10/04/2006

youth is in

In the past, MPs are chosen from a field of experienced, intelligent and wise men to look after the affairs of the people and country. Incorruptibility, honesty, strength of character, integrity etc were the qualities that were seen as important. Then other qualities were also added, like bi lingualism. Candidates are chosen from those who can speak another tongue other than English to reach out to more people. Later on a humble background is a badge of honour to be flashed around to show that the underdogs can also do well. Today, the most important quality is youth. To be able to connect with the young, to dance, to be hip, and to be cool are important qualities to be an MP. The future is theirs. They are the future guardians or owners of the nation. Starting them young is important. The younger the better. I would strongly suggest to the opposition parties to start looking at the kindergartens and nurseries to recruit their potential candidates. Never mind if they are still sucking their pacifiers. They need to reach out to all the people, to the very young as well. And then they can brag about having the youngest MP in parliament. Maybe getting one from the kindergarten will sure make great news.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

For me, it's a waste of time.

It's very obvious, PAP is a political party quite bo-chap about political management...

What they don't seem to get, is you don't win over the future in such manner.

I suppose PM's historical role could well be destined to set the trend of 50~55% votes margin after successfully consolidated on (approx) 65% (the 60s level).

And we'd probably have also some major political disasters on the card...

By then, I should be able to be out of it all. Hehehehe...

Go go go, Elfred! Run for a life!

Anonymous said...

The very fact that they class MPs into Post-65 category shows that for a long time, they've been depending on the year 1965 for votes - the year PAP brought Singapore to independence. It's no secret that the basis for P65 is that post-65ers "don't know the hardships of independence" and so probably won't appreciate all that PAP has "done for Singapore."

It seems like PAP isn't confident enough to win votes by its own merit and has continually been falling back on its achievement in founding Singapore as a source of credibility.

What will happen in, say, 2050? Singapore would be 85 years old - it's safe to say that almost all voters would not have experienced the hardships of independence. What will PAP fall back on, assuming it's still in power?

No other party in any other country uses the year and the achievement of independence as a selling point. Nor would any other party emotionally blackmail its citizens with an unending reminder of the supposed debt of gratitude they have towards the party just for founding a nation. The Party may have founded Singapore, but it's an inevitability that it will eventually be superseded by others. Change and political evolution is part and parcel of any mature democracy.

PAP may be trying to stay relevant and attractive, but having P65 MPs make a fool of themselves rapping and dancing does not appeal to an eighteen year-old like me at all.

Anonymous said...

Jonathan,

I experienced hardship of independence...

I mean, it's hardship after independence... for the last 10+years...

And I am looking forward for a big break...

Now... PAP's victory or not...

It's the PM's problem. If he knows he got a problem, it helps. But if he doesn't... his problems will always be others' prosperity.

But here... even if he know he need a great deal of political credibility... how is he gonna to do that?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi jonathan, you made several interesting observations here.

it is now an increasingly difficult task to get the voters behind you when they no longer buy logics that are not logical, or at least from their point of views.

what is good for me may not be good for you. but if one insists that what is good for him must be good for everyone at all cost, that we have a credibility gap to fill.