Following the public exchange of views on the role of the President, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has upped the ante by making a not-so-veiled threat – claiming that the President can be removed from office if he attempts to go against the government.
The above is quoted from an article by Tanya Wei in the TRE. After reading this and Shanmugam’s example of a British King that lost his throne for challenging the elected govt, I got this very uneasy feeling. I am wondering whether I should laugh or throw out at the thought of electing a President that would be removed from office if he goes against the govt.
What is the key issue concerning the Elected President today? The high salary and the ceremonial role of the EP are just side issues. What is upper most in the people’s mind is the power to go against the govt to protect the reserves. The people want an EP that would go against the govt when the time calls for it.
Now we are told, or warned, or implied, or kind of threatened, that if the EP is to go against the govt, like saying no to spending the reserves, he will be removed.
Put it simply, why have an EP in the first place? Some are calling this election a sham. It is looking more like a LPPL President just for show and will be removed when he is needed at the critical moment. It reminds me of the fate of Ong Teng Cheong.
What’s happening?
The scope and role of EP highlights another area where govt and people at out-of-synch.
ReplyDeleteAll the time Singaporeans were thinking the EP's role is to check the Government.
ReplyDeleteSome of the revelations lately suggest that the EP must be beholden to the Government, otherwise he will be removed if he goes against. In that case, even with another one hundred keyholders of like kind, it is not going to serve any useful purpose as far as guarding the reserves is concerned.
Civil servants fear for their jobs if they vote for opposition candidates. EP also fear for his job going against the Government.
So, how can he ever be expected to block a rouge Government if he is removed first? It is beyond logic now.
Whether the EP is LPPL or highly charged depends on the person. Please vote carefully.
ReplyDeleteDo you know that according to the Singapore Constitution, the EP on his own discretion (not on the advice of the Cabinet) can sack the Prime Minister? Damn powerful position if the EP chooses to flex his constitionally provided muscles.
Singaporeans should not 'cao pei cao boo' just making empty noises.Don't be NATO - No Action Talk Only. Just vote in Tan Jee Say on August 27 and vote in an alternative government in the next General Election in 2016.
ReplyDeleteWhy drag in the workers unions and clan associations to support one particular candidate? Why politicise the workers unions and the clan associations and cause a great divide? Some of the leaders in the workers unions and clan associations may support Tony Tan but certainly not the rank and file members.
A multi millionaire candidate who is used to being paid by the millions, his thinking and feelings will not and will never be in sync with the thinking, feelings and suffering of the masses. He will not help them. So do not vote for him. Show to the world the humble but dignified common people of Singapore are very discerning and are not that daft.
SG
Voters should not be bothered by what Shanmugan had said or is going to say.
ReplyDeleteThey(voters) should know that the Sin Government is dominated by one Single Party for over 4 decades and things have got from bad to worse.
There is no reason to put in another ex or past PAP Man into the Cabinet in the Name Of a Sin President.
When an elected president can be removed by the govt, why are we going to the poll?
ReplyDeleteCan the president say that the govt can be removed also since it is elected by the people using the same electoral process?
PLLP right?
If one is to consolidate all the comments by Shanmugam on the EP, we can forget about the election. It will be a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteIf they can removed the EP, then we would have another holiday
ReplyDeleteHaha
ReplyDeleteRedbean, how can we forget about the EP? This position was created to consolidate the PAP's hold on power discreetly. Or so they thought. But, after all the revelations we now know it was all a mirage that we see in the EP and his purported powers that he never had.
If TT loses this election, the EP may go the way of Anson and Cheng San. In its place we may see another puppet figurehead being created, something that you envisage, like Emperor or Agong.
It never fails to amaze me what the PAP can do.