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http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/08/12/ministers-mps-netizens-praise-outgoing-minister-lui/
[h=2]Ministers, MPs, netizens praise outgoing Minister Lui[/h]
August 12th, 2015 |
Author: Editorial
Minister Lui stepping down (ST Photo)
Yesterday (11 Aug), it was reported that PM Lee and other Ministers had tried
to stop Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew from resigning his post. Mr Lui has
announced that he will not be standing for election in the upcoming general
election (‘Minister
Lui throws in the towel after only 2 terms‘).
In his resignation letter, Mr Lui had revealed that despite attempts by PM
Lee and several Cabinet Ministers to get him to stay in office, he has decided
to quit.
Mr Lui wrote in his resignation letter:
“Large-scale or prolonged disruptions still happen more frequently than
acceptable,” he wrote.
Praising Lui
After the media announcement was made about his decision to step down from
politics, many PAP MPs and Ministers stepped forward to praise Mr Lui for his
work.
“Tuck Yew’s contributions will be sorely missed by the team,” said Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Office, Chan Chun Sing, in a Facebook post. “He has been
a stalwart in steering us through very challenging circumstances in the
transport sector.”
Mr Chan added, “I have (had) the opportunity to see his dedication and
meticulousness firsthand, and it was a privilege to learn from Tuck Yew. His
commitment to make things better has never failed to impress me.”
Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim said, “Be it at
our market visits, community events or the late-night Meet-the-People’s
sessions, Tuck Yew’s commitment to his residents is unwavering, and the
residents and I are sad to see him go. He has always had a heart for
Singaporeans, and strives to do his best for their needs.”
PM Lee praised him for putting his heart and soul into the task as Transport
Minister.
DPM Teo said he had asked Mr Lui to continue but was unable to change his
mind about leaving. Mr Teo said, “I spoke to Tuck Yew to ask him to continue as
we need people who are committed to serving Singaporeans, and prepared to tackle
difficult issues and resolve them.”
In any case, DPM Teo priased him for bringing commitment, an analytical mind,
and compassion and concern for people to every responsibility he has
undertaken.
MP Denise Phua praised him as “a diligent and sincere leader who treats his
residents, grassroots and activists with respect and dignity”.
“He took criticisms and online flaming in his stride, and quietly focused on
resolving problems on the ground. I wish he had stayed on to see the fruits of
his labour,” Ms Phua wrote on Facebook.
MP Liang Eng Hwa said Mr Lui often travelled on public transport on his own
to see the conditions for himself. He recalled how in 2011, Mr Lui rode on the
Bukit Panjang LRT system during the June school holidays and the trains were not
as crowded as expected. “He said never mind, he would come back again a month
later to observe. Indeed, he came.”
Analysts’ views
SMU Prof Eugene Tan noted that transport, which was a hot topic in the 2011
GE, could again be a lightning rod in the coming election. Prof Tan said, “What
troubles me is whether a precedent has been set on Ministers taking personal
responsibility notwithstanding the principle of the Cabinet’s collective
responsibility. I find it rather odd and worrying that the Transport Minister
seems to have taken the rap personally. I don’t think anyone can say that he has
not been equal to the task … It’s not for want of trying (by Mr Lui).”
NUS political scientist Bilveer Singh said he was rather taken aback by the
move. “We do not stand down ministers before a GE,” he said.
Former NMP Zulkifli Baharudin noted that it would have been easy for Mr Lui
to pin the blame on someone else for the transport failures and have that person
fired. Instead, he said, the minister “is taking on a higher-order
responsibility himself and being accountable”.
Some TRE readers’ views
Some TRE readers feel that Minister Lui is doing the right thing by taking
personal responsibility for transport woes which continue to plague
commuters:
JUSTICE:
August 11, 2015 at 6:30 pm
(Quote)
What do you think is the reason for Minister Lui to quit at this
juncture?
I believe the answer for his decision to quit can be inferred from this
passage, quote: “You and several senior members of the Cabinet tried hard to
persuade me to change my mind. You reminded me that the responsibility of
Government was a collective one, and no minister carried difficult problems like
public transport alone.”
