For this week, you may choose any current affairs topic that you feel strongly about and write a 200-word reflection on it. The topic you have chosen

My topic is Leaders and their Private Lives



In a democracy, leaders are elected by the people. Hence they are expected to serve the people and exhibit servant leadership. Good leaders must be willing to sacrifice, rule with honesty and integrity and place the welfare of the country and its people first. With good leaders, the country can achieve peace, make progress and reap economic benefits.
As the Prime Minister of Singapore, I do not think that there should be a line drawn between private and public life. As far as I am concerned, the private life of the minister must be respectful. He must be exemplary in behavior and have integrity. This is to gain the trust and respect from the people of Singapore.
Even though he is a good leader, and should he be tainted by scandals, people will lose respect for him and may not trust him as much as before. The people may wonder if they had voted correctly, thus his credibility is questionable. They may even think that he should not be getting his ministerial pay from taxpayer’s money when he is not of minister caliber in which social mores is one expectation.
To add on, leaders are public figures, hence they must set good examples for the people. If he is found to be tainted by a scandal in his private life, he must step down, regardless of his position in the cabinet as the people have lest respect in him and cannot be trusted anymore. In some cases, the people may protest if he did not step down as they think he may not be a good leader. As said, leaders must set good examples as people look up at them as role models of the society. If the leader is suspected to be tainted by scandal, he must be tried by the court. If he is found guilty of his crime and is against the law, he should be punished as an ordinary citizen, and not a leader.
In conclusion, as the Prime Minister of Singapore, I have this to say. In a multi-racial and multi-religious society, I expect leaders to be judged by their private lives even if they do not like it. Traditional and moral values upheld. The private life of leaders must stand up to scrutiny and we will not exercise the extreme liberty of that practiced in the West.