Singapore — Since taking on the role of NCMP from Jul 2020, PSP’s Leong Mun Wai is no stranger to Parliamentary debates and everything that ensues. However, after exchanges in Parliament with Heng Swee Keat, Tan Chuan-Jin and now Ong Ye Kung and Tan See Leng, it begs the question as to whether he was fairly treated during the verbal exchanges.
The most recent exchange was during the Parliamentary session on CECA and FTAs, where the PSP aimed to get data from the Government on Singapore’s foreign worker policies.
We ask Mr Leong himself for his thoughts on the matter.
He said: “When we have a different stance on an issue, we need to debate rigorously. I don’t feel bullied in particular“.
“The person to person interactions are all very civil. Both Minister Ong and Minister Tan are great and friendly people to talk to in the Members’ Room in Parliament.
I think the real issue is how we debate and not how many persons on the other side who can tackle Hazel and I. In that sense, I felt unfulfilled at times when the Parliamentary processes are not adequate to allow the alternative views to be enunciated properly to allow a lively and substantive debate.
Like the recently concluded Ministerial Statement, the aim seems to be to allow them to state their position rather than allowing a debate. They did not even answer our PQs or my debate questions”, he added.
Mr Leong added that the manner in which he was answered did not affect him, but “the fact that they did not answer the points directly (although they keep asking me to confirm this and confirm that) making the debate not engaging and substantive”.
Mr Leong also noted: “Jobs are an important topic that we had always wanted to talk but it is the Government that has conflated and made us debate the Jobs issue along the Ceca line. Please go and check that I did not ever criticize the Ceca inside or outside Parl”.
He added: “My Jun 22 post which Minister Ong quoted was after I had accepted Minister Shan’s invitation and even that was not a direct attack. During the session, Mr Ong was heard saying to Mr Leong that the latter had “a long list of questions which I’m not sure help us bring the bring the discussion forward””.
However, many online commenters felt that Tuesday’s (Jul 6) Parliamentary sitting was less-than-cordial in light of some of the things that were said to Mr Leong by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng.
At one point, Mr Ong also said: “I think Mr Leong is waffling, yes, no, yes no it’s quite hard to catch. I think that you are not withdrawing your allegation and so be it and I think that would be well, at least we got you to say FTAs and CECA is fundamental to our survival”.
During the course of the Parliamentary sitting, Dr Tan was also heard saying: “I mean I actually struggled to follow Mr Leong’s line of reasoning. I guess, because of the fact that quite a number of the issues I think is he’s looking at it from first and foremost a hindsight kind of a perspective itself”.
“I’m going to take a bit of time on this thing itself to try and gather my thoughts to connect his thoughts together, which like I said I’m struggling”, Dr Tan said.
At one point, Dr Tan also remarked: “ I look forward to do a robust debate with Mr Leong Mun Wai I think when they can put up the questions where I don’t struggle so hard to follow I think that would be very welcoming”.
During the debate on the Significant Infrastructure Government Loan Act (Singa) Bill, tense words were exchanged between DPM Heng and Mr Leong, where Mr Heng said: “It is not my classification or the Ministry of Finance’s classification that this constitutes revenue available for spending, this does not… So please do not confuse the public that the government arbitrarily decides on what can be spent and what cannot be spent. This is a very serious allegation, which I hope you’ll take back”. /TISG