COMMENT: Illiterate? Singapore MPs need to be schooled on Parliament

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan apologised to Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai for remarks made in Parliament on Tuesday, 14 September 2021

The gasps – and sniggers – could almost be heard across the island. Online wags quickly pointed to Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai as the target of the comments, while at least one minister was fingered as a culprit. But there was no smoking gun, particularly as the MPs pictured were all masked. to his "private comments to a colleague" in a Facebook post.

Instead, all anyone can talk about is the sight of a Cabinet minister ceding the moral high ground to a man whose party ministers had accused of being racist and xenophobic. Dr Balakrishnan's comment also opened the door to age-old accusations of elitism, with netizens sarcastically quoting the government's own oft-quoted claim that "every school is a good school". To be fair, politicians are only human. Indiscrete, even snide, comments in private are hardly new.

Among my peers, there were nervous jokes about the Ministry of Communications and Information shutting down the livestream. After all, former Leader of the House Grace Fu had claimed that live broadcasts risked turning the House into a "form of theatre".Eight months after live streaming began, this reporter, a regular observer of the House, has yet to see any noticeable increase in dramatic poses or histrionics. Proceedings remain largely sedate, with the odd fireworks.

Very well written and balanced article 👍

People have been up there so long.. those are the bottom, who are you to talk to them like that?

Very sad to witness in 1st world class paliament ncmp member being crushed like a cockcroach. Politic is a dirty business.....n if it is not about national securities it is always about racialism....y cant it be about the people on the street n lives n livelihood.

Minority fall-guy!

Time to replace the FM to Chinese face FM as times, obsolescence will set in to any body and anything...Irregardless.

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