PM Goh advocates student bodies with political links

PRIME Minister Goh Chok Tong has urged universities to set up bodies linked to local political parties, a move reflective of greater openness in the tightly ruled city-state.

Mr Goh, speaking at a university forum on Tuesday, said the government was prepared to change laws to allow more freedom on campuses if students wished to raise their political awareness.

He suggested that students could form groups to invite speakers from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) or opposition parties to discuss economic or political issues, the Straits Times reported yesterday.

"You go and form one. And if there's interest, we may have to change the rules of universities . . . to allow students to form associations - not political parties - but student associations which are identified with the PAP, ABC party, or DEF party," Mr Goh told the students.

With the formation of such associations, "there are groups which begin to question and discuss ideas, and contest ideas among themselves", he said.

At present, leaders of the PAP and opposition parties are invited by university associations to speak at their campuses. The Prime Minister's proposal goes a step further by allowing the student associations to link themselves with political parties, observers said.

Mr Goh did not elaborate on what form the links would take.

Singapore Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan recently accused the government of treating universities as kindergartens and called for a more liberal climate at campuses.