Vivian Balakrishnan
Encyclopedia
Vivian Balakrishnan is a politician
from Singapore
. A member of the governing People's Action Party
(PAP), he is currently the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.
Prior to that, he was the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports
(MCYS) from 2005 until 2011.. He has also served as the Second Minister for Trade and Industry
until May 2006; the Second Minister for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
(MICA) until March 2008; and the Minister of State for National Development
from 2001 to 2004 and the Minister in charge of Entrepreneurship.
He first entered politics by being nominated uncontested
for the Holland–Bukit Panjang Group Representative Constituency
in the 2001 General Elections
. He was re-elected in 2006 and 2011 at the Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representative Constituency.
In the Singapore general election, 2011, his constituency was redrawn and his team, made up of Liang Eng Hwa
, Christopher de Souza
and Sim Ann
, contested for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC against the Singapore Democratic Party
. His team won with a margin of 60.08% of the votes.
father and Fuqing
mother. Balakrishnan went to primary and secondary school at Anglo-Chinese School
and attended National Junior College
. After graduating from junior college in 1980, he studied medicine at the National University of Singapore
(NUS) as a President's Scholar
. During his university days, he was also the president of the NUS' student union twice as an undergraduate and was its chairman as a medical student. He chose a postgraduate specialisation in ophthalmology
and eventually became a Fellow
of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
in 1991.
in London as a specialist senior registrar, where he subspecialised in paediatric ophthalmology. He later returned to Singapore where he was appointed as a consultant ophthalmologist at Singapore National Eye Centre
and National University Hospital
and associate professor of ophthalmology at the National University of Singapore
in 1998. In 1999, he was appointed as the Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Centre and later became chief executive officer of the Singapore General Hospital
in 2000.
. When Balakrishnan was introduced to the media, he said he had "spent most of my adult life being skeptical of the PAP" and he "felt an emotional dissonance with the PAP." At first staying away from joining the Singaporean political scene because he feared it would undermine his and his peers' ideals of free speech, egalitarianism
, and separation of powers
, he was eventually driven to join the PAP in the wake of several economic recessions in Singapore to improve the economic security and competitiveness of Singapore and to intervene in social affairs. In 2002, he was appointed as the Minister of State for National Development, as well the Chairman of the Remaking Singapore Committee. Two years later, he became the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, before taking up the mantle of Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC
.
In a 2007 parliamentary budget debate, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Lily Neo's called for an increase in public assistance to the low-income families. Balakrishnan, who was Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports at the time — an office which had great influence over the government's social programme — responded by asking: "How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?" He added that he was by no means claiming that the public assistance offering was a generous package but that he was designing a system where public assistance should be complemented by other sources of help. In 2011, he said that his response to Neo "would haunt" him "forever" in his political life and that "That statement I made was wrong."
During the time he was Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Balakrishnan raised the public assistance scheme from $260 for a single-person household in 2007, to $400 for a single-person household in 2011. On 8 March 2011, he said in Parliament:
"In 2007, the Public Assistance rate for a single person was $260. Since then I've raised it 4 times and today it will become $400. From $260 to $400 in one term of parliament." Public Assistance scheme revision
Previously, Balakrishnan had said that his mother and her parents were born into poverty, but nonetheless "worked hard", and this formed much of his "inner most feelings, values and attitudes" to such social welfare issues as family values
and social safety net
s for those in poverty
. As a Minister for MCYS, he believed "bad things can happen to good decent people" and "we do need safety nets, but we have to start with the family, and we have got to be self-reliant, disciplined and hardworking" . He has expressed anxiety "whether our children or our grandchildren, born in the midst of plenty, spend more time thinking about how to spend their inheritance". He believes that most social problems do not arise from "the lack of money" but the "poverty of relationships". "All the wealth in the world will not buy you happiness and success, nor will it eliminate all the social problems which we face". Consequently, he seeks "a small, efficient Government
, with low taxes", and a "compassionate society" that practiced philanthropy
.
division in particular had not seen a contested election since 1991). Balakrishnan's team won his first contested election with 60.1% of the votes cast (with 90.5% turnout), but several issues had arisen prior to polling day.
