New faces watching new media
Monday, 30 March 2009
PN Balji
Who says Cabinet changes here don’t spring surprises? Dig a little deep into the reshuffle announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday and you will find at least one.
Of all the ministries, only one has an Acting Minister. And for support, that Acting Minister has just one Parliamentary Secretary; that too a newbie as far as political appointments go.
All others have at least one, in some cases two, full minister and, at the very least, a Senior Parliamentary Secretary.
This is a surprise because the Ministry of Information and the Arts, which is being left under the charge of those who came into politics in the last elections in 2006 (Mr Lui Tuck Yew and Mr Sam Tan), is facing testing times that will determine how Singapore’s socio-political future will be shaped.
If there is one Cabinet appointment that needs an experienced hand, it is Mr Lui’s. With the internet media getting more shrill by the day and with the government still in a reactive mode in what’s thrown up in this largely faceless community, his job is going to be an onerous one.
Hovering over these developments is the next general elections and how the government will take its fight to the new media.
Three events in the last four months show how tricky things are getting.
The public ticking-off of a top civil servant for his article on his family’s culinary trip to France, the decision to come out with a report card sometime later this year on how well Town Councils are run and the Defence Ministry’s official response to the death of one of its medical officers in Melbourne. They all have one thing in common: by and large, it was the blogs and websites that were keeping the issues on the boil.
Having tasted blood, the new media is likely to push the envelope further. In fact, one website in a commentary recently said that bloggers will continue to push and push an issue until they get a reaction. In short, they are going into an area that has been out of bounds in Singapore: crusading journalism.
How the government responds to this effort to redraw the battle lines is primarily going to be Mr Lui’s job.
A crackdown will be a step backward for a government that has spoken of a light touch and for a country that is very plugged into the new internet world order. A folded-arms approach will mean surrendering to the new media community.
Mr Lui and his team have no other alternative but to engage this community. A robust defence of established principles is just not going to work. Instead, an unemotional sifting through of the issues discussed, identifying the talking points and responding to them is the way to move forward.
Here is an example. The angst over the Town Council debate late last year was all about two questions: Why did some of these organisations keep quiet about their investments in the doomed Lehman products? And why do they need to accumulate so much public money ($2 billion) in their sinking funds?
The government’s response should have tackled these questions directly and openly instead of, at least in one case, using that line from an old record: Be thankful.
Responses like this don’t wash anymore.
Mr Lui and his team need to convince the unconvinced that online media, despite misgivings of it being faceless and priding itself in a talk-first-think-later culture, is here to stay. And its influence can only grow.
They need to come out with a comprehensive plan in dealing and debating with them. Sometimes explaining policies painfully and patiently. Sometimes giving back as good as it gets. And, let me hasten to add, this cannot be done solely in the traditional media, which has been the practice all this while.
Mr Lui and Mr Sam Tan should not be the lone rangers in this fight. They need all the help they can get from every other arm of government. From MPs to civil servants, they must realise that the shift to the internet is irreversible.
MICA needs help and with the Cabinet changes already in place, the next best thing is to look at a high-level committee drawing people, even bloggers, to come together for a serious re-look of a policy that is in danger of being swept away by the currents of change.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25429.1
Showing posts with label Cabinet reshuffle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cabinet reshuffle. Show all posts
Monday, March 30, 2009
Top Heavy Management
Top Heavy Management
Singapore's Prime Minister had a pretty busy week last week playing musical chairs. The cabinate saw a reshuffle in which the Defense Minister was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister and three up and a deputy prime minister was moved up to becoming Senior Minsiter in the Prime Minister's Office. Further to that, an additional minister was added to the Prime Minister's office (The local media had a field day making the most of the fact that is the first woman in history to make it to full minister). In addition to that, another former navy man was made the Minister in charge of - Information, Communications and the Arts. Singapore, a land of 4.6 million not only has the highest paid government ministers in the world but also the most top-heavy government. As of writing, we have 1 Prime Minsiter, 1 Minister Mentor, 2 Senior Ministers and 3 Ministers in the Prime Minister's Office - all this in addition to the Ministers who have a Ministry to run.
One has to wonder why the Singapore government has decided to add on a few extra C-level executives when every other organisation in the world is shedding management? Is there a method in this apprent maddness? Well, you can't discount the Singapore government from making a bet that proves to be right. The very idea of an indepdepdent Singapore is thanks to a contrarian bet. Nobody said we could make it and we did (did we have a choice?) So, does the Singapore government know something that the rest of the world does not when it comes to increasing top-level management?
This does not make economic sense. Our Ministers do not come cheap but this argument is easily countered by the fact that we need to pay top-dollar to the get the top brains. I can see how this works when we talk about the various ministers running ministries. The Singapore government is by most standards highly clean, efficient and effective in what it does and it benefits the majority of the citizens. Having said that, it does not explain why we need another three ministers to be sitting in the Prime Ministers office. One arguement is that these Ministers do run "Special Projects," such aging. Then, if that's the case, why don't we just give them a title that matches or perhaps assign the portfolio to a Minsiter in charge of a ministry. Yes, it would be hard work but anyone ambitious enough to be a minister will surely be glad for the chance to take on more responsability.
This leads to the Minister Mentor and two Senior Ministers. What exactly are these jobs and how do they benefit the running of the government? These jobs are effectively consultant positions. The Minister Mentor as the name implies exist to "Mentor" the rest of the cabinate, while the Senior Minister as the name implies is the most "Senior" of all the Ministers. However, neither the senior or minister mentor have executive control - that remains the job of the Prime Minister.
