1/08/2014

The opposition guessing game

The mystery of a ‘non’ existing opposition party in the govt can be annoying to those who wanted the opposition to be more vocal and aggressive in speaking out on national issues. Some are very disturbed by the WP’s deliberate silence and inaction. It must be a conscious strategy to focus on local municipal issues, look after their wards well as nothing they say or do would affect national policies but more often than not be met with a tirade of robust and sometimes intimidating response. Thus, an avoidance strategy of keeping the nose clean and fight only during an election could be a well crafted and conscious position to take.
 

The PAP must be quite happy with the stand of the WP, lesser attack and lesser embarrassment. No need to constantly try to fix them. It is a kind of uncomfortable truce, I don’t rub you the wrong way, you don’t rub me the wrong way either. At the same time it may disappoint the supporters who expect more from the opposition party leading to a loss of confidence and desertion. The WP would definitely lose some points and some supporters from its inaction.
 

The inaction or non communication of the WP with the other opposition parties is causing much discomfort and apprehension and annoyance. Some are looking at this as aloofness, arrogance and incooperative and would make forming of an alliance against the PAP that much more difficult. The perception is like the rest of the opposition parties are inconsequential and does not matter and WP could go alone in its fight with the PAP.
 

Maybe the opposition parties should cool down and concentrate on what they want to do and how they would want to contest the next GE. It is unlikely that the WP could offer more than 30 good candidates at one go. Even if they could field 40, it would still leave more than 50 % of the seats available to the opposition parties. Actually other than the WP, there are only two or max three opposition parties that are worthy of contention and may win some seats, ie SDP, NSP and perhaps SPP. The rest can do whatever they want, make whatever noise they want, even contest in a 3 corner fight, they would not make a dent to these bigger parties.
 

Once the WP has made its claim on the SMCs and GRCs, the SDP and NSP could divide the leftover seats among themselves. There are enough seats for the rest to contest without fighting with the WP. There is no need to sweat the small stuff, to be angry because the WP did not want to talk to them or negotiate. Each party should simply put all its resources on the GRCs and SMCs they have chosen to contest and fight directly with the PAP without having to worry about the WP or vice versa.
 

The cake is big enough for all to share. There may be a few obvious weak GRCs, but really other than a handful, the rest of the GRCs are there for the taking. Many are borderline cases and for the opposition to take them is fair game. The invincibility is gone. The weight of a minister is now a liability.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Part 1:

What would former speaker Tan Soo Khoon label it if he is still an MP?

When some of the buildings like HDB HUB came on stream some time back, TSK labelled them the 7 wonders of SinkieLand and implying wastage of state funds.

What would he have thought of Ma Bo Tan's frivolous conception and spending on the funny garden in Marina?

Building of such hilarious wasteful wonders and one riot after another strike by so called fake FTs brought in by the regime's ill conceived mass immigration policies can only spell further free fall from the clift ........

In the short space of a couple of years, literally gigantic white elephants are created such as the flyers, gbb, budget terminal and many small white elephants such as many disused void deck child care centres scattered across many parts of sinkieland.

Latest announcement is g led by kee chiu and some other people is building many more child care centres and what not .......?

Why are many centres in void decks left vacant in the past few years ....... in land scarce sinkieland and still building and building?

Why are we copying supposedly China's Soviet Union era input model of growth when it should be the other way round or somehow sinkieland got addicted to such massive projects one reason or any another ....... ? There is so much a state can generate growth via investment input and construction before diminishing returns set in and everything come to a standstill and then backwards. Look at the former Soviet Union generating growth via building of military weaponry. China arguably is doing it via construction, construction and more construction. According to some reports, possibly there are 65 millions apartment units standing unoccupied. Assumming max 9 pax per unit like under HDB regulation, 65 million units can roughly house the entire ASEAN 600 million population including the quarter billion in Indonesia. That is how staggering the over building is if the 65 million vacant units figure is correct. Look at Japan and its lost 2 decades since 1990 via similar growth path. The Jap still has not recovered from their excesses in the 80s and early 90s. How would sinkieland cope if reality finally catch up with supposedly botched macro policies? A back of hand calculation is that even an import of additional 100,000 cannot fully digest the over supply in sinkieland over the next few years. Even the 6.9 target @ 100,000 increment might not be able to sustain the necessary building volume required to sustain the scheme created .........

