Govt has to be upfront with the "bad news": Sitoh Yih Pin

SINGAPORE: MP for Potong Pasir, Sitoh Yih Pin, has suggested that the government be upfront with Singaporeans about the "bad news" and manage expectations.

Speaking in Parliament on the second day of the Budget debate, Mr Sitoh said this could include the fact that some graduates will never stay in private housing or own a car because 85 per cent of housing are HDB flats, or that there is still a need for foreign labour to care for the elderly over the next 20 years —— even if the country’s total fertility rate goes up to 2.1 per cent suddenly.

Mr Sitoh said managing expectations helps the government to build trust.

He said: "The currency of politics is trust. While we must strive to improve on our performance, we also need to get down to the difficult business of managing expectations.

"Expectation is a spectrum. Most politicians only talk about the higher end of the spectrum —— the lofty things that are nice to hear. But as responsible politicians governing Singapore, we will have to be honest and we will have to communicate the bad news —— the harsh realities that each and every Singaporean has to face sooner or later."

—CNA/ac