of the day has to make ... This is the conversation of the Government of the day and its people."
But National University of Singapore political scientist Bilveer Singh disagreed. Describing the Opposition as "part of the national political landscape", he said: "If the intention is to hold an 'inclusive' (conversation), then it must include all, irrespective of one's political or ideological shades and colour, whether you are for or against the Government."
Former Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong said that, given the current composition of the committee, the "glaring omission" of the Opposition and non-government organisation representatives could skew the discussion.
Adding that ground rules could be laid down to deal with disagreements, he said: "Let's say in the committee you have (Workers' Party leaders) Low Thia Khiang or Sylvia (Lim) and they actually disagree with the ultimate outcome. You have a clear process of how that dissenting view is captured and recorded."
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