In April 2011, Singapore Democratic Party
(SDP) criticised Balakrishnan for his role in problems surrounding the 2010 Youth Olympics (YOG) budget, noting it had exceeded the initial budget of S$104 million by three times. The MCYS explained that the initial budget had been insufficient to meet the requirements of the Olympic event and that the YOG budget did not affect any of the ministry's expenditures in other areas, such as helping the needy. They also noted the YOG had been broadcast to 266 million people worldwide, had a marketing value of $56.7 million, and also generated S$60 million in additional tourism receipts. This issue was brought up again by the SDP during the general election. On 5 May during an election rally at Clementi, Balakrishnan said that he was "proud of the YOG and of the athletes" and "proud of the 50,000 volunteers who made great sacrifices to be part of the once-in-a-lifetime event." He added that his team "did not waste or overspend or squander" any part of the budget and that the YOG had a "separate" budget and did not eat into any other part of any budget which was allocated to MCYS.
As the SDP, already known to be the main contender against the PAP in Balakrishnan's constituency, was preparing to issue its nomination plans, Balakrishnan told the press:"I am not sure what [the SDP] strategy is... I can’t help feeling that part of the reason for their reticence is they have elements of their agenda they are not prepared to disclose and subject to scrutiny. Eventually, they will have to come out of the closet." (The Straits Times
, April 20, 2011)
On 23 April, Balakrishnan called the announced SDP lineup "a team of strange bedfellows". On 25 April, he accused the SDP of "suppressing a certain YouTube video, which raises some very awkward questions about the agenda and motivations of the SDP and its candidates." This turned out to be a video recording a forum on gay rights, in which SDP candidate Vincent Wijeysingha
made a speech declaring, "I think the gay community has to rally ourselves. Perhaps one outcome of today's forum would be, for those of us who are interested, to come together to further consider how we can address the 377 issue as well as further rights issues in relation to gays and lesbians."
The PAP team led by Balakrishnan then issued the following statement: "The video raises the question on whether Wijeysingha will now pursue this cause in the political arena and what is the SDP's position on the matter." Balakrishnan also asked Wijeysingha if he was "promoting the gay cause" and noted "the discussion at the forum also touched on sex with boys and whether the age of consent for boys should be 14 years of age." His question became controversial. The Economist
noted in a post-election analysis article that "social-networking sites filled up with the rebukes of Singaporeans disgusted at the PAP tactic." Today
published several letters from citizens on the issue. An article on New Zealand Internet news site Scoop wrote in its summary of its elections that "Balakrishnan... began what can only be described as a smear campaign." The New Paper
defended Balakrishnan's inquiry, quoting Gillian Koh of the Institute of Policy Studies stated, "The question posed by the PAP team is not just a fair question, but a good question. The media and members of the public and the different parties most certainly have a right to ask every single candidate if he has a special area of interest."
When asked about the video, Wijeysingha rejected his comments, declaring, "We've been a very open party and we're very clear." SDP's Secretary-General Dr Chee Soon Juan stated that "we are not pursuing a gay agenda". The New Paper
released a story with the headline: 'Is Singapore ready for a GAY MP?" On 28 April, Balakrishnan said he would cease discussion on the matter: "I don't need to go any further with that. Questions were asked, I posed the question, he answered." He denied having employed a smear tactic when he questioned SDP about its alleged gay agenda: "No. This is a legitimate question and [Chee Soon Juan's] answered it... They have clarified they're not going to pursue the gay agenda; we'll leave it at that. I think the voters can judge for themselves." Journalists at Yahoo! News
Singapore interpreted Balakrishnan's remarks as "calling for a truce".
That same afternoon, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong concluded "Character is not irrelevant. The quality of the candidate is not irrelevant but this is not a matter of personal attacks on people, this is a matter of trying to decide who are qualified to represent the voters and if there is something which is relevant to that and it has to be brought out, well, it has to be properly brought out and discussed." (The Straits Times
,29 April 2011)
On 21 May 2011, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan was appointed as Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, taking over from Yaacob Ibrahim
.
