Christopher de Souza on Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 3) Bill
If Singapore’s President is held in such high esteem that his views are sought by global organisations to advance a better world, why say no? MP Christopher de Souza asked this question in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 22) during the debate on a Bill that would allow the President to accept positions in international bodies in his or her private capacity, if it is in the national interest. Mr de Souza said this is “a feather in the cap” for Singapore and gives the country a seat at the table, even as many global goals such as eradicating poverty, protecting water supplies and mitigating climate change are in concert with Singapore’s own national priorities. That is why voting in favour of the constitutional amendment is a vote in favour of Singapore, he said. Mr de Souza went on to rebut arguments made by some opposition MPs. He said taking on international roles will not divide the President’s attention from domestic responsibilities - if anything, it will produce “economies of scale of attention”. There are no binary duties between a domestic versus international role either, he said, as the President is Singapore’s “top diplomat”. Mr de Souza also said Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim had tried to make a political point about the PAP seizing on its two-thirds super-majority in the House to push through the constitutional change.
If Singapore’s President is held in such high esteem that his views are sought by global organisations to advance a better world, why say no? MP Christopher de Souza asked this question in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 22) during the debate on a Bill that would allow the President to accept positions in international bodies in his or her private capacity, if it is in the national interest. Mr de Souza said this is “a feather in the cap” for Singapore and gives the country a seat at the table, even as many global goals such as eradicating poverty, protecting water supplies and mitigating climate change are in concert with Singapore’s own national priorities. That is why voting in favour of the constitutional amendment is a vote in favour of Singapore, he said. Mr de Souza went on to rebut arguments made by some opposition MPs. He said taking on international roles will not divide the President’s attention from domestic responsibilities - if anything, it will produce “economies of scale of attention”. There are no binary duties between a domestic versus international role either, he said, as the President is Singapore’s “top diplomat”. Mr de Souza also said Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim had tried to make a political point about the PAP seizing on its two-thirds super-majority in the House to push through the constitutional change.
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