Use of veto power

Dear Mr. Tan,

I am referring to this article: http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_704453.html

I think this suggestion is genius and can win you many points. It is completely lawful, and shows how you can think out of the box.

Straits Times posted the link on their Facebook page and it attracted a large number of negative comments, 90% of which from fake users (users who have no friends). These users are likely to be hired hands, and such large negative response means the establishment does not really like what you have said.

Please continue to press this. It will give you an edge over TJS.


REPLY
The media took my statements out of context and distorted it with a bad headline. 

My use of the veto will be used as a last resort to make sure that the request for the use of the past reserves is more balanced and does not favor only a specific sector. A specific example was raised about the use of the past reserves to fund the job credit scheme. If a future request comes to me, I like to see some of the funds being used to benefit the people directly, rather than through the employer.

I do not intend to use the veto power to push social programmes that are not related to the specific request for the use of past reserves. 

I had earlier suggested that the HDB housing grant could be modified to favour people who served full time National Service. This will not be an additional cost to the state, as the housing grant is now provided to all eligible people, including new citizens or permanent residents who did not serve National Service. The cost will  increase if the housing grant is higher than the grant provided previously. Even so, the increased cost can be funded out of current surplus, so do not need to dip into the past reserves.

The payment of a modest pension to elderly poor above age 75 or 80 will not be a large burden on the state finances, and can be met out of current revenue. 


I have no intention to paralyse the government or cause gridlock by the inappropriate use of the veto. There is no need for people to interpret my views in its worst possible form and create fear mongering. We have to get away from this bad habit and adopt a more constructive approach in looking at the issues.


Tan Kin Lian