A6 TOPOF THENEWS | THE STRAITS TIMES | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016 |

Changes to political system: NCMP scheme

MORE POWERS FOR NCMPS If we accept that NCMPs have as much of a mandate from voters to be in the House as constituency MPs... then I think, even in the case of the vote of no confidence and the other restricted matters which NCMPs presently are not Mr Dennis Tan (right) and Mr from the Workers’ Party being sworn in on Jan 15 as Non-Constituency MPs. PM Lee said yesterday that Parliament will have at least 12 opposition MPs, including allowed to vote on, I Non-Constituency MPs, after the next general election, up from the current nine. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION think we can make the case, and I will More opposition from next make the case that they should not only be allowed to speak, Parliament for more robust debate but to vote.

’’PM LEE tions for debate, like an elected MP. recognition and help them win a It was only in 1981 that the first op- Non-Constituency MPs to get the same But currently, they are not al- constituency the next time.” position member – WP’s J. B. Jeyare- NOT SECOND CLASS lowed to vote on five matters: He cited Workers’ Party (WP) tam – was elected. voting rights as elected MPs, says PM Lee constitutional changes, supply Bills chairman , who entered Mr Lee said that then Prime Min- I intend to amend on government spending, money Parliament in 2006 as an NCMP. ister Lee Kuan Yew and his col- the Constitution Walter Sim Bills that deal with issues like taxa- “She impressed voters and be- leagues had “concluded – to their tion, votes of confidence, and mo- came an MP, elected in Aljunied surprise – that despite all the to-ing during this term to Non-Constituency tions to remove the President from GRC in 2011.” and fro-ing and unpleasantness, it give NCMPs the Member of ’s Parliament will have at office. Giving NCMPs equal voting was good for the Government”. least 12 opposition MPs after the The number of NCMPs in each rights will also quell perceptions “The opposition could express op- same voting rights Parliament next general election, up from the term of Parliament also depends on that they are “second-class MPs”. posing views, question and criticise as constituency system current nine, Prime Minister Lee how many opposition MPs had He noted that some NCMPs win a the Government, make ministers Hsien Loong said yesterday. been elected. The current limit is higher percentage of votes than do justify their actions,” he said. MPs. NCMPs should They will include Non-Constitu- nine, so even if the ruling party wins individual MPs in a group represen- It also “provided Mr Lee and his therefore be able to When it started: ency MPs (NCMPs). The proposed all the seats in an election, there will tation constituency. team the ‘foil’ or backdrop against 1984 increase is to foster even more ro- stillbe opposition members. They arguably also have more which they could set out their ideas vote even in the case bust debate and open contest of ide- And the Government “will still right to a seat in Parliament than more clearly in contrast to what as in the House. The NCMPs are al- have to argue for and defend its poli- some MPs in countries which adopt was being presented on the other of confidence What it is about so to be given equal voting power in cies robustly”, Mr Lee said. the proportional representation sys- side – right against wrong, good ide- motions and all the Parliament as their elected peers. He also felt it was reasonable to tem, Mr Lee said. as against better ones”, he added. other presently The scheme ensures a mini- To allow for this, Mr Lee said he in- raise the number to 12. Under that system, a certain Most analysts interviewed wel- mum number of opposition tends to amend the Constitution “Given that in any election, at number of MPs get selected by par- comed the NCMP changes. restricted matters. MPs. Opposition candi- during this term. least 30 per cent of voters will vote ty leaders to be in Parliament, de- National University of Singapore And they will be dates who are not elected These changes “will in effect aid against the Government, ensuring a pending on the election results. (NUS) political scientist Reuben but won the highest per- the opposition, giving their best los- minimum of 12 opposition MPs in “On a party list... no voter specifi- Wong said they were likely prompt- equal in powers, centage of votes at a gener- ers more exposure and very possi- the House of about 100 members I cally chose you. Your party boss put ed by Singaporeans’ increased ex- although not in al election are offered an bly building them up for the next feel is reasonable.” you on the list in position two or pectations for debate and a diversi- NCMP seat – if the number general election”, Mr Lee said. Together with the nine Nominat- three or 20. And you happen to ty of views in policymaking. responsibility and of elected opposition MPs “But I believe that in this phase of ed MPs who are appointed to repre- make the cut,” he said. It will in effect “institutionalise” a scope, to is less than required. our political development, this is sent the various voices from civil so- “Here, to be an NCMP, the voters Parliament with at least two politi- The scheme was pro- good for the Government, good for ciety, there will be at least 21 MPs in the constituency where you con- cal parties, he said. constituency MPs posed by then Prime Minis- Singapore. No ruling party or gov- who are not from the ruling party, tested have to have a sufficiently But Associate Professor Wong, as ter Lee Kuan Yew, three ernment must ever be afraid of Mr Lee said. high regard of you to give you one well as his NUS colleague, Associate because they do not years after Mr J.B. Jeyaret- open argument. He dismissed as “excuses” the op- of the highest (percentage of votes) Professor Hussin Mutalib, suggest- have specific voters nam of the Workers’ Party “The PAP never has been and ulti- position contention that they could among all losing candidates before ed that critics may say that voters (WP) was elected, making mately, Singapore will benefit from not put up a stronger performance you can come (into Parliament). will “have their cake and eat it too” to look after. But him the first opposition MP a contest of ideas in the House,” he in Parliament because there are too “You have people who are truly and get used to the idea they can al- there will be no since 1966. said. few of them. personally voting for you. I think ways vote for the PAP and still have Mr Lee pointed to how The NCMP scheme was intro- “The opposition’s impact de- that gives legitimacy as well as ob- opposition in Parliament. reason at all to the electorate had changed, duced in 1984 to ensure opposition pends on the quality of the opposi- jectivity to the system,” he said. Institute of Policy Studies deputy perceive NCMPs as with more than 60 per cent presence in Parliament. Seats are of- tion MPs and arguments, far more Mr Lee also recounted the origins director for research Gillian Koh of voters aged 40 and be- fered to the best performers among than on their number,” he said. of the NCMP scheme. said the changes were a “great gift being second-class. low. Having NCMPs would the opposition losers at a general “Having more NCMPs will give The People’s Action Party (PAP) to the opposition” but Mr Lee may give younger voters a taste election. the opposition more opportunities dominated Parliament for 16 years find it an uphill task convincing his of opposition politics, he While NCMPs do not represent to show what they can do. And if in from independence after the then own party’s MPs of their merits. said, and they would “learn any constituency, they can speak at fact the NCMPs are capable and ef- main opposition party Barisan So- the limits of what a constitu- parliamentary debates or file mo- fective, the exposure will win them sialis staged a boycott. [email protected] PM LEE tional opposition can do”. ’’

