PAP MP Seah Kian Peng shocked only 7 out of 25 NUS Political Science faculty members are S'porean

It's probably not a coincidence that PAP is the ruling party and there are very few locals in that field of study.

Belmont Lay| March 30, 06:40 PM

In the latest The Supper Club Q&A by The Straits Times on March 29, 2014, Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng was interviewed for his views on a range of topics, including passionate Singaporeans and long-term planning.

However, the most interesting quote from the interview was his answer expressing his shock at the lack of Singaporean academics in the National University of Singapore's Political Science department.

 

Question: In your speech, you also mentioned that there could be more Singaporean academics in context-sensitive subjects like political science.

Answer:

A few months back, I had asked a question in Parliament and was a bit shocked to find out that a significant majority (18 out of 25) of the National University of Singapore’s political science faculty members are not from Singapore.

This is a subject I thought needed more locals – people who have been through it here, who can understand all the nuances, who have gone through the experiences themselves.

It goes back to what we want our Singapore to be. What we want our political system to be like, what we want our values to be, must be defined by locals, not non-Singaporean academics.

 

Hmmm, geez, I don't know, maybe the PAP has something to do with it?

But is it really that surprising considering how tightly-controlled the political sphere is here?

 

Regardless, Singaporeans will also be keen to know -- thanks to ST's Charissa Yong who conducted the interview -- that MP Seah has hair that ladies like because it is soft.

Question: You’re known for your gelled-back hairstyle. What gel do you use and why?

Answer:

The brand doesn't matter, I just need a gel that is strong. And the reason I need it is because my hair is super soft. Someone told me, my hair is so soft it’s the type that ladies will like because it’s really, you know, it’s really super soft. But if I don’t have gel there’s really no form to my hair and it’s just all over the place. So it’s an advantage and disadvantage. I can’t just wake up and go, so that’s the only reason why I have to do what I do (laughs). So those who sell gel will be quite happy with me because I do use a fair bit.

Uh. Ok.

 

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