PAP lays red carpet for Australian opposition MP, but treat Singapore’s opposition like dirt

PAP lays red carpet for Australian opposition MP, but treat Singapore’s opposition like dirt

What’s wrong with this CNA headline - “Australian MP Gregory Hunt to visit Singapore on high-level exchange” ? (read article here)

At first glance, readers may get the impression that Gregory Hunt is some big shot in the Australian government who is on a “high level” diplomatic mission to Singapore. That’s why we are laying the red carpet to welcome him:

According to a statement from the Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr Hunt will call on Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor during his stay.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu will also host him to an official meal.

Mr Hunt will participate in a roundtable discussion at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies. He is also scheduled to attend a People’s Action Party (PAP) meet-the-people session.

With no offence to Mr Hunt, he actually belongs to the same “species” of people whom our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had expressed his desire to “fix” if more of them were to get elected into Parliament.

And this is the type of people described by MM Lee Kuan Yew as person non grata in Singapore.

Mr Hunt is not a cabinet minister. He is not even a MP of the ruling Labor Party. In short, he is an opposition MP. His official title is Australia’s Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Urban Water.

I certainly hope that MFA did not mistaken a “shadow” minister as the real minister. Australia has a shadow cabinet comprising of opposition MPs who form an alternative cabinet to the government’s and whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government.

Why is the Singapore government treating an opposition MP from Australia like some esteemed guest while it treats local opposition politicians like dirt and as some would say - “SH*T”.

Opposition MPs are hounded by PAP MPs like a pack of wolves the moment they open their mouths as Low Thia Kiang found out in a recent Parliamentary sitting when he voiced out his doubts about the Job Credit Scheme.

Opposition politicians are treated like pariahs and criminals, their actions and words closely monitored and followed by the security apparatus.

Of course it is basic courtesy for our nation to extend a welcome to our foreign guest, but I still feel it is most hypocritical for the PAP to boast about its hospitality in the media when it has been dishing out the most unkind, inhumane and cruel treatment to our opposition.

The opposition play a crucial role in checking on the government to ensure it is held accountable to the people. As the Australian example has shown, it is important to have a shadow minister to scrutinize the work of their counterparts in the cabinet.

As Singapore do not have such a system, the ministers are allowed to screw up big time with impunity without ever having to pay a political price for their mistakes which brings to mind Wong Kan Seng, Khaw Boon Wan and Raymond Lim.

A shadow cabinet will also guarantee the availability of a ready alternative to replace the ruling party should it lose a future election thereby facilitating political succession and handover of power.

Currently, the opposition has too few MPs in Parliament to form a shadow cabinet but that does not prevent them from not doing so in their own personal capacities.

I would suggest the opposition set their petty differences aside to band together and form a bigger coalition like the Pakatan Rakyat in Malaysia which is composed of three political parties with different ideologies.

Besides the three opposition MPs in Parliament, well respected and regarded politicians from the coalition can be appointed to shadow every ministries to hold their respective ministers accountable.

It will bode well for the future of Singapore to have a ready alternative which can take over the reins of the government with ease should the incumbent gets booted out via a “freak” election.

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