An MP's job is to listen to the people and know what they want

I was delighted to read Mr John Tan Liang-Joo's letter "Grassroot supporters led minister away from resident who had much to complain about" (ST Online Forum, April 22).

Finally someone has the good sense to point out the obvious fact that freedom of expression and basic sustenance are not two mutually exclusive ideas.

Ever since Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew discussed political issues with youths in a televised forum, Singaporeans have bombarded the media with complaints that the youths are ungrateful, that their desire for more freedom of expression will endanger Singapore's hard-won prosperity.

I have no idea how people have got it into their heads that freedom of expression is the antithesis to rising prosperity and stability.

I suppose many would argue that Singapore's prosperity is due to strong one-party, authoritarian rule. Furthermore, comparing Singapore's stability to the apparent chaos of the democracies in the Philippines or Indonesia may enforce the notion that freedom and stability are mutually exclusive.

These are comforting arguments but they fail to understand what was the true secret of Singapore's success. Contrary to what many may believe, the PAP has been successful not because it has repressed freedom of expression but because it has anticipated what the people wanted and it has delivered.

Politics, as we have been reminded, is about bread-and-butter issues such as the cost of living, education and social stability. Successive PAP governments have delivered on these. There is actually very little to complain about in Singapore, let alone actively seek an alternative party of government.

However, we cannot assume that this happy state of affairs will last forever. What happens if we get a leadership that becomes wrapped up in its own world of statistics instead of listening to the opinions of the people?

Companies that fail to listen to their customers and take them for granted lose market share. Likewise, the same thing can happen to political parties. Governments become less effective when this happens.

In our political system, our leaders are given a reality check by the need to have elections periodically. Our ministers are also Members of Parliament. This ensures that ministers need to listen to the people and be sympathetic to those who gave them high office in the first place.

Minister Raymond Lim's minders may believe that they were doing him a service when they cut out a resident who had many complaints during his house visit in his constituency.

They are doing him and Singapore a disservice by ensuring the minister is a step removed from the people who put him in power. Our ministers are busy and juggling ministerial and MP's duties can be difficult.

However, this is what they are paid to do. It's not just about voting for a government that can deliver what we want but also about giving our elected representatives the opportunity to listen and know what we want.

Tang Li

Published in Straits Times Online Forum 25 April 2006

Copyright: (C) Singapore Press Holdings Ltd 2006