BY CAI HAOXIANG

A SECONDARY Three student from Raffles Girls’ School beat 10 older contestants to win the Workers’ Party (WP) Youth Wing inaugural essay competition on “What is Your Ideal Singapore?”.

In her essay, Crystal Ong Min Ning, 15, described her vision of Singapore through commentary on issues like multiracialism, education and national identity. “My ideal Singapore won’t be just a country or a city. It will be home. It doesn’t have to be the best yet. We will be humble enough to admit that we aren’t all there, yes, but we won’t rest on our laurels either,” she wrote.

On patriotism, she wrote: “Patriotism should grow by itself, watered by pride and nourished by a true sense of belonging. We can love an imperfect Singapore perfectly.”

The WP organised the essay contest to celebrate National Day and raise awareness among youths on the need to dream about Singapore’s future, said Mr Koh Choong Yong, vice-president of the party’s youth wing. A total of 77 secondary schools and tertiary institutions were invited to take part in the competition, which was also publicised via social networking site Facebook.

The winning entry was picked jointly by voters on Facebook and by WP’s panel of judges. The judges assessed the essays for their content, clarity and creativity, and unanimously picked Crystal’s essay as the best.

One of the judges, Mr Png Eng Huat, 48, a businessman who has been with the WP since 2006, said: “I was taken by the style. She did not write it as a complaint piece. We always talk about youths being apathetic, but she writes like an adult or a youth with awareness.”

Crystal told The Straits Times she decided to participate in the contest because the prizes, including a $150 book voucher for first place, were attractive.

“I want to buy Harry Potter books, but they are very expensive,” she said.

The teenager, together with two other contestants, will receive their prizes at a youth wing dialogue at IOI Plaza tomorrow.

IN PARLIAMENT

LEONG WEE KEAT
weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg

There appears to be some gap in the procedure. If the inmates in neighbouring cells could testify that they heard beatings and cries over quite a number of days from 6.20pm to 2am, how come prison officers did not seem to detect that?
Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim

He could have activated the distress intercom in his cell to seek help any time. The incident would not have remained undetected over eight days, nor would it have escalated to the extent that it did, if only the inmate had sought help earlier. Unfortunately, for reasons best known to him, he chose to remain silent.
Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State, Home Affairs

IN PARLIAMENT

WHAT THE MPS SAY

The pledge begins with: ‘We the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves.’ Not the Government of Singapore pledges itself. Therefore, each of us as citizens, if we find Government policy or some social behaviours not right for Singapore, then as citizens, we should make it right for Singapore.

Mr Low Thia Khiang, who recognised Singapore’s progress but felt Singapore has not achieved the tenets enshrined in the National Pledge.

In Parliament

BY JEREMY AU YONG

MR LOW Thia Khiang (Hougang) stood in Parliament yesterday not so much to join the debate on the motion tabled by Nominated MP Viswa Sadasivan, but to dismiss it altogether.

In a terse speech, Mr Low (right) made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the debate, and stated firmly that the National Pledge should not be brought up unnecessarily.

He said: “The National Pledge represents a spiritual part of our nation and unless it is really necessary and justifiable, we should not invoke it for the sake of argument.”

A day earlier, Mr Viswa had asked Parliament to reaffirm its commitment to the principles enshrined in the National Pledge “when debating national issues, especially economic policies”.

Mr Low gave his own explanation of the Pledge, saying it basically comprised three parts:

The first part, “We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language and religion”, was simply a statement of fact.

The second part, “to build a democratic society based on justice and equality”, was the guiding principle by which Singapore as a society should forge ahead.

The third and final part, “so as achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation”, was an expression of Singapore’s ultimate goals as a nation.

The Pledge, said Mr Low, should be read as a whole, not broken down and “over-analysed”.

“My view is that we should read and understand the Pledge as a reminder of the fundamental statement of what we want to be as a people, as a society and as a nation,” said Mr Low.

“Some may want to argue over the details or even how to formulate or implement policies to conform to every word of the Pledge. But I believe we should leave the Pledge as it is and not attempt to interpret it in one’s own way, breaking it down into its component parts for application in argument.”

That said, however, he did indulge in a little interpretation of his own.

The Pledge, he noted, referred to “we, the citizens of Singapore”, rather than “the government of Singapore”.

