3/03/2015

What is the PAP best remembered yesterday and today?


This is no longer so straight forward. What is PAP is best described in two phases, the first 30 years and the last 20 and still counting. The PAP was remembered best in the first 30 years as a party that built Singapore and positively transforming the lives of the people. What the PAP did in the first 30 years is still being strutted around as a badge of good performance. The PAP leadership of early years no longer in the picture, mostly gone, sidelined or not really in the thick of things.
 

What was the PAP associated with or best remembered in the first 30 years? Let me try to put it in simple words, nation building, industrialization, eradication of poverty, building cheap housing for the people, progress, upgrading, home ownership, buying bigger homes, car ownership, happier times, committed and dedicated leaders, a party of the people, support of the people, brilliant leadership. Creating a confident and proud people that could achieve anything.
 

What is PAP equated to today? High cost of living, high cost of everything, unaffordable housing called affordable, depletion of CPF savings, withholding the people’s CPF savings and refusing to return as promised, downgrading, selling homes to buying smaller homes, forget about car ownership, elitism, super expensive ministers that are dwarfed in comparison with the pioneering leaders in many ways, job loss of PMEs, influx of foreigners to replace Singaporeans in good jobs, lost of direction, loss of ideas, losing support and trust of the people, questionable leadership, a subsidy dependent people, highly in debt, highly stressed and insecure of their future well being. 

The most important, lost of confidence as a people and being despised by the foreigners replacing them in the job market. A country of no talent and needing 3rd world talents to help in the economy.
 

The above are just my views. Some may agree, some may disagree, no sweat. It is just an opinion. They are not the absolute right or wrong. It all depends on who you are and the colour of your lenses.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

"What's wrong with collecting more money?"
Lee Kuan Yew

After all, Singaporeans voted for it.

https://www.facebook.com/TheNewEraSingapore/posts/611369322249177

Anonymous said...


Are You Happier? Are You Happier?

Yes, you started off with ZERO
in your bank account.

Then under PAP govt, you worked
very hard to add many ZEROs to
your bank account.

But, are you happier now?

Just look around you.

You think they happy, happier?

Don't give me your answer.

You know! They Know! I Know!
HE Knows!

But, for me, I know, I just want
to be HAPPY!

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Yes, PAP has given Singaporeans good time in the earlier days. Alas, the good time has gone with the wind and now Singaporeans are angry over many issues - cost of living, transportation, influx of foreigners and loss of jobs to these people.

The next GE is not going to be easy for them. There is a likelihood that they may not be able to secure 75% majority.

Anonymous said...

RB spot on. If they continue to rule in this manner and dont correct flawed policies, most of us will be stress out and IMH will see an increase in visitations. We need a balanced representation in parliment regardless of what the miw says. Our oppo needs to step up but unfortunately, some of them have big egos and also hungry for power. People get what they deserved if they are still in dreamland.

patriot said...

If the Last 20 years were, arr as bad as described here, who is to be blamed? Those boiling and frying the Frogs, or the Frogs that are enjoying their swims in the pots and pans???

payrioy

Anonymous said...

Hi RB. speed. You are right in some of your comments and also wrong in some. During the first 30 years Singaporeans were less demanding and more hard working. People were less materialistic and were more prepared for nation building. They were more trusting and were easily governed/controlled. There were many policies of the first 30 years that were detrimental to Singapore, most notably the stop @ 2.
All in all, the first 30 years were the best years for Singapore. People actually came together and helped in transforming Singapore to a very liveable nations, the envy of many Asian societies.

Now, the last 20 years. Singaporeans became more affluent and less docile. Double salary for household became a norm, largely due to high cost of living. THe necessity of having maids to run household has become a norm Singaporeans expect more out of life and quite rightly so because of the hard and demanding work culture in Singapore. Car ownership becomes a necessity, 2 holidays a year, tuition classes, musical instrument classes and all the high end gadgets and branded apparels have all contributed to the stressful lives of the Singaporeans of today. Happiness amongst Singaporean has plummeted compared to that of the first 30 years. Trying to make ends meet is fast becoming a norm of many Singaporeans. The PAP government is trying hard to lessen the financial burden of many Singaporeans by dishing out subsidies and other medical packages, at the same time very mindful not to encourage a dependency mentality in Singapore.

Owing to lack of manpower to maintain growth, Singapore has to depend on cheap labour from nearby countries. This has infuriated many Singaporeans especially the PMETs who feel that they have been ousted by these cheap imports. As for the cheap labour in the construction industries and the service/maid sectors, the cheap imports have actually help in the Singapore growth, as few Singaporeans are willing to be employed as these.

Singapore will definitely survive the next 50 years, whether progressively or on a downward spiral will depend largely on the policies of future governments of Singapore. The health of Singapore will also largely depend on the political climate of the ASEAN region. Cheap labour which Singapore is very dependent on may not always be available. If the present trend of importation of talents for foreign countries continue, Singapore society will very quickly become a truly cosmopolitan one with true-blue Singaporeans becoming a rarity. Is this a good or a bad thing? Depends on who you talk to. My 2 cents worth.

