Think-tanks useful for policymaking, but must be objective: Shanmugam
Professor Huang Jing, TODAY file photo. Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam stressed that projecting views of foreign countries “under the guise of objectivity and academic freedom” is unacceptable.
SINGAPORE — Think-tanks play a critical role in policymaking as they put forward “practical viewpoints that help the country”.
But while they may disgree with the Government, they ought to do so “objectively” and not “for the sake of challenging” or be under the influence of a foreign government, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said Monday (Aug 28).
Mr Shanmugam was speaking during a question-and-answer session at the Asia Economic Forum, organised by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP).
Think-tanks cannot be projecting views of a foreign countries “under the guise of objectivity and academic freedom”, Mr Shanmugam said in response to a question on the role of think-tanks and businessmen in managing foreign relations.
Recently, LKYSPP academic Huang Jing, who is a United States-China expert, was identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs as an “agent of influence of a foreign country”.
The permanent residency status of Prof Huang and his wife, Ms Shirley Yang Xiuping, were revoked, and their appeals were recently rejected. They will be permanently banned from re-entering Singapore.
Without referring to the case Monday, Mr Shanmugam stressed that projecting views of foreign countries “under the guise of objectivity and academic freedom” is unacceptable.
Noting the role of former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee in the setting up of think-tanks in Singapore, he said: “Dr Goh would certainly turn in his grave if he (knows) that the think-tanks he set up have become instruments of influence for other countries.
“Dr Goh saw the think-tank’s role as being very knowledgeable, objective, clear, and putting those views to the Government, which means not necessarily agreeing with the Government.”
On the role of businessmen, Mr Shanmugam said they play a very important part in terms of engaging communities and growing Singapore’s gross national product, apart from forging economic relationships and creating the fundamentals for the country’s success.
He added: “At the same time, both business and the Government need to understand where the line is to be drawn.
“Sometimes, the Government cannot take the advice of businesses. It has to decide what is in the nation’s interest. Businessmen will carry a business perspective, but the Government has to take a larger perspective as a sovereign state.”
