Our civil servants must be responsible for the loss of $388 million.

The government, through PSD and ISA are right in writing the letters of explanation for the process leading to the mistake of the $388m payout.

However, the government should have been proactive in disclosing the details of the "isolated" mistake, instead of doing so only after repeated calls by the public. By being proactive, the government will demonstrate that it takes its sense of public accountability seriously.

I do not agree that it world be "inappropriate to punish the review committee or any of its members" for losing $388m to a public listed company. It is disconcerting to hear from the government that by punishing them, "that would only encourage a culture where civil servants shield away from taking responsibilities, and avoid making mistakes for fear of committing mistakes."

What will happen to employees in a commercial entity if they lose $388 m due to an isolated and genuine mistake, much less in this case when the public trust is at stake?

I believe our civil servants should be held responsible and given appropriate chastisement for losing $388 m of taxpayer monies, a significant sum in the face of economic downturn, so as to create the culture whereby civil servants will " get their facts right, and to check and double-check details and assumptions." Even a rap on the knuckles is better than letting them off scott free.

We should and must give second chances to people who make mistakes, but on the other hand, we should not cultivate a culture in our civil service that one can make mistakes and not be responsible for them.

Do we have a choice with respect to increased freedom of expression

Increased freedom of expression is not a luxury nor an option, but a societal and economic necessity for 21st century Singapore in an increasingly globalized and competitive world. For Singapore to ride through the ferocious storm of external economic, social and political challenges together, we need to have greater opportunities to think, speak and debate.

Thomas Jefferson, founding father of America, once remarked, ""I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society, but the people themselves; if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."

With increased public debates, increasingly educated, informed and responsible Singaporean will be able to think for themselves, to produce and accept changes essential for our economic survival.

Maybe Singapore has a long way to go before we can exposit the same view as Voltaire, French author and philosopher who said, "I disapproved of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".

However, if we have greater latitude now to rebutt bad speech with better speech, then I will say Singaporean will be able to adept to the changing world, without depending on the government for every decisions.

The question is whether we, as Singaporeans can trust one another to "distinguish between right and wrong, between reasonable and unreasonable views." ?

Therefore, we must constantly asked the question, "How mature are we?"