<above pic: As for criticism that PAP MP Janil Puthucheary did not serve national service, as he became a Singapore citizen at the age of 35, the paediatrician said he has been in public service: 'I've spent the last 10 years saving kids' lives>
In a desperate attempt to support the PAP, the government’s mouthpiece Ass Tee published a letter by PAP MP Janil Puthucheary in its Forum page criticising Catherine Lim.
Puthucheary seems to be following in the footsteps of his parliamentary colleague Hri Kumar. Kumar has been trying very hard to get into the good books of the PAP but has failed. This is evidenced by Kumar’s “CPF – An honest conversation” which has been termed “an honest farce” and other unflattering names. Maybe it’s just an honest wayang.
Puthucheary is an opportunist who cherry picks on a couple of Catherine Lim’s comments. Unfortunately, Puthucheary does not enjoy much public support.
“Indeed, my colleagues and I strive to engage our voters precisely so we can incorporate their considered, decent and reasonable views into policymaking,” says Puthucheary. I have been a resident of Pasir Ris for 15 years and as far as engagement is concerned, there has been none.
I have been engaging MP Sapari, Puthucheary’s GRC colleague on the issue of transparency. I would like to find out if my town council had lost $4 million or $4 dollars from its investment in Lehman’s linked product. Even after my complaint to the PMO, engagement remains non existent. When Puthucheary mentions engagement, he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Puthucheary imagines that our “government has chosen the path that leads to better outcomes in the long term, often despite temporary pain”. It is an open secret the PAP thrives on opacity.
Question: How can a system with no transparency and no accountability lead to better outcomes in the long term? Puthucheary should not have insulted his own intellect.
Can there be any trust without transparency? Puthucheary should wake up to reality – an increasing number of citizens do not trust the PAP government. Ask Puthucheary about our CPF and it is likely he knows only as much as ordinary citizens. Puthucheary may wish to endorse opacity in the government but he should not expect citizens to feign stupidity.
Perhaps it is still unclear to Puthucheary – the hundreds of thousands of CPF members who do not trust the government on the CPF issue is not “a minority”.
Puthucheary only became a Singapore citizen at the age of 35 whereas Catherine has been living in Singapore decades before he stepped foot on our shores in 2001. Every Singaporean male is required to serve NS but Puthucheary managed to skip NS and all NS liabilities.
Puthucheary does not share the most common experience of NS among male Singaporeans and has repeatedly shown he is out of touch with the ground.
Puthucheary’s opportunistic criticism of Catherine Lim through the government mouthpiece has put him in a bad light. Puthucheary is a nobody to many Singaporeans whereas Catherine Lim, after decades, has earned the respect of Singaporeans from all walks of life.
Phillip Ang
*The author blogs http://likedatosocanmeh.wordpress.com/