Former Singapore minister for foreign affairs George Yeo was on ‘Teh Tarik with Walid’ on Instagram Live on Friday evening with Walid Jumblatt as they discussed topics ranging from China, SAP universities, local politics which includes the general elections, presidential election and, section 377A.
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During this year’s National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong announced that the government is ready to repeal 377A, which criminalises sex between men. However, changes will be made to the constitution to prevent any possible future challenges to the legal definition of marriage.
This is something that fully Yeo agrees with the government, in abolishing the colonial-era law and safeguarding the sanctity and traditional values of marriage and family in Singapore.
“It is good that the government has taken a new position. The previous one (position), the law stays in place, but it is not enforced. Now it is not criminal and therefore not subject to public prosecution,” said Yeo.
“People were afraid that this is a slippery slope to other things like gay marriage, which many are uncomfortable about. We tried to maintain the structure of the family.”
“So the government has said that the constitution will be amended so what constitutes marriage will be defined by parliament and not defined by judges. This government believes that marriage is between man and woman.”
The host Walid then asked the former member of parliament if there will be some who would ask, ‘why should my religious beliefs infringe on the rights of others?’ and ‘what is the secular reason to ban gay marriage?’
“If marriage is just a financial agreement, which the government is a party to. Then yes, it does not matter. But if marriage is something more than that, which is why we surround it with ceremony, we make vows. Then it is sacred,” explained the former Aljunied GRC MP.
“We all know marriages result in children, it is something more than just an agreement. Therefore, it must have a special place in society. When we analyse problems in other society, we always point to the breakdown in family because family is where values and knowledge are transmitted.”
On local politics, Yeo said that he had refrained from commenting much after he left office as it would not be good for him to criticise his colleagues or the party as he is not privy to first-hand information anymore.
Looking back at the 2011 general elections, where his People’s Action Party team lost to Worker’s Party in Aljunied GRC, he said, “I don’t think additional party support would change the outcome because the desire for an opposition in parliament was so strong.”
“Aljunied GRC at that time was surrounding Hougang (SMC). It was like an egg white surrounding an egg yolk. So we took the heat and took the fall.”
Yeo also touched on the ‘If PAP loses Aljunied, voters have five years to repent’, remarks by the late Lee Kuan Yew and his thoughts on the 2020 general elections.