5 memorable moments from the opening week of the 14th Parliament

An eventful week.

Julia Yeo | September 04, 2020, 08:01 PM

As the first week of parliamentary debates come to a close, here are some of the most memorable moments from the opening week of the 14th Parliament.

DPM Heng pays tribute to Goh Chok Tong and Low Thia Khiang

In Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat's opening speech on the first day of Parliament on Monday (Aug. 31), he expressed appreciation to former MPs, in particular Goh Chok Tong and Low Thia Khiang, both whom announced their retirements at the 2020 General Elections.

"Mr Goh's years as (Prime Minister) from 1990 to 2004 are remembered as a time of stability, peace, and growth, during which we became a kinder, gentler society, and a more confident people," Heng said.

He recalled how Goh led Singapore out of two crises -- the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, and the SARS crisis in 2003.

Heng paid tribute to Low, who had been serving as an opposition member of parliament since 1991.

"He's a fiery speaker at election rallies, but when it comes to the crunch, when our national interest is at stake, he stands together with the Government," he said.

"When I last spoke to him, he told me he was very happy playing with his grandchild. I am glad he has recovered from his fall and wish him good health."

He continued to praise Low in his remarks to Singh, saying that he "trust(s) Mr Singh will, like Mr Low, put our national interest first".

This is likely the first time that a PAP Minister and leader has paid tribute to a retiring opposition MP in parliament.

Chong Kee Hiong suggests workers be allowed to take up two jobs for "better job security"

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Sep. 1, MP for Bishan-Too Payoh GRC Chong Kee Hiong put forth his proposal that employees should be allowed to take up two jobs for "better job security".

Chong suggested in his speech for companies not to bar their employees from taking a second job, to allow the worker to develop a broader set of skills that will allow "more flexibility in career switches within a shorter window of time" should there be a need to.

He added that such arrangements should be subject to labour regulations to "protect the workers from overwork and also to regulate potential conflict of interests".

Josephine Teo holds back tears during Parliament speech

Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo turned emotional on Sep. 1 as she wrapped up her parliamentary speech on job anxieties among Singaporeans.

"Please know that you too are always in our hearts. However long this storm lasts, MOM will walk the journey together with you. However tough it may be, we will help you bounce back," she delivered the conclusion of her speech, tearing up as she did.

Tharman to Jamus: Dont assume monopoly on compassion

On the fourth day of the opening parliamentary week on Thursday (Sep. 3), Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam stepped in to make a response after some of his PAP colleagues spoke in response to Workers’ Party’s (WP) Jamus Lim’s suggestion of a universal minimum wage for Singapore.

Speaking to the first-time Workers' Party MP, Tharman said that the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) used in Singapore has been in fact "a minimum wage plus" and a "sectoral approach", which has a lot to commend.

Tharman, who is also the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, added that no one has "a monopoly over compassion", adding that he said that not to "discredit anyone in particular", and that he respects where Lim is coming from "intellectually" and "emotionally".

"But no one should assume that you have a monopoly over compassion," he said to Lim.

https://mothership.sg/2020/09/tharman-jamus-lim-debate/

Battle of the leaders - PM Lee vs Opposition leader Pritam Singh

The most memorable moment of Parliament this week was probably the fiery exchange between Opposition Leader Pritam Singh and PM Lee Hsien Loong on the third day of parliamentary debates.

Prior to the exchange between the leaders, PM Lee had delivered an hour-long speech that also touched on local politics, making several references to the WP.

On the topic of using Singapore's reserves, he said that the opposition asked to see the size of Singapore's reserves before deciding whether to support the government's Budget and taxation plans.

PM Lee said this was the attitude of "inheritors" who had come into a fortune, who want to consume the "fruit of their predecessors' labours", and this was a "fundamentally wrong" approach.

On the topic of voting for the opposition, PM Lee said the WP campaigned on the platform of forming a strong opposition, but explicitly not seeking to form the next government.

Singh responded, wishing to clarify two points.

First, he said that when the WP talks about the reserves, they do not intend to raid them but rather to "slow the growth slope" of the reserves, so the principal is not touched.

This was a point previously made by WP's Leon Perera during the Budget debate in Feb. 2020.

The second point Singh wished to clarify was the idea that one can vote for the Opposition while still expecting the PAP to form the government.

PM Lee, in his speech, referred to Singh's own speech on Aug. 31, about how a new party can run Singapore equally well because of our good public service:

"Is it really true that one day if there is a change of government, a new party can run Singapore equally well, because we have such a good public service, as Mr Pritam Singh suggested on Monday? It’s like saying having you have the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, anybody can be a conductor."

In response to that, Singh said those weren't just his thoughts, but was also expressed by Lee Kuan Yew, former Prime Minister and father of PM Lee. The elder Lee said if the ruling party is ever voted out of government the "machinery" must be there so that the civil service, police and armed forces can continue.

Singh added, in a voice shaky with emotion at some points:

"When my colleagues and I joined the Opposition cause, we didn't have heady dreams of becoming government. It's certainly not me. Why did I do this? I believe in an Opposition, in a Parliamentary democracy. It's not going to happen with people just hoping someone else does it.

Somebody has to put his flag in the sand and say, 'I'm going to do it'. And then it's the duty of myself, my party colleagues, to make sure that the people who are on board, do their very best. This is my commitment to Singaporeans and this is my commitment to the Prime Minister as well."

This elicited some applause from the MPs, including a few Ministers.

Special mention: Parliament erupted into laughter after PM Lee's innocent slip-up during speech

A slightly more light-hearted moment was when PM Lee shared an anecdote about his visit to a former communist country in Europe several years ago.

While he did not mention the country, he later mentioned that his dinner hosts "chatted away in Russian", before making a short pause, chuckling to himself as the room erupted into laughter.

"Several countries speak Russian," PM Lee cheekily added before moving on with his speech.

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Top images via CNA/YouTube, Workers' Party/FB