Under Balakrishnan, MCYS also created the following government organisations:
As Second Minister of MICA from 2006 to 2008 he supervised the design and deployment of the Next Generation National Broadband Network.
Whilst at MTI from 2003 to 2006, he oversaw tourism, energy and science & technology portfolios. He coordinated the Project team that facilitated the development of the two Integrated Resorts.
Under Balakrishnan, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR):
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. A member of the governing People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP), he is currently the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.
Prior to that, he was the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports is a ministry of the Government of Singapore tasked with, from the government's point of view, building a "cohesive and resilient" society in Singapore.The MCYS often pursues vigorous social engineering campaigns of varying effectiveness and...
(MCYS) from 2005 until 2011.. He has also served as the Second Minister for Trade and Industry
Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Trade and Industry is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation of policies related to the development of trade and industry in Singapore.-Mission:...
until May 2006; the Second Minister for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts is a ministry of the Government of Singapore...
(MICA) until March 2008; and the Minister of State for National Development
Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
The Ministry of National Development is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to land use planning and infrastructure development...
from 2001 to 2004 and the Minister in charge of Entrepreneurship.
He first entered politics by being nominated uncontested
Walkover
In British English, a walkover or W.O. is the awarding of a victory to a contestant because there are no other contestants, or because the other contestants have been disqualified or have forfeited. The term can apply in sport, but can also apply to elections...
for the Holland–Bukit Panjang Group Representative Constituency
Holland-Bukit Panjang Group Representation Constituency
Holland-Bukit Panjang Group Representation Constituency is formerly a five-member Group Representation Constituency which it only appears in 2001 elections....
in the 2001 General Elections
Singapore general election, 2001
The Singapore parliamentary general elections of 2001 were held on 3 November. The People's Action Party, the incumbent ruling party, won 82 out of 84 seats in the election, including 55 walkovers...
. He was re-elected in 2006 and 2011 at the Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representative Constituency.
In the Singapore general election, 2011, his constituency was redrawn and his team, made up of Liang Eng Hwa
Liang Eng Hwa
Liang Eng Hwa is politician from the People's Action Party . He is currently one of the 4 Members of Parliament representing the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in Singapore.-Political career:...
, Christopher de Souza
Christopher de Souza
Christopher de Souza is a member of the Singapore Parliament and a practising litigation partner at the Singapore-based law firm Wong Partnership....
and Sim Ann
Sim Ann
Sim Ann is currently the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Law. She is a Member of Parliament for the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.- Education and early career :...
, contested for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC against the Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
. His team won with a margin of 60.08% of the votes.
Early life
Vivian Balakrishnan was born in 1961 to a TeluguTelugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
father and Fuqing
Fuqing
Fuqing is a county-level city of Fuzhou in Fujian, China.It is located in the eastern part of the province, borders the East China Sea, just southeast of Fuzhou and 45 kilometers from Changle International Airport of Fuzhou. Fuqing city has geographical advantage, for its location between...
mother. Balakrishnan went to primary and secondary school at Anglo-Chinese School
Anglo-Chinese School
The Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
and attended National Junior College
National Junior College
National Junior College is the first junior college established by the Ministry Of Education, located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. It is considered as one of the top five junior colleges in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students leading up to the GCE 'A' Levels...
. After graduating from junior college in 1980, he studied medicine at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
(NUS) as a President's Scholar
President's Scholar
A President's Scholar is a recipient of the most prestigious class of university undergraduate scholarships awarded to Singapore citizens by the Government of Singapore. In most years, only 2-4 President's Scholarships are awarded...
. During his university days, he was also the president of the NUS' student union twice as an undergraduate and was its chairman as a medical student. He chose a postgraduate specialisation in ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
and eventually became a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is an organisation dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and advancement in surgical practice, through its interest in education, training and examinations, its liaison with external medical bodies and representation of the modern surgical workforce...
in 1991.
