4G leaders need to find their own way to forge ties with people

Their objective should not be to win every argument, but to gain the trust of S'poreans

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

What did the recent stand-off between Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim and government ministers in Parliament have in common with Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam's interrogation of historian Thum Ping Tjin during the Select Committee hearings?

The obvious similarity: Ms Lim and Dr Thum refused to yield their ground in the face of government pressure, even if they did concede some points.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on April 08, 2018, with the headline 4G leaders need to find their own way to forge ties with people. Subscribe