My views on the new cabinet lineup

The new cabinet line-up signals clearly that there will be significant changes in the political landscape in Singapore. Will it be for the better or for the worse? Here are some observations:

• In spite of being unhappy over many government policies, 60% of the voters voted for PAP and stability. The sweeping changes in the cabinet line-up cannot be seen as representing stability. Are these voters being given what they were expecting?
• The underlying problem is that, in the past, the government made its decisions behind closed doors using inputs by a small group of elites. This system needs to be changed for new policies and approaches to be produced. 

 We need a new system of governance based on the following:

• Inputs from a broad group of knowledgeable people (outside of the elites and scholars)
• Active discussion in Parliament - and MPs have to spend more time in this duty
• An active media to bring up the issues.

I will be writing more on this topic later.

Tan Kin Lian