Medical career
From 1993 to 1995, Balakrishnan worked at Moorfields Eye HospitalMoorfields Eye Hospital
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS eye hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is the oldest and largest eye hospital in the world and is internationally renowned for its comprehensive clinical and research activities...
in London as a specialist senior registrar, where he subspecialised in paediatric ophthalmology. He later returned to Singapore where he was appointed as a consultant ophthalmologist at Singapore National Eye Centre
Singapore National Eye Centre
The Singapore National Eye Centre commenced operations in 1990. It was founded to lead and organize specialised ophthalmological services with special emphasis on research and education. Since its inauguration, SNEC has averaged an annual workload of 14,000 major eye surgeries and 13,000 laser...
and National University Hospital
National University Hospital
The National University Hospital , established in 1985, is Singapore's only university hospital. It serves as a tertiary hospital as well as a clinical training centre and a research centre for the medical and dental faculties of the National University of Singapore...
and associate professor of ophthalmology at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
in 1998. In 1999, he was appointed as the Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Centre and later became chief executive officer of the Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
in 2000.
First term
Balakrishnan's political career began in 2001, when he was part of the five-member Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC that enjoyed a walkover during the general electionSingapore general election, 2001
The Singapore parliamentary general elections of 2001 were held on 3 November. The People's Action Party, the incumbent ruling party, won 82 out of 84 seats in the election, including 55 walkovers...
. When Balakrishnan was introduced to the media, he said he had "spent most of my adult life being skeptical of the PAP" and he "felt an emotional dissonance with the PAP." At first staying away from joining the Singaporean political scene because he feared it would undermine his and his peers' ideals of free speech, egalitarianism
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
, and separation of powers
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
, he was eventually driven to join the PAP in the wake of several economic recessions in Singapore to improve the economic security and competitiveness of Singapore and to intervene in social affairs. In 2002, he was appointed as the Minister of State for National Development, as well the Chairman of the Remaking Singapore Committee. Two years later, he became the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, before taking up the mantle of Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
Second term
Balakrishnan had a second walkover in the 2006 general electionSingapore general election, 2006
The 2006 Singapore parliamentary general election was held on 6 May 2006. 1.22 million out of the 2.16 million eligible Singaporeans voted for Members of Parliament and elected their next government. The People's Action Party , in its first election under Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6% of the overall...
in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC
Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency
Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central, western and northern areas of Singapore...
.
In a 2007 parliamentary budget debate, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Lily Neo's called for an increase in public assistance to the low-income families. Balakrishnan, who was Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports at the time — an office which had great influence over the government's social programme — responded by asking: "How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?" He added that he was by no means claiming that the public assistance offering was a generous package but that he was designing a system where public assistance should be complemented by other sources of help. In 2011, he said that his response to Neo "would haunt" him "forever" in his political life and that "That statement I made was wrong."
During the time he was Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Balakrishnan raised the public assistance scheme from $260 for a single-person household in 2007, to $400 for a single-person household in 2011. On 8 March 2011, he said in Parliament:
"In 2007, the Public Assistance rate for a single person was $260. Since then I've raised it 4 times and today it will become $400. From $260 to $400 in one term of parliament." Public Assistance scheme revision
Previously, Balakrishnan had said that his mother and her parents were born into poverty, but nonetheless "worked hard", and this formed much of his "inner most feelings, values and attitudes" to such social welfare issues as family values
Family values
Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....
and social safety net
Safety net
A safety net is in most cases a net to protect people from injury after falling by limiting the distance they fall. It may also be a device to arrest falling or flying objects for the safety of people beyond the net....
s for those in poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
. As a Minister for MCYS, he believed "bad things can happen to good decent people" and "we do need safety nets, but we have to start with the family, and we have got to be self-reliant, disciplined and hardworking" . He has expressed anxiety "whether our children or our grandchildren, born in the midst of plenty, spend more time thinking about how to spend their inheritance". He believes that most social problems do not arise from "the lack of money" but the "poverty of relationships". "All the wealth in the world will not buy you happiness and success, nor will it eliminate all the social problems which we face". Consequently, he seeks "a small, efficient Government
Small government
A Small government is one which minimizes its own activities. It is a concept important to classical liberalism and libertarianism.-In Hong Kong:...
, with low taxes", and a "compassionate society" that practiced philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
.
