Debate on President’s Address: Derrick Goh on effective Parliament, dedicated Government and ‘hands-on’ citizens

It is imperative to continue to uphold the effectiveness, leadership and public confidence of Parliament to galvanise citizens towards a common direction, said MP Derrick Goh. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday (Apr 19), he stressed the need to clearly recognise the costs and trade-offs, as well as the constraints, in the debates in the House. He warned that failure to recognise these “costs” defies the fundamental concept of scarcity in economics and could leave room for populist politics which will mislead and polarise society. He said the hard truth is that it is impractical for the Government to fulfil all desires. Matching limited resources to meet ever-increasing and sometimes near-infinite expectations is an equation that cannot be solved by any Government, he said. It involves making choices and striking a balance to be sustainable, he added. Mr Goh said how successful Singapore will be will depend on how it approaches these conundrums and trade-offs to make balanced policy choices that society sees as fair. Mr Goh said while an effective Parliament and dedicated Government are essential, they cannot ensure Singapore's progress. Citizens must be “hands-on” and take steps to help build a better Singapore. He urged Singaporeans to uphold this sense of personal and collective responsibility, as well as to continue to look beyond personal interests, to help build a caring and more resilient society. Mr Goh expressed confidence that as Singapore forges ahead in the new normal, asking “not for a lighter load, but for greater strength”, it can be stronger by coming together to surmount the challenges and capture the opportunities.