The Budget debate is a waste of time, as shown from more than 50 absentees in Parliament yesterday (Feb 27).
A quick count on the video screenshots found a disappointing 27 PAP MPs, or less than a quarter of the total 81 PAP MPs in Parliament. An estimated of more than 50 PAP MPs were missing in the Budget debate yesterday, along with 7 heavyweight Ministers including potential PM successors like Chan Chun Sing and Ong Ye Kung.
Low ranking PAP MPs like Tin Pei Ling, Teo Ser Luck and Baey Yam Keng were all missing. The S$53 million-a-year government is the world’s most expensive, with Lee Hsien Loong alone drawing S$2.2 million a year.
Missing faces:
President (1)
Halimah Yacob
Ministers (7)
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister of Trade S Isawaran, Minister of Industry Lim Hng Kiang, Minister Chan Chun Sing, Minister Ong Ye Kung, Minister of Communications Yaccob Ibrahim, Law Minister K Shanmugam
PAP MPs (>50)
Screenshot of Parliament on 27 Feb
Parliament seating from Straits Times