Third term
In the general election in 2011, voters in Balakrishnan's constituency were able to vote for the first time since its formation in 2006 (the Bukit TimahBukit Timah Single Member Constituency
Bukit Timah Single Member Constituency is a former single-member constituency in Bukit Timah, Singapore, and is one of the oldest since 1959 until 1997 whereby it was absorbed into the then Bukit Timah GRC along with Bukit Batok, Jurong, Ulu Pandan and Yuhua.In 2001, it reappeared as Bukit Batok...
division in particular had not seen a contested election since 1991). Balakrishnan's team won his first contested election with 60.1% of the votes cast (with 90.5% turnout), but several issues had arisen prior to polling day.
In April 2011, Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
(SDP) criticised Balakrishnan for his role in problems surrounding the 2010 Youth Olympics (YOG) budget, noting it had exceeded the initial budget of S$104 million by three times. The MCYS explained that the initial budget had been insufficient to meet the requirements of the Olympic event and that the YOG budget did not affect any of the ministry's expenditures in other areas, such as helping the needy. They also noted the YOG had been broadcast to 266 million people worldwide, had a marketing value of $56.7 million, and also generated S$60 million in additional tourism receipts. This issue was brought up again by the SDP during the general election. On 5 May during an election rally at Clementi, Balakrishnan said that he was "proud of the YOG and of the athletes" and "proud of the 50,000 volunteers who made great sacrifices to be part of the once-in-a-lifetime event." He added that his team "did not waste or overspend or squander" any part of the budget and that the YOG had a "separate" budget and did not eat into any other part of any budget which was allocated to MCYS.
As the SDP, already known to be the main contender against the PAP in Balakrishnan's constituency, was preparing to issue its nomination plans, Balakrishnan told the press:"I am not sure what [the SDP] strategy is... I can’t help feeling that part of the reason for their reticence is they have elements of their agenda they are not prepared to disclose and subject to scrutiny. Eventually, they will have to come out of the closet." (The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
, April 20, 2011)
On 23 April, Balakrishnan called the announced SDP lineup "a team of strange bedfellows". On 25 April, he accused the SDP of "suppressing a certain YouTube video, which raises some very awkward questions about the agenda and motivations of the SDP and its candidates." This turned out to be a video recording a forum on gay rights, in which SDP candidate Vincent Wijeysingha
Vincent Wijeysingha
Dr. Vincent Wijeysingha is a politician and civil activist from Singapore. He is currently the Assistant Treasurer of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party and was a candidate in the 2011 Singaporean general election...
made a speech declaring, "I think the gay community has to rally ourselves. Perhaps one outcome of today's forum would be, for those of us who are interested, to come together to further consider how we can address the 377 issue as well as further rights issues in relation to gays and lesbians."
The PAP team led by Balakrishnan then issued the following statement: "The video raises the question on whether Wijeysingha will now pursue this cause in the political arena and what is the SDP's position on the matter." Balakrishnan also asked Wijeysingha if he was "promoting the gay cause" and noted "the discussion at the forum also touched on sex with boys and whether the age of consent for boys should be 14 years of age." His question became controversial. The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
noted in a post-election analysis article that "social-networking sites filled up with the rebukes of Singaporeans disgusted at the PAP tactic." Today
Today (Singapore newspaper)
Today is a free English-language compact in Singapore published by government-owned MediaCorp print media arm. It is distributed from Monday to Sunday....
published several letters from citizens on the issue. An article on New Zealand Internet news site Scoop wrote in its summary of its elections that "Balakrishnan... began what can only be described as a smear campaign." The New Paper
The New Paper
The New Paper is Singapore's second-highest circulating paid English-language newspaper, first launched on July 26, 1988, by Singapore Press Holdings . According to SPH, its average daily circulation for August 2010 was 101600....
defended Balakrishnan's inquiry, quoting Gillian Koh of the Institute of Policy Studies stated, "The question posed by the PAP team is not just a fair question, but a good question. The media and members of the public and the different parties most certainly have a right to ask every single candidate if he has a special area of interest."
