Former Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan published a forum letter yesterday (Apr 29) in which he praised the conciliatory tone adopted by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh during the parliamentary debate on the President's Address.

Viswa: Fairer, gentler tone in Parliament augurs well for 4G leadership

In the letter, Viswa calls for a more collaborative and respectful approach to political discourse, encouraging open conversations and active listening.

Viswa sees the shift in tone as a promising sign for Singapore's 4G leadership and urges politicians to reject "populism and political opportunism."

He questions the need for contentious political discourse and advocates for greater conciliation and open-mindedness.

Viswa's letter an irony given his past conduct

In February 2021, Viswa had to apologize publicly for making an allegedly sexual and belittling comment during a Zoom call with stand-up comedian Sharul Channa.

Before interviewing her online about her comedy and work on women's issues, he is said to have asked why she was wearing a rose brooch.

Sharul, 34, claims she replied: "I just put it on to distract from the pattern on my top", and that Viswa then said: "It would be more distracting if you were wearing only that rose."

Backlash against Viswa was quick to follow, prompting several institutions including the National University of Singapore (NUS) to discontinue all projects with Viswa and his company Strategic Moves.

Hypocritical?

Viswa called for more open conversations and active listening. However, given his past indiscretions, it is difficult not to view Viswa's letter as hypocritical.

For one, Viswa's letter advocates for a more civil and open-minded approach to political discourse, while his own behavior in the past has been anything but.

The Zoom call incident exemplifies his disregard for respectful communication, particularly towards women.

Furthermore, the letter's focus on rejecting "populism and political opportunism" seems ironic, as Viswa's own attempt to re-enter the public eye appears to be an exercise in opportunism.