I prefer that the role of keeping the town clean revert back to the HDB, as it was in the old days. It does not make sense to waste the time of lawmakers, i.e. the MPs, to do the nitty gritty work of collecting the monthly charges and engaging the contractors.
In most other places, the town councils have much wider responsibilities in looking after the local services, such as buses, schools, libraries and the like. These councils are likely to be elected directly by the residents and are not the same people as the lawmakers.
The situation is quite convoluted in Singapore, due to the unnecessary petty politicking. If the lawmakers have to waste time in looking after trivial matters, they cannot spend the time to do their proper work, which is to represent the views of their voters in Parliament and to give meaningful debate to the laws that are to be passed. Our laws are quite outdated, and many key issues are not resolved.
It is time for our government leaders to realize that there are important issues that need to be addressed, and that the lawmakers should not waste their time on activities that can be better handled by other people.
In most other places, the town councils have much wider responsibilities in looking after the local services, such as buses, schools, libraries and the like. These councils are likely to be elected directly by the residents and are not the same people as the lawmakers.
The situation is quite convoluted in Singapore, due to the unnecessary petty politicking. If the lawmakers have to waste time in looking after trivial matters, they cannot spend the time to do their proper work, which is to represent the views of their voters in Parliament and to give meaningful debate to the laws that are to be passed. Our laws are quite outdated, and many key issues are not resolved.
It is time for our government leaders to realize that there are important issues that need to be addressed, and that the lawmakers should not waste their time on activities that can be better handled by other people.
In Singapore, they specialise: Need to deliberate at length
ReplyDelete1. whether a particular drain falls under the jurisdiction of the NEA, HDB or Town Council
2. whether the mynah comes under the NEA or AVA
3. whether a traffic-related incident comes under the traffic police or LTA
4. whether AIM-gate comes under CAD, CPIB, the police, PMO or PAP
I have always held similar views. Unfortunately, the party in power has been able to convinced the majority that doing away with HDB' Essential Services and giving off "none core" business was the way to go. Creating Town Councils was part of that.
ReplyDeleteThe agenda seems clearer now. It was to forestall opposition gaining access and even if any did, make life difficult.
That is my opinion, biased maybe, but in light of many incidences, difficult to change !
Fully agreed.
ReplyDeleteThe PAP government should take all the necessary steps to work towards achieving the objective - Separating Town Councils From Parties Politics.
The people of Singapore must press for a change of PAP's arrogant and selfish attitude, failing which, we will change them through a ballot box at GE 2015/16.
True, PAP MPs should spend more time in parliament. Sometimes they don't even bother to turn up.
ReplyDeleteThere is one letter in the ST that says if PAP MP don't turn up in parliament they should be excused because they have meet the people session until early morning. What rubbish. Then why call themselves MP. Might as well call themselves "Member of Meet The People Session"