Meritocracy tempered with compassion the right way for S’pore: ESM

SINGAPORE — The competition resulting from the meritocratic system that Singapore subscribes to means that some Singaporeans at the bottom rung of society may not be able to cope, and that is why the Government’s recent moves to help this group more are the right decisions, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said at a dialogue yesterday.

Without the additional help from the Government for this segment of the population, society can become too tense as those who are able “move further and further up”, he added, noting that it is important that Singapore continues to uphold meritocracy but offset its negative effects with compassion.

Mr Goh made these comments at the first of the six dialogue sessions held yesterday under the Pioneering The Future series, which pays tribute to Singapore’s pioneer leaders from the government, business, academic and society.

Jointly organised by The EDB Society and The Straits Times, the dialogue, held at The Arts House, was attended by about 230 people, including former Permanent Secretary (Finance, Revenue Division) J Y Pillay, former chairman of the EDB Ngiam Tong Dow and former Cabinet minister Yeo Cheow Tong.

Responding to a question on worries that the Government is becoming populist with its social policies, Mr Goh said: “Initially I had some qualms, but I thought to myself, ‘They had to move, there’s no choice’.”

He added: “You can try and increase the pay at the bottom to progressive minimum wage … but still, the bottom 30 per cent will not be able to enjoy (what) the 70 per cent could. So they had to redistribute. The question is, is it sustainable?”

Mr Goh said his initial reservations also stemmed from the fact that “what you give, you can never take (back)”. He added that unlike Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s style of giving “bit by bit”, the Government is now giving “a lot by a lot”.

But there is a need for the present Government to prevent tensions from rising in the competitive meritocratic system, Mr Goh said. “I believe in meritocracy, but we have got to understand the negative impact of a meritocratic society, for individuals, for companies.”

During the one-and-a-half hour dialogue moderated by The Straits Times’ editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang, Mr Goh answered wide-ranging questions spanning his tenure as Prime Minister between 1990 and 2004, the country’s current economic situation, as well as the societal trends the country is facing.

On a question about managing Singapore’s vulnerability from its dependence on foreign investments, Mr Goh said there were factors that are within, as well as beyond, the country’s control.

A good, competent and visionary leadership, Singapore’s macroeconomic policy and its security are what the country has a say over. In contrast, geopolitical shifts, technological advancements and demographic changes are beyond the nation’s control.

On the economic front, Mr Goh said the circular trend going forward is one of slower growth. This is why Singapore has to focus on uplifting its productivity and innovation, he added.

Asked if the issues surrounding leadership succession planning remains the same today, Mr Goh noted that the key is still for the Government to have outstanding members working as a team.

While the late Mr Lee planned for his succession for a long time, Mr Goh said he chose to step down from his post “earlier than usual” partly to give Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a longer runway to prepare for the fourth-generation leadership.

On his thoughts about taking over the leadership from Mr Lee Kuan Yew and having Mr Lee Hsien Loong as his Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Goh said: “With these two Lees, one at the top and one at the bottom, I being in the middle, sandwiched, I’d like to believe I was the meat between the two pieces of bread.”

He added: “With that kind of attitude, I had no worries whatsoever.”