“Therefore each of us as citizens, if we find government policies or social behaviours which are not right for Singapore, then as a citizen we should make it right for Singapore,” he declared with a flourish.

THEY are the ideals represented by the stars on the Singapore flag: Democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

Yet, in its National Day statement issued yesterday, the Workers’ Party (WP) said that “for some time now, we have been losing our way on some of these”.

The statement, signed by WP youth wing vice-president Koh Choong Yong, said that it was time to reflect “on the kind of Singapore we want to build together”.

The opposition party’s vision: “A nation where each Singaporean is counted as a valuable citizen rather than an employee of Singapore Inc. A nation that is respected the world over for not just its efficiency and material wealth, but for the kindness and generosity of its people and leaders.”

Urging Singaporeans to choose “being more” over “having more”, the WP warned that Singaporeans stood to “lose the most precious gift of all: Our humanity, our conscience, our dignity”.

By Valarie Tan

SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party has planned a series of activities to celebrate Singapore’s 44th National Day.

These include an essay writing competition, a Town Hall Dialogue and a Public Outreach Activity on August 9.

In a message sent to the media, Mr Koh Choong Yong, the party’s youth wing vice-president said Singaporeans should take the time to reflect on what kind of country they want to build on National Day.

Mr Koh said the Workers’ Party believes that Singapore can truly become a great nation, where everyone is a valuable citizen instead of an employee of “Singapore Inc” and that Singapore is respected for not just its efficiency and material wealth but also for the kindness and generosity of its people. – CNA/vm

By Valarie Tan

Workers’ Party supporters celebrate after the announcement of the 2006 general election in Singapore.

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s political parties are devoting more resources to the Internet to extend their reach.

The youth wing of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) says it has doubled its manpower and funds in online efforts to increase membership.

The opposition Workers’ Party (WP) meanwhile says the recruitment of more younger members in recent years has contributed to the party’s growth in online activity.

Social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter are the latest ways Singapore political parties are reaching out to people online.

The WP says these are useful tools for people to get to know the party on a more personal level.

It has some 350 supporters on Facebook and its official website gets about 1,000 visitors a month, but the party says such engagement does not necessarily translate into actual membership.

The Workers’ Party’s webmaster, Koh Choong Yong, says: “We can’t really tell for sure, whether this person joined WP because of our online measures. Even from my personal experience, my decision to join WP was a process of understanding (it) online and offline.

“I read about it on the websites and I went to the rallies. So I think for any individual, for them to join the party, online (information) will play some part but it’s not everything.”

Still, analysts say political parties should not discount the power of the Internet to mobilise the numbers. That is why the Young PAP has lined up grand plans in cyberspace, including an inaugural online recruitment video to attract more members.

It has over 1,300 fans on Facebook and recruited some 500 new members, half its target for this year.

Young PAP’s chairman, Teo Ser Luck, says: “Social media platforms will play quite an integral part in the campaigning in the future, and in everybody’s election strategy. So we have to take it seriously, especially to engage the younger generation.”

But one observer says political parties need to do more than just park their presence online.

Former Nominated MP, Siew Kum Hong, says: “The Internet is a kind of a ‘pull’ thing, where people will actually go and seek out content and issues that they’re interested in.

“(For) Twitter and maybe even Facebook, there’s a little bit of what I called the ‘echo chamber effect’. I think these are much more personalised communities where like-minded people get together and then you get the same opinion going around.

“That could possibly artificially amplify the true breath of that view.”

Analysts say it may take up to another 10 years before the Internet community in Singapore becomes politically mature.

But in the meantime, the Internet will continue to grow and increasingly become important way for political parties to gather alternative views and stay connected. – CNA/ir

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOW THIA KHIANG
Mr Low and his wife Han Mui Keow returned to their alma mater Chung Cheng High School for their wedding photos. They met at the school and got married in 1982.

Opposition MP Low Thia Khiang was a problem child in Chung Cheng High School 40 years ago.

But he made a dramatic turnaround after a teacher took him under his wings.

The school was also where he met the girl who later became his wife.

Mr Low, who has been MP for Hougang since 1991 and is also the Workers’ Party secretary-general, is one of 41 former students featured in a book, written in Chinese, to mark the school’s 70th anniversary.

Others include banker Wee Cho Yaw, architect and urban planner Liu Thai Ker and former Education Ministry senior parliamentary secretary Ho Kah Leong.

