3/29/2008
Chok Tong's take on ministers
Chok Tong talked about the qualities expected of a good minister, able to anticipate problems and provide a solution. Three ministers fit this description, Boon Wan, Eng Hen and Raymond. They have been anticipating problems and working out solutions.
What Chok Tong should add is that the solutions must be workable, meaningful and effective in solving the problems. There is no point pushing solutions that the people do not believe are appropriate or what they want and ended being compelled to accept the solutions.
This last part is also related to what Chok Tong said, be connected with the people. Compelling the people to accept solutions they do not need or want is not connecting with the people.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
If the people don't believe the solutions are right, they should make that known in no uncertain terms at the ballot box, and not kao bei kao bu at coffee shops and cyberspace. The people of Singapore should give these out of touch leaders a jolt just like how our neighbours gave theirs earlier this month. Otherwise, they can always use their electoral mandate as a blank cheque to ride roughshod over the people's lives. This has got to stop. Question is are Singaporeans courageous enough to do this. I am not holding my breath which means we can expect more of the same for some time to come.
there are many avenues and methods to disagree. the ultimate is the ballot box. but that is once in 4 years.
imagine if there are no criticisms on the longetivity annuities and mean testing, they would have gone through unchanged.
Even with the changes, the end result is still unpalatable. So, why bother with those other avenues. I say throw the bastards out. That is the only message the politicians will understand.
if the majority of the voters feel the same way as you do, they will be out in the next GE.
the reality is that there are many who are 'pro establishment' and will vote for the same govt again and again.
The issues facing Singaporeans like price increases, means testing, CPF Life etc are uncomfortable but they have not reached the point of becoming unbearable. Unless those problems become really unbearable, hoping for a change in govt is but wishful thinking. Even if they become unbearable, the odds favoring the incumbent party such as near total control of the print and broadcast media, gerrymandering of constituencies via the GRC system, are just so overwhelming that they will most probably survive any electoral backlash. Add that to a bunch of nincompoops passing off for an opposition here, and you have the perfect ingredients of a fully democratic and legitimate dictatorship, an oxymoron that probably only exists in our fine island. Truly the city of possibilities.
our unique system of electing people's representatives will produce a certain kind of administrator politicians. give it another few years there will be no difference between a civil servant and politician. this is the new mandarin that we have to get use to. both will see their appointments as a job. do a good job, collect pay and wait for bonuses at year end.
Post a Comment