Lack of substance

This is so far removed from what has actually been said that “spin” seems much too mild a term to describe Mr Manning’s assertion. Absolutely no one has taken the Government to task for developing the country too fast. Instead, what has been said is (1) that the Government’s haste to push through construction projects is overheating the economy; and (2) that these construction projects do not represent development. But, just in case Mr Manning believes his own rhetoric, let us remind him what some of the real indicators of development would be: an efficient health sector; an education system that caters to the needs of all children and has a high pass rate; reliable infrastructure; a low crime rate; an adequate social safety net; a low percentage of people living under the poverty line; an economy not greatly dependent on one sector; and a government that is accountable to the Parliament.

However, instead of concentrating on policies that would achieve these ends, Mr Manning’s obsession seems to be the building of a Government Campus, the Tarouba Sporting Complex, and other mega-projects. That is what the Government has been criticised for, not for hastening the country’s development. But Mr Manning attempted to excuse his administration’s “speed” by claiming that no nation which wanted development had ever moved slowly, citing as proof nations such as Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore. This, again, is political spin unrelated to fact.

All these countries took at least 30 years to achieve developed nation status. They also began by making long-term investments in human capital - i.e. health and education. And they did not spend huge sums on government buildings, sporting complexes, or make-work projects. Mr Manning also warned about the danger of “analysis paralysis”. But Singapore has always had long-range plans, while remaining sensitive to the need to deal promptly and efficiently with day-to-day challenges. So, if the Manning administration has a problem, it is not too much analysis, but too little.

Interestingly, though, Mr Manning’s propaganda was apparently swallowed hook, line and sinker by Amcham president Nicholas Galt, who said. “It is better to be accused of doing too much than suffering from analysis paralysis”. Mr Galt also said that there were many people who did not understand the intricacies of policy making at the highest echelons within the Government. This is true, but it is true only because the Government has never been transparent about how it makes decisions. Mr Galt, however, knows better, because he had been told about the process by a Cabinet member — whose account Mr Galt also apparently swallowed whole.

However, it is not necessary for citizens to know how Cabinet decides on policy in order to have an opinion on the process. The proof of the pudding, as the old saying goes, is in the eating. And what citizens know is that it now costs a lot more to eat. So, were it anyone but the Prime Minister saying it, this assertion that the Government is developing the country too fast would be laughable, since there are no real signs of development apparent to anyone, just the trappings. But it appears that trappings mean more than substance to Mr Manning.