Anyway, at current rate, almost every building project in billions on tax payer accounts and probably the reserves since budget surplus cannot be churned at 20 billions a year? Where did the tens of billions of yearly infrastructures spending come from? Alas, late President Ong Teng Cheong is not around to ask questions. Co drivers mouths stuff with too much abalone, lobster and shark fins to have the time to do so either ......... Paper co drivers? Strategy to keep quiet? First World Parliament? What strategy is that? If inability is also strategy, one would presume the character behind this hoax? Probably they do not have the guts? Worry about later kena question about toilet cleaning issue and tender award practices. How hilarious that instead of offering check and balance, co drivers got themselves kena checked and balanced ....... ! Low Thia Khiang! Have u taken sinkies for a ride? Where is the first world parliament u reiterated on stage on victory night and during rallies after rallies? U and your bunch of merry men and women also same same as miw?

Virgo49 said...

WP now no more co-drivers. Now more as group tour passengers enjoying the breeze, sceneries, good food, 5 star hotel accommodation etc.

One term nearly one million dollars. Where to find this type of salaries. Oops nor salaries, allowance only.

Can have other business to run or other employment.

Give me SDP anytime. Please come to Tanjong Pagar, long time no cast votes already.

Anonymous said...

Part 2:

Voters stick out their necks to elect u and your bunch of under qualified merry men and women for u to enjoy, have good life, eat lobsters, abalone and shark fins, drive big cars, stay big house while the worker supporters of your name sake party living from hand to mouth every month? In the 80s, JBJ and CST only 2 MPs vs the rest still can raise many questions, somemore with LKY actively in the scene. Now they have more than triple the strength at 7 MPs and if add the 2 NCMPs more than quadruple the strength of opposition in the 80s and they send all the bridgade to give excuses that they are still too weak to talk too much later kena hantam by other MPs? What crap? Since when the other party MPs will clap and praise u anyway? Is it not part of the process? In Parliament, being elected MPs and protected by the law, u scared kena hantam by other MPs verbally if ask probing questions? What crap? What bloody nose? If can ask proper question, what bloody nose?

Low Thia Khiang, can U do an appraisal what u and your bunch of merry men and women have contributed to a first world parliament since 2011? Surely not via shark fins, lobsters, abalones, big cars, condos ........ rt? No wonder last few appearances in Parliament u appeared putting on a lot of weight ...... What happened? Too much good food?

Anonymous said...

Part 3:
With no clear leader in sight in the opposition rank, sinkieland is not going to get much respite either going forward.

There might be sustained period of lost and despair before another possible leader is being thrown up amongst the populace.

Low Thia Khiang could have played that role few years back. But he is likely to be seen unfitting even if he wants it now. Too late liao. He has missed the train. May be 火车站 should be the next popular Hokkien song beside 爱拼才会赢 among his supporters to drown their sorrows for what could have been and myopic missed opportunities.

But SinkieLand will survive!

Those formerly from the same gang are generally viewed with much suspicion and apprehension.

Sinkieland, going forward, may have to leave it to destiny to take it from here to where it is suppose to be in the next few decades.

After on track for its first 20 years, sinkieland may have been off tracks for the past 30 or so. The cracks, symptoms and illnesses of bad prescriptions and excesses are already here since many years ago and likely to take on a much larger manifestation going forward in the next decades ......

Peace and prosperity always tend to be shorter than suffering, trials and tribulation in the journey of a people. Asked the Jews. Since the time of Moses, their ordeal arguably isn't over yet!

