Early days of Parliamentary hearing. True that the people are asking for change.
People have been asking for a change - guess when that change has some affect on the ballot box.
by Grace Ho.
MPs on both sides of the House want a fundamental change in approach
If there was a common message from both sides of the political fence yesterday, it was this: Singapore and Singaporeans have changed, and so too must the traditional approach to policies and politics.
But other things, such as the country's openness to the world, its support for a rules-based global order, and its values of multiculturalism and self-determination, must remain constant.
Touching on things that have changed, Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh's maiden speech as Leader of the Opposition stood out.
He acknowledged that his formal appointment will create expectations - not just among Singaporeans who voted at the recent general election in favour of more checks and balances, but also within the Government that will want the opposition to come up with alternative policies.
"(My WP colleagues and I) will have to ask ourselves tough questions before critiquing government policy, chief of which is what would we do if we were in charge," he said.
As for what must not change, Mr Singh assured the House that the opposition understands Singapore's position as an open trading nation, and its stance on corruption, defence, and foreign policy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, too, said that Singapore - a small economy with no natural resources - cannot afford to make foreigners unwelcome.
Rather, he said, it should adapt as an economy, a society and people, while staying true to its values of openness, multiculturalism and self-determination.
And highlighting what must change, Mr Heng said that to help Singaporeans adapt to the new economic reality, the Government will support them in their lifelong learning journey.
Support for the self-employed, and lower-wage and older workers will also have to evolve.
"Various ideas have been proposed on how we can do this, such as a minimum wage, universal basic income, and unemployment insurance. The Government will keep an open mind to all these ideas," he promised.
The MPs who spoke yesterday did not dispute the Deputy Prime Minister's call for Singapore to remain open. But what they asked for is a fundamental change in the approach to policies and politics.
On policies, their focus was on foreign manpower.
Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) stated starkly that Singaporeans should be given priority, and not just be fairly considered, for jobs they can do.
In other words, between two equally qualified candidates, employers should be obliged to pick the Singaporean over the foreigner, she said.
National Trades Union Congress assistant secretary-general Patrick Tay said Singapore should not shy away from coming up with new laws - including on fair employment - out of fear that the nation would be seen as "not investment friendly".
He pointed out that the world has already embraced legislation on sustainability, environmental and social issues, and this has not stopped the likes of London and New York from being vibrant financial centres.
Mr Singh, meanwhile, wanted the Government to be more forthcoming with information on matters such as those related to permanent residents. Otherwise, it would only lead to more online speculation, he said. "The problem is that we simply do not know enough, and the vacuum has given space for more toxic conversation to foment."
On its part, he added, the Government should consider how it can put out more information without being asked to.
He also proposed more Select Committees to scrutinise the spending policies and administration of each ministry, and to act as a "safety valve" on sensitive and difficult issues.
Unlike government parliamentary committees which comprise only People's Action Party backbenchers, Select Committees include opposition party members.
Tighter labour laws, temporary universal basic income, and some form of unemployment insurance - none of these ideas mooted by members of the House have been empirically proven to be economically damaging or impossible to implement.
And these are important issues that need to be discussed.
Fundamental change - from overhauling certain policies to reviewing the way the Government is organised - will require political leadership and courage.
The yardstick, as DPM Heng pointed out yesterday, should be whether these changes are in the best interests of Singapore and Singaporeans.
The solutions, as Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) put it, must be politically ambidextrous and avoid ideological extremes.
Either way, there will be trade-offs, and Singaporeans who are doing well must be prepared to give more.
Mr Heng cautioned against looking for "costless solutions - somehow, someone else will have to pay for these schemes".
As Mr Singh said: "Could (extending social benefits) result in higher income taxes for many Singaporeans? Yes.
"Will there be a price to pay in terms of higher costs for the end consumer? This must be expected."
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