The said...

/// What is PAP is best described in two phases, the first 30 years and the last 20 and still counting. ///

You are comparing apples with oranges. They are two completely different animals.

Pre-1994 PAP - doing mostly the right things for Singaporean at earthly ministerial salaries with minimal policy disasters and cock-ups.

Post-1994 PAP - doing mostly the wrong things for Singaporeans and right things for foreigners at astronomical ministerial salaries with man policy mistakes, snafus, cock-ups, more corrupt top-level officials and infrastructural inadequacies. Dismal performance for obscene pay.

patriot said...

In all fairness, I like to say that it is quite unreasonable to claim that the Peasants/sheeples have not contributed or have anything to do with the Current Situation.

Many are fine with the 'Benign Dictatorship, some support them outright.

Dictator and 'Benign'?
When the Growth blocks the Arse, see how damaging Benign can be.

patriot

jjgg said...

Everything,everyone has a boom n bust cycle..we've had our boom now waiting for the bust...imagine...we are planning for T5 when T3 is half utilized, T4 yet to be built...can we boom boom our way out of boom n bust cycle? Can we stop the sun rising? Not in a billion years..and the role of the PAP in all these?silencing the critics..the worst punishment it can inflict on its citizenry

The said...

speed. You are right in some of your comments and also wrong in some. During the first 30 years Singaporean politicians were less demanding and more hard working. PAP candidates were less materialistic and were more prepared for nation building. They were more trusting and were easily governed/controlled.

Now, the politicians are more demanding - they demand millions of dollars for doing their jobs poorly.

Anonymous said...

Hi The

You are right when you wrote,

" During the first 30 years Singaporean politicians were less demanding and more hard working. PAP candidates were less materialistic and were more prepared for nation building. "

Time has changed many things in Singapore, some for better but mostly in the opposite direction. The best avenue for Singaporean must be either maintain status quo or totally change of government through the ballot box. I predict that the status quo will be maintained after the next GE, seeing the handouts and subsidies being dished out. We shall have to wait and see.

patriot said...

With the Ways the Alternative Parties Members behave, rest assure they will have no impact on the Incumbent.
The Rulers know and that's why they are taking the People for granted.

Voters will be more comfortable with Independent Candidates than with Alternative Political Parties. Maybe WP would gain a few more sympathy seats in the Next General Election, if it gets a few more calibres into its fold.

patriot

Anonymous said...


anonymous 12.22pm pls note......

agreed with you, but don't need to wait and see lah....

the final result of the coming GE would likely be.....

PAP 68% vs 32% OPPS

hahaha........

Anonymous said...

With Jeanette Chong joining SPP the party should be able to pick up one GRC. If WP pick up 2, SFP and SDP 3 to share, that would be 7 GRCs to the oppo.

And plus a few more single seats, it would be a more balance parliament and more balance policies to go forward.

Many happy returns for the oppo.

Anonymous said...

I m thinking of joining WP as a career change. Easier to get in and after that, just ride on the discontent mood here and can win election. No need qualifications also, study so hard for what. LTK also don't need me to talk so much or fight so much in Parliament. For $16,000 a month not a bad idea.

What so you think ?

Anonymous said...


something different........

NOW! NOW! NOW!

with breakdowns so often with our
mrt lines, I fear for the SAFETY
of the commuters.....

just look at the huge crowds
jammed at the train platform...

stampede stampede stampede cannot
be ruled out......

this is top top top urgent.....

requires top mgt action, NOW!NOW!
NOW!.......

Anonymous said...

Hoping for the downfall of the PAP government is futile. The PAP has it all in the bag. Election is a mere formality. Going through the motion. Nothing will change. After the next election the floodgate will be open wider and more FTs will be coming by the plane load. Singaporeans better buck up and work harder or you will be ousted for sure. The only way to safeguard your rice bowl is to put in longer hours, take fewer MCs and volunteer for all weekend work. Show you are willing to do the extra mile. Then and only then will you stand a chance to be able to compete with the more efficient and cheaper FT imports.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I actually don't give a rat's arsehole who the fuck runs Singapore.

As long as the place is rocking with plenty of makan, booze and sex, superb global quan xi opportunities, has low taxes and loose regulations when it comes to doing business, great banking services with high degree of secrecy and security---which means you get to keep more of what you make.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as the govt-in-charge achieves all the above, they've done a top job and thus have my blessing when it comes to rewarding themselves with sky-high obscene salaries.

As for the sheeple: They get the government they deserve, so fuck them all :-))

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

P.S. As for "remembering" the PAP, I don't give a shit. As far as I'm concerned, I have PAID my share for them to work: i.e. the government is the SERVANT.

When the next bunch of power-hungry lunatics take office after the next election, as long as they do as good a job or better (for the capitalists), I will have no issue.

They can keep their little feudal micro-states like GLC's and Stat Boards, just let the capitalists make their dough and have a jolly good time.

See, very simple lah.

Anonymous said...

Who cares about whether you care or not?

b said...

pap or all politicians in this world run the country like 工錢十五,飯錢十六 .