Hopefully, the ordeal sinkies may suffer would not be 3,000 years long for 20 years of hope and prosperity.

Anonymous said...

I fully support Workers' Party strategy of refusing to engage PAP in a debate.
In Singapore, it's a waste of time to talk & debate with the PAP ... or more specifically the LKY idealogues.

EXAMPLE: Population White Paper
- Protest in Hong Lim Park got any use?
- Parliamentary debate got any use?
- kpkb in the internet got any use?

So what will force the PAPigs into a re-think of the Population White Paper?
- a riot in Little India
- but one riot may not be enough for a re-think for the deaf frogs ... it's just background noises right?
- a few more social debacles or slaps is probably needed for the brain dead PAPigs

And how best to show the PAigs that they are making policy mistakes?
- just shut up and let the PAPigs continue to screw up

The Hong Kong people have a Cantonese phrase which translate to mean: "To engage you in a conversation is to be stupid"

Anonymous said...

Low Thia Khiang:

Your supporters including yourself and party members never miss crooning the Hokkien song "ai pia jiak eh yia" .......

So far you and your merry men and women "wu pia bo"?

Bo pia how to yia?

Tiok bo?

Want to talk, walk the talk.

Want to sing, dance the song lah !

Empty talk, empty song .......

First world parliament? Where?

"ai pia jiak eh yia" ? Where u pia? In parliament? On the ground? Asking pertinent and not bo leow questions? Formulating some workable proposals? Mai pia salah place hor! What? Did someone whisper "bedminton"?

Anonymous said...

@Anon 10.19am

U hammer brigade?

"If one think like a hammer, every problem is a nail"?

Anonymous said...

Correction:

"If one thinks and acts like a hammer, every problem is a nail"?

Anon 10.28am

Anonymous said...

Actually hor, in tiny Sinkieland, having more than one opposition party is already one too many lah.

And not surprisingly, the strongest one is also not ready to be govt!

And Matland so many times bigger only have 3 main opposition parties!

That's why if I were PM Lee, I will not only laugh all the way to the bank, but also all the way to election day.

Hahahahaha, daft Sinkies and daft opposition.



Anonymous said...

What part of;
"To engage you in a conversation is to be stupid"
don't you understand?

Anonymous said...

"To be stupid or will look stupid"?

Too much wisdom or actually no substance?

Don't dare engage cos will reveal how stupid and no substance?

Anonymous said...

Come on! Mark these words:

"Teochew have this phrase call 'qiban qiban'. Means try a bit, taster."

Sinkies already over 'qiban, qiban' a lot with AJGRC.

Without showing substance over a term, u think sinkies will go all in and support show hand in the next hustling?

Really treating sinkies daft and think sinkies miseries and sufferings not enough!?

As they said, a known devil is still better than an unknown devil!!

Politics is always a contest of the ugly, never a beauty pagent!!!

Electorate just have to choose the lesser evil to be the government.

Period.

Anonymous said...

WP is definitely the lesser evil than PAP.
PAP double confirm is evil over a period of 50 years of self-serving, anti-Singaporean policies.

Anonymous said...

Opposition for now is voted in bcos sinkies want check and balance, not bcos they trust the hammers or any other entity to be the next government.

If it was not so, why only one grc won despite the ground swell unhappiness and many short term problems surfacing simultaneously in 2011?

Sinkies want to see what can some oppo offer besides slogans, songs and rhetorics .....

If that's all they get as of now, seriously doubt sinkies are ready for show hand any time soon ......

Low Thia Khiang and bunch of merry people may have caused set back in Sinkieland democratic progress by showing almost nothing except doubts about some things brought out in parliament. After being checked mate, they totally go quiet on their earlier path? Why?

Asked yourself?

A pot calling a kettle black?

Will the 60.1% change heart and show hand in support of oppo. ......?

Seriously doubt so!

Having spoken to many, many of the 60.1% are likely more doubtful of opposition in sinkieland than the incumbent ......

Don't take it as the truth!