Mr Low, who lost his mother at a young age, had little interest in his studies.

A teacher once flung his school bag out of the classroom to make him come to his senses, but this did not change his attitude. His grades continued to lag behind those of his classmates.

His Secondary 2 results were so poor that his elder sister had to plead with the school principal for him not to be retained at the same level for another year.

Mr Low, now 52, is quoted in the article as saying: “I certainly was a problem student. I caused trouble during lessons, didn’t hand in my homework, came late to school, played truant and committed almost all the offences, big and small.

“Many teachers shook their heads when they saw me. They thought I was a hopeless case. Only my biology teacher, Mr Liao Rong Sheng, didn’t think so.”

Mr Liao was patient with him. He never lectured the boy. Instead, he would give him lifts home in his Volkswagen and chat with him along the way.

And when Mr Liao and his family went to the movies, he invited the boy to go along.

This teacher’s care for him made all the difference: He stopped being rebellious and bucked up in his studies.

His school days took on a different hue in his fifth year at Chung Cheng when a girl by the name of Han Mui Keow became his classmate.

He liked her but her seniors warned her that he was a bad hat. She was undeterred.

Nine years later, in 1982, they tied the knot and returned to their alma mater for their wedding picture.

Mr Low went on to teach at Pei Dao Secondary School and later became the supervisor of a commercial school.

His wife is now a housewife while he runs a signage business.

He said: “I especially cherish the school’s philosophy of excellence of education for all kinds of people. Without that, my life would not have turned out for the better.”

PROPOSED CHANGES TO NCMP SCHEME

Whatever the election outcome, there will be at least nine opposition voices in House – one-tenth of 84 elected MPs

BY AARON LOW

SENDING VOTERS WRONG SIGNAL
“Voters may just think, why vote for them since we are sure to get at least nine in? This is wrong as NCMPs do not have full powers and cannot be said to truly represent the people without constituencies.”
Mr Eric Tan from the Workers’ Party, criticising the new idea

IF A change to the political system that was proposed yesterday, had taken place before the previous General Election, Parliament today might look very different from what it is now.

For one thing, former Non-Constituency MP Steve Chia might still be around.

Several other Workers’ Party (WP) candidates might also be in Parliament, such as Dr Tan Bin Seng and Mr Lian Chin Way, debating alongside WP chief Low Thia Khiang and current NCMP Sylvia Lim.

This is because changes mooted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday to the NCMP scheme will see no fewer than nine opposition members in Parliament from the next General Election onwards, instead of the current three.

To do this, two key pieces of legislation will be amended.

The Constitution will be changed to allow up to nine NCMPs, up from six currently.

The NCMP scheme allows the best-scoring opposition candidates to get non-constituency seats in Parliament.

Likewise, the Parliamentary Elections Act (PEA) will be amended to provide for at least nine opposition voices – whether elected or NCMPs – in Parliament.

These moves will bring the number of opposition voices – at nine – equal to that of Nominated MPs.

“Therefore, whatever the election outcome, opposition members, directly elected or non-constituency members, will form at least one-tenth of the 84 directly elected Members of Parliament who have constituencies,” said Mr Lee.

To distinguish between the winners and losers in a GRC fight, no more than two NCMPs will be allowed from each group representation constituency (GRC), said Mr Lee.

“This will spread out the NCMPs more evenly and make them more representative of those voters who have voted for the opposition nationwide in a General Election,” he added.

In effect, if the changes had been made prior to the 2006 elections, the Workers’ Party team contesting in Aljunied GRC might have had two NCMPs, instead of just one, Ms Sylvia Lim.

WP’s Dr Tan Bin Seng, who contested in Joo Chiat, and Mr Lian Chin Way, who lost in Nee Soon South, would also be debating in Parliament, noted PM Lee.

In fact, the opposition might have a total of seven NCMPs and two elected MPs now, with the WP taking seven of the nine opposition seats.

In announcing the changes, Mr Lee said NCMPs have made their contribution to national debate by expressing opposition views in Parliament.

“They have let Singaporeans compare the policies and programmes of the Government and the opposition,” he said.

“And they’ve enabled Singaporeans to evaluate the performance of parties and MPs through the continuing debate in Parliament day in, day out, during the whole term of the Government, not just during the short period of the campaign during the General Election.”

As such, the scheme has achieved its purpose and has been accepted by the public, he said.

