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Why not a by-election for Jurong GRC?
IN ARGUING 'Why there is no need for a by-election' on Wednesday, Mr Lionel De Souza's reliance on Section 24 (2A) of the Parliamentary Elections Act is a non sequitur.
It is a logical fallacy in which the conclusion does not follow from the premises as he failed to convincingly address Section 24 (2A)'s inconsistencies with Section 8A (1) (a) and Section 22 (2) of the Act and with Article 49 (1) of the Constitution.
Blindly invoking Section 24 (2A) in extremis only leads to absurdity because, in my opinion, the GRC system is an anachronism. Consider this: If four MPs resign and the remaining MP is an invalid, who will look after Jurong GRC if Section 24 (2A) blocks a by-election?
The claim that Article 49 (1) of the Constitution refers only to the seat in a single- member constituency has no merit because clearly no such distinction is made. So long as the seat of an MP is vacant, it should be filled, as in the case of Jurong GRC.
Since there was a walkover in Jurong GRC in the 2006 General Election and 116,636 voters were sidelined, the People's Action Party's (PAP) mandate is tenuous. This is a chance to let the people of Jurong GRC decide who they want to represent them in Parliament.
The stakes are high but defending Jurong GRC should be a cakewalk as the PAP can field two heavyweight ministers and three high-powered candidates.
If, despite this advantage, the PAP is defeated, then red flags are raised but the party has time to recalibrate and sweeten the ground to avoid a 'freak' election in 2011.
But let's not sell Singapore voters short. They are prescient enough to see that under PAP rule, Singapore is today a pristine metropolis with a first world economy and the highest per capita reserves in the world.
Although Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, pointed out that Singapore is 'the only rich country in the world without a fully functioning multi-party democracy', a legacy he thinks 'will hobble its advance in the long run', he also praised Singapore's leaders.
He said they 'have succeeded more than they realise. They created a modern society and they must now also trust it more than they do', which 'will make for a much greater degree of sense of loyalty and pride in Singapore for the next generation'.
Tan Keng Tat
IN ARGUING 'Why there is no need for a by-election' on Wednesday, Mr Lionel De Souza's reliance on Section 24 (2A) of the Parliamentary Elections Act is a non sequitur.
It is a logical fallacy in which the conclusion does not follow from the premises as he failed to convincingly address Section 24 (2A)'s inconsistencies with Section 8A (1) (a) and Section 22 (2) of the Act and with Article 49 (1) of the Constitution.
Blindly invoking Section 24 (2A) in extremis only leads to absurdity because, in my opinion, the GRC system is an anachronism. Consider this: If four MPs resign and the remaining MP is an invalid, who will look after Jurong GRC if Section 24 (2A) blocks a by-election?
The claim that Article 49 (1) of the Constitution refers only to the seat in a single- member constituency has no merit because clearly no such distinction is made. So long as the seat of an MP is vacant, it should be filled, as in the case of Jurong GRC.
Since there was a walkover in Jurong GRC in the 2006 General Election and 116,636 voters were sidelined, the People's Action Party's (PAP) mandate is tenuous. This is a chance to let the people of Jurong GRC decide who they want to represent them in Parliament.
The stakes are high but defending Jurong GRC should be a cakewalk as the PAP can field two heavyweight ministers and three high-powered candidates.
If, despite this advantage, the PAP is defeated, then red flags are raised but the party has time to recalibrate and sweeten the ground to avoid a 'freak' election in 2011.
But let's not sell Singapore voters short. They are prescient enough to see that under PAP rule, Singapore is today a pristine metropolis with a first world economy and the highest per capita reserves in the world.
Although Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, pointed out that Singapore is 'the only rich country in the world without a fully functioning multi-party democracy', a legacy he thinks 'will hobble its advance in the long run', he also praised Singapore's leaders.
He said they 'have succeeded more than they realise. They created a modern society and they must now also trust it more than they do', which 'will make for a much greater degree of sense of loyalty and pride in Singapore for the next generation'.
Tan Keng Tat