Go ask those 60.1% yourselves among those u know! See what they say!

Low Thia Khiang and bunch think they can stroll into parliament after drinking ginseng, a few 10 mins speeches over a couple of days on rally stage and sinkies hand over the destiny of sinkieland to a bunch of unknown?

PE likely a once off phenomenon partly due to Palmergate.

With people in HG, AJ and PE already walked the fire and doing the sacrifice, rest of sinkieland likely to wait, observe and see what happen .......

If Nothing much happen why want to wager the entire stake in ONE LARGE GAMBLE?

Having criss crossed sinkieland all these years, the profile in HG, PE, AJGRC may not necessarily be representative and similar to other parts of sinkieland.

Anyway, Logically, would anyone wager big time in one bet?

Why should they?

For what?

Some or many protest/ unhappiness votes, Yes! Wholesale? Very unlikely in current context not bcos incumbent did not screw up sufficiently but likely bcos many sinkies simply don't trust oppo people either in their hearts ........

With things as it is, thunder there likely will be in the next hustling. Heavy torrential rain? Quite unlikely. Drizzle may be yes.

Yes, as some PAP supporter commented in some other blogs, another 10 + oppo MPs into parliament does not change anything in the next parliament of potentially 100 to 120 MPs.

Maybe the incumbent might even legislate up to 20 to 25 allowed NCMPs?

So sinkies will be asked to vote according to their heads than hearts .......

What would be the outcome?

Many people are likely crystal clear in their hearts.

Next hustling, a lot of excitment yes. Consequential results, unlikely .......

Anonymous said...

The biggest gamble was betting on the wisdom & vision of LKY.
Singaporeans gambled.
And we lost.
LKY has groomed a bunch of Millionaire duds.

Truth be told, by the late 1980s, LKY was already past his prime.
The cracks are finally too big to ignore.
PAP has declined past the point of no return.
And no amount of engineering or million dollar salaries can reverse the decline.

Singaporeans must now prepare for the years "Beyond LKY and beyond PAP"

patriot said...

When WP gottened coined as Wayang Party, me thought it was not fair to Worker Party.
Now, me wholeheartedly agrees with that conclusion and fully concurs with the Comprehensive Analyses by Anon 10.07 AM. Must say good observations.

Like to say that there are simply too many Alternative Parties which show that Sinkies by nature are fractious and hence badly fragmented. This allows a small pack of co-operative hyena-like folks to succeed in exploiting the weakness of the masses (people).

Many are hoping for change, however, as can be seen, little concerted efforts are made. The Alternative Parties go about acting for their own agenda and so are the activists with theirs'.

One Commenter here had consistently said that PAP is very comfortable with WP.
He/She is spot on and shall we say PAP is just as comfortable with the Voters. Maybe it will score 65% and more in the Next General Election.

patriot

Anonymous said...

Singapore in its early days of development, used to come from a low base with cheap labour and attract investments from around the world?

But since Singapore move up the cost ladders, it keep trying to use the outmode methods of bring cheaper labour, there is not much it can get cheaper, as there are many cheaper cost countries with massive labour that is cheaper then Singapore?

When China open up, Singapore became not very cost competitive?

Singapore can't rely too much on cheap labour, as it came as a social cost?

Singapore need to move up the technological ladder, like some of the advance countries? And need to pump lots of money in research and development to restructure its economy?

What types of incentives need to motivate the SME to expand and develop their niches, grow into multi national companies like the Nordic?

Singapore need to tap into foreign expert on how to restructure it economy?

Singapore had tap into foreign of advisor in the early part when it take off: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Winsemius?

Singapore should invite the experts from Sweden and Denmark to earmark to develop a program that bring SIngapore into the high tech arena?

Which foreign experts can bring Singapore to the level or standard of Swiss, Sweden, Finland & Denmark?

What types of price money or awards, incentives can encourage singapore to innovate new and better products that can be world beaters and export around the world?