Changes to the scheme Why NCMPs were not given equal voting rights

The maximum number of NCMPs was raised from six to nine in 2010. As there were six elected In 1984, then Prime Minister Lee amended within this term of Parlia- split off from the PAP and formed ther this was going too fast and it ousted. And Mr Tony Blair, who led opposition MPs at last Kuan Yew was concerned about the ment to give NCMPs the same vot- the Barisan Sosialis, and the PAP was not to be ruled out that there the country from 1997 to 2007, left year’s election, there can be possibility of a split in the ruling par- ing rights as elected MPs, he said. hung on in the Legislative Assem- could have been a challenge”. because “he knew if he didn’t leave, up to three NCMPs in this ty leading to a motion of no confi- This means they will soon be able bly with a one-vote majority. The Prime Minister yesterday somebody would challenge him term of Parliament. dence in the House. to vote on five matters: constitu- “I think Mr Lee must have been said that it was time for the rules to and he would be pushed out”. Two of them are Mr Leon In such a situation, he felt that tional changes, Supply Bills on gov- conscious that, even in 1984 within be relooked today, some 32 years “We cannot rule this out from hap- Perera and Mr Dennis Tan Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs) ernment spending, Money Bills the PAP, there was opposition to since the scheme’s inception. pening in Singapore,” Mr Lee said. from the WP. The third seat should not have a say in determin- that deal with issues like taxation, the pace of leadership renewal, Although he has a cohesive team, “But if we accept that NCMPs was offered to Ms Lee Li ing the Government under the votes of confidence, and motions to which could have led to a leader- he said: “We will never rule out the have as much of a mandate... then I Lian, also of the WP, who scheme introduced the same year. remove the President from office. ship challenge,” he said, referring possibility of leadership change or think, even in the case of the vote of turned it down. Prime Minister The Prime Minister yesterday re- to the ruling People’s Action Party. challenge within the ruling party.” no confidence and the other re- The WP has filed a mo- yesterday recounted this in Parlia- counted to the House Mr Lee Kuan At the General Election that year, This has happened regularly in stricted matters, we can make the tion in Parliament to de- ment, as he explained why NCMPs Yew’s reasons for not giving NC- a team of third-generation leaders countries such as Australia and the case and I will make the case that clare the seat vacant and to were not given voting powers in MPs equal voting rights: “Mr Lee – including himself – was due to en- United Kingdom, he said. they should not only be allowed to propose an alternative can- Parliament equal to those of their would still have fresh in his mind ter politics, PM Lee said. He added In the United Kingdom, for exam- speak, but to vote.” didate for the NCMP seat. elected peers. the memory of what had happened that there were “very strong differ- ple, former prime minister Marga- But the Constitution will be in 1961, when the extreme left wing ent views within the PAP on whe- ret Thatcher was challenged and Walter Sim