"Parliament debate set to focus on security, economy - The Straits Times 23 Jan 2016
Singapore's security and economy are two topics set to dominate the week-long Parliament sitting on the President's Address, starting on Monday.
MPs are worried about jobs for people amid the economic slowdown and stock market turmoil. They are also concerned about fortifying security agencies well enough to meet terror threats, a need made more urgent by the recent Jakarta blasts, followed by news of the arrests of 27 Bangladeshi foreign workers for plotting to launch terror attacks in their home country.
The first MP slated to speak is Mr Christopher De Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), who will focus on the importance of security.
"I'm going to call for strong support for a continued healthy budget for both the Home Team as well as the Defence Ministry," he said.
This, he added, will ensure "we have the best equipment, infrastructure and technology to assist the men and women in uniform who keep our borders, air space, seas and neighbourhoods safe".
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) will focus on the need to transform the economy from one that adds value to one that creates value.
He will suggest ways the Government can encourage companies and individuals to develop innovative capabilities and encourage society as a whole to be more open to risk-taking.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) wants to know how the Government will help young jobseekers and other vulnerable segments of the workforce should the economy worsen.
Parliament is also expected to debate and vote on the Workers' Party motion to let its 2015 General Election candidate Daniel Goh occupy the Non-Constituency MP seat that its former Punggol East MP, Ms Lee Li Lian, rejected."
Thought it HAS ALWAYs being about the economy, stupid? (As President Clinton would said!).
Lessons for me are:
1. most ordinary people are quite easy to satisfy by the government, given me stability, laws and orders, security, education, public health/housing/transportation, the rest just leave it to US, the people to work them out!;
2. IF item 1 is true, then the government's main roles are to fulfil them and stop interfering with people's lives! e.g. stop worrying about them not getting married, have children, staying healthy especially when you are ageing, etc.. Alas, this is NOT to be as the PEOPLE will NORMALLY choose instant gratification over long term pay-out and will do things that will hurt themselves in the long term. The government, being a long term institution, CAN and MUST continue to be UNWELCOME in some issue regardless as the people's resentment! e.g. the government HAS to continue to harp on getting married and having children, staying healthy and inspiring others, educate and influence people to clean up after themselves, have respect and courtesy and be civil minded, etc. etc..
3. as for economy and security, the PEOPLE have to take responsibilities to prepare for the WORST! When you planned for the worst, you will be LIKELY MORE prepared when the doomsday scenario played out. But if you are unprepared and always 'overly optimistic', when the WORST happened, you simply will just collapsed and die!! So, better prepared for the worst instead!
Let the parliamentary debates commence in earnest!
p/s: as for the sideshow of 'WP to have another NCMP in place of THE NCMP' issue, what the laws say? If it DID NOT categorically bar 'replacement', then go ahead. If it does, WP just have to live with the fact that its 'rightful' candidate did not step up!!
Singapore's security and economy are two topics set to dominate the week-long Parliament sitting on the President's Address, starting on Monday.
MPs are worried about jobs for people amid the economic slowdown and stock market turmoil. They are also concerned about fortifying security agencies well enough to meet terror threats, a need made more urgent by the recent Jakarta blasts, followed by news of the arrests of 27 Bangladeshi foreign workers for plotting to launch terror attacks in their home country.
The first MP slated to speak is Mr Christopher De Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), who will focus on the importance of security.
"I'm going to call for strong support for a continued healthy budget for both the Home Team as well as the Defence Ministry," he said.
This, he added, will ensure "we have the best equipment, infrastructure and technology to assist the men and women in uniform who keep our borders, air space, seas and neighbourhoods safe".
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) will focus on the need to transform the economy from one that adds value to one that creates value.
He will suggest ways the Government can encourage companies and individuals to develop innovative capabilities and encourage society as a whole to be more open to risk-taking.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) wants to know how the Government will help young jobseekers and other vulnerable segments of the workforce should the economy worsen.
Parliament is also expected to debate and vote on the Workers' Party motion to let its 2015 General Election candidate Daniel Goh occupy the Non-Constituency MP seat that its former Punggol East MP, Ms Lee Li Lian, rejected."
Thought it HAS ALWAYs being about the economy, stupid? (As President Clinton would said!).
Lessons for me are:
1. most ordinary people are quite easy to satisfy by the government, given me stability, laws and orders, security, education, public health/housing/transportation, the rest just leave it to US, the people to work them out!;
2. IF item 1 is true, then the government's main roles are to fulfil them and stop interfering with people's lives! e.g. stop worrying about them not getting married, have children, staying healthy especially when you are ageing, etc.. Alas, this is NOT to be as the PEOPLE will NORMALLY choose instant gratification over long term pay-out and will do things that will hurt themselves in the long term. The government, being a long term institution, CAN and MUST continue to be UNWELCOME in some issue regardless as the people's resentment! e.g. the government HAS to continue to harp on getting married and having children, staying healthy and inspiring others, educate and influence people to clean up after themselves, have respect and courtesy and be civil minded, etc. etc..
3. as for economy and security, the PEOPLE have to take responsibilities to prepare for the WORST! When you planned for the worst, you will be LIKELY MORE prepared when the doomsday scenario played out. But if you are unprepared and always 'overly optimistic', when the WORST happened, you simply will just collapsed and die!! So, better prepared for the worst instead!
Let the parliamentary debates commence in earnest!
p/s: as for the sideshow of 'WP to have another NCMP in place of THE NCMP' issue, what the laws say? If it DID NOT categorically bar 'replacement', then go ahead. If it does, WP just have to live with the fact that its 'rightful' candidate did not step up!!
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