The theory is that senior and minister mentors provide "Guidence" and lend their "Experience" to the Prime Minsiter of the day. So far, the system has worked. Senior Minsiter Goh Chok Tong in particular has been in asset to the Prime Minister in areas like opening Saudi Arabia and running relations with the Islamic world. But what of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and why do we need Professor Jayakumar as another Senior Minister? Both men have served Singapore with distinction but are they in danger of overstaying their welcome?
Look at Minister Mentor Lee. As far as Singapore is concerned, Lee Kuan Yew has created a miracle. The nation owes its very existence and prosperity to him. Having said of all of that, what exactly is his value to the nation by continuing to stay in the cabinate. In Singapore Mr Lee will remain exceedingly powerful and that power comes merely from being who he is. In theory, Mr Lee is hanging on in the cabinate because he's supposed to provide wisdom and experience to the rest of the Minsiters. Surely Mr Lee is capable of doing that without being in the cabinate. All he has to do is to give lectures and write books and Singapore will notice. As things stand, there's an arguement that Mr Lee's continued presence in the cabinate harms the Prime Minister - it provides the impression that the Prime Minister takes orders from him - hence Mr Lee has to tell the world that "I am NO LONGER in CHARGE." Nearly two decades in since he stepped down from the Prime Minsitership, the question remains in Singapore - can Singapore go on without Mr Lee?
Both the Prime Minsiter and Minister Mentor should take a lesson from the late Deng Xiaopeng and his relationship with former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Mr Deng was regarded as the most powerful man in China right til the day he died. Yet, the only title he held was "President of the Bridge Club," and allowed President Jiang to run the show. So, when Mr Deng died, it was ...a non-event. China did not fall appart as many pessemist were suggesting. This is a lesson both Mr Lee's could do well to follow - The Elder will secure his legacy while the younger will be allowed to form his. In the mean time, the elder can continue to wield quite influence by his mere presence and as the younger Mr Lee's father.
So much is said about Mr Lee and the need for him to follow the examples of other great CEOs who have gone to pasture and left their companies to carry on. So what about Professor Jeyakumar? Why do we need another senior minister, particularly one who has never been prime minsister? Could it be anything to do with the fact that the good professor comes from an ethnic minority? If it were, it would be shame. The last thing the ethnic miniroties need is another token with little real influence and little real necessity. Ethnic minorities control significant ministries - Finance, Law and the Environment and Water Resources. Do we need a senior minister to oversee these Ministers? The last time anyone checked, the respective ministers were doing quite well without anyone to look over their shoulder. Surely Professor Jeyakumar could serve the nation more effectively (a nation he has served exceedingly well) by sharing his experiences from the sidelines?
We live in age where we try not to create work for the sake of it. It's an inefficient thing to do and yet, it seems to me that we are creating high-level jobs for the sake of it. People like Minister Mentor Lee and Senior Minister Jayakumar can continue to add value to the nation without being in cabinate. If they don't volunteer to do it, the Prime Minister should persuade them that this is the best course of action.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25525.1
Singapore's Prime Minister had a pretty busy week last week playing musical chairs. The cabinate saw a reshuffle in which the Defense Minister was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister and three up and a deputy prime minister was moved up to becoming Senior Minsiter in the Prime Minister's Office. Further to that, an additional minister was added to the Prime Minister's office (The local media had a field day making the most of the fact that is the first woman in history to make it to full minister). In addition to that, another former navy man was made the Minister in charge of - Information, Communications and the Arts. Singapore, a land of 4.6 million not only has the highest paid government ministers in the world but also the most top-heavy government. As of writing, we have 1 Prime Minsiter, 1 Minister Mentor, 2 Senior Ministers and 3 Ministers in the Prime Minister's Office - all this in addition to the Ministers who have a Ministry to run.
One has to wonder why the Singapore government has decided to add on a few extra C-level executives when every other organisation in the world is shedding management? Is there a method in this apprent maddness? Well, you can't discount the Singapore government from making a bet that proves to be right. The very idea of an indepdepdent Singapore is thanks to a contrarian bet. Nobody said we could make it and we did (did we have a choice?) So, does the Singapore government know something that the rest of the world does not when it comes to increasing top-level management?
This does not make economic sense. Our Ministers do not come cheap but this argument is easily countered by the fact that we need to pay top-dollar to the get the top brains. I can see how this works when we talk about the various ministers running ministries. The Singapore government is by most standards highly clean, efficient and effective in what it does and it benefits the majority of the citizens. Having said that, it does not explain why we need another three ministers to be sitting in the Prime Ministers office. One arguement is that these Ministers do run "Special Projects," such aging. Then, if that's the case, why don't we just give them a title that matches or perhaps assign the portfolio to a Minsiter in charge of a ministry. Yes, it would be hard work but anyone ambitious enough to be a minister will surely be glad for the chance to take on more responsability.
This leads to the Minister Mentor and two Senior Ministers. What exactly are these jobs and how do they benefit the running of the government? These jobs are effectively consultant positions. The Minister Mentor as the name implies exist to "Mentor" the rest of the cabinate, while the Senior Minister as the name implies is the most "Senior" of all the Ministers. However, neither the senior or minister mentor have executive control - that remains the job of the Prime Minister.
The theory is that senior and minister mentors provide "Guidence" and lend their "Experience" to the Prime Minsiter of the day. So far, the system has worked. Senior Minsiter Goh Chok Tong in particular has been in asset to the Prime Minister in areas like opening Saudi Arabia and running relations with the Islamic world. But what of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and why do we need Professor Jayakumar as another Senior Minister? Both men have served Singapore with distinction but are they in danger of overstaying their welcome?
