'Backest back bencher' Kok Heng Leun passionate about Parliament
It has been more than two years since Nominated MP (NMP) Kok Heng Leun first stepped into Parliament, and he remembers how steep the learning curve was.
Speaking to TNP earlier this month, Mr Kok, artistic director of Drama Box, described how "completely new" Parliament proceedings were to him.
"To be honest, the bills are difficult to read. When I started, I had a lot of problems. I'm still having problems, I need support from people," said the 52-year-old, laughing.
He jokes that being an NMP means he is the "backest back bencher", but that hasn't stopped him from giving speeches where he doesn't mince words, whether on the arts or on topics like social inequality.
In the recent Budget debates, Mr Kok called for a reexamination of meritocracy and how, despite the Government's best efforts, many Singaporeans still do not succeed because "the odds are perpetually stacked against them".
"The income inequality that we've been seeing, that gap is getting bigger and you keep asking why it is so. Meritocracy is something that I've always been concerned with, what it really means and what its cost is," he said.
Although Mr Kok was chosen to represent the arts, he has spoken on a variety of issues.
He is also passionate about how to help the public better understand laws and the process of passing them here. Said Mr Kok: "We never think about how laws are passed..."
It's not that he feels Singaporeans are apathetic.
He believes the legal jargon used to explain bills puts people off , a point of frustration since "every legislation affects every aspect of our life".
"The bill can be translated into everyday language so that the public know the impact of the bill, so that they can respond," he said.
Mr Kok drew a comparison to his work in interactive theatre in community spaces.
Two decades ago, when he started performances that involve audiences volunteering to act alongside actors, Mr Kok faced his fair share of doubters.
APPROACHABLE
He made his shows more approachable by using simpler language and encouraging audience participation, taking apart the notion that theatre was too high-brow for everyday life.
He said: "Twenty years ago it was not easy but now, I am getting very good participation from the audience."
This could be translated into law-making, said Mr Kok, by engaging the public in a more "palatable, digestible and thoughtful" manner.
Public consultations by the Government are "not enough", he added.
Aside from the knowledge gap, the fast-paced nature of legislature could be turning Singaporeans off.
"Consultation time must be longer, so that means preparation time has to go longer," he said.
After he posted his Budget 2018 speech on Facebook, Mr Kok posted a comment saying it was the last budget debate he would be participating in.
Reflecting on his NMP journey so far, he said: "I think it is good, it is intense when you are trying to figure out arguments and how people speak.
"Words are very powerful, and words can be void and meaningless. Words can be used to mean many things, that is why I speak up."
- HARIZ BAHARUDIN
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