7.
Second, a balance must be struck between the short term and the long term, and between the interest of the individual and the interest of the community. Electoral politics put pressure on governments to respond quickly to the needs of voters. Nobel laureate Dr Amartya Sen pointed out that famines in India have become a phenomenon of the colonial past because Indian politicians today know they would be thrown out of office if they did not respond quickly to food shortages. All this is good but the problem with electoral politics is that the time horizon of political leaders shortens and pandering to the demands of special interest groups may be unavoidable. Larger and longer term considerations are often set aside as politicians concentrate on winning the next elections. It is worth remembering that the word 'demagoguery' has the same root word as the word 'democracy'. There is always a strong temptation to be populist, to borrow from the future, because the future has no votes, instead of investing in it. The mass media can either moderate or accentuate this dynamic. Without clear rules, newspapers and TV stations can be forced by competitive pressure to outdo each other in sensationalism. The result is more heat than light. In Singapore, we require newspapers and TV stations to report accurately. As opinion multipliers, it is important that what they multiply is accurate and not distorted. There is also the New Media which became a major factor in the election of Barack Obama. All over the world, countries are grappling with how this New Media should be managed as it is two-edged. When all is said and done, democratic systems which create a good balance between the short term and the long term, and between the individual and the community, will be better able to achieve economic growth and security.
8.
Third, we must protect the rights of minority groups. No country on earth is homogeneous. Unless special provisions are made, majority rule can lead to the systematic marginalisation of ethnic, religious and other groups. Without well-constructed rules, one-man-one-vote can be oppressive to them. Singapore being a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, we are very sensitive to the protection of minority rights. For example, Muslim Singaporeans can resort to Shariah laws for family matters. Although the Constitution guarantees freedom of religious practice, we put curbs on proselytization. It is an endless balancing act - Punjabi Sikhs riding motorcycles in Singapore are allowed to wear turbans instead of crash helmets but Muslim girls in secular schools are not allowed to wear headscarves which are not part of the school uniform. In order to ensure full representation of ethnic minorities in our Parliament, multi-member constituencies have been created which require political parties contesting them to field slates of candidates with minimum number of minority candidates.
9.
By taking a pragmatic approach, Singapore's democratic system tries to meet these three objectives of ensuring the rule of law; striking a balance between the short term and the long term, and between the individual and the community; and protecting the rights of minority groups. However, as the global environment changes, as technology changes, our system has to evolve in tandem. For example, with the growing number of Singaporeans living overseas, we have had to find ways to enfranchise some of them. Maintaining a sense of belonging to a larger Singapore community is essential. Without voters feeling a sense of commitment to one another, a democratic system cannot work well. Democracy breaks down when rights are not balanced by obligations.
Second, a balance must be struck between the short term and the long term, and between the interest of the individual and the interest of the community. Electoral politics put pressure on governments to respond quickly to the needs of voters. Nobel laureate Dr Amartya Sen pointed out that famines in India have become a phenomenon of the colonial past because Indian politicians today know they would be thrown out of office if they did not respond quickly to food shortages. All this is good but the problem with electoral politics is that the time horizon of political leaders shortens and pandering to the demands of special interest groups may be unavoidable. Larger and longer term considerations are often set aside as politicians concentrate on winning the next elections. It is worth remembering that the word 'demagoguery' has the same root word as the word 'democracy'. There is always a strong temptation to be populist, to borrow from the future, because the future has no votes, instead of investing in it. The mass media can either moderate or accentuate this dynamic. Without clear rules, newspapers and TV stations can be forced by competitive pressure to outdo each other in sensationalism. The result is more heat than light. In Singapore, we require newspapers and TV stations to report accurately. As opinion multipliers, it is important that what they multiply is accurate and not distorted. There is also the New Media which became a major factor in the election of Barack Obama. All over the world, countries are grappling with how this New Media should be managed as it is two-edged. When all is said and done, democratic systems which create a good balance between the short term and the long term, and between the individual and the community, will be better able to achieve economic growth and security.
8.
Third, we must protect the rights of minority groups. No country on earth is homogeneous. Unless special provisions are made, majority rule can lead to the systematic marginalisation of ethnic, religious and other groups. Without well-constructed rules, one-man-one-vote can be oppressive to them. Singapore being a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, we are very sensitive to the protection of minority rights. For example, Muslim Singaporeans can resort to Shariah laws for family matters. Although the Constitution guarantees freedom of religious practice, we put curbs on proselytization. It is an endless balancing act - Punjabi Sikhs riding motorcycles in Singapore are allowed to wear turbans instead of crash helmets but Muslim girls in secular schools are not allowed to wear headscarves which are not part of the school uniform. In order to ensure full representation of ethnic minorities in our Parliament, multi-member constituencies have been created which require political parties contesting them to field slates of candidates with minimum number of minority candidates.
9.
By taking a pragmatic approach, Singapore's democratic system tries to meet these three objectives of ensuring the rule of law; striking a balance between the short term and the long term, and between the individual and the community; and protecting the rights of minority groups. However, as the global environment changes, as technology changes, our system has to evolve in tandem. For example, with the growing number of Singaporeans living overseas, we have had to find ways to enfranchise some of them. Maintaining a sense of belonging to a larger Singapore community is essential. Without voters feeling a sense of commitment to one another, a democratic system cannot work well. Democracy breaks down when rights are not balanced by obligations.
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