Goh Chok Tong: “‘Diversity’ is the buzz word in Singapore politics now”

Congratulating not only Marine Parade GRC MPs Tan See Leng and Edwin Tong (in Parliament House) on their being sworn in as full Cabinet ministers, former-Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong extended his wishes to all the ministers who were sworn in.

“I welcome the diverse Cabinet which PM has assembled to bring Singapore forward during these challenging times” he added in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jul 28).

Adding that “‘Diversity’ is the buzz word in Singapore politics now”, Mr Goh said, “I am all for it to build an inclusive society but would like to make three points”.

Mr Goh’s points were that “First, we should leverage diversity to unite our country”. He continued, “Second, diversity should strengthen our system of governance”.

“Are there ideological differences between the PAP and the Opposition parties in Singapore? If there are, we will have to find the best way to harness the power of diverse perspectives to advance the national interest as well as society’s collective interests”, Mr Goh said.

“Third, diversity in argument and opinion should be centred on facts and logic, not half-truths and misinformation. This will help Singapore guard against the rise of demagogues in democracies that Plato warned about”, he added.

Mr Goh warned that the record of many democratic countries is dismal. “Singapore may well go that way one day too”, but he advised that the country needs wise leaders and a discerning people to ensure that our diversity unites democracy.

Along with his post, Mr Goh shared a photo of himself, Mr Tan See Leng and their respective wives.