Doctors and Politics V (Local)

Election fever seems to have hit SingaporeMD as well - we have more posts (and more page views) in the recent two weeks than anytime since inception, robust discussion in the commentary (mainly our colleague angry doc defending his point of view against all comers), and no "groupthink" despite the similar careers of the bloggers.

In the real world, it seems that that the doctors actively involved in politics and civil society are divided as well. The initial prominence of doctors in the ruling party has given way to the surprising revelation that some doctors have also given their time and energy towards alternative policies. This is a welcome change as doctors worldwide tend to have a conservative outlook (no surprise as most doctors earn quite a bit of money and lead comfortable lives despite all the moaning) - most doctors in the US tend to vote for Republicans, for example.

Among newcomers in the PAP, we have Dr Janil Puthucheary, a bright and dedicated pediatrician and a great teacher who unfortunately chose to conflate his profession (saving children's lives) with national service, and Mr Chia Shi Lu, who literally "parachuted" into parliament without having been introduced to the nation. Now, I have only heard good things about the SGH orthopedic surgeon, and he is likely to do a good job as an MP. We should also not begrudge those who grasp opportunities firmly as they arise - if he had (and this is speculation) negotiated the Tanjong Pagar slot while his popular colleague Mr Baey was sent to buttress the former MND minister's team in Tampines, then kudos to him. It is good election strategy for both him and his party.

Among newcomers in the opposition, we have Dr Ang Yong Guan, a psychiatrist with very impressive credentials and experience. His rally speeches sound a bit strange to me, but perhaps that's the hazard of his profession. During my medical school days, I thought virtually all the psychiatry tutors and professors sounded a bit odd. Then there is the "outed" medical team that provided expert input for the SDP's shadow healthcare plan, many of whom are not actually SDP members. Prof Paul Tambyah, in particular, also spoke at the SDP's final rallies as a "guest speaker" along with Mr Tan Kin Lian. Prof Tambyah is well known in the medical and biomedical research community, and possibly more famous internationally than he is in his own country. He is an infectious disease physician by training, a prominent debater, and a member of the local human rights group Maruah. He was put up for the nominated MP position by the Singapore medical community recently, but was rejected by the governmental selection committee.

Many doctors (well-educated as we are) continue to express the fear that the votes are not secret, and that there might be future repercussions in terms of their career prospects (public sector-wise) if they voted "wrongly" or assisted the opposition parties. In this light, it will be interesting to follow the careers of Prof Tambyah and Mr Chia Shi Lu from now and see if such fears are in fact groundless.