During their meetings regarding his decision he must have hinted that he
wanted to take responsibility – though belatedly after so much public outcry for
his head to roll – for the frequent MRT break downs, which culminated in the
massive one this year of both the N-S and E-W lines. To persuade him to stay,
they obviously must have tried to console him “that the responsibility of
Government was a collective one, and NO MINISTER CARRIED DIFFICULT PROBLEMS LIKE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT ALONE” (my capitals).
zultan:
August 11, 2015 at 6:40 pm
(Quote)
LTY inherited the mess created by Raymond Lim. I believe he tried his best
but he probably didn’t realize that MOT n LTA was so bad. His inexperience made
things worse. At least he was willing to give up his multi-million salary as he
knows he doesn’t know what to do while accepting his responsibility for the
screw ups.
LIM PEH KONG:
August 11, 2015 at 8:58 pm
(Quote)
He finally accepts full responsibility for all the cock-ups! This is the most
admirable trait of Admiral LTY though it should have done in July 2015 after the
massive NSEW MRT LINES major breakdowns!
I really like to see more Ministers and even CEOs like DK take full
responsibility and resign with dignity! My salute to you Sir!
Indeed, compared with Raymond Lim, Mah Bow Tan and Wong Kan Seng, Mr Lui
seems more admirable than them.
The other 3 politicians hung on to their post and did not take responsibility
for failings in their respective ministry. The voting public had to give them
each a ‘black eye’ in GE2011 before they left the Cabinet. They have been
backbencher MPs since 2011, who hardly speak in Parliament but continue to draw
$16,000 each month.
In that respect, RADM (NS) Lui ought to be saluted.
What do you think?
[h=2]Ministers, MPs, netizens praise outgoing Minister Lui[/h]
August 12th, 2015 |
Author: Editorial
Minister Lui stepping down (ST Photo)
Yesterday (11 Aug), it was reported that PM Lee and other Ministers had tried
to stop Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew from resigning his post. Mr Lui has
announced that he will not be standing for election in the upcoming general
election (‘Minister
Lui throws in the towel after only 2 terms‘).
In his resignation letter, Mr Lui had revealed that despite attempts by PM
Lee and several Cabinet Ministers to get him to stay in office, he has decided
to quit.
Mr Lui wrote in his resignation letter:
It is with deep regret that I confirm my decision not to stand in
the coming General Election.
I broached this subject with you early this year. You and several senior
members of the Cabinet tried hard to persuade me to change my mind. You reminded
me that the responsibility of Government was a collective one, and no minister
carried difficult problems like public transport alone.
I deeply appreciate the reassurance and support. But having thought the
matter over carefully, I have decided that I should stand by my original
decision. I thank you for the unstinting support you have personally given to
the Ministry of Transport and me.
In his letter, he acknowledged facing some “setbacks” in his time in office. the coming General Election.
I broached this subject with you early this year. You and several senior
members of the Cabinet tried hard to persuade me to change my mind. You reminded
me that the responsibility of Government was a collective one, and no minister
carried difficult problems like public transport alone.
I deeply appreciate the reassurance and support. But having thought the
matter over carefully, I have decided that I should stand by my original
decision. I thank you for the unstinting support you have personally given to
the Ministry of Transport and me.
“Large-scale or prolonged disruptions still happen more frequently than
acceptable,” he wrote.
Praising Lui
After the media announcement was made about his decision to step down from
politics, many PAP MPs and Ministers stepped forward to praise Mr Lui for his
work.
“Tuck Yew’s contributions will be sorely missed by the team,” said Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Office, Chan Chun Sing, in a Facebook post. “He has been
a stalwart in steering us through very challenging circumstances in the
transport sector.”
Mr Chan added, “I have (had) the opportunity to see his dedication and
meticulousness firsthand, and it was a privilege to learn from Tuck Yew. His
commitment to make things better has never failed to impress me.”
Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim said, “Be it at
our market visits, community events or the late-night Meet-the-People’s
sessions, Tuck Yew’s commitment to his residents is unwavering, and the
residents and I are sad to see him go. He has always had a heart for
Singaporeans, and strives to do his best for their needs.”
