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Ministerial panels aren’t rare or mysterious, they ensure key issues get attention: DPM Tharman

SINGAPORE — Ministerial committees, such as the one weighing the options for the house on 38 Oxley Road, are neither mysterious nor rare, and are designed to ensure that the country’s long-term interests are served, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Thursday (June 22).

Ministerial committees, such as the one weighing the options for the house on 38 Oxley Road, are neither mysterious nor rare, and are designed to ensure that the country's long-term interests are served, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Thursday (June 22). TODAY file photo

Ministerial committees, such as the one weighing the options for the house on 38 Oxley Road, are neither mysterious nor rare, and are designed to ensure that the country's long-term interests are served, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Thursday (June 22). TODAY file photo

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SINGAPORE — Ministerial committees, such as the one weighing the options for the house on 38 Oxley Road, are neither mysterious nor rare, and are designed to ensure that the country’s long-term interests are served, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Thursday (June 22).

Giving his comments for the first time on the dispute between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his siblings over their family home, Mr Tharman said ministerial committees help the Government think through tough choices, and ensure that important issues get the attention they deserve.

“And it’s how we ensure that we are not a Government that operates in silos, that the national interest prevails even when there are valid sectoral or private interests, and that the long view prevails over the short view wherever possible,” he wrote in a 578-word Facebook post.

He also urged Singaporeans to have confidence and not be disheartened by the “sad dispute” over the Oxley Road property, saying that the system of governance built by the pioneer generation of leaders “isn’t going away”.

PM Lee and his siblings, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, are engaged in a public dispute, which started last week when the siblings alleged, among other things, that PM Lee is making it difficult for them to execute the last will of their late father, founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, to have their family home demolished after his death or after Dr Lee moves out. 

The siblings have criticised the ministerial committee tasked to look into what to do with the property, alleging that it was set up to allow the PM Lee to “get his way” on the house. They also slammed the committee as “shadowy”, and claimed that they had been kept in the dark about its membership.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who chairs the committee, refuted that it was secretive, adding that the Cabinet cannot avoid responsibility on matters of public interest. In this case, for instance, it  has to consider the property’s heritage and historical significance.

In his Facebook post, Mr Tharman said the practice of setting up such committees started many years ago. Ministerial committees may sit for a few months or “stay engaged” for years, in cases where more complex decisions are involved, such as over foreign worker policies and the funding of healthcare and retirement needs, he added. For example, one was set up in 2014 to better coordinate plans for the airport expansion and related developments such as the relocation of Paya Lebar airbase.

“It brings several ministers together, supported by their civil servants, to find the best balance between different demands and plan our options for 10, 30 and 50 years ahead. That’s how long-term our planning has to be,” he said.

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