Singapore Democrats
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) takes serious issue with Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan and parliamentary representative of Sembawang GRC for mixing religion with politics.
In response to our calling him out on his insensitive remarks in which he suggested sending our parents for aged care in Johor Baru, Mr Khaw has been reported in the media today as follows:
“I think that is total fabrication….. brought up in a very Confucianist family, filial piety is the foundation of my whole life principle. So how could Khaw Boon Wan be recommending Singaporeans to dump their parents, whether in nursing home in Singapore or nursing home elsewhere?”
“In my same religious belief, if you lie, that is also one of the tragic sins. The outcome is also down to hell, so don’t do that.”
These are the facts of the case:
On 10 February 2009, in a media report on the 9 Feb parliament sitting entitled “Live in Nursing Home in JB?”, Mr Khaw was quoted as follows in reference to elderly aged care, “so what is the difference in putting them in Johor Baru?”
The next day he was taken to task in Parliament over these remarks but got away without a reprimand or sanction due to the PAP’s overwhelming majority.
The SDP wants to hold Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan publicly and electorally accountable over these remarks and the PAP government’s inability to provide affordable quality healthcare to Singaporeans in Singapore.
The issue is about Ministerial accountability and healthcare costs.
We are asking Mr. Khaw to stick to the issues and not to mix religion with politics.
SDP invites Mr Khaw and his team at Sembawang GRC to a public debate on these issues so he can clarify this to the people of Singapore.
Dr. James Gomez
for the Singapore Democratic Party