TC congratulates Singapore on the new political chapter

TC congratulates Singapore on the new political chapter ahead
http://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=3087

Singapore 20 May 2011 - Think Centre (TC), Singapore's oldest political NGO,
congratulates Singapore on the new Cabinet and Parliament that will take the
city-state into the next chapter of nation-building.

With the passing of 2011 watershed elections and the consequential retirement
of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, the ruling
People's Action Party (PAP) will be constituting a younger and renewed leadership
team. MM Lee has been the chief architect of the Singapore success story and
will be lauded in history not only by Singaporeans, but the world. From pre- to
post-independence, he left hard and indelible marks on the political development
and socioeconomic progress of Singapore.

If MM is the clinical architect who put in place the Singapore hardware, SM Goh
is without doubt the builder who put in place the software of post-modernist Singapore.
His much acclaimed softer and kinder style of governance gave heart and soul to
Singapore Inc. He laid the foundations for public consultation, active citizenry and
civic participation - all of which indirectly fostered the growth of a more inclusive
society (for the record, TC was formed in 1999). As such, TC thanks MM and SM
for their lifetime contributions which wrote the earlier chapters of the Singapore
story today.

As Singapore moves into fourth generation since independence, the Singapore story
is being led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his leadership-in-transition
government towards 2020. While PM Lee continued to grow Singapore Inc towards
a first-world economy, he has taken bold and at times radical steps in opening up
the landscape for greater citizenry participation in political and socioeconomic areas.
The policy mis-steps of his government however has affected segments of Singapore
society in particular on housing, transport, home affairs, health care and education.

Singapore's social policy must be kind and compassionate to ensure everyone
has decent living and working conditions when they are in need. The time has
come to seriously consider social security insurance for those without work
and minimum wage for those earning low wage which is not enough for the
needs of their family.

While TC looks to PM on his new Cabinet and transformation of PAP rule, we urge
the new political leadership to take new consideration of human rights recommendations
made by civil society groups in Singapore's first universal periodic review. Such human
rights issues are indeed ground-up initiatives by civil society groups and impact the
peoples' lives. As member of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights
(AICHR), Singapore's new Foreign Ministry leaders as well as incumbent AICHR
representative must further Mr George Yeo's legacy of opening up to more inclusive
engagement with civil society and concern individuals to better promote and protect
human rights.

Together, we can transform Singapore into a truly first world country with respect for
human dignity and rights.

Majulah Singapura.

In solidarity,

Think Centre

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