In making any policy affecting the people like shin corp investment or postponement of retirement age or collection of retirement CPF monies, it is not a matter of face. Loss of face in making a policy is not critical or important.
The most important criterion should be put forward on top of all policy papers even if there has been a committee studying the whole policy proposal beforehand because civil servants or ministers may not have all the full facts from the larger perspectives of the nation.
So please do not call any proposal white papers or select committee to give the wrong impression that any policy is cast in stone or concrete.
A very simple solution to prevent casting a policy in concrete is to clearly show on top of policy papers at whatever stage as preliminary findings before receipt of incorporation of full public consultation and do not close the door on the public views so soon.
There is just a chance that ministers or civil servants were always too eager to push through their own views or proposals and by the time it comes to publishing them to the public it is too late to unwind or consider certain major areas affecting the public or real solution to problem.
In tabling white paper, just do not characterize any policy papers as final or being overly factual or truthful in the version as put up by civil servants but substitute all headers as "preliminary findings".