Citizens
Can Give Feedback to Effect Change
Viswa
Sadasivan, chairman of Feedback Unit's political
matters
CITIZENS
can bring about change by giving feedback through
government channels, he said. "Before I joined
the Feedback Unit, I did not have much faith in
it. But I joined because I felt it was better
to be in the fray than to be a spectator." Contrary
to popular perception, he said, the Government
is open to different views, citing an independent
paper which his group had written on Singapore's
relations with Malaysia and Indonesia which went
up to the Prime Minister's Office. But he cautioned
against expecting immediate changes. "Some of
these things need to to-and-fro for a while. If
you want to see change, you must suspend... cynicism
and keep trying." Singaporeans have to stop using
fear of the Government as an excuse to be passive.
"'This paranoia has become a shameless epidemic,"
he said. He added he was living proof citizens
could speak up and not be punished.
Canvass
For Change, MP Urges
Low
Thia Khiang, Workers' Party MP for Hougang
GIVING
feedback is not enough as it means citizens allow
the Government to decide what is best, even when
they disagree with its policies. Active citizens
should go beyond that, he argued, and canvass
for change. "One way is to hold peaceful demonstrations,"
he said, adding that in 1988, the NTUC had done
so to protest against US interference in Singapore's
domestic affairs. He said Singaporeans will have
to fight for the right to participate fully because
he does not think that the Government is ready
to grant more political space. He said in a civil
society, citizens should be free to criticise
government policies. It should not be confused
with a civic society where people volunteer with
groups such as Community Development Councils
to implement government policies. He accused the
Government of blurring the line between the two
to direct people to participate in non-political
ways.
Opt
For Middle Path To Active Citizenry
Assoc
Prof Kevin Tan, president of The Roundtable
EVERY
citizen has a right to comment on politics and
one way to do so is to form a non-partisan group
like The Roundtable, he said. It is not right,
he added, to say that those who comment on politics
should form political parties. "Why must you be
a politician to participate or to comment? The
Roundtable's mission is to demonstrate that there
is a middle path." He argued that "politics permeates
every policy" and it is not possible to keep out
of politics and yet participate meaningfully in
a civil society. Yes, there are still obstacles
to active citizenship, he said, including tough
laws such as the Internal Security Act. But Singaporeans
should be excited by the Singapore 21 vision and
do something about it. "The Government says it
wants active citizens so let's take them seriously.
Let's not say all this is very vague and suspicious,
so better wait for instructions
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