Look at Minister Mentor Lee. As far as Singapore is concerned, Lee Kuan Yew has created a miracle. The nation owes its very existence and prosperity to him. Having said of all of that, what exactly is his value to the nation by continuing to stay in the cabinate. In Singapore Mr Lee will remain exceedingly powerful and that power comes merely from being who he is. In theory, Mr Lee is hanging on in the cabinate because he's supposed to provide wisdom and experience to the rest of the Minsiters. Surely Mr Lee is capable of doing that without being in the cabinate. All he has to do is to give lectures and write books and Singapore will notice. As things stand, there's an arguement that Mr Lee's continued presence in the cabinate harms the Prime Minister - it provides the impression that the Prime Minister takes orders from him - hence Mr Lee has to tell the world that "I am NO LONGER in CHARGE." Nearly two decades in since he stepped down from the Prime Minsitership, the question remains in Singapore - can Singapore go on without Mr Lee?
Both the Prime Minsiter and Minister Mentor should take a lesson from the late Deng Xiaopeng and his relationship with former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Mr Deng was regarded as the most powerful man in China right til the day he died. Yet, the only title he held was "President of the Bridge Club," and allowed President Jiang to run the show. So, when Mr Deng died, it was ...a non-event. China did not fall appart as many pessemist were suggesting. This is a lesson both Mr Lee's could do well to follow - The Elder will secure his legacy while the younger will be allowed to form his. In the mean time, the elder can continue to wield quite influence by his mere presence and as the younger Mr Lee's father.
So much is said about Mr Lee and the need for him to follow the examples of other great CEOs who have gone to pasture and left their companies to carry on. So what about Professor Jeyakumar? Why do we need another senior minister, particularly one who has never been prime minsister? Could it be anything to do with the fact that the good professor comes from an ethnic minority? If it were, it would be shame. The last thing the ethnic miniroties need is another token with little real influence and little real necessity. Ethnic minorities control significant ministries - Finance, Law and the Environment and Water Resources. Do we need a senior minister to oversee these Ministers? The last time anyone checked, the respective ministers were doing quite well without anyone to look over their shoulder. Surely Professor Jeyakumar could serve the nation more effectively (a nation he has served exceedingly well) by sharing his experiences from the sidelines?
We live in age where we try not to create work for the sake of it. It's an inefficient thing to do and yet, it seems to me that we are creating high-level jobs for the sake of it. People like Minister Mentor Lee and Senior Minister Jayakumar can continue to add value to the nation without being in cabinate. If they don't volunteer to do it, the Prime Minister should persuade them that this is the best course of action.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25525.1
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The man who would be king
The man who would be king
Saturday, 28 March 2009
A not uninteresting Cabinet reshuffle
There was little to fuss over Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s latest Cabinet reshuffle, which was announced on 26th March 2009 with minimal fanfare. That’s the norm in Singapore, where the ruling cabal prides itself on an orderly succession without the hoopla that usually accompanies similar transitions in other countries. Most of the changes have long been speculated on, but this masks what might be rather momentous implications for the political landscape.
Even so, for all its supposed banality there was still some surprise and not a little rancour over the “promotion” of Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar to the post of Senior Minister, a position that has traditionally carried little responsibility save that of a big-wig roaming ambassador. Some observers have panned the appointment as superfluous – in fact Mr Lee was breaking new ground by having two Senior Ministers, the other one being ex-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong – considering that the position is largely seen as a means of gracefully retiring elder ministers. The conspicuous exception of course is Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who held the position from 1990 to 2004 and continues to exert a visibly heavy influence on policy.
Mr Jayakumar was long thought to be due to retire, but since the last election in 2006 he appears to have made himself too indispensable to be eased out of the Cabinet just yet. He is also thought to have earned some credit for Singapore’s win in the Pedra Branca dispute with Malaysia at the International Court of Justice, which was also a reminder of the need for his legal expertise in complex international issues such as climate change.
What his appointment also points to is the outsized centralisation of policy-making prerogative in the Prime Minister’s Office, a trend underscored by the appointment of yet another minister there, in the form of Mrs Lim Hwee Hua as Singapore’s first female minister. This partly reflects the government’s oft-stated mantra of the need for better coordination amongst disparate agencies, but it does raise questions about whether the office can be streamlined and the portfolios of its various inhabitants better defined. Already, the wage bill for the politicians in the Prime Minister’s Office is just slightly less than that of all the other ministries put together.
Mrs Lim’s appointment as full minister, while long expected, came with the twist that she is still not helming any ministry of her own. One reason is that there is simply no ministry up for grabs. But it is also possible that Mrs Lim’s promotion is meant to beef up the Aljunied constituency, which was the weakest ward for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in the last election. This is particularly since the party’s helmsman in Aljunied, Foreign Minister George Yeo, has floated the possibility of retiring from politics. Furthermore, Mrs Lim would be a convenient foil for Ms Sylvia Lim of the Worker’s Party, who is the opposition’s only female heavyweight of note and had led her party’s team in Aljunied in 2006.
Heir today, gone tomorrow
But the real story of the reshuffle is essentially the tale of two admirals: one who would be Deputy Prime Minister, and another who, for all intents and purposes, would be heir-apparent to the Prime Minister.
The ascension of Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean (a former navy admiral) to the position vacated by Mr Jayakumar has been hypothesised since his entry into politics in 1992. He was immediately inducted into the Cabinet, where he has since turned in steady and competent performances, the most prominent of which was the military’s much-lauded mobilisation to aid Indonesia in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. Mr Teo is also thought to be a better grassroots man than the other obvious candidate for the deputy premiership, Mr George Yeo, who had some difficulty defending his ward the last time round in 2006.
