A fierce retort to Singapore bashing

The Straits Times, March 6, 2007
By Chua Mui Hoong, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR


FROM THE GALLERY in Parliament
A fierce retort to S'pore bashing



IT ISN'T often that People's Action Party MPs say it like it is when it comes to neighbouring countries.

More often than not, they don their respectable, responsible hats when speaking on foreign policy, and give sober, muted speeches.

So it was a surprise yesterday to hear three PAP MPs criticise Singapore's neighbours for the way they have given the Republic a hard time in recent months.

Ms Indranee Rajah (Tanjong Pagar GRC) exercised her lawyer's wit on the Indonesians' changing stand on the sand ban, summing up the episode as involving the 5Ps, the last two Ps being 'puzzling' and 'peculiar'.

Ms Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) said that while Singaporeans don't expect gratitude for its helpful gestures, 'we certainly don't expect also to be constantly made a scapegoat for their own domestic troubles or the butt of bully-boy tactics'.

From Dr Ong Chit Chung (Jurong GRC) came the declaration that Singapore won't be intimidated - whether it's over Thai unhappiness with the private visit of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to Singapore, or Malaysian claims that land reclamation caused the recent floods in south Johor, or the recent Indonesian ban on sand exports.

Perhaps Singapore's neighbours suffer from 'red-eyed syndrome', said the affable Dr Ong with a smile - jealousy over the success of the Little Red Dot of a country.

More in keeping with Singapore's usual cool stance, Foreign Minister George Yeo replied, saying: 'I do understand the sentiments expressed by Ms Irene Ng which are shared by many Singaporeans, but we have to take these ups and downs in our stride.'

Despite hiccups now and then, 'we are always prepared to build good relations with them on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit', he said.

More sinned against than sinning just about sums up the Republic's attitude of forbearance in the face of Singapore-bashing.

So why the sudden show of fierce rhetoric from the three PAP MPs?

As a Singaporean, I must say it was gratifying and cathartic to hear such sentiments expressed publicly. Judging from the grins all round the House, other MPs felt the same way.

Public venting by a long-suffering people also has merits in reminding politicians and muck-rakers from regional countries that while the Singapore Government may respond coolly and rationally, its people do feel the heat and sting of repeated verbal assaults on this Little Red Dot and can give as good as they get - if they want to.

Temperance being the better part of patriotism, the MPs stopped short at lamenting the unneighbourliness of Singapore's neighbours, and desisted from any direct attacks on the countries involved.

In any case, as everyone knows, foreign policy operates on different levels. Even as individual political elements make free with comments against Singapore, government-to-government relations may trudge along on well-oiled wheels, regardless of the wayang of nationalist chest-thumping.

Indeed, as Mr Yeo said, Singapore's relations with Malaysia are 'good and getting better'.

Defence relations are also strong, as Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean noted.

As Singapore's place in the region, and in the world, becomes more complex, politics here will also become more diverse.

Instead of speaking with one voice, PAP ministers and MPs can emphasise different nuances in foreign policy.

PAP MPs can also disagree with ministers.

As Mr Christopher De Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) did when he pressed Minister of State (Trade and Industry) S. Iswaran for measures to keep sleaze out of integrated resorts.

And as Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Aljunied GRC) and Mr Sam Tan (Tanjong Pagar GRC) did, when they doggedly insisted the relevant minister of state answer their specific points (on timeshare legislation and energy conservation).

Yesterday's was also an unusually united House, when two ministers stood up to agree with criticism by Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) of accounting and governance lapses in Mindef and MTI, as spelt out in the Auditor-General's report.

Both Mr Teo and Mr Lim Hng Kiang thanked him for raising the issues and giving them a chance to expand on the matter.

It's a brave new world when not only do PAP MPs speak with a different voice from ministers, but PAP ministers agree with an opposition MP when he criticises their ministry.