By Philip Ang
The unnecessary changes to the boundaries of electoral constituencies is confirmation of the People’s Action Party (PAP)’s loss of confidence.
Contrary to propaganda, PAP NEVER resolved any issues because it has not addressed the root cause of our problems, ie mindless population increase to generate ‘growth’.
PAP’s ‘solution’ – increase the frequency of trains and number of buses, ramp up housing, increase CPF Minimum Sum amount and Medishield premiums, hike petrol duty after oil prices have collapsed, promise more hospital beds with a disproportionate increase of foreigners, etc.
If that’s considered solving our issues, then ordinary Singaporeans can replace our ministers at a fraction of their salaries.
Instead of belatedly biting the bullet, PAP assumes it has the luxury of time to engage in propaganda, shamelessly exploit LKY’s death for sympathy votes and return tax dollars in the form of GST vouchers to buy our votes. What a joke.
PAP runs Singapore as a large corporation and is able to attract like-minded greedy candidates who are paid almost $200,000 annually for a part-time job.
Loyalists are destined to become CEOs/directors of government-linked companies despite sleeping on the job or spouting half truths for years/decades. Eg, ex DPM Wong Kan Seng – chairman of Temasek-owned Ascendas-Singbridge, ex-minister Lim Boon Heng – chairman of Temasek Holdings, etc.
If ex-ministers (excluding Aljunied GRC losers) did not belong to the jiak liao bee* category, why can’t they stand on their own two feet and join the private sector? Why are they still dependent on tax dollars after leaving politics?
Most PAP loyalists have also been parachuted into million-dollar top management positions without any relevant experience, such as SMRT paper general CEO and (sinking) NOL paper general Ng Yat Chung. For decades, PAP has been ‘promoting’ thousands of its loyalists based more on guan xi (connections) than merit and members of the public have been taken for a ride on Singapore’s ‘meritocratic’ system.
In the real world, political affiliation has its rewards, such as PAP supporters being appointed town council agents with contracts that are worth millions. Likewise for an opposition party but on a much smaller scale. (residents are shortchanged when winning contracts is dependent on political affiliation)
When PAP wields absolute power and is unaccountable to the people, its supporters enjoy the privileges of political affiliation. But what are the consequences when the reverse happens and it no longer controls parliament? Such a thought must be giving PAP sleepless nights.
A huge loss will mean PAP will no longer be able to ‘feed’ thousands of its fair-weather supporters, many who are multi-millionaires. This will eventually lead to a further decline in support followed by its eventual fall due to an unstoppable loss of confidence.
PAP did not abandon the use of propaganda and bullying tactics after the last election; it did not tackle the population issue head on. Its incompetence is now obvious to an increasing number of voters but it is still using propaganda to prevent the inevitable loss of power. The old PAP dog doesn’t seem to be able to learn any new tricks till today and isn’t even aware the clock had started ticking in 2011.
PAP fears it will be in deep trouble should opposition party members become MPs. Parliamentary questions on transparency will fly thick and fast for the first time in our 50-year history and whatever the revelations, PAP will also likely be history.
The last time we saw a real debate – PM Lee and Goh Chok Tong being grilled by JBJ and Chiam See Tong in 1988.
[youtube id=”BI1g4naB02E” align=”center” mode=”normal”]We need more real debates as they will benefit Singapore.
That PAP is in the mode of panic which has been confirmed by the arbitrary redrawing of electoral boundaries. But its loss of power is inevitable because it has never addressed the root cause of our problems since 2011.
*Hokkien dialect – Direct translation would be “Eating and wasting rice”, referring to a good-for-nothing.
This post was first published at Likedatalsocat.wordpress.com