The Prime Minister seems to recognise Mr Teo’s utility in this aspect. Asked about his new responsibilities, Mr Teo told reporters that one of his tasks was to ensure that the government remained connected to the ground. Surprisingly, he also said that he was to help strengthen Singapore’s ties with other countries. It’s hard to see how he would play a bigger role in this regard when Singapore already has two Senior Ministers, one Minister Mentor and another deputy premier and not to mention a foreign minister; in any case, Mr Teo already does a lot of travelling in his capacity as Defence Minister.
Yet Mr Teo’s appointment is still rather bold in a way: his real contribution might be to provide a slightly contrarian tack to a ruling cabal whose members seem overly like-minded at times. Mr Teo is known to be independent-minded with the gumption to back it up; moreover, unlike younger ministers like Vivian Balakrishnan or Raymond Lim, as deputy premier he will now have the heft to push his views.
Nevertheless there is little chance of Mr Teo becoming prime minister, short of something untoward happening to PM Lee. The two men are simply too close in age – given the ruling cabal’s proclivity for long-term planning, the ideal candidate is someone about a decade or so younger than PM Lee. And the only one in Cabinet who fits the bill is Rear Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, who was given the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts portfolio with the retirement of the incumbent.
In this regard PM Lee seems to have anointed an heir-apparent by promoting RAdm Lui to head his own ministry. Unlike other much talked-about candidates, such as Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, RAdm Lui has the right pedigree. He is the quintessential product of the establishment, having followed the same route of advancement through the military as PM Lee. He can therefore be counted on to protect the interests of the establishment – his Bill to regulate political films, for instance, is classic PAP doublespeak and tighter regulation in the guise of liberalisation. RAdm Lui’s new ministry is an important player in the government’s bid for control over burgeoning political discourse in cyberspace.
Dr Balakrishnan, on the other hand, was a private sector figure and an activist who was co-opted into the ranks. And unlike Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, RAdm Lui is of the right age and the right ethnic group – just a few months ago Mr Lee had said that Singapore was not ready to be led by someone from a minority group. The other advantage that RAdm Lui has is simply a dearth of competitors: unlike Mr Teo, who could count Mr Yeo as a peer, RAdm Lui doesn’t have any contemporaries who advanced as quickly as he has, with the other MPs from the batch of 2006 still lagging considerably.
But as the tragic tale ending in Kipling’s parable of the same title goes to show, nothing is set in stone, and Singapore’s political history is littered with promising figures who have fallen by the wayside. However, the ruling cabal seems to have taken a step closer to solve the vexing question of who should succeed PM Lee. If RAdm Lui turns in a decent performance, the odds are that he will be rotated quickly to head more heavyweight ministries, and there have been rumours that the trade and industry minister is also slated to retire. At this point, the prize seems very much his to lose.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25365.1
Saturday, 28 March 2009
A not uninteresting Cabinet reshuffle
There was little to fuss over Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s latest Cabinet reshuffle, which was announced on 26th March 2009 with minimal fanfare. That’s the norm in Singapore, where the ruling cabal prides itself on an orderly succession without the hoopla that usually accompanies similar transitions in other countries. Most of the changes have long been speculated on, but this masks what might be rather momentous implications for the political landscape.
Even so, for all its supposed banality there was still some surprise and not a little rancour over the “promotion” of Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar to the post of Senior Minister, a position that has traditionally carried little responsibility save that of a big-wig roaming ambassador. Some observers have panned the appointment as superfluous – in fact Mr Lee was breaking new ground by having two Senior Ministers, the other one being ex-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong – considering that the position is largely seen as a means of gracefully retiring elder ministers. The conspicuous exception of course is Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who held the position from 1990 to 2004 and continues to exert a visibly heavy influence on policy.
Mr Jayakumar was long thought to be due to retire, but since the last election in 2006 he appears to have made himself too indispensable to be eased out of the Cabinet just yet. He is also thought to have earned some credit for Singapore’s win in the Pedra Branca dispute with Malaysia at the International Court of Justice, which was also a reminder of the need for his legal expertise in complex international issues such as climate change.
What his appointment also points to is the outsized centralisation of policy-making prerogative in the Prime Minister’s Office, a trend underscored by the appointment of yet another minister there, in the form of Mrs Lim Hwee Hua as Singapore’s first female minister. This partly reflects the government’s oft-stated mantra of the need for better coordination amongst disparate agencies, but it does raise questions about whether the office can be streamlined and the portfolios of its various inhabitants better defined. Already, the wage bill for the politicians in the Prime Minister’s Office is just slightly less than that of all the other ministries put together.
Mrs Lim’s appointment as full minister, while long expected, came with the twist that she is still not helming any ministry of her own. One reason is that there is simply no ministry up for grabs. But it is also possible that Mrs Lim’s promotion is meant to beef up the Aljunied constituency, which was the weakest ward for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in the last election. This is particularly since the party’s helmsman in Aljunied, Foreign Minister George Yeo, has floated the possibility of retiring from politics. Furthermore, Mrs Lim would be a convenient foil for Ms Sylvia Lim of the Worker’s Party, who is the opposition’s only female heavyweight of note and had led her party’s team in Aljunied in 2006.
Heir today, gone tomorrow
But the real story of the reshuffle is essentially the tale of two admirals: one who would be Deputy Prime Minister, and another who, for all intents and purposes, would be heir-apparent to the Prime Minister.
