Siti Kasim dares Madani gov't to imitate PAP's 'MPs are slaves of the people, not their masters' benchmark
THE high standards demanded by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) which has recently achieved a landslide victory in Singapore's 14th General Election of its MPs with the key emphasis being 'always uphold our reputation and integrity' should be emulated by the Madani government.
Such is the opinion of Siti Kasim who is impressed with the tall order which is encapsulated in a 2,617-word letter entitled 'Rules of Prudence' penned by Singapore's fourth Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and addressed to all PAP MPs.
For the record. PAP won 87 out of 97 seats in the just concluded national polls (it has won all general elections since Singapore's independence) which is Wong's first as PM and in his capacity as PAP's secretary-general. Overall, the PAP won 65.6% of the votes.
'That MPs have to be humble in victory by always remembering that as MPs they are servants of the people, not their masters really struck the chord insofar as Malaysian politics are concerned,' gestured the human rights activist and lawyer in her latest YouTube rant.
'Another secret formula which Wong let out of the bag that it's still not too late for the Madani government to look into is that PAP's reputation for clean, incorruptible government is one of its most precious assets that enables it to retain the trust of Singaporeans all these years (PAP has never lost an election).'
Siti Kasim is further impressed by the exemplary behaviour demanded of PAP's MPs in that they should never abuse their political position to seek favours.
'He (Wong) warned MPs against lobbying any ministry or statutory board to make changes to decisions or policies that are not grounded on public interest … This very much brings to mind the 'Yes YB. Yes YB' attitude among our civil servants,' the Orang Asli advocate pointed out.
'Also worth heeding is the call to separate an MP's public political position from his/her private, professional or business interests.'
In reminding PAP's MPs against exploiting their public position as government MPs, Wong has stressed that their conduct must always be above board by keeping at bay their close contacts with the ministers, access to government departments and civil servants when it comes to serving their personal interest or for the benefit of their employers.
Against the backdrop of poor MP attendance which has occasionally prompted postponement of the Dewan Rakyat proceedings, Siti Kasim also agreed with Wong that 'all MPs are expected to attend all sittings of Parliament'.
'Please inform the whip if you have to leave the Parliament premises while a sitting is on. If you have to be absent from any sitting, seek permission from the government whip and apply for leave of absence from the speaker with copies to the leader of the house and the government whip,' Wong had penned in his letter.
'If you travel abroad, you should also inform the whip where you can be reached while abroad.'
To sum up, Siti Kasim described Wong's letter as 'a vivid example of good governance'.
He demanded that PAP MPs should speak their mind frankly whether for or against government policies but must be backed by adequate facts and reasons.
It's a rarity for Malaysian MPs from the government bloc to go against a tabled government policy in line with the toe-the-line spirit or likewise brushed aside views from the position even if they are truly constructive.
Also worth mentioning is the notion of accepting gifts whereby MPs must declare all gifts, (other than personal gifts from close friends or relatives) to the Parliament clerk who will have the gifts valued.
If they wish to keep the gifts, they must pay the Singaporean government for them at the valuation price. – June 1, 2025
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