Singapore Politics : MPs rebut Low's claim

May 27, 2009 MPs rebut Low's claim

By Zakir Hussain - Straits Times

WORKERS' Party chief Low Thia Khiang's claim that only an elected opposition can provide effective checks and balances and ensure a clean government was rebutted by two People's Action Party (PAP) MPs on Tuesday.

Ms Indranee Rajah (Tanjong Pagar GRC) said this assumption was not only simplistic, but also plain incorrect.

For if this were true, why is it that many other countries with multi-party systems still see deep-seated and endemic corruption, she asked.

More often than not, an opposition wins against a corrupt incumbent, and then itself becomes corrupt when in government, said Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC).

On Monday, Mr Low (Hougang) had noted that the ruling party controls the House and key levers of power, and that with a weak opposition presence, Singapore's democracy resembled a 'one-legged duck'.

Commenting on remarks by President SR Nathan on how Singapore politics had to evolve over time, Mr Low said more opposition MPs would help ensure a non-corrupt government.

Ms Rajah's counter: Going by this argument, the logical outcome is that 'every other country with an opposition should be squeaky clean and Singapore should be the most corrupt country in the world'.

This is not the case, she pointed out. In fact, Singapore today is widely regarded as having one of the least corrupt systems in the world.

This, she said, is because MPs hold their positions in trust for the people, PAP leaders expect the highest standards of integrity, and there are inherent checks and balances in the system.

She noted that after the last general election in 2006, the Prime Minister wrote to all PAP MPs to remind them of their responsibility and accountability to the people, and the need to maintain honesty and integrity. 'These are the things that keep us on the straight and narrow, not the fact that there is an opposition,' she stressed.