| By Jeremy Au Yong | ||
 |  | THE RIGHT SLANT 'Our system is slanted in favour of ensuring that only parties which can form strong governments will be serious contenders in our election. And that is something which I see no need to make any apologies for because it safeguards the future of Singapore.' Dr Vivian Balakrishnan |
THE newly announced changes to the political system here are to ensure the country will always have good government. They are not to entrench the PAP's power.
That was the firm response of Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan on Thursday when he rebuffed criticisms from the Workers' Party (WP).
Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the President's Address, he took issue with suggestions from Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) and Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim that the political changes serve partly to keep the PAP in power. While he agreed the system tipped the scales against minor parties, he stressed that was not a negative thing.
'You are right,' he said to Mr Low. 'Our system makes it difficult for parties who are just there to take a position or to just make some arguments in Parliament or even just to win a few seats.
'Our system is slanted in favour of ensuring that only parties which can form strong governments will be serious contenders in our election. And that is something which I see no need to make any apologies for because it safeguards the future of Singapore.'
He added that the WP could well win the election if it could offer itself as an alternative government.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong proposed four changes to the political system.
The minimum number of single- seat wards would be increased from eight to 12; the average size of group representation constituencies (GRCs) would go down; the Nominated MP (NMP) system would be entrenched; and the minimum number of opposition MPs in Parliament would be raised from three to nine through the Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) scheme.
Dr Balakrishnan said the changes would ensure diversity of views in Parliament and in effect meet the public's desire for more opposition voices. 'What we are trying to tell our people is that in future you don't need to vote tactically,' he said.
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