The ascension of Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean (a former navy admiral) to the position vacated by Mr Jayakumar has been hypothesised since his entry into politics in 1992. He was immediately inducted into the Cabinet, where he has since turned in steady and competent performances, the most prominent of which was the military’s much-lauded mobilisation to aid Indonesia in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. Mr Teo is also thought to be a better grassroots man than the other obvious candidate for the deputy premiership, Mr George Yeo, who had some difficulty defending his ward the last time round in 2006.
The Prime Minister seems to recognise Mr Teo’s utility in this aspect. Asked about his new responsibilities, Mr Teo told reporters that one of his tasks was to ensure that the government remained connected to the ground. Surprisingly, he also said that he was to help strengthen Singapore’s ties with other countries. It’s hard to see how he would play a bigger role in this regard when Singapore already has two Senior Ministers, one Minister Mentor and another deputy premier and not to mention a foreign minister; in any case, Mr Teo already does a lot of travelling in his capacity as Defence Minister.
Yet Mr Teo’s appointment is still rather bold in a way: his real contribution might be to provide a slightly contrarian tack to a ruling cabal whose members seem overly like-minded at times. Mr Teo is known to be independent-minded with the gumption to back it up; moreover, unlike younger ministers like Vivian Balakrishnan or Raymond Lim, as deputy premier he will now have the heft to push his views.
Nevertheless there is little chance of Mr Teo becoming prime minister, short of something untoward happening to PM Lee. The two men are simply too close in age – given the ruling cabal’s proclivity for long-term planning, the ideal candidate is someone about a decade or so younger than PM Lee. And the only one in Cabinet who fits the bill is Rear Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, who was given the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts portfolio with the retirement of the incumbent.
In this regard PM Lee seems to have anointed an heir-apparent by promoting RAdm Lui to head his own ministry. Unlike other much talked-about candidates, such as Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, RAdm Lui has the right pedigree. He is the quintessential product of the establishment, having followed the same route of advancement through the military as PM Lee. He can therefore be counted on to protect the interests of the establishment – his Bill to regulate political films, for instance, is classic PAP doublespeak and tighter regulation in the guise of liberalisation. RAdm Lui’s new ministry is an important player in the government’s bid for control over burgeoning political discourse in cyberspace.
Dr Balakrishnan, on the other hand, was a private sector figure and an activist who was co-opted into the ranks. And unlike Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, RAdm Lui is of the right age and the right ethnic group – just a few months ago Mr Lee had said that Singapore was not ready to be led by someone from a minority group. The other advantage that RAdm Lui has is simply a dearth of competitors: unlike Mr Teo, who could count Mr Yeo as a peer, RAdm Lui doesn’t have any contemporaries who advanced as quickly as he has, with the other MPs from the batch of 2006 still lagging considerably.
But as the tragic tale ending in Kipling’s parable of the same title goes to show, nothing is set in stone, and Singapore’s political history is littered with promising figures who have fallen by the wayside. However, the ruling cabal seems to have taken a step closer to solve the vexing question of who should succeed PM Lee. If RAdm Lui turns in a decent performance, the odds are that he will be rotated quickly to head more heavyweight ministries, and there have been rumours that the trade and industry minister is also slated to retire. At this point, the prize seems very much his to lose.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25365.1
Is “rejuvenation” possible for a cabinet filled with oldies?
Is “rejuvenation” possible for a cabinet filled with oldies?
In an interview with the Straits Times, Dr Lee Boon Yang on Friday said his retirement from Government, where he has served for 24 years, is ‘necessary and timely as the process of rejuvenation must be sustained’.
‘The new Cabinet appointments will forge a stronger team to lead Singapore,’ said the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica), a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced changes to the Cabinet and new appointments as part of a leadership renewal.
I do not see how this cabinet shake-up can be construed as any form of “rejuvenation.”
According to the Longman Dictionary, rejuvenation means a return to a completely new state or to make young or strong again.
Besides Dr Lee Boon Yang, no other ministers has relinquished their portfolios. It is the essentially the same team of ministers which Prime Minister Lee inherited from his predecessor.
As the Chinese saying goes - “change the soup but not the medicine”. The four oldies who should have made way for younger leaders a long time ago are still lingering around:
1. MM Lee Kuan Yew (86 years old): became MP in 1959, Prime Minister from 1965 - 1991.
2. SM Goh Chok Tong (68 years old): became MP in 1976, Prime Minister from 1991 to 2003.
3. SM Jayakumar (70 years old): became MP in 1980, Deputy Prime Minister from 2004 - 2009.
4. Wong Kan Seng (63 years old): became MP in 1984, Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 - now.
Nowhere in the world other than in dictatorships and military junta do we see two former Prime Ministers and one former Deputy Prime Minister remaining in the cabinet.
Won’t they be more of a hindrance than help to the younger generation of leaders who may not enjoy a free rein in the direction they want to lead the country?
George W Bush was the President of the United States for 8 years. Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for 10 years. When both stepped down from their positions recently, they did so completely without having any more business in government.
Can you imagine Obama making George Bush a senior advisor in his team or Tony Blair being appointed as a senior minister in the British cabinet? (He was made a Middle East envoy for the United Nations).
Former prime ministers and deputies who wish to continue serving Singapore can do so in another capacity which will minimize their influence in the present government.
The first Chief Minister of Singapore, David Marshall was made an Ambassador to France after he retired, a role which he clearly relished.
MM Lee, SM Goh and SM Jayakumar can be appointed as ambassadors or special envoys to promote bilateral ties between Singapore and our major trading partners.