PM Lee praised him for putting his heart and soul into the task as Transport
Minister.
DPM Teo said he had asked Mr Lui to continue but was unable to change his
mind about leaving. Mr Teo said, “I spoke to Tuck Yew to ask him to continue as
we need people who are committed to serving Singaporeans, and prepared to tackle
difficult issues and resolve them.”
In any case, DPM Teo priased him for bringing commitment, an analytical mind,
and compassion and concern for people to every responsibility he has
undertaken.
MP Denise Phua praised him as “a diligent and sincere leader who treats his
residents, grassroots and activists with respect and dignity”.
“He took criticisms and online flaming in his stride, and quietly focused on
resolving problems on the ground. I wish he had stayed on to see the fruits of
his labour,” Ms Phua wrote on Facebook.
MP Liang Eng Hwa said Mr Lui often travelled on public transport on his own
to see the conditions for himself. He recalled how in 2011, Mr Lui rode on the
Bukit Panjang LRT system during the June school holidays and the trains were not
as crowded as expected. “He said never mind, he would come back again a month
later to observe. Indeed, he came.”
Analysts’ views
SMU Prof Eugene Tan noted that transport, which was a hot topic in the 2011
GE, could again be a lightning rod in the coming election. Prof Tan said, “What
troubles me is whether a precedent has been set on Ministers taking personal
responsibility notwithstanding the principle of the Cabinet’s collective
responsibility. I find it rather odd and worrying that the Transport Minister
seems to have taken the rap personally. I don’t think anyone can say that he has
not been equal to the task … It’s not for want of trying (by Mr Lui).”
NUS political scientist Bilveer Singh said he was rather taken aback by the
move. “We do not stand down ministers before a GE,” he said.
Former NMP Zulkifli Baharudin noted that it would have been easy for Mr Lui
to pin the blame on someone else for the transport failures and have that person
fired. Instead, he said, the minister “is taking on a higher-order
responsibility himself and being accountable”.
Some TRE readers’ views
Some TRE readers feel that Minister Lui is doing the right thing by taking
personal responsibility for transport woes which continue to plague
commuters:
JUSTICE:
August 11, 2015 at 6:30 pm
(Quote)
What do you think is the reason for Minister Lui to quit at this
juncture?
I believe the answer for his decision to quit can be inferred from this
passage, quote: “You and several senior members of the Cabinet tried hard to
persuade me to change my mind. You reminded me that the responsibility of
Government was a collective one, and no minister carried difficult problems like
public transport alone.”
During their meetings regarding his decision he must have hinted that he
wanted to take responsibility – though belatedly after so much public outcry for
his head to roll – for the frequent MRT break downs, which culminated in the
massive one this year of both the N-S and E-W lines. To persuade him to stay,
they obviously must have tried to console him “that the responsibility of
Government was a collective one, and NO MINISTER CARRIED DIFFICULT PROBLEMS LIKE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT ALONE” (my capitals).
zultan:
August 11, 2015 at 6:40 pm
(Quote)
LTY inherited the mess created by Raymond Lim. I believe he tried his best
but he probably didn’t realize that MOT n LTA was so bad. His inexperience made
things worse. At least he was willing to give up his multi-million salary as he
knows he doesn’t know what to do while accepting his responsibility for the
screw ups.
LIM PEH KONG:
August 11, 2015 at 8:58 pm
(Quote)
He finally accepts full responsibility for all the cock-ups! This is the most
admirable trait of Admiral LTY though it should have done in July 2015 after the
massive NSEW MRT LINES major breakdowns!
I really like to see more Ministers and even CEOs like DK take full
responsibility and resign with dignity! My salute to you Sir!
seems more admirable than them.
The other 3 politicians hung on to their post and did not take responsibility
for failings in their respective ministry. The voting public had to give them
each a ‘black eye’ in GE2011 before they left the Cabinet. They have been
backbencher MPs since 2011, who hardly speak in Parliament but continue to draw
$16,000 each month.
In that respect, RADM (NS) Lui ought to be saluted.
What do you think?