What type of environments and training? Which foreign expert to tap their expertise?

Singapore to welcome suggestions around the world, so that it can less dependent on cheap foreign workers, which come at so much social cost to it own locals?

Singapore is a small island can't afford to expand too much it populations, cost may rise to an unbearable for the commoners?

Singapore had a staggering more then $300 billions reserves, to develop products to be world beater or export around the world?

What type of initiatives can raise Singapore low wages workers and reduce overpopulation?

Anonymous said...

Singapore should have just kept itself lean and fit.
It had overdone itself and is now afflicted with obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
No medication is needed, just prepare for the hearse.

Anonymous said...


what we really need is not increased population and cheap labour to boost the gdp.......

we should look at the people we have, how to up-skill and right-skill and motivate them to produce products and services that the world needs......

this is the only way forward......

cheers.....

Anonymous said...

"What type of initiatives can raise Singapore low wages workers and reduce overpopulation?"

The answer is clear.
Vote out the incompetent PAPigs.

PAP is no longer relevant in answering the question; How will it benefit Singaporeans?
PAP is the problem.

Anonymous said...

Too late to U-turn.

Anonymous said...

There is only one solution for Singapore, one way to progress, one way for GDP growth and that is people and more people and more people.

Singapore will be filled to the brim with 30 mil people or more one day.

Anonymous said...

Blah, blah, blah, blah.
So tell me.
How will voting PAP benefit Singaporeans?

Anonymous said...

The alternative parties are doing fine;

according to a learned judge indulging in orals without the fucking are criminal acts.

cUm 2015/2016 they should give papigs the ultimate blows and give those pipigs the fatal fucks.

Knnccb.... papigs return our cpf @ 55. May your descendants reap the karma of your actions.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon 1.14pm

Spoilt votes since both equally "smelly" and voters need to hold their nose during erection time?

Anonymous said...

*Typo @ anon 1.41pm

Anonymous said...

Putting all the eggs in one basket, the lady of the house of WP has her hands full now, politics will be the least on her mind, soccer is her in thing.

In all fairness give the lovely doves a chance and let them enjoy their moment, there are other opposition to consider, the hard working stress Nicole for one deserve some a huge reward, putting another opposition in not only tells the ruling that they are still trap in arrogance but also sends a signal to WP, that they are not indispensable.

Anonymous said...

Anon 2.40pm

Tiok!

Very tiok!

Tiok! Tiok! Tiok!

Anonymous said...

@ anon 2.40pm

Let's vote in Nicole, Jeanette, KJ, CST, CSJ, BP, TJS, AYG, RB, MS, AGONGKIA, OXYGEN, LION, SLACKER, BK, JULIE ONG, JENNY TAN, KIM ETC ETC.

Let's bring some diversity in opinions into parliament .....

Let's ADD buzz and vibrancy to sinkieland parliament .....

oldhorse42 said...

After the PE by-election, it dawn on the teochew ah hia that he may be asked to form the govt in the next general election given the sliding popularity of the ruling People Auction Party.
It must have shaken him up and he knows that his party is in no shape to govern singapore with the bunch of merry men and women that he has.
He therefore back pedal quickly and adopted a posture that ensure his party will just be a opposition party and no more.

Anonymous said...

So many words in these comments. YAWN.

b said...

Knowing old Lee way of doing, maybe their lives or their family lives are being threatened?

Btw, maybe they also realised that sinkies are not worth fighting for. Just look at bad ending JBJ, Chiam and everyone who tried to stand up for sinkies. Unless there is something interesting for them, it is just not worth the effort.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3.02pm

How many votes do u have, lol

Anon 2.40pm

Anonymous said...

WP, you adopted the right strategy. No need to kpkb all the time, argue and challenge only when it matters, during the election. don't worry about the critics. They not happy ? It's their job to convince the idiotic 60% to switch camp

Anonymous said...

With PAP destroying itself, what is there for the WP to do? Just sit back, relax and wait for the durian to fall.