Wong Kan Seng: Leaders must do what is right and not what is popular
December 7th, 2009 | 
Author: In a luncheon address to think tanks and business leaders at the fifth Asia Economic Summit about what makes good governance and strong leadership today, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said that leaders may have to find the platform and momentum to drive difficult reforms in a crisis.
Mr Wong did not quote any specific examples of the possible crises faced by Asian countries nor the reforms to undertake.
“Leaders must have the conviction to do what is right and not what is popular, even if taking that path may not win them political points.” he said.
Mr Wong, who is also the Home Affairs minister acknowledged that businesses and employees would be reluctant to see the withdrawal of temporary support measures put in place during the downturn in a probable reference to the Jobs Credits Scheme introduced at the beginning of the year to help Singapore companies tide over the recession.
“In such a situation, leaders must have the conviction to push through what needs to be done, rather than what is politically expedient or populist,” Mr Wong added.
Due to the lack of an opposition in parliament to check on the ruling party to which Mr Wong belongs, Singapore’s leaders are able to implement unpopular policies with little or no resistance from the citizenry such as its liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies.
It is unlikely that other Asian leaders who have to face a demanding and critical electorate will be able to emulate the governing style of Singapore leaders who have no qualms ramming down unpopular policies down the throats of Singaporeans.
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-Jeou’s approval dropped to 33 per cent following Taiwan’s elections for county mayors and magistrates which saw his ruling Kuomintang lost a large number of votes compared to the previous election.
44 percent of the interviewees cited the pushing of an economic cooperation agreement framework with the Chinese mainland as a reason for disapproving his performance so far.
Unlike Taiwan and other Asian democracies, Singapore does not conduct any opinion polls for its leaders. Public show of dissent against the government is outlawed. The media sings only the praises of the ruling party and there is no opposition to challenge it in parliament.
Though Singapore conducts elections regularly since independence, it is a shoo-in for the incumbent as the opposition is the perenially weak and divided opposition is no match for the ruling party which controls all institutions of the state.
Under such “unique” circumstances, it is no surprise that Mr Wong can say it so confidently that leaders must have the “conviction” to do what is right rather than popular.
Mr Wong’s track record in government has been blotched by the sensational escape of famed terrorist Mas Selamat Kasteri who managed to evade his captors for four days in Singapore before swimming undetected across international waters to Malaysia.
In any other democracies, the minister in charge will probably be forced to apologize to the public and even resign. Not only does Mr Wong need not do so, he remains as secure in his position as ever.
When asked by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong if Mr Wong should resign, Mr Low Thia Kiang, one of the only two non-PAP opposition MPs in parliament was stunned into a moment of silence.
With Singapore’s brand of “non-confrontational” politics which is not seen elsewhere, it is little wonder that Singapore leaders will never have experience political pressure of any sort from a subservient people.
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35 Responses to “Wong Kan Seng: Leaders must do what is right and not what is popular”
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The “right” thing to do is to channel the public funds to upgrade the HDB flats in the opposition wards. The “popular” thing is to channel the same funds to other PAP-wards first.
The “right” thing is to resign the post of Ministry of Home Affairs, or take a big penalty for the escape of Mas Selamat. The “popular” thing is to stand stoic and pretend it was some subordinate’s fault and no blame-sharing is done from the top dog. It certainly also helps when the PM is right behind this man.
Whatever they say, they always “sound right”. But I surely hope that people will this time, vote them out, just to make sure they are “shaken up”. Too many “more good years”…for whom? Them and their high salaries and high pedestals…. They need to wake up or ship out.
More humane and equal policies should replace the PAP ones, which favour outsiders and make our local citizens look like secondclass coolies.
When the rats die, the cats cry????.
letting Mas Selamat escape is indeed not popular but is it right too?
There are a few “right things”( and popular too) needed to be done right away:
1) The #1 “right thing” will be you, Mr Wong, to tender your resignation.
2) The #2 “right thing” will be for LKY to be retired forever, his next promotion should be to the ancestors’ altar.
3) And #3 “right thing”, fire Ho Ching. Please quote me one other CEO, anywhere in the world, that can lose $50+bil and still keep his/her job.
