Lee Hsien Loong said YES to the casino

Prime News
How ministers were won over to the IRsSue-Ann Chia
644 words
19 April 2005
Straits Times
STIMES
English
(c) 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Most were resistant initially but came to realise consequences of rejecting concept
THE Cabinet discussed the issues and trade-offs in having integrated resorts 'over and over again' before reaching a final decision.
Although not a life-or-death matter, it was a major decision, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.
Giving an insight into the decision-making process, he said the ministers talked about it during their Cabinet and lunch meetings.
'We took into account feedback from the public, our discussions with MPs, and all arguments for and against,' he said.
Members of the public who believe the ministers had made up their minds right from the start, even before inviting feedback, are 'quite mistaken', PM Lee said.
Initially, most of the ministers were against the integrated resorts (IRs).
'The views of ministers mirrored the spectrum of views among the public,' he said.
But as they discussed the matter and understood better what IRs actually involved, their views gradually shifted.
He said that when they finally saw the concept proposals submitted by the various developers, they realised they had to take the bids very seriously.
And if they said 'no' to the proposals, there would also be serious consequences.
They took a final decision at a special Cabinet meeting convened on April 9, a Saturday afternoon.
Nearly everyone was present and all expressed their views - whether for or against.
Three ministers were travelling and could not attend - Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar and Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan. But they had already made their views known earlier.
'Even after so many discussions, ministers were still not unanimous,' Mr Lee revealed yesterday.
They first discussed whether to have IRs at all.
The answer was 'yes'.
The next question was whether to have one or two IRs.
They decided on two because the Marina Bay and Sentosa projects complement each other.
Two resorts also provide competition and critical mass.
They also believed that two resorts would bring more economic benefits without increasing the social cost by much more or, as he put it, commensurately.
'This is a judgment, not a mathematical calculation,' he said.
'We see the trends and feel the need to move. Whichever way we decide, there are risks.'
Mr Lee conceded that the IRs could fail. The social fallout could also be worse than expected.
However, after weighing the matter carefully, the Cabinet had 'collectively concluded that we had no choice but to proceed with the IRs'.
'As Prime Minister, I carry the ultimate responsibility for the decision,' he said.
He also said he knew that not everyone would be convinced by the Government's reasons.
He said he respected the convictions of those who opposed the IRs for religious reasons.
But in a multiracial, multireligious society, the Government had to maintain a secular and pragmatic approach.
'To those who object to the IRs on religious grounds, no economic benefit justifies allowing acasino here.
'But the Government has to balance the economic pluses against the social fallout and the intangible impact on values, and make an overall judgment whether to proceed,' he said.
'For the Government, the key consideration is what serves our national interest in the long term.'
Mr Lee will meet community and religious leaders to explain the move and discuss the proposed safeguards.
He will also ask them to work with the Government to minimise the social impact, he said.
Thanking Singaporeans for taking part in the debate, he said: 'Your views counted.
'They helped us understand your concerns and the potential problems better. They demonstrated that Singaporeans can have a rational and constructive public debate on controversial and serious issues.
'But from here, whether you were for or against, let us put the differences aside and move on.'