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IT IS almost a ritual - politicians falling on their swords to appease public anger when the unexpected happens or policies go wrong.
But little changes as a result. The underlying problem persists, and sets the stage for another round.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday made it clear that he did not think it wise for Singapore to engage in such political shows.
This 'ceremonial change of guard' is seen as the solution, but the fundamentals remain unchanged and after a while, the problem pops up again, he said.
But in Singapore, 'we want to get to the root of the matter to solve it properly', Mr Lee said in his first address to Parliament since the Feb 27 escape of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari.
In his 10-minute speech on government responsibility, he also made clear that if a minister's lack of integrity led to a lapse, no matter how minor, 'he has to go'.
But if he was not at fault, then the Government must have the moral courage to stand by him, not sacrifice him for the sake of political expediency.
'The basic issue is whether the person is culpable. If so, we must act against him, however senior his position. But if he is not at fault, then we must have the moral courage to state so, and support him.
'This way, everybody within the organisation can be confident that when something goes wrong, they will not be sacrificed for political expediency,' he said.
Mr Lee addressed the House and fielded questions from four MPs, a day after Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng explained in detail how Mas Selamat had escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre.
He said the escape had raised the broader issue of government responsibility and accountability, on which Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim had tabled a question.
He spelt out the Government's overall approach, stressing that it would give 'as full a public accounting as possible' for major lapses, as Singaporeans need to know what went wrong and what was being done to fix things.
In allocating responsibility, it would strive to be impartial and objective, and hold to account not just the officers directly involved but their supervisors and those in charge of the flawed systems.
The minister is ultimately accountable for his ministry's policies and operations.
'But this does not mean that if a lapse occurs down the line, every level in the chain of command, up to and including the minister, should automatically be punished or removed,' Mr Lee said.
'Based on the facts, we have to decide who fell short in performing his duties, and what is the appropriate disciplinary action for each officer involved.'
Mr Lee said it was his duty, as the Prime Minister, to assess each minister's performance.
Should things go wrong, he would ask of a minister: 'Has he been incompetent or negligent? Most serious of all, is there a question of integrity? If so, he has to go, even if the actual incident is minor.'
'I will also ask: is the minister able to put things right, or does the situation call for a new pair of hands, not encumbered by what went before, to take charge and make a fresh start?
'Of course, the Prime Minister himself is accountable too, to Parliament and ultimately to the electorate,' he added.
Mr Lee also warned against 'a witch-hunt which would damage and demoralise our intelligence and security agencies'.
Ms Lim later asked Mr Lee why the Government had not set up a Presidential Inquiry to investigate Mas Selamat's escape, in place of the Commission of Inquiry(COI) under Mr Wong, whose department was being investigated.
Mr Lee said the COI commissioned by the minister was adequate, as only one person had escaped.
Mr Wong had also given MPs ample opportunity to ask questions about the COI's report, he noted.
'There has not been any suggestion from any member in this House that the committee was less than thorough or less than candid,' he said.
lydia@sph.com.sg
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