Supplement: Should Leaders Be Judged On Their Private Lives?

Dear Readers,

Should leaders be judged on their private lives? I staunchly believe otherwise.

Let me begin with my definition of a good leader. He is one who can provide for the people, create jobs with steady incomes, put roofs over their heads, a sound and solid education for the future generations as well as a safe and peaceful society. He also must have the foresight to lead the country to better and greater heights. As can be seen, a leader must be one of top calibre as well as substance.

Recently, there have been a slew of sex scandals that has put the spotlight on leaders whose lewd acts in private life had put their careers in jeopardy. First, there was Bill Clinton and recently we had International Monetary Fund chief accused of rape. All of them had to pay a price and that is to resign from the post that they excelled in. I really do not understand why there is so much woo-has about these sex scandals. Firstly, they happened abroad and there is little impact on us whatsoever. Secondly, these sex scandals happened in their private lives and so naturally should be handled within the wrongdoer’s family.

So why are the newspapers doing this? Are our lives so dull and monotonous that we have to seek out juicy gossips from these leaders? To me, this is totally unfair to them as they too, like all of us, are entitled to their privacy and secrets. Nobody wants to wash their dirty linen in public.

Though I am grateful that such scandals have not found their ways to the Singapore leaders, I feel kind of sorry for those leaders that were exposed. Their actions were news worthy solely because they are public figures. Does it mean that people lose their private lives once they become public figures? This added pressure from the press of having to look over their shoulders consistently does not help at all.

Running a country is no mean feat. These leaders have very demanding and taxing lives. When the pressure gets too much, they need an outlet like you and me. Their actions may not be right but it is not for us to be the judge.

We must try to remember that these leaders are first humans, then leaders. They are also governed by the same set of rules as any humans. My take is this, as long as our leaders do their jobs properly and ensure Singapore’s living standards, let us give them some space.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that private lives of all public figures should stay private. Each one of us should respect the other’s privacy. A public figure need not have his life open to scrutiny for he is still an individual first. He is entitled to the same respect as you and I.

Regards,
Nathan (: