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By Li Xueying
THEN there are some who have distinguished themselves with sharp, thoughtful speeches that show mental acuity.
They tend to be the younger MPs who are lawyers: Mr Michael Palmer (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC), Mr Hri Kumar (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) and Mr de Souza.
Says Mr Chan: "The lawyers have done quite well in terms of debating - people like Michael Palmer and Hri Kumar."
A second-term MP who does not want to be named also praises Mr de Souza for his good grasp of legal issues.
Mr Liang is singled out as one who speaks out on economic issues.
But a veteran PAP MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expresses disappointment that he has "not been quite impressed by this batch" in terms of their performance in Parliament.
"We were hoping that there will be the Tan Soo Khoons and the Tan Cheng Bocks who'd stand out for critical, original and passionate speeches," he says, referring to the retired firebrand MPs who had crossed swords with their own party within the chambers.
"Sure, the young ones make logical speeches, but where is the passion? We need them to come forward and state passionately what they stand for."
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This article was first published in The Straits Times.
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