This will allow their successors to implement their ideas, plans and vision for the nation freely without any interference.
The country is in urgent need of a fresh direction. For far too long, there is excessive emphasis on GDP growth at the expense of growing and developing our human capital.
A real leader knows when to retire gracefully to make way for young leaders they have groomed to take their place. Changing the first alphabet of the title from a “P” to a “S” is not rejuventation but degradation of our democracy.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25361.1
In an interview with the Straits Times, Dr Lee Boon Yang on Friday said his retirement from Government, where he has served for 24 years, is ‘necessary and timely as the process of rejuvenation must be sustained’.
‘The new Cabinet appointments will forge a stronger team to lead Singapore,’ said the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica), a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced changes to the Cabinet and new appointments as part of a leadership renewal.
I do not see how this cabinet shake-up can be construed as any form of “rejuvenation.”
According to the Longman Dictionary, rejuvenation means a return to a completely new state or to make young or strong again.
Besides Dr Lee Boon Yang, no other ministers has relinquished their portfolios. It is the essentially the same team of ministers which Prime Minister Lee inherited from his predecessor.
As the Chinese saying goes - “change the soup but not the medicine”. The four oldies who should have made way for younger leaders a long time ago are still lingering around:
1. MM Lee Kuan Yew (86 years old): became MP in 1959, Prime Minister from 1965 - 1991.
2. SM Goh Chok Tong (68 years old): became MP in 1976, Prime Minister from 1991 to 2003.
3. SM Jayakumar (70 years old): became MP in 1980, Deputy Prime Minister from 2004 - 2009.
4. Wong Kan Seng (63 years old): became MP in 1984, Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 - now.
Nowhere in the world other than in dictatorships and military junta do we see two former Prime Ministers and one former Deputy Prime Minister remaining in the cabinet.
Won’t they be more of a hindrance than help to the younger generation of leaders who may not enjoy a free rein in the direction they want to lead the country?
George W Bush was the President of the United States for 8 years. Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for 10 years. When both stepped down from their positions recently, they did so completely without having any more business in government.
Can you imagine Obama making George Bush a senior advisor in his team or Tony Blair being appointed as a senior minister in the British cabinet? (He was made a Middle East envoy for the United Nations).
Former prime ministers and deputies who wish to continue serving Singapore can do so in another capacity which will minimize their influence in the present government.
The first Chief Minister of Singapore, David Marshall was made an Ambassador to France after he retired, a role which he clearly relished.
MM Lee, SM Goh and SM Jayakumar can be appointed as ambassadors or special envoys to promote bilateral ties between Singapore and our major trading partners.
This will allow their successors to implement their ideas, plans and vision for the nation freely without any interference.
The country is in urgent need of a fresh direction. For far too long, there is excessive emphasis on GDP growth at the expense of growing and developing our human capital.
A real leader knows when to retire gracefully to make way for young leaders they have groomed to take their place. Changing the first alphabet of the title from a “P” to a “S” is not rejuventation but degradation of our democracy.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25361.1
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Teo Chee Hean: Next Prime Minister?
Teo Chee Hean: Next Prime Minister?
At last Singapore has a visible, credible figure likely to succeed PM Lee Hsien Loong. By Seah Chiang Nee
Mar 28, 2008
For five years since Mr. Lee Hsien Loong became Prime Minister (in 2004), Singaporeans did not have any idea who would take over when he left, or if something were to happen to him.
Now, at last they have a clear idea.
The defence minister and former naval chief, Teo Chee Hean, who at 54, is three years younger than PM Lee, has been promoted as Deputy Prime Minister, and although he has not been officially named as the successor, the official statement made it clear he will fill the PM's place whenever he is away.
In Singapore's system, in which voters have no say on who the becomes the chief of state, this is almost as good as being crowned heir apparent.
Seniority: Wong Kan Seng
Not only in tenure in the post, byt also by party hierarchy, The other Dep PM (and Home Affairs Minister) Wong Kan Seng has seniority over Teo Chee Hean.
Only four months ago, in December last year, Mr. Wong who is related to the influential Lee family, was re-elected the party's 1st Asst Sec-General, second highest position next to Hsien Loong (who is Secretary-General.
Next in the pecking order is Teo Chee Hean as 2nd Asst Sec-Gen.
However, it is apparent that by being chosen as Acting PM during Lee's absence, Teo has the upperhand as takeover candidate.
Besides Mr. Wong, aged 62, is older than the PM himself. He is generally perceived as lacking Teo's political or leadership standing among Singaporeans, especially after the escape of alleged terrorist leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, from high security centre.
Not many people believe he is prime minister material.
It is unlikely that the ruling People's Action Party could be voted out of power in the next general election scheduled to be held in 2011, despite rising disastisfaction (among some quarters even deep anger) with its performance.
So come April 1, Singapore will have a prime minister-in-the-making in the cabinet, and this is what makes the announcement of a caibinet reshuffle last week a very special one.
In the nature of the PAP's way of selecting leaders (away from the public participation), most cabinet reshuffles had largely failed to attract much public interest.
A general public reaction used to go like this: Whatever new blood they bring in is of little interest to us; only to the PAP.
A good choice
So far reaction to Mr. Teo's front-runner promotion has been good, with many describing it is a good choice, especially after he said he would work hard to support the PM in closing ranks with the people.
A few commented that Teo is more humble than some of the arrogant scholar-type elites in the government.
I am glad he didn't say his first priority is to help imrpove the national assets, which, of course, has dark implications for Singaporeans.
If it materialises, he could be the first Prime Minister after the Lee Kuan Yew era comes to an end.
