[Banner credit: Ken Goh (@KenGoh8888 on Flickr) Ken | 摄影 ]
By Chee Hong Tat,
Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of Health
31 Dec 2015
As a young civil servant, I came across a fascinating speech which the
late Dr Goh Keng Swee delivered at a seminar for pre-university students
in April 1971, entitled “Government and Society”. It left a deep
impression on me.
Dr Goh explained to his audience why politics was of
direct and practical relevance to them. For a small country with no
natural resources, the type of government elected to power “
is probably
the most important single determinant of whether the country prospers or
declines”.
From left: Dr Goh Keng Swee with Mr Toh Chin Chye and Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Mr Goh Keng Swee also shared the following thoughts in his speech:
“What is needed is an influential and cohesive social class that will ensure a high standard of performance among political parties contending for support among the electorate.
That kind of political climate can be produced only if the great majority of those who have received higher education take a personal interest in the affairs of the country, make an effort to understand these issues, and are willing to provide leadership in the formation of public opinion.
Only under such circumstances can a democratic society ensure high standards of government, irrespective of which contending parties win the general elections and form the government of the day. When we achieve this in Singapore, we would have achieved long-term political stability.”
“Why do I emphasize the need to talk and think about relevant and practical matters?
I believe that if intelligent and informed people apply their minds to the real problems and actual difficulties facing Singapore, they will reach a large measure of agreement on what should be done.
They may differ about how to do it, and honest differences of opinion will emerge and will give rise to public debate.
However, when people talk about ideas, values and ideals which are trivial and irrelevant to our situation, what you get is not consensus but a babel of noises, a lot of posturing, a habit of opposition for the sake of opposing – in other words, a lot of hot air generated by chatterboxes.
Some people in Singapore labour under the illusion that this is democracy. The experience in Asian states where such practice flourishes shows that democracy dies quickly when the educated dissipate their energies this way
It is your responsibility and it is in your interest when you grow up to see that this does not happen in Singapore.”
I am reminded of what Dr Goh said when I recently read a
Channel NewsAsia Singapore
report on Taiwan’s economy. The article described how young Taiwanese
graduates are facing difficulties in getting good jobs in a
recession-hit economy, exacerbated by an ageing population due to Taiwan
having one of the lowest fertility rates in the world.
According to
the CNA report, “As more of today’s youth transfer the burden of caring
for their parents to the state, government resources are getting
stretched to breaking point amid spiraling health-insurance and pension
costs.” The Taiwanese government is aware of these problems but their
political situation makes it very difficult for any government, whether
blue or green, to plan long-term and implement effective measures.
Taiwan has a population of more than 23 million, with many smart and talented people who have excelled in varied fields such as science, business and the arts. Some of the brightest engineers in the US are Taiwanese, including a few of my Professors at
UC Berkeley. It is a pity that
Taiwan’s economy and society are dragged down by their style of politics and the counter-productive role of their so-called free media.
Like Taiwan,
#Singapore faces an ageing population and a maturing economy that we need to re-energise and rejuvenate. These are important issues which we must successfully tackle over the next few years. So will we end up like Taiwan?
Looking at our recent elections and reflecting on what Dr Goh said in 1971, I am confident that Singapore will do better. We may have similar challenges but our paths and destiny will differ, because our political systems and our electorates are different.
We are a problem-solving democracy focused on real problems and actual difficulties facing our country. Our voters are sensible and discerning in assessing the performance of political parties, both the ruling party and opposition.
Hence, as long as we stay united and cohesive as one people, I have no doubts that Singapore will overcome our challenges at this critical juncture of our history and we will emerge even stronger than before.
#MajulahSingapura and Happy New Year!
Hong Tat
[Banner credit: Ken Goh (@KenGoh8888 on Flickr) Ken | 摄影 ]