The right thing is to fire WKS for his incompetency e.g. poor measure in allowing MAS SELEMAT to walk out of detention center easily, poor execution of plan to track MAS SELEMAT after his escape and blame on Singapore long coastline as if Singapore is as big as Australia, poor management of social order in Geylang, etc. To fire him is the right and popular thing to do !!!!
hmmm how abt the right thing to do is build a bigger canal, and not the popular(lazy/nua) way of waiting it out and saying it’s a freak accident.
the right thing to do is to do away the cool off day and do away all media broadcast on the final day. and not the popluar way of using underhand method of using the final day to do your own broadcasting on national tv/radio.
the right thing to do is to apologise to the table tennis coach and not the popular way of hiding behind your office and not doing anything..
the list goes on… not only wks but there are plenty to go around.
“Leaders must have the conviction to do what is right”
So Mr WKS, why didn’t you do the RIGHT thing by resigning to take responsibility for the escape of S’pore No.1 terrorist?????
1. Paying themselves few millions dollars a year is consider right
2. Losing billions of state-owned money is considered right
3. Depriving Chinese Singaporeans of their owned culture and language is considered right
The list can go on. You people get the message.
umm..like ‘kicking”your own citizens out of jobs and maybe the
hospitals…
democracy is not for serving the elected;it is for serving the
voters..i think this should be doing it right,is it not?
@Ah Beng, MM Lee CANNOT be retired because the PM needs him. He will most probably be ‘promoted’ to SMM (Senior Minister Mentor) when Goh goes to MM.
For a PM that needs 2 x DPMs (more, I think) and 2 SMs to babysit him, what will PM Lee do without them?
Besides, the true powers is in the hand of MM Lee, definitely NOT PM Lee. Its easier for the PM to be sacked then for MM Lee to be retired, nobody can do that, not even the Parliment or the PM.
The right thing to do is to stop bringing in foreigners to compete with the local for jobs but bring in those foreigners that takeover jobs shun only by locals.
The popular thing is for MIW 2 RESIGN for a failed policy by bringing foreigners and giving them cheap PR, for endorsing mass PR and new citizens without first building the necessary infrastructure.
They never do the right thing or the popular things. They do nothing.
“Leaders must do what is right and not what is popular”
REALLY????
It sounds that we NOW KNOW THAT WE were wrong for the last 45 years, now trusts us that we would NOT to be wrong again.
Do we need any more persuasion – Singaporean voters???
what if what is popular is also what is right? for example, PAP GETS VOTED OUT AT THE NEXT GE
SINGAPOREANS WAKE UP, TIME FOR CHANGE, VOTE OPPOSITION
“Leaders must have the conviction to do what is right and not what is popular, even if taking that path may not win them political points.”
I really laughed at this statement. WKS didn’t even offer (or pretend to offer) his resignation during the Mas Selamat escape. His cowardice shown during the Parliament is neither right nor popular.
Killing millions of Singaporean using the “stop at 2″ policy is also not right and popular. So why these “LEADERS” are doing it?
Absolutely the paradox statement of the year!
miw sure know how to do it right always but only for the foreingers…like donating huge sums of taxpayer monies to
foreign banking giants;lambasting its own citizens for littering by foreigners;praising foreign talents and looking down on its homegrown talents whilst at the same time boasting about its education system(?);handing out lucrative jobs to foreigners but asking its locals to be professional(?)cleaners;
rewarding themselves handsomely for getting the citizens out of fruitful employment;asking local workers to be cheaper faster better to upturn the downturn so that they could reward themselves further for sounding so clever.
hey! iam scared to be censured when the FTs decide to pack for greener pastures caused we,locals, would be blamed for being
ungracious as their Ft-population poilcy MUST BE RIGHT!
“Leaders must have the conviction to do what is right and not what is popular, even if taking that path may not win them political points.” he said.
Wah, more big talk.
Well, walk the talk, motherfucker. When your govenment refused to repeal S 377a, you said it was BECAUSE Singaporeans are coneservative and would not accept that decision: REPEAL WAS NOT POPULAR AND WILL NOT SCORE THE PAP ANY POLITICAL POINTS.
So what happened, shortassed motherfucker?
IF DOING THE RIGHT THINGS IS DOING WRONG TO ITS CITIZENS,THEN
we must all agree that the MIW have done all the right things?
Leaders should also adjust their salaries downwards during hard times. Perhaps even share it with the suffering citizens.
Wong Kan Seng: Leaders must do what is right and not what is popular
Absolutely. So…tell me, when are you going to start? We’ll forget the last 50 years.
Most Singaporeans have come to the realization that all you get from a ‘Tong Sampa’ will be rubbish.
