Gone were the days when every Minister or MP would be thumping their chests and raring to have a go at a by election to take on the opposition. There were times when ministers would proudly stand out to be the point man to lead the charge in an opposition ward. Gone were the times when MPs and grassroot leaders would want to chionh, beating their drums, as if winning an election was a given.
The vacant seat in Hougang is up for grabs and it is a God sent opportunity for the PAP to wipe the smile off the faces of the WP and its supporters. With Desmond Choo all ready, fresh from the last election defeat, and full of experience and battle scars, and with so many invincible ministers available to fight a solitary battle to capture the hill in Hougang, we are getting the message that a by election is not on the card. And Desmond is willing to serve the people of Hougang with or without a by election. It means that he is willing to serve without an MP allowance. This is very noble of him. And he must have a lot of financial resources to do so.
The PAP is bidding its time, in no hurry. Why? To punish the Hougang residents for voting opposition and now have to live without the service of an MP? An MP has many important duties other than appearing in Parliament or attending board meetings. There is a whole constituency of people with problems awaiting an MP to assist them. That is why there is a need for an MP. It is unfair to let the Hougang residents be left without an MP for practically a whole term. It cannot be that the MP has little to do so without an MP it does not make any difference to the people.
Oh, I heard that our Parliamentary system does not make a by election automatic so no need for by election. It is not necessary as long as there is a govt running the country. OK, since this is our system then got to live with it. It is the fault of the Hougang people to vote someone that would not serve a full term.
The reluctance to hold a by election cannot be a lost of faith, that the PAP is afraid that it will surely lose. I am very sure the party can send all the ministers to battle to guarantee a win. It can also throw in all the goodies, abalone porridge, $10 char kway teow for free, upgrading, more freebies etc etc to sweeten the ground and fight a battle it cannot lose. Or really it is losing confidence of itself and its support from the people? This is not the party that we used to know, a party full of confidence and very garang in every election. In the past, every election is a cake walk, another opportunity to win another seat. So far no minister volunteering to lead the charge of the light brigade.
The Hougang seat is waiting to be taken. Would anyone dare to set up a fight?
11 comments:
Politics is a 2 way street:
The people get the government they deserve, and the politicians get the constituents they deserve.
The universe in balance.
Aum, motherfuckers, aum...
RB, the title of this entry is a rhetorical question. On the contrary , PAPpy very happy to sit and ponder, let the reisdents of Hougang stew a little longer , "who ask them to vote the wrong party " as they gleefully sit back , put their foot up and smirk.
The people of Hougang have already been splitted after all these years. The pro WP and pro PAP camps will remain fairly stable.
By not holding a by election, it will only piss off the pro WP camp more. There is no benefit from delaying. By playing according to the rule will make the PAP look better in the eyes of the other camp. By trying to be smart Alec and make things difficult will not win any goodwill.
If your only moral compass is money;
you will never know what to do in this type of situation;
you will be paralysed because there is no obvious dollar and cents to calculate.
If I were leader of the Pro Alien Party;
I would declare a by-election straight away;
And I will also declare that the Pro Alien Party would never kick a loyal Opposition Party when it is down on its luck.
I will also declare that the Pro Alien Party will not contest the Hougang by-election.
But that's just me.
I believe you should do what is right for the people of Singapore.
AFTER the morally correct decision is made, then we do the cost calculations and look for ways to save money.
As things stand.
What can we say?
Chicken shit ... anyone?
This is what happen when an MP position is totally useless.
Have or don't have makes no difference.
This is straight from the horse mouth. Not that Bay horse. The dark horse.
Baey Gan ( hokkien )
Hougang Residents are the luckier Singaporeans as it stands now. They now have a constituency representative in Desmond Choo(fr PAP) who will work extra hard foc for the Hougang Residents. And if he remains there and gets plenty of helps from his Party Members in the Cabinet, Hougang Residents will gain more than if there is an MP.
The ruling party is in a dilemma. To chionh or not to chionh. It would very much like to chionh but on the other hand it is afraid that it may face the same disastrous fate of ' The Charge of The Light Brigade.' So better don't chionh for now but hold the ground and observe the situation. If there is no by election for too long the people may feel it as an abuse of democracy and it may further gall the constituents of Hougang. So what to do. Want to hold a by election, 'very cham' ( very fearful ) may lose the by election. Don't hold, also 'pine say' ( shameful ). Don't know how to decide, no one wants to stick his neck out. So leave it as it is. What ever will be, will be? The ruling party is really in a deep quandary.
Southernglory1
PAP has given up Hougang.They are now gradually giving up parts of Singapore to foreigners and by 2016,they will be forced to givek up the whole country.
Let me remind your readers that didn't someone just say "You will repent?" that prediction is coming thru. Vote the Opp and you will repent for the next 5 yrs. You are warned! Start repenting now instead of complaining!
Why shld the PAP hold an election knowing that they will surely lose? If I were them, I won't go for by election since I didn't infringe or break any law if I refuse to call for by election. Why shld I increase another Opp MP in parliament so that I got to "fix" them?
As simple as that. No need high IQ to know the "hard truth!"
By not allowing a by-election for a new MP in Hougang, it is being demonstrated that any constituency can run smoothly without an mp for any length of time. If so then why do we need a GRC with 4 to 6mps?
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