Other observations are as follows: -
(1) If Mr Teo Chee Hean really takes over as successor, it could mean Mr. Lee Hsien Loong (who once suffered from cancer) may step down earlier than the year 2021 he had once said would mark his exit. In 2021, Teo will be 67-years-old, a bit too old. By comparison, Hsien Loong was only 52 when he became Prime Minister.
(2) Keeping succession a bit unclear to the public is probably due to a desire to prevent party factionalism, even in the slightest form.
Secondly, it was probably Mr. Lee Kuan Yew's wish to see Hsien Loong at the helm for a sufficiently long time.
(3) Last April, Minister Mentor Lee said that because of the long period needed to groom a future leader (Hsien Loong said he would remain PM until 2021), those in the present cabinet would not make the grade as successor.
Lee Senior also said that the next PM could be a party outsider, who knows nothing about politics or statecraft, someone who is now in his 30s or early 40s now.
(4) If I am not reading too much on it, it could mean that Mr. Lee Kuan Yew's ideas for a younger ousider was turned down by his younger cabinet ministers.
They could not have been too pleased at being told that none of them is capable of taking over and some 'newbie' from ouside has to come in to do the job.
(5) This year Mr. Lee Kuan Yew makes history as the longest surviving leader (elected in general elections) in the world. The year 2009 marks his 50th year of existence as a political leader, having outlasted every any where in the world. As of now, his era lives on.
(6) The next question is when will Mr. Lee himself leave the cabinet? Will he stand for Parliament re-election in 2011 when he'll be 87. Ask 10 Singaporeans and almost to a man, they would probably reply: "Never" or "He'll probably die in office."
I do not think it is true. It could happen through a surprised decision. In politics, nothing is carved in stone.
(7) The new cabinet takes office on April 1 - two days before Malaysia has a new Prime Minister and a newly elected UMNO team that will likely - for better or worse - have an impact in Singapore. Is it merely accidental timing - or something else?
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25381.1
At last Singapore has a visible, credible figure likely to succeed PM Lee Hsien Loong. By Seah Chiang Nee
Mar 28, 2008
For five years since Mr. Lee Hsien Loong became Prime Minister (in 2004), Singaporeans did not have any idea who would take over when he left, or if something were to happen to him.
Now, at last they have a clear idea.
The defence minister and former naval chief, Teo Chee Hean, who at 54, is three years younger than PM Lee, has been promoted as Deputy Prime Minister, and although he has not been officially named as the successor, the official statement made it clear he will fill the PM's place whenever he is away.
In Singapore's system, in which voters have no say on who the becomes the chief of state, this is almost as good as being crowned heir apparent.
Seniority: Wong Kan Seng
Not only in tenure in the post, byt also by party hierarchy, The other Dep PM (and Home Affairs Minister) Wong Kan Seng has seniority over Teo Chee Hean.
Only four months ago, in December last year, Mr. Wong who is related to the influential Lee family, was re-elected the party's 1st Asst Sec-General, second highest position next to Hsien Loong (who is Secretary-General.
Next in the pecking order is Teo Chee Hean as 2nd Asst Sec-Gen.
However, it is apparent that by being chosen as Acting PM during Lee's absence, Teo has the upperhand as takeover candidate.
Besides Mr. Wong, aged 62, is older than the PM himself. He is generally perceived as lacking Teo's political or leadership standing among Singaporeans, especially after the escape of alleged terrorist leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, from high security centre.
Not many people believe he is prime minister material.
It is unlikely that the ruling People's Action Party could be voted out of power in the next general election scheduled to be held in 2011, despite rising disastisfaction (among some quarters even deep anger) with its performance.
So come April 1, Singapore will have a prime minister-in-the-making in the cabinet, and this is what makes the announcement of a caibinet reshuffle last week a very special one.
In the nature of the PAP's way of selecting leaders (away from the public participation), most cabinet reshuffles had largely failed to attract much public interest.
A general public reaction used to go like this: Whatever new blood they bring in is of little interest to us; only to the PAP.
A good choice
So far reaction to Mr. Teo's front-runner promotion has been good, with many describing it is a good choice, especially after he said he would work hard to support the PM in closing ranks with the people.
A few commented that Teo is more humble than some of the arrogant scholar-type elites in the government.
I am glad he didn't say his first priority is to help imrpove the national assets, which, of course, has dark implications for Singaporeans.
If it materialises, he could be the first Prime Minister after the Lee Kuan Yew era comes to an end.
Other observations are as follows: -
(1) If Mr Teo Chee Hean really takes over as successor, it could mean Mr. Lee Hsien Loong (who once suffered from cancer) may step down earlier than the year 2021 he had once said would mark his exit. In 2021, Teo will be 67-years-old, a bit too old. By comparison, Hsien Loong was only 52 when he became Prime Minister.
(2) Keeping succession a bit unclear to the public is probably due to a desire to prevent party factionalism, even in the slightest form.
Secondly, it was probably Mr. Lee Kuan Yew's wish to see Hsien Loong at the helm for a sufficiently long time.
(3) Last April, Minister Mentor Lee said that because of the long period needed to groom a future leader (Hsien Loong said he would remain PM until 2021), those in the present cabinet would not make the grade as successor.
Lee Senior also said that the next PM could be a party outsider, who knows nothing about politics or statecraft, someone who is now in his 30s or early 40s now.
(4) If I am not reading too much on it, it could mean that Mr. Lee Kuan Yew's ideas for a younger ousider was turned down by his younger cabinet ministers.
They could not have been too pleased at being told that none of them is capable of taking over and some 'newbie' from ouside has to come in to do the job.
