TO CONVERSE IS TO TRUST

(This is my letter published in the Today Newspaper Voices Column on 14 September 2012)

(Background: During the recent National Day Rally, Singapore's Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong invited Singaporeans from all walks of life to come together in a national discourse about their future hopes for the country.  An "Our Singapore" Committee of 26 members to be chaired by Education Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat was appointed to oversee more than 30 dialogue sessions and other forms of communication.)


It is a pity that the national conversation has been greeted
with premature cynicism and frank dismissal as a partisan

exercise in some quarters, by those who have apparently

distanced themselves from the effort.

This undermines the inclusiveness that they claim they 

are championing. Our citizens must realize that there is a 

valuable opportunity to provide input for future national

policies that we must not let slip.

Since it has been branded a conversation from the start, 

we can have optimistic expectations.

A conversation is usually a cordial exchange of information

and opinions between equals. It may be spontaneous and 

unpredictable, with no limits to the scope of discussion within 

the chosen themes. It may also be interactive, with room for

follow-up requests for clarification and the presentation of 

counter-arguments.

Nonetheless, we must understand that a conversation cannot 

be expected to lead to agreement or a firm conclusion.

Ultimately, since we elected our Government to represent us 

in Parliament, we must trust it to diligently and thoughtfully 

collate the feedback provided, to be used to complement its

judgment in improving our policies.