The words of a bankrupt leader who takes no responsibility for his failure.
Wong Kan Seng
Remember Mas Selamat Before Talking About Anything Else.
Especailly On What Is Right Or Popular.
The Man Who Speaks Through His Arse.
Mr Arsehole.
Dear fellow Singapreans,
we have been doing the wrong but popular thing by voting the PAP in all the past GEs.
it is time to do the right but unpopular thing in the next GE – vote in at least 1/3 or more oppositions into parliament.
Same aged pappy tune “title” with wks lyrics meaning the same aged pappy faulty “logic”…
It shows how nerd smart he really is under the umpits of his 2 relatives yah!
Since wong kan sing… let’s all change to sing-song times!!!…
Remember the “aged” (sic) song for kids?…
“Georgie Porgie pudding and pie
Kiss the girls and make them cry”…
and (sic)…
“Georgie porgie pudding and pie
kick them girls after kissing them on the sly”…
The right thing to do is for him to commit harakiri for letting MSK leave. Empty vessels make the most noise.
THE TRUTH IS OUT.
Now we know why that the poor n needy n disabled are LEFT ASIDE N NOT GIVEN HELP, EVEN BY THEIR MP, despite “No One Will Be Left Behind”
Cases hv been publicised in TR, TOC, HWZ n even Forums at TODAYonline n Straits Times BUT even the MP concerned ACT BLUR.
WELL, I guess to them ” IT IS RIGHT ” that the poor n needy n disabled are left aside despite “No One Will Be Left Behind”
–No One Will Be Left Behind –
http://news.asiaone.com/News/NDP+Rally+2007/NDP+Rally+2007.html
ADMIN OF TR,
Perhaps TR should do an opinion poll for each minister.
One or two per day.
Then move on to an opinion poll for MPs, by GRC.
QUOTE-
” Unlike Taiwan and other Asian democracies, Singapore does not conduct any opinion polls for its leaders…………… . “
I strongly agree with the post above. Since PAP does not dare to conduct opinion poll on themselves, TR can do it.
who’s WKS, Caan’t even do his job. taking Million Salary from the poor.Can’t even arrest Mas Selamat, even Reform Party Baldev Naidu (Terrorist) must wait for others to do the job for him.Go to “Hell”
Anyone else get the feeling that someone is being set up as the sacrificial lamb to appease the masses before the GE?
Someone cant be this out of touch with sentiment on the ground can they?
It totally amazes me that this pipsqueak Caesar whose only talent is his loyalty to the PM can so utterly get it all wrong. I don’t care if it is right or popular especially if you are defining it. I care about jobs, jobs and jobs. I care about the Singapore that I pass on to my children and my children’s children. I care about the growing rate of third class Singapore born citizens being marginalized in their own country.
How can this prime example of the MIW be so pompous to predict the future when their past fortune telling attempts have been so wrong? What right have they got to tell us to take the bitter medicine of working harder, faster and cheaper when in a year they take home a salary that an ordinary Singaporean earns in his whole lifetime.
The words of doing what is right rather than what is popular is just false bravado. It smacks of paternalism or I know what is good for you since you don’t have the brains to think otherwise.
If cutting back the astronomical salaries of the ruling elite or admitting to the wrong judgements taken by GIC and Temasek Holdings are right but not popular among the MIW, would they do it? Of course not. WKS, your words are hypocrisy in its most extreme form.
MIW and WKS, you have lost the high moral ground to make such comments. Live out your last days until the next election and the electorate will deliver you a result that will bring you down to earth.
What happens then? This is the most frightening legacy that the MIW will leave behind them. They will leave behind a state structure when all power is vested in a few. There will be no institutions powerful enough to balance another megalomanic. All our wealth (if there is any left) will be gone. Singapore, I weep for you and for myself as unlike the foreigners and the highly paid elite, I have nowhere to go.
LHL has failed to do what is right and popular, that is, to sack WKS for his big blunder on the escape of MAS SELEMAT !
Yeah, WKS should be fired for his incompetence. That’s the right thing.
Just found out that he also said this “On the calls for slashing the GST rate, Mr Wong said such a move might actually raise business costs, as companies would have to change their systems to adjust to a new GST rate.”
What kind of argument is this? How come it is not reported in TR?
WONg KS is high on xxx.
With that kind of lousy performance and that salary, WOng KS should have resigned but he didn’t do the right thing.
He must have learn thick skin skills from LKY.