11/21/2008
Is it complacency or stupidity, or simply too clever?
The last few days more views were out in the old media about the merits of a one party political system. Two writers, Dr Tan Wu Meng, the Organising Secretary of Young PAP and Tim Mou Hui put their views on the merits of a one party system in the ST today and pointed out the shortfalls of a two party system as mentioned in Gilbert Goh's letter. Against all conventional wisdom, or it is their new wisdom, that a one party system is the way to go. They have thrown away all caution of how treacherous is this path if we are not careful. It is a path of no return.
Singaporeans have already flirted with the danger of a one party rule with more than 2/3 majority in Parliament all these years. This is no small matter as it means that the majority party can do whatever they like. They are given a blank cheque to even change the constitution to their likings. In a worst case scenario, a rogue govt can simply amend the constitution and change a democracy into a dictatorship.
Singapore is lucky that we have a kind of benevolent dictatorship as coined by Chua Mui Hoong, and survives, prospers and progresses over the last 45 years. In different hands, we will be in dip shit. Definitely this is no justification that things will be the same going forward.
Should Singapore really go all out to embrace a single party system or even a dictatorship? I try to appreciate the reasoning of this new wisdom. But my instinct and old wisdom say this is highly dangerous. It is thoughtless and senseless. And to think that thinking people even clamour for such an eventuality is really frightening.
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21 comments:
The most convincing argument for a one party state is, "why fix it if it isn't broken?"
I think there is ample logic in that argument. Long may the existing system continue.
If we endorse a one party political system and change the constitution to embrace that, they will not only squeeze you financially, but will eventually squeeze your balls and breast to extract every drop of juice. And you have totally no recourse and they have no fear of losing their power and control. It is frighteningly frightening.
On Tuesday, November 11, 2008, at around 8pm, I went to my area Meet-The-People (MPS) session to meet the elected Member of Parliament (MP). I was made to wait for over 3 hours by the political party activist just to meet the MP even though I had properly registered myself and quene up. The party activists told me the MP is the "Minister" or "Bu Chang" in Chinese or "DPM". I replied to them that my purpose is to meet the MP. I was told by the activists that they turned away residents who want to meet the MP, who do not have a "case" with them. I only managed to meet the MP when the MPS session is over, at after 11pm. The MP is from PAP. I observed that the party activists are treating the MP like a king, and residents like myself like oppressed subjects. They even asked me personal questions which is unrelated to the purpose of my visit to MPS. Yucks!
(It is the same treatment I got when I was serving the National Service (military conscription), which the PAP junta took away my youth for free.)
Tell me, what kind of one-party political system is this?
This is clearly unacceptable behaviors by the party activists towards the residents who clearly have the rights to meet their elected MP during the MPS.
Not only this, there are widespread unhappiness in Singapore going by the whispering of political discussion, but there are no freely organised street protests. There are countless number of political websites and blogs about Singapore political issues but few made it to outside the websites and blogs. This go to show that there is no political freedoms in Republic of Singapore. There are no freedom of speech, assembly and association in the Republic of Singapore. The broadcasting media companies are monopolies wholly controlled by the PAP junta. I called them junta because some of the politicians from the so-called ruling political party are with military backgrounds. Expatriates and other affluent foreigners do not often get to feel this level of political oppression as they only get to see what the PAP junta allow them to see. There are many political issues that need to be openly talked about but the PAP junta is placing obstacles to block conscientious Singaporeans from doing so.
As can be seen on Singapore website, using one's name is not usual. This go to show again that there is a widespread fear of being recognised and, thus targetted for one's political views in Singapore, unlike in politically developed countries.
Francis Chua, Singapore
>If we endorse a one party political system and change the constitution to >embrace that, they will not only squeeze you financially, but will eventually >squeeze your balls and breast to extract every drop of juice. And you have >totally no recourse and they have no fear of losing their power and control. >It is frighteningly frightening.
Absolutely in agreement, as it is already happening to some Singaporeans!
Francis Chua, Singapore
Address: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/
singaporelocalnews/view/391076/1/.html
Girls make up top PSLE students across main ethnic groups
By Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 20 November 2008 1553 hrs
There is institutionalised favourtism towards girls and institutionalised
oppression towards boys in Singapore.
Boys have to serve the military conscriion for free and girls do not have to, they get free tickets to paradises.
According to observations, there are concerted political effort towards making the system unfair towards boys and more than fair towards girls.
I am not prejudiced towards boys or girls.
Francis Chua, Singapore
The broadcasting media companies which are monopolies wholly controlled by the PAP junta, may occasionally report on the less fortunate Singaporeans in Singapore to appear politically correct to the outside world, but in reality the PAP junta is doing very little to help Singaporeans, but has being said many times, continue to ensure they (PAP junta) are not worse off.
Prove me wrong!
Francis Chua, Singapore
In short, life is a stinking nightmare in Singapore. The ruling party politicians can never be seen, except on TV and in the newspapers, and as soundbites on the radio. Effectively, they are non-existent. I had to personally go to the Parliament when there is a debate and looked through the wall-to-wall glass in the public gallery, that these so-called MPs are indeed living & breathing human beings, and not ghosts that are roaming the unfree island.
