5/10/2012

A by election for regime change



There are many angles to look at this by election. At the very basic level will be a fight of personality and acceptance between the two candidates. At the next level will be a contest between the ruling party and the opposition, represented by the WP. It is very encouraging to see the opposition parties closing ranks on this issue, to stand together and not to be a spoilt brat by being the third party. But don’t worry, a third party will appear if things are as predictable as before. There will be clowns standing up for all the wrong reasons to mess up the fight.

Another big issue is the agenda for regime change. The vibes in cyberspace have been loud and clear, that a regime change is what they want. They are fed up of the ruling party for being what it is, refusing to change its attitude of talking down to the people and thinking it knows best. What it wants to do, it will do regardless of how painful it is to the people and regardless of how the people scream and shout.

The population explosion and all its unpleasant consequences of high inflation, high cost of living, congestion, high property and car prices, foreigners taking over the plum jobs of locals, are very painful to the citizens. Given foreigners a pink IC does not make that person a Singaporean, albeit legally. If that be the case, the whole govt can be foreigners or new citizens tomorrow. This disturbing policy has risen to a level that is seeing xenophobia starting to raise its ugly head. It has never been like that before. Singaporeans are proud of its migrant history and always welcome foreigners here. But when too many foreigners are getting on their nerves, it becomes anger.

How would this translate into an election issue? To quote a financial adviser, Tan Kay Kerng, ‘We need to have an official representative of the people and not to have a caretaker group of people who are looking after us.’ This statement sums up the attitude and mindset of the PAP. It wants to rule the people, be the master of the people, think for the people, telling the people what to do and what cannot do, and they will call the shot. Whether the people like it or not, they will do it. More immigrants needed. Period. Don’t bug me. We have decided. We will not change course. We are master. We know best.

Would the Hougang residents elect an MP to tell them that it is govt policy and they will have to live with it, vote for all govt policies and not against any? Or would they vote for a representative, their representative, to represent them, their views, their unhappiness, what they want done, in parliament? Do they want a govt that will decide everything for them in a ‘we know better’ and ‘it is good for you’. Or would they want a govt that will listen and make policies that the people want? Do they want to elect a master or a servant to serve them in parliament?

18 comments:

theonion said...

redbean

Reading too much into it considering that it is considered a WP stronghold

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi theonion,

Yes, it looks like a picnic. But depending on how it is being driven and the final results, it could be turned into something like a Bersih 3.0.

Say if the WP got 80% of the vote or PAP got 60%, it will have very serious implications.

Anonymous said...

Bersih happening in Sg? Don't even dream lah. PAP will win Hougang with a wafer thin margin ala Potong Pasir. Sad but the WP has totally mismanaged the whole Yaw debacle.

theonion said...

redbean

Do you even know why Bersih is happening.

It is because of ghost voters eg
(dead people voting twice), stuffing ballot boxes, postal votes and the fact that they have willy nilly doubled the population with other muslims against the local population irrespective of even birth or legal migration.

Yes, the govt of the day tilts the ground to their advantage but at the least, they also follow their own rules.

although as usual due to people in organisations, it may become very bureaucratic eg "follow law"

Anonymous said...

WP 65%, PAP 35%. Like President election, 65% of Singaporeans voted against PAP nominated candidate. Maybe 69% for WP, 31% PAP due to incremental Singaporeans fed up with more FTs taking their jobs and places in Uni, and more suffering from MRT fiasco, and young couples paying much higher priced HDB flats.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Bersih campaigned for a clean election. Bersih is more than just this campaign. it is a people's rejection of the govt by standing up to face the govt squarely. It takes a lot of guts and bravery to stand up against a regime in power and controlling all the apparatus of power.

Anonymous said...

redbean,
Of course, without skipping a beat, we should vote for a govt who listens to us, instead of one who "decides and knows what's best for us". The govt is the servant, we citizens are the master.

If we citizens want to withdraw all the money at 55,or even 50( can be considered) the govt should allow. Similaly, if we citizens say we should increase our pay by 50%, govt should do it, if the govt really cares for us. The govt should also discourage foreigners to come here because this is our land, if not enough of our own citizens reproduce ourselves, then so be it, at most, we go back to barter trade. And we should pay our local workers enough so that they will be attracted to work as construction workers, bartenders, waitresses and nurses. We close some of the shopping malls and use the land for wet markets and parks. Also, illegal sqartters on state land (eg KTM land) shd be allowed, for this is our mother land after all. Remember, we are the masters and they the servant. If later, govt need the land, the govt should compensate them at fair market price (like Tampines exec condo price) to vacate. That is only fair. If 1 civic group say cannot use Bukit Brown, then govt cannot use.

And well, if some of the policies dont work out we can always revert. We can change until one that works.

Anonymous said...

And yes, I salute the people of Bersih to stand up to govt power. Bersih is a reflection of People Power. Like in Phillipines and Indonesia and Thailand. These people have guts, risk their lives and career, to champion for the needs of common people.

People here are too used to peace and efficiency. MRT breakdown complain like KPKB. Let them have bersih. Maybe redbean you should take the flag and champion one ? We support you all the way.

Anonymous said...

Govt is elected by the people to serve the people's interests. If the people want to stop this place from being flooded by people, the govt has to work around as it is the wishes of the people. The govt cannot impose its wishes on the people just because it wants it its way.

Now the govt keeps saying I do it my way, like it or not...My Way. And when I said property prices are affordable it must be affordable, don't argue.

Anonymous said...

Agree. Not only that, we want govt to release our hard earned money in CPF early. The govt shld not think that we cannot take care of ourselves when we get old and squander all the money away. Our children can take care of us too.

Anonymous said...

Hope Hougang residents will give PAP a resounding thrashing.

Anonymous said...

Could it be another Potong Pasir in the making?

Anonymous said...

Oh no no, we citizens of Singapore are the real masters. We decide where we want to go. We should chase the foreigneres away and let our children chart the way forward. We should close all those foreign unis, those rolls royce and foreign budget airlines. Our kids can work in provision shops , kopi shops,etc I dont care.

Anonymous said...

Anyone here watched Taiwanese super idol? Those who follow the show will soon notice something...their students are highly creative and outspoken. You set a show like that with singaporeans youngsters...either you squalm or be bored to death.

PAP is bad for our souls. We need politicians to shoot their mouths,

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

When on pulls one too many rabbits out of the hat, soon they will be no rabbits left. It is better to slow down a little, take stock of what we really want and where we really want to go.

The high growth, high inflation, high salary, high prices, high cost of living is a dangerous cycle to be in. It is like a mouse on a spinning wheel.

The said...

/// Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...
When on pulls one too many rabbits out of the hat, soon they will be no rabbits left. ///

No worries there. We won't run out of rabbits. Don't you know? - rabbits multiply like, well, rabbits. If there are no local rabbits left, can always import more foreign rabbits.

Anonymous said...

The magician is able to pull many rabbits out of the hat, that is a good thing. Everybody can watch the performance and be entertained. But a different magician may not pull any rabbit at all with same hat, he may pull grasshoppers instead. And some people like to see many rabbits, some don't.

Anonymous said...

Nah! All magicians have tricks of making your currency worth much more or produce multiple copies of it.
But then hor, when the note is returned to You, it is only worth its' original value. Nothing is value added.
The magicians oni make You 'song', make You happy like all entertainers do.
You PAY to watch them. Fair right?