Heng Says Govt Has Integrity When They Announce Planned GST Hike. Really?

In news that surprised no Singaporeans, DPM and PM-to-be Heng Swee Keat said that the government, or in essence the PAP, showed total integrity to Singaporeans as they were upfront about the planned GST hike. This was obviously a dig at WP, who Heng had attacked in Parliament for not showing any integrity in their dealings with AHTC and the court case, which WP lost, of course.

His statement smacks of him praising his party to high heavens. He might have forgotten PM Lee’s promise during the last election campaign that GST would not go up, quashing WP’s claims that it would. No matter, because according to Heng, just because you are upfront about the raising of GST it means you have integrity, past promises be damned.

But, has the PAP been upfront with all its other policies? Integrity does not only apply to some policies, it applies to all. So, when the PAP changed the constitution immediately to put in the a member of the minority as a candidate for the elected presidency, were they being upfront? Or was this just a quick fix solution to prevent Tan Cheng Bock, who was widely expected to win if he had been allowed to contest, from actually becoming President? Was this being upfront, or hiding behind a hastily approved constitution to make sure they get their way?

And how about being upfront with the CECA issue? Heng’s comrade-in-arms Chan Chun Sing said Singaporeans should not jump to conclusions and make their own judgment on CECA. So how about the government then telling Singaporeans what the agreement was about, and who benefits most from this?

Being upfront is also showing integrity, according to Heng. So, there is really nothing to hide from the government who places such a high value on integrity, one would think. Over to you, DPM Heng Swee Keat.