Consultation yes, referendum no

By Shaun Poon
The government will continue to consult with the people and encourage active citizenry, but referendums will not be used to choose policies, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry S Iswaran.
Mr Iswaran was replying to a question raised at the a seminar last Friday on Switzerland and Singapore held by the Institute of Policy Studies and Avenir Suisse. He added that a “deep and extensive consultation” was “an important government process to uphold”. A participant noted a recent Swiss initiative and asked the Minister if a people-run system would be on the cards for consideration in Singapore in the future.
Last month, Switzerland cast votes on a popular initiative to end compulsory military service. In Switzerland the electorate can vote to amend the constitution through a popular initiative if it gathers a minimum of 100,000 signatories.
See also: Of Swiss watches and Singapore’s ITE pathways.