[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – No one should assume he has a monopoly over compassion, said Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam as he responded to Workers’ Party (WP) MP Jamus Lim’s arguments on minimum wage and policymaking.
The lengthy debate between Associate Professor Lim and seven People’s Action Party MPs was sparked by the Sengkang GRC MP’s maiden speech, in which he called for greater compassion and thoughtfulness in policymaking.
Singapore should “no longer privilege efficiency at the sheer expense of equity”, said Prof Lim in Parliament.
“Because we are no longer a third-world nation, we cannot continue to operate as if we are blind to the consequences that tough-nosed policies carry for our people,” he added.
Prof Lim contended that the issue with the Government’s policymaking today that has let many fall through the cracks is a lack of compassion. “I humbly suggest that the root of these challenges is insufficient compassion in our policymaking process,” he said.
Rising to join the debate, Mr Tharman said several of his fellow PAP MPs had made an impression on him with their speeches over the past few days.
[ad_2]
Source link
