SINGAPORE - The Straits Times looks at what politicians, and the politically related, are up to in this weekly series.

Sombre lessons from abroad

Europe's worst conflict in decades hit home for several politicians here this week, who reflected on what Russia's invasion of Ukraine meant for Singapore.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Facebook that what should be most concerning were the reasons - or excuses - used to justify the use of force to violate another country's sovereignty.

Russia had argued ahead of the invasion that Ukraine's independence was the result of "historical errors and crazy decisions".

Mr Chan, a former army chief before he joined politics in 2011, wrote: "Unless we are relevant, and possess the means and will to defend ourselves, we will be held ransom by the geostrategic contest of others."

Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo drew attention to the possible spillover of cyber threats to Singapore, noting that the Cyber Security Agency has advised organisations here to heighten their vigilance.

"While Singapore may be geographically distant from the theatre of action, we must be alive to such threats, as cyber attacks have no respect for geographical boundaries, and cyber threats can emerge quickly," she wrote.

Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan said another lesson to draw from the conflict was the need for proper checks and balances in a democratic system.

Dr Chee said it was a lack of democracy that allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to "increasingly behave czar-like and ultimately order the attack on its neighbour".

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan gave a ministerial statement on Monday (Feb 28) outlining the reasons why Singapore has strongly condemned Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which started on Feb 24.

A world where the strong can do what they want would be profoundly hostile to the survival of small states like Singapore, and is why "this is an existential issue for us", Dr Balakrishnan said.

Putting 4G back in the spotlight

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Christopher de Souza's speech on the same day caught attention for different reasons.

In his speech during the Budget debate, he had urged the 4G leadership to line up the future prime minister and his or her deputies "with utmost imperative" so that they get "the longest runway possible before taking over the controls in the cockpit".

Mr de Souza's call came close to 11 months after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat stepped down as leader of the People's Action Party 4G team and the designated successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who turned 70 last month.

The Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP posted a link to his speech on Facebook on Tuesday. "Difficult speech - but I believed, deeply, that I had to deliver it. I have Singapore at heart," he wrote.

It triggered speculation online about the motivations behind for the speech. Some wondered whether there was potential rivalry between someone who was the "smartest" and another who was the "best fit" for the job - a distinction that Mr de Souza made in his speech.

"He was likely told to say this," speculated one netizen.

"May it be the catalyst..." said another.

As at Thursday, none of the 4G leaders had responded publicly to Mr de Souza's speech.

Fighting the C-monster

A number of MPs were down with Covid-19 over the past week, as Singapore battles an Omicron surge.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan said on Tuesday that his seven-year-old daughter had ran a fever in school and tested positive. He said he would be self-isolating for 72 hours at home with her, under the Ministry of Health's Protocol 2.

"I'm okay but starting to feel fatigued and my throat is getting itchy. It does appear that Omicron affects primarily the upper respiratory tract," he wrote on Facebook.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) posted on Sunday that he was self-isolating at home to recover from throat tightness after testing positive using an antigen rapid test (ART).

Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) and Ms Cheng Li Hui (Tampines GRC) also shared how they will be missing out on Parliament sittings these week.

"While the C-monster keeps me away from being physically present, I have been able to tune in to the proceedings and keep abreast of the debate in the House," said Mr Yam, in a wefie with his laptop, desktop, iPad and daughter.

On Friday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah also disclosed that she had tested ART-positive a day earlier and was self-isolating, though she hoped to be back in Parliament next week.

"Have a yen to eat chicken rice (with Siew kai)!" said Ms Indranee, who is also Leader of the House. "While I normally try to keep the carbs and calories low, I think I can make an exception today!"

Workers' Party MPs Sylvia Lim, He Ting Ru and Louis Chua also missed Wednesday's Parliament sitting as they were isolating from exposure to Covid-19, said Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh.

Donning yellow and blue

Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Don Wee's sartorial choices stood out as he wore a yellow polo shirt with a blue blazer - the colours of the Ukrainian flag - while making a speech on training safety in the military.

During the debate on the Ministry of Defence's spending plans on Thursday, he said: "The colours of my outfit today emphasise the importance of SAF's realistic training and its safety record."

But Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin later replied: "I have to confess I'm quite confused by the colours."

Mr Wee changed to a white shirt for the debate on the Ministry of Home Affair's budget on the same day, and later put on a red tie for another speech.

Lawmakers around the world have also used fashion statements to show solidarity with Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

In the British Parliament, MPs were spotted wearing Britain-Ukraine flag pins.

Ukrainian-American Representative Victoria Spartz was among those who donned blue and yellow at United States President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Follow The Straits Times' live coverage on the Ukraine crisis here.