Leong Mun Wai on Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 3) Bill
The Progress Singapore Party does not support the Bill, said NCMP Leong Mun Wai. He told Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 22) that there is “confusion on the ground” and said Singaporeans need a “full explanation from the Government” on why it is necessary for the constitutional amendments to be “rushed through Parliament” and backdated to Sep 14, the day that Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam was sworn in as President. The Constitution is the bedrock of the nation and any changes to it should be made with prudent considerations, transparency and in the best interests of the nation, he said. “If President Tharman’s foreign and international appointments are not unconstitutional, then it is perplexing why the amendments need to be backdated or even made at all, given that Cabinet ministers have taken up such appointments over the years without such a framework and without any question of their legality and constitutionality,” he said. He asked why it is “so pressing” to “create this framework for the President”, and voiced concern that what the House is doing creates a “worrying precedent”.
The Progress Singapore Party does not support the Bill, said NCMP Leong Mun Wai. He told Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 22) that there is “confusion on the ground” and said Singaporeans need a “full explanation from the Government” on why it is necessary for the constitutional amendments to be “rushed through Parliament” and backdated to Sep 14, the day that Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam was sworn in as President. The Constitution is the bedrock of the nation and any changes to it should be made with prudent considerations, transparency and in the best interests of the nation, he said. “If President Tharman’s foreign and international appointments are not unconstitutional, then it is perplexing why the amendments need to be backdated or even made at all, given that Cabinet ministers have taken up such appointments over the years without such a framework and without any question of their legality and constitutionality,” he said. He asked why it is “so pressing” to “create this framework for the President”, and voiced concern that what the House is doing creates a “worrying precedent”.
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