Hmm.. What stays in the past stays in the past; seems like gone were the days when we have quality debate and logical rebuts in Parliament even though we had overwhelming majority of a single ruling party. Maybe, it was made easier with lesser quality of opposition voices then. I could not sit easy with the debate going on in Parliament. After WP MP, Mr Chen Sao Mao, made his party’s first views on the recommended political salary package, several PAP MPs rebutted the WP’s proposal.
Extracts from Straits Times Online, “Mr Zaqy was among at least five PAP MPs
who critiqued the WP's proposals in on Monday's parliamentary debate on the
recommendations of the Committee to Review Ministerial Salaries….He noted that
as civil servants are executives, their pay must be competitive….This means the
WP has not managed to escape a market-based pay system.”
What is he trying to suggest? Opposition means they must oppose to whatever policy that the ruling party makes or agrees on? With social media reaching out to the younger electorate much more and easier than reaching out to the elderly population, the party really needs to review the way their colleagues make their point. While I have utmost respect for our Ministers, especially Prime Minister, the way the rest of the MPs make their points are careless and will, in my view, weaken the party’s political support in the long run.
Being an opposition in the Parliament does not mean that they must oppose to any recommended public policy, but a presence to strengthen policy/ies whenever required. So, their point is market-based pay structure is still relevant.
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