[forum456]

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/for...-to-nought

I refer to the article "Vivian Balakrishnan apologises to PSP's Leong Mun Wai after 'illiterate' comment circulates online" (Sept 15).

If the People's Action Party wants to know why it has lost vote share and a second group representation constituency in the last election, it needs to look no further than this incident.

Voters can be put off by what they perceive as an elitist and condescending attitude towards the opposition.


The Government tries so hard to win the minds of the people, but it forgets that often the heart transcends the mind.

Ministers can spend hours making speeches about the benefits of having free trade agreements or the importance of stamping out racism.

But all these efforts to engage the logical minds of citizens come to nought when ministers make remarks that pierce the hearts of the people.


The Government often chastises Singaporeans for being racist or xenophobic, but does it have the moral high ground to do so when its own Cabinet ministers can be seen to be elitist?

Elitism is no less a form of discrimination than racism or xenophobia.

This incident also leads to the worrying question of whether such elitist thinking and chatter are also present at Cabinet meetings.

Victor Ng Beng Li