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GE: "Lots of debates within PAP"

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says the ruling People's Action Party is broad-based, has a range of views and has lots of debates within the party.

But then, there is still a limit to what can be discussed openly.

He was addressing a question on the need for more plurality of voices in Parliament at a live TV forum on Channel NewsAsia, called "Question Time with the Prime Minister", on Tuesday.

His remark came a day after Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng became emotional when he replied to a reporter's
question about the perception of "groupthink" in the workings of government.

Mr Lim broke down when he spoke of his struggle with the decision six years ago to allow two casinos in Singapore. 

Prime Minister Lee said: "The IRs (integrated resorts with casinos) is one good example where we had a very intense debate. But in the end, it was not that we overruled Lim Boon Heng....if you remember, when we discussed this in Parliament in 2005, Boon Heng made a speech in Parliament, and it was a powerful speech and he made it with a lot of passion and emotion. He said, 'I was against IRs but when I looked at the case and what the IRs could bring to us, in the end, I could not say no to 25,000 or 30,000 jobs'. That was what made him emotional - that he had to make a choice and he had to decide in the end what is in the interest of Singapore." 

"So I think there is a lot of discussion and debate which goes on, some of it we can discuss openly. I think increasingly there will be more things which can be discussed openly, but I would be hesitant to say that everything that is in the open is better, because sometimes in the open it becomes more 'wayang' and harder to solve," added Mr Lee.

This is the first time a live dialogue on television between the Prime Minister and voters is being held, ahead of the coming General Election.

14:38 | Labels: , , |

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