The Peoples’ Association (PA), community centres (CCs), community organisations (COs) and the like are meant to be non partisan resources for all citizens. It should have no regard for party politics or any political affiliation. Being funded out of the public purse, it’s sole existence is to serve the public, nothing else.
Yet, it would appear that this is not so.
Many articles before this have long criticised the PA and its affiliated CCs / COs for seemingly prioritising the dominant Peoples’ Action Party (PAP) over all other parties, giving an edge to the PAP which is not always in the peoples’ best interest. Despite widespread criticism of this seeming phenomenon, it would appear that this trend of putting PAP over people still continues.
In a constituency where the member of parliament (MP) is from the PAP, it would make sense to invite the PAP MP to an event organised by the PA or CC/CO. In a constituency where the PAP has just lost its Group Representative Constituency (GRC) seats to the Workers’ Party (WP), it flies in the face of logic to invite a PAP candidate who has just lost the election over the WP MP(elects) who have just won.
Yet, this is exactly what the Kaki Bukit community organisation (part of the Aljunied GRC) has done in its National Day event by inviting the PAP’s Shamsul Kamar instead of the WP’s MP-elect(s) for the area.
Is it so ingrained within the culture of the PA and CCs that it has to support the PAP no matter what the situation is that this is their auto pilot function even when Aljunied GRC is not a PAP GRC? Or, is it a complete disregard for the public voice despite their very existence being funded by the public purse?
One has to note that $516.40 million had been allocated to PA to organise a wide range of programmes to promote racial harmony and social cohesion.
If it is the former, then it may well be that the PA and the CCs are completely obsolete in mindset and need a complete overhaul to modernise and be more relevant to the changing needs of citizens. If it is the latter, then they should be abolished altogether. Just for their sheer arrogance! The people have already told you via the ballot box that they want the WP. Yet, you still rub the PAP in their faces.
Their (PA/CC/CO) very existence is funded by the people and yet they bite the hand that feeds them?
At the end of the day, we must remember that these resources are funded by Singaporeans. Not the PAP. Why then is Kaki Bukit Community Organisation treating the PAP as their paymaster instead of the public?
