The Singapore Democratic Party’s shadow budget believes in the inherent trustworthiness of society and its people. Is this wise or misplaced faith?
“We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages,” writes author William Golding in his literary classic Lord of the Flies. Lawless and unfettered from the conventions of society, the group of schoolboys in the novel, stranded on a desert island, descends into anarchy and turns into a bunch of wild, irrational madmen. The younger children imagine that there is a monster lurking on the island, looking to get them. At one point in the novel, they realize “maybe there isn’t a beast, maybe it’s just us.”
However, history has shown over and over again that human beings are just as capable of organizing themselves into civilized societies based on ethical values, upholding human rights and dignities. That even without the fear of excessive scrutiny or punishment, people can be counted on to be responsible, socially conscious and to have integrity.
By-election - what is PM's mandate?
On 20 February, Assistant Professor Eugene Tan argued that while the Prime Minister has the prerogative on the timing of when to call for a by-election, this "does not extend to his having an unfettered discretion to delay the calling of a by-election indefinitely." (See here.)
On 24 February, Senior Counsel and Member of Parliament for Toa Payoh-Bishan GRC, Mr Hri Kumar, responded to AP Tan's article. Both AP Tan's article and Mr Hri's reply were published in the Today newspaper.
The next day, 25 February, Mr Lian Chuan Yeoh posted a note on Mr Hri's Facebook page raising several questions about Mr Hri's letter to Today.
We highlight Mr Hri's letter to Today and Mr Lian's reply here for discussion purposes.
Stop the frenzied feeding
One is hard put to recall a time when the local media hounded any member of the People’s Action Party (PAP) so relentlessly as it has Mr Yaw Shin Leong in recent weeks. And certainly rare has it been that the Workers’ Party (WP), or any opposition party, for that matter, is given the honour of being featured on the front pages of our newspapers – except when the news about them isn’t flattering.
This is how the local press have treated the Yaw saga, if you will. Pages and pages of rumours and gossips, especially in the Chinese press. Yaw’s entire past life seems to be fair game, with even the unkind views of Yaw’s “ex-boss” given prominence.
The press seem to have already judged him to be guilty of what he is alleged to have done, even as no shred of proof is offered up by anyone. Neither the PAP nor the WP itself, Yaw’s colleagues or friends, have provided any concrete proof of his alleged marital affairs. Sure, Yaw’s action or behaviour is puzzling. And it is unbecoming of an elected Member of Parliament (MP) to remain silent, even to his own party.
One can fault him for this, certainly, but one should reserve judgement about the allegations of extra-marital affairs since no concrete confirmation has been offered by anyone.
Low: I'm an MP, not a private investigator
The following is letter to Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao by the Workers' Party secretary general, Mr Low Thia Khiang.
2012年2月18日星期六
致：联合早报交流版主编
感谢何家良君今天在联合早报交流站所发表《我对饶欣龙事件的解读》，关心工人党，认为工人党的决定是仓促和草率的。
Balanced, hard-nosed and compassionate: NSP
The National Solidarity Party's response to Budget 2012.
18 February 2012
The National Solidarity Party welcomes most of the measures announced in the Government’s budget statement on the 17th of February 2012.
The statement underscores the fact that the government has heard the electorate and taken steps to address some of their concerns, in particular, lowering our dependence on the foreign workforce, greater assistance to the elderly, the disabled and the lower-income, and expanding the capacity of our public transport and public hospitals.
Think Centre: Let political maturity prevail
Statement from The Think Centre on the expulsion of Mr Yaw Shin Leong from the Workers' Party.
Think Centre (TC), Singapore's oldest political association, expresses its regret over the expulsion of Workers' Party (WP) MP Yaw Shin Leong and stands in solidarity with the people of Hougang SMC. 
At a press conference yesterday afternoon by the WP, its leadership finally commented on the alleged indiscretions of Yaw and announced its decision to expel him on grounds of transparency and accountability to the party, people of Hougang and country. Unlike recent cases of senior civil servants under investigation for professional misconduct, fraud and personal indiscretions, Yaw is not guilty of any crime. Singapore already repealed Section 498 on private affairs sometime ago and as such adultery is not a crime but remains ground for divorce. The MP, whether elected, appointed or nominated, from the ruling or opposition parties, is also a human being not without flaws. TC extends our deepest appreciation to Mr Yaw for 15 years of passion, dedication and service to the party, the opposition and the people.
A week after he resigned from the Workers’ Party as treasurer, Mr Yaw Shin Leong has been expelled from the party. The whole episode emerged from allegations in January that Mr Yaw was involved in extra-marital affairs.
In a statement on 15 February, which the party released at a press conference at its headquarters, the party said that “[by] continuing not to account to the party and the people, especially the residents of Hougang, he has broken the faith, trust and expectations of the party and people.”
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