Abolish the military conscription, National Service, for it is contributing to the imbalance between boys and girls, and between the Singapore men and women. Within the Singapore military, there is gross unfairness. Stop the ruling party politicians and their family members from hitching free rides on the back of the blood and sweat labour of the millions of Singaporeans, while the rest of us are working like slaves. It is infuriating to realized how grossly unfair the political system in Singapore really is.
Francis Chua, Singapore
The ruling junta PAP and their propagandists are constantly doing damage to the body and mind of Singaporeans like myself through the mass media and other political tactic because they want to control and to keep us in line. Just when I achieve mental happiness, they had to put out propanganda materials, as had happened over the past years (1965 to present) through the mass media to distract, to disorientate and to harm. They can never be satisfied. Their political appetite is insatiable. Hey, their so-called solutions do not work, and they just do not want to admit it.
Francis Chua, Singapore
I can see that there are many Singaporeans who are utterly disgusted with the grossly unfair political system in Singapore. Some of them even broke the secular laws out of sheer frustration. I read that the judiciary judges in Singapore have no mercy and simply pack them off to imprisonment, flogging & other cruel and unusual punishment. Who on earth love to commit crimes, if not out of sheer desperation? I do not support crimminal acts, but I have to acknowledge that 'criminals' are human beings. In spite of the outward beauty in Singapore, the fact is that there is plenty of inner ugliness. In the early years, life is much better in the villages, as cost of living is kept to the absolute minimum, and there is much less stress. The PAP junta destroyed the villages in Singapore, changed everything when they came into power, and caused excessive miseries to many Singaporeans, including myself. Not a single day pass, that I cannot have peace of mind, living in Singapore, even after having being forced to contribute my blood, sweat and tears to an ever ungrateful bunch of ingrates! It is getting impossible to live in Singapore! NOW!
Francis Chua, Singapore
hi francis, you sure have a lot of things to unload. if i were to say the same things here, someone will tell to leave if i am not happy.
at least you are better off than me : )
govt policies rub people up differently. some feel shiok, some feel tickled, some feel offended, some got hurt.
it is all a big game.
> Singaporeans have already flirted with the danger of a one party rule with more than 2/3 majority in Parliament all these years. <
Where got "danger"?
Proof please.
S'pore is one of the world's examples of national success.
Is there any proof that a multi-party system will be "better"?
Proof, proof, proof... All the stuff I've read over the years from JBJ, Marshall et al has not been backed up by irrefutable reasoning or empirical proof.
A lot of things in life cannot be proved.
Can you prove to my satisfaction you're not a bot?
It has been proven - Absolute powers corrupts. The rich and connected moves about freely, the poor in blissful struggles. The govt machinery serves the rich and connected with airlines tickets, circle seats & high tea , the poor get served summons & bills. Absolute power corrupts.
i think singaporeans deserve to be ruled under a dictatorship. that will be a great experience, and if they ever get out of it again.
every conman will tell you he has the ultimate formula for you. even the salesman selling minibonds will tell you that it is the best.
it saddens me that singaporeans, despite their education and exposure, can be so silly.
'It saddens me that singaporeans, despite their education and exposure, can be so silly'
Well redbean, they are really not silly. They probably have vested interest in saying and supporting such thoughts. Even the Ah Peks in the coffeeshops will tell you that we cannot afford a one party system. It is like signing your rights away and Singaporean's are left with only one right - the right to vote. And it is this right that is keeping the PAP from going to the extreme, regardless of how much or how little we can do.
What you folks are not getting is that, in politics there is one rule to which there are no exceptions:
The People Get The Government They Deserve
And the government in power has the ability to seize control of the political process by foul means — gerrymandering, pork-barreling, bullying the opposition and intimidating would-be contenders in the political arena.
Sorry to be a pain, but I'll repeat it:
The People Get The Government They Deserve
In other words, if it is a multi-party system that the people want, they would have got it by now, by simply boycotting elections, demanding and threatening the govt, and engaing in widespread civil disobedience.
S'poreans love the PAP
oh, never thought of that.
Me too. Must ask the people of Hougang and Potong Pasir.
Sure, one must give some credit to the good folks of Hougang and Potong Pasir.
But sadly, their idea of civil disobedience, no matter how "valiant" did not catch on with the rest of the S'porean voters.
But, there is some hope. How will it turn out in the future? Who knows?
I'm willing to punt on the fact that S'pore will be a single-party dominated parliamentary democracy for a long time yet.
the songs today is more like a benevolent dictatorship for the future.
They have more or less neutralised or neutered the voters through the introduction of the GRC and destroying those who stand with the opposition.
We are already almost a benevolent dictatorship right now. The only thing we are still not is that we can still vote, but they are aiming to get rid of that too by attempting to sell us the idea of having a one party political system. Then they do not have to have that niggling worry at all about loosing a GRC by act of God.
Throughout all this manoeuvring and chessboard tactics, most Singaporeans have been living in an 'ignorance is bliss' paradise. I think we deserve a dictatorship.
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