5/10/2011

Time to depoliticise community organizations

The staff of town councils in Potong Pasir and Aljunied GRC is worried that they may lose their jobs with the change of political masters. This is a very unnecessary and divisive situation where people’s livelihood is tied to the fate of political parties. It is very unhealthy and should not be such as the innocent people should not be dragged into the turmoil and tussle for political power. The town councils are not the only organization that is affected by this kind of arrangement. There are many that need to be depoliticized. In the aftermath of the fallen Aljunied GRC, Zainul Abidin ‘assured the activists that residents who need urgent help can go to the community centre, where the chairman of the Citizen’s Consultative Committee will write letters on their behalf to the authorities.’ Don’t they have a new set of MPs to handle their problems? Aren’t the community centres and the CCCs non political organizations, neutral social or govt organizations that would continue to operate to serve the people no matter which political party comes to power? For the good of the country and the people, and the staff concerned, it is better that such institutions be made to be apolitical and will not have to suffer the fate of political changes. PS. Heard that a NSP supporter has been sacked from a Town Council. If this is true, it is not going to look good for coming together as one people after the GE.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Redbean, the CCs and RCs are the propaganda arms of the PAP. How can they relinquish them to the Opposition MPs?

So, you can see the mammoth unlevel playing fields that the opposition had to fight against to win a GRC or even a SMC.

By the way, why is MM still saying that they need to sit down carefully and analyse the reasons to find out why they lost so much ground nation wide? The reasons are so obvious from the feedback in cyberspace and coffeeshops.

Or are they only reading feedbacks carried on Straits Times forumn and YoungPAP that are touted to be the only credible sources? Every sensible bean knows the reasons except the PAP and its supporters.

They also said they need to find out why their votes slipped during the 2006 election. I wonder whether they do so during those five years between 2006 and 2011.

I guess after 2006 they became deaf. After 2011 they might become deaf and blind too.

Anonymous said...

Yes, they became deaf and now blind. Continue to analyze how you lost and gerrymander to your advantage for next election, we citizens will definitely teach you a lesson you won't forget at the next polls.

Anonymous said...

Dear Redbean
You probably would not have wasted your time writing this article had you read this other article first:

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan says ....
"the election has been a good learning journey and at the strategic level, many PAP policies are right but their implementation and communication can be improved."

Source:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/gov-t-improve-communication-citizens-dr-balakrishnan-140421938.html

In other words .... "It's business as usual."

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Yes, I think you are right. Just give them a few days and they will be back to their normal self.

Anonymous said...

Actually, the WP in Aljunied could seize the upperhand to diplay its humility, sense of fairplay. ie
by retaining all TC staff who had previously worked under the PAP adminstration.
I am sure such gesture would win them the hearts and minds of even the PAP voters in the area.
This will put them in good stead against the pettiness of the PAP in PP and HG

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Not so easy. The top few employees in town councils are likely to be card holders of their respective party. Keeping them would mean whatever that happens in the town council is an open book.

In Aljunied there is room for retention of some of the key staff as some may already be voting for the WP.

As long as the staff are not neutral and are party members, it is dicey.

That is why depoliticising such organisations is good for the staff.

Soojenn said...

"Actually, the WP in Aljunied could seize the upperhand to diplay its humility, sense of fairplay. ie
by retaining all TC staff who had previously worked under the PAP adminstration."

Who's kidding who... letting the lion into the lair?

No way there is to keep the town council people who are DEFINATELY PAP people. Just sack the whole load of them.. you don't want spies, and problem makers in your community that you want to build.. especially not those from the PAP..

The PAP town council inm Jurong has already started the axe rolling on the opposition suporters.

What fairpalay are we talking about.. must be joke.. fair play with goliath? hahahaaaa.