Started in 1984, the NCMP scheme aimed to give the opposition more voice in a Parliament dominated by the People’s Action Party (PAP) since the 1968 elections.

Since then, there have been no more than four elected opposition members in Parliament – a high reached in 1991.

Today, there are just two elected opposition MPs in Parliament: Hougang MP Low Thia Khiang and Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong.

Over the years, Mr Lee noted, the NCMP scheme has allowed opposition members such as the late Dr Lee Siow Choh and the late Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam, both from WP, and Singapore Democratic Alliance’s Mr Steve Chia to enter Parliament.

NCMPs do not have the full rights of an elected MP.

Among other things, they cannot vote on amendments to the Constitution, on a Supply Bill, nor in a vote of no-confidence against the Government.

But they can vote on changes to legislation and raise motions to pass new Bills.

The WP’s treasurer, Mr Eric Tan, said he was glad the Government was recognising the people’s desire for more opposition.

At the same time, however, he warned that the new move could be counter-productive for the opposition.

Mr Tan, who contested in East Coast GRC in 2006 and would have been an NCMP had the changes been effected then, said the move might seduce voters to not vote for the opposition.

“Voters may just think, why vote for them since we are sure to get at least nine in? This is wrong as NCMPs do not have full powers and cannot be said to truly represent the people without constituencies,” he said.

PAP MP Charles Chong dismissed such “conspiracy theories”.

The Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP said that the move to allow more opposition in Parliament was a generous one.

“The bottom line is that the Government is allowing more opposition members who have contested in an election, who know the ground, into Parliament, regardless of whether they won or lost,” said Mr Chong.

“I think that is a win-win situation for the opposition.”

aaronl@sph.com.sg

Best way is to have external checks & balances on ruling party: Low Thia Khiang

BY ZAKIR HUSSAIN
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

CRITICAL TEST
“Can we withstand the political crisis that accompanies a government’s downfall, like what happened in Indonesia or the Philippines? Would we be able to survive? I’m not sure.”
Mr Low, MP for Hougang

THE ruling party says the effectiveness of Singapore’s political system lies in its internal checks and its ability to serve the people, but only an elected opposition can provide effective checks and balances, Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) declared yesterday.

The leader of the Workers’ Party said this is because the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) currently dominates the House, can amend the Constitution freely, and controls key levers of power in the country.

What if one day it were to abuse its powers, trample on people’s rights or become corrupt? “What can the people do then?” asked Mr Low.

“Maybe CPIB (Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau) has a role to play. But if the CPIB is under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office, how can it play a checking role?” he asked.

Speaking in Mandarin, he noted that some believed the ruling party would be able to check itself, that it was not “a nest of snakes and rats”, and that even if it were to break up, the remaining half could still run the country.

Mr Low argued, however, that the best way was to have external checks and balances in the system, in the form of a more effective opposition presence.

He was commenting on remarks by President SR Nathan last Monday on how Singapore politics had to evolve over time as the world and society changed.

Stressing that changes to the political system should express the will of the people, Mr Low noted that Singapore’s political system had yet to undergo “the real test”.

He mused: “Can we withstand the political crisis that accompanies a government’s downfall, like what happened in Indonesia or the Philippines? Would we be able to survive? I’m not sure.”

With few Singaporeans willing to join the opposition parties to contest elections, Singapore’s democracy resembled a “one-legged duck”, he said.

As for the PAP’s often-made argument that it is not responsible for helping the opposition grow, he said this smacked of a “winner takes all, loser is a bandit’ mindset.

“But we cannot blame the ruling party,” he hastened to add, noting that Singaporeans returned the PAP to power at every poll.

Turning to arguments that losing opposition candidates can still be appointed Non-Constituency MPs, he said this was not enough as the role of the opposition is “not merely to reflect views and feelings of its people”.

Only by having a geographical constituency would an opposition party be able to grow its support base and strengthen its competencies, he said.

Also, only through weekly Meet-The-People Sessions would these MPs be able to appreciate people’s real concerns as well as assess the effectiveness of government policies, Mr Low said.

Also speaking yesterday, Dr Amy Khor (Hong Kah GRC) noted that the assumption that a system dominated by one party cannot be robust remains untested.

Past changes to the parliamentary system indicate “we will continue to experiment, but in a cautious way”, she said.

zakirh@sph.com.sg