When asked about the video, Wijeysingha rejected his comments, declaring, "We've been a very open party and we're very clear." SDP's Secretary-General Dr Chee Soon Juan stated that "we are not pursuing a gay agenda". The New Paper
The New Paper
The New Paper is Singapore's second-highest circulating paid English-language newspaper, first launched on July 26, 1988, by Singapore Press Holdings . According to SPH, its average daily circulation for August 2010 was 101600....
released a story with the headline: 'Is Singapore ready for a GAY MP?" On 28 April, Balakrishnan said he would cease discussion on the matter: "I don't need to go any further with that. Questions were asked, I posed the question, he answered." He denied having employed a smear tactic when he questioned SDP about its alleged gay agenda: "No. This is a legitimate question and [Chee Soon Juan's] answered it... They have clarified they're not going to pursue the gay agenda; we'll leave it at that. I think the voters can judge for themselves." Journalists at Yahoo! News
Yahoo! News
Yahoo! News is an Internet-based news aggregator provided by Yahoo!. It features Top Stories, U.S. National, World, Business, Entertainment, Science, Health, Weather, Most Popular, News Photos, Op/Ed, and Local news....
Singapore interpreted Balakrishnan's remarks as "calling for a truce".
That same afternoon, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong concluded "Character is not irrelevant. The quality of the candidate is not irrelevant but this is not a matter of personal attacks on people, this is a matter of trying to decide who are qualified to represent the voters and if there is something which is relevant to that and it has to be brought out, well, it has to be properly brought out and discussed." (The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
,29 April 2011)
On 21 May 2011, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan was appointed as Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, taking over from Yaacob Ibrahim
Yaacob Ibrahim
Yaacob bin Ibrahim is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.-Education and early career:Yaacob graduated from the University of...
.
Acts of Parliament initiated
- Competition ActCompetition ActThe Competition Act is a Canadian federal law governing most business conduct.The Act contains both criminal and civil provisions aimed at preventing anti-competitive practices in the marketplace....
- Community Care Endowment Fund Act
- Mental Capacity Act and the International Child Abduction Act
Amendments initiated
- Children Development Co-Savings Act
- Children and Young Persons Act
- Women’s Charter
- Charities Act
- Hindu Endowments BoardHindu Endowments BoardThe Hindu Endowments Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government, under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports .-Role:...
(HEB) - Postal Services, Animals and Birds Act
- Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and Sale of Food Act.
Ministry activities
Under Balakrishnan, MCYS :- established the Comcare Endowment Fund. During the National Day Rally 2011 held on 14 August 2011 at the National University of Singapore University Cultural Centre, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that 200,000 Singaporeans have been helped since the inception of Comcare. National Day Rally 2011
- implemented the Comcare Social Assistance framework
- implemented the Enabling Masterplan for persons with disabilities
- established the Central Youth Guidance Office
- created a formal accreditation process for social workers
- upgraded the Childcare sector by doubling subsidies for parents, elevating teaching standards and increasing the number of childcare centres
Under Balakrishnan, MCYS also created the following government organisations:
- National Family Council,
- Charities Council
- Community Foundation
- National Steering Committee on Racial & Religious Harmony
- National Integration Council
- Centre for 3rd Age
- National Council against Problem Gambling.
As Second Minister of MICA from 2006 to 2008 he supervised the design and deployment of the Next Generation National Broadband Network.
Whilst at MTI from 2003 to 2006, he oversaw tourism, energy and science & technology portfolios. He coordinated the Project team that facilitated the development of the two Integrated Resorts.
Under Balakrishnan, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR):
- Appointed an expert panel on 11 June 2011 to conduct an in-depth review of all flood protection measures that will be implemented in Singapore over the next decade.
- Witnessed the handing over of four waterworks (Tebrau, Gunong Pulai, Skudai and Pontian) to the state of Johor on 31 August 2011, upon the expiry of the 1961 Water Agreement with Malaysia. Water Agreement 1961
- Announced the building of 10 new hawker centres from 2011 to 2020, 26 years after the last hawker centre was built in Singapore was in 1985. 10 New Hawker Centres to be Built over next decade