Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong cited India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during an impassioned debate in Parliament over how democracy should work in the city-state. He also discussed how almost 50% of Indian Lok Sabha members face criminal accusations.
“The majority of countries are built and begin on the foundation of lofty ideals and noble values. But more often than not, things evolve gradually over decades and generations, beyond the founding leaders and pioneer generation,” Lee remarked Tuesday during a debate on the Committee of Privileges report on accusations about untruths stated by former Workers’ Party lawmaker Raeesah Khan.
This is different from Nehru’s India: Lee
“Things begin with a passionate fervor. Leaders who battled for and won freedom are frequently extraordinary persons with enormous courage, immense culture, and exceptional ability. They emerged from the crucible of fire as men and nations’ leaders. They are the David Ben-Gurions and Jawaharlal Nehru, respectively, and we have our own,” he explained.
Imbued with immense personal prestige, they seek to live up to their peoples’ lofty expectations in order to create a brave new world and establish a new future for their peoples and countries. However, as the initial zeal wears off, future generations frequently struggle to maintain this momentum and drive, Lee explained.
Politics’ texture shifts and public regard for politicians dwindles. After a long, the electorate starts to believe that this is the usual and that nothing can be done about it. As a result, standards deteriorate, trust is eroded, and the country continues to collapse, the prime minister stated.
“Many modern political systems would be incomprehensible to their founders. Israel under Ben-Gurion has devolved into a country incapable of forming a government, despite four general elections in two years. Meanwhile, a steady stream of senior Israeli politicians and bureaucrats face a litany of criminal allegations, and several have been imprisoned.
“While Nehru’s India has devolved into one in which, according to media sources, nearly half of Lok Sabha members face criminal charges, including rape and murder. Though many of these claims are alleged to be politically motivated,” Lee added. The 70-year-old prime minister stated that each following generation must safeguard and strengthen the system Singapore inherited.