(5) This year Mr. Lee Kuan Yew makes history as the longest surviving leader (elected in general elections) in the world. The year 2009 marks his 50th year of existence as a political leader, having outlasted every any where in the world. As of now, his era lives on.
(6) The next question is when will Mr. Lee himself leave the cabinet? Will he stand for Parliament re-election in 2011 when he'll be 87. Ask 10 Singaporeans and almost to a man, they would probably reply: "Never" or "He'll probably die in office."
I do not think it is true. It could happen through a surprised decision. In politics, nothing is carved in stone.
(7) The new cabinet takes office on April 1 - two days before Malaysia has a new Prime Minister and a newly elected UMNO team that will likely - for better or worse - have an impact in Singapore. Is it merely accidental timing - or something else?
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25381.1
Thursday, March 26, 2009
PM Lee reshuffles Cabinet as part of continuing leadership renewal
PM Lee reshuffles Cabinet as part of continuing leadership renewal
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 26 March 2009 1802 hrs
SINGAPORE : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced several changes to the Cabinet and other appointments, as part of continuing leadership renewal and testing out of younger office holders for broader responsibilities.
Among the major changes is the appointment of the country's first full-fledged woman minister.
Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean will be promoted to Deputy Prime Minister with effect from April 1. He will be one of two deputy prime ministers alongside veteran Wong Kan Seng, who is concurrently the Home Affairs Minister.
Mr Teo will continue as Minister for Defence, and be the acting prime minister in the absence of the prime minister.
Professor S Jayakumar will relinquish his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister, and will hold the post of Senior Minister in the Prime Minister's Office alongside Mr Goh Chok Tong. Professor Jayakumar will also continue as Co-ordinating Minister for National Security.
Mr Gan Kim Yong will be appointed Manpower Minister. He is currently the Acting Minister.
Mrs Lim Hwee Hua will hold the post of Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. She will concurrently serve as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.
The last time there was a woman minister in Cabinet was 1991 when Dr Seet Ai Mee became Acting Minister for Community Development. However, she lost her seat that year when she was not returned to Parliament in the 1991 elections.
Senior Minister of State Lui Tuck Yew will be appointed as Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts. He will relinquish his appointment in the Education Ministry.
Dr Lee Boon Yang will relinquish his appointment as Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and retire from the government.
Since being appointed a Parliamentary Secretary in 1985, Dr Lee has served in many portfolios including Environment, Trade and Industry, Finance, Home Affairs, National Development, Defence, and Manpower, before becoming Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in 2003.
The prime minister thanked Dr Lee for his many years of service and contributions to the government and the nation.
In changes to the posts of Ministers of State, Mr S Iswaran will be appointed Senior Minister of State in the Education Ministry, in addition to his current post as Senior Minister of State in the Trade and Industry Ministry.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan takes on the role of Minister of State for Manpower, in addition to his present post as Minister of State for Trade and Industry.
Mr Sam Tan will be appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Trade and Industry Ministry and Information, Communications and the Arts Ministry. His appointment takes effect on July 1.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports Teo Ser Luck will be appointed as Mayor of North East Community Development Council with effect from May 31.
The current mayor, Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, will relinquish his appointment when his current three-year term ends on May 30. He will continue as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. - CNA /ls
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25116.2
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 26 March 2009 1802 hrs
SINGAPORE : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced several changes to the Cabinet and other appointments, as part of continuing leadership renewal and testing out of younger office holders for broader responsibilities.
Among the major changes is the appointment of the country's first full-fledged woman minister.
Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean will be promoted to Deputy Prime Minister with effect from April 1. He will be one of two deputy prime ministers alongside veteran Wong Kan Seng, who is concurrently the Home Affairs Minister.
Mr Teo will continue as Minister for Defence, and be the acting prime minister in the absence of the prime minister.
Professor S Jayakumar will relinquish his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister, and will hold the post of Senior Minister in the Prime Minister's Office alongside Mr Goh Chok Tong. Professor Jayakumar will also continue as Co-ordinating Minister for National Security.
Mr Gan Kim Yong will be appointed Manpower Minister. He is currently the Acting Minister.
Mrs Lim Hwee Hua will hold the post of Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. She will concurrently serve as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.
The last time there was a woman minister in Cabinet was 1991 when Dr Seet Ai Mee became Acting Minister for Community Development. However, she lost her seat that year when she was not returned to Parliament in the 1991 elections.
Senior Minister of State Lui Tuck Yew will be appointed as Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts. He will relinquish his appointment in the Education Ministry.
Dr Lee Boon Yang will relinquish his appointment as Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and retire from the government.
Since being appointed a Parliamentary Secretary in 1985, Dr Lee has served in many portfolios including Environment, Trade and Industry, Finance, Home Affairs, National Development, Defence, and Manpower, before becoming Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in 2003.
The prime minister thanked Dr Lee for his many years of service and contributions to the government and the nation.
In changes to the posts of Ministers of State, Mr S Iswaran will be appointed Senior Minister of State in the Education Ministry, in addition to his current post as Senior Minister of State in the Trade and Industry Ministry.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan takes on the role of Minister of State for Manpower, in addition to his present post as Minister of State for Trade and Industry.
Mr Sam Tan will be appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Trade and Industry Ministry and Information, Communications and the Arts Ministry. His appointment takes effect on July 1.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports Teo Ser Luck will be appointed as Mayor of North East Community Development Council with effect from May 31.
The current mayor, Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, will relinquish his appointment when his current three-year term ends on May 30. He will continue as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. - CNA /ls
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=25116.2
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