“There are potential safety gaps that need to be considered and improvements whic…” — Pritam Singh

For the longest time, the state discourse in Singapore has eschewed any reference to welfare. Similarly, the state has tended to place meritocracy on a pedestal. Political leadership has tended to frame both issues in the extreme, with welfare representing the bad, and meritocracy representing the good.

As a result of the expectations created, every time a training fatality occurs, the public pressure on MINDEF and SAF commanders down the leadership chain takes on a very corrosive edge. This damages not just the SAF, but the institution of National Service too.

It took 16 years after our independence for the opposition to win even one elected seat. And 23 years after 1988, when the GRC system was introduced, for the opposition to win one GRC.

There is the perception that the government's handling of the Covid-19 crisis has certainly not included adjectives that are more commonly associated with the Singapore government, such as clarity and decisiveness.