Ho Ching: Singapore is not a democracy in the American sense of liberal democracy; SG is a social democracy

SINGAPORE: After sharing a link to an article titled ‘Singapore is the best state in the world? New study ranks America #23!’ Ho Ching, the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former Temasek Holdings CEO, wrote, “Yup!”

“Sg is not a democracy in the American sense of liberal democracy where the feelings of criminals matter more than the hurt to the victims, where money politics trump fair play through all sorts of loopholes like PAC (political action committee) under the guise of freedom of speech,” wrote Mdm Ho. Instead, “Sg is a social democracy where political campaign spending are limited to ensure a level playing ground,” she added.

The article, from research site Study Finds, quotes a recent index from German researchers which says that living in a democracy is not a necessity when it comes to how well a state functions. The study, published in July, ranked Singapore as highest functioning state in the world.

Mdm Ho went on to cite examples to prove her point, specifically from the recent presidential election, in terms of spending per voter, the updating of the electoral register, how this register is displayed publicly, and how people who did not vote and were taken off the register can be re-enrolled in it, or how they can apply to make modifications if they move residences, or object to the inclusion of another voter’s name if their status has changed.

“Once the inspection period is over, the various claims are processed, and the claimants’ list is again put up for public inspection,” wrote Mdm Ho.

She noted that campaign spending for this year’s presidential election was kept low.

“The spending limit worked out to be no more than S$812,822.10 based on the latest certified number of voters on our electoral register. That is under US$603,000 in total. Nope, foreign donations are not allowed, and there is strict accounting after every election.”

Mdm Ho also wrote that Singapore is “a strict democracy with protections in place against money politics, and against foreign interference or influence. So Sg is a social democracy with a keen sense of fair play that is based on justice and equality, regardless of race, language or religion, with a clear focus on the people today and all the tomorrows to come.” /TISG

Study ranks Singapore as highest functioning state in the world