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PE: Candidates air views in forum
Posted: 19 August 2011 2000 hrs
SINGAPORE: The four presidential candidates had a chance to air their views on a gamut of issues at a forum organised by a blog site on Thursday night.
Fielding a question about Singapore's reserves, Dr Tony Tan said it would take "great persuasion" for him to agree to dipping into the reserves.
And he said whether the public is told about it would depend on the advice of the Council of Presidential Advisers.
On the other hand, the other three candidates, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Mr Tan Kin Lian and Mr Tan Jee Say, all favoured being more open and transparent to the public.
Another issue raised was concerning the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Dr Tony Tan said the ISA helped in Singapore's fight against terrorism.
He brought up the recent incident in Norway and said that the modern reality of life is that terrorism can occur anywhere.
Mr Tan Jee Say, however, suggested that in Singapore the ISA is being used as a tool against its political opponents.
He said other countries without the ISA were dealing with terrorism using other laws and suggested Singapore could do the same.
Other topics such as Singapore's death penalty and the role of the Council of Presidential Advisers were also discussed at the forum organised by The Online Citizen.
Posted: 19 August 2011 2000 hrs
SINGAPORE: The four presidential candidates had a chance to air their views on a gamut of issues at a forum organised by a blog site on Thursday night.
Fielding a question about Singapore's reserves, Dr Tony Tan said it would take "great persuasion" for him to agree to dipping into the reserves.
And he said whether the public is told about it would depend on the advice of the Council of Presidential Advisers.
On the other hand, the other three candidates, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Mr Tan Kin Lian and Mr Tan Jee Say, all favoured being more open and transparent to the public.
Another issue raised was concerning the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Dr Tony Tan said the ISA helped in Singapore's fight against terrorism.
He brought up the recent incident in Norway and said that the modern reality of life is that terrorism can occur anywhere.
Mr Tan Jee Say, however, suggested that in Singapore the ISA is being used as a tool against its political opponents.
He said other countries without the ISA were dealing with terrorism using other laws and suggested Singapore could do the same.
Other topics such as Singapore's death penalty and the role of the Council of Presidential Advisers were also discussed at the forum organised by The Online Citizen.