Enshrining a one party system

Shall we enshrine our one party political system into our constitution? There are views that a two party adversarial system is not good for us. According to who and who shall determine what is good and bad for us? Maybe I should ask who is the 'us'? And there is also this view that we don't have enough talents to run two good political parties. Really, we are so short of political talents? In the artificiality of our existing system, politicians can be created by drawing them out from a hat. And you can draw out as many as you want. There cannot be any shortage of political talents using this method. If our political system should only have one party, why waste the time of having so many political party registered? Or can we have a strong Workers Party or a New party with strong and able candidates? Or one party dominance system means only THE PARTY and nothing else can do? Definitely a one party system does not mean a Workers Party govt or any party govt.

Help is along the way

Should we be frightened by it again? We have experienced many helps in the past that we wonder whether we are better off with or without the help. Like it or not, the people will be getting help. We get help in good times and in bad times. And help reaches everyone other than those that are really rich. So should Singaporeans be looking forward for more help? In the current state of the economy, Singaporeans have no choice but to look for help. The richest country in Asia next to Japan and its people are in trouble and waiting for help. This time it will take more than a Tan Kin Lian to help them. What if help does not come? Can we imagine how paradise will become?

One Pinnacle crumbled, one more to come

The announcement of Pinnacle Notes 9 and 10 becoming worthless is another bad news to hit the Singaporean investors. Another 700 investors are hit this time, adding to the earlier lists involving minibonds and high notes and low notes. These are events that have come to fruition and now it is only about picking up the pieces. I am looking at another Pinnacle that may hit the innocent Singaporeans. This one is waiting to happen and can still be avoided. I am referring to the Pinnacle at Duxton. The HDB has happily added another $200k to the prices of the flats on offer in the second round. It claims that it is justifiable as the market prices of similar flats in the same area have gone up much higher. Actually it could be more than $200k if not of the subsidies against market prices. Now, given the recession, people losing jobs, losing money in investments, property prices coming down, there is a high possibility that if these new buyers are going to pay $200k more, they could find themselves paying much more before they move in should the market turn down. So there will be another batch of eager buyers going in with their eyes wide open. Should that happen, it probably may not, Tan Kin Lian would be very busy again. And Hong Lim Park will see more activities and visitors, this time from new home buyers. Would this Pinnacle crumble like the Pinnacle Notes 9 and 10? The flats would not become worthless for sure. But if the price drop is substantial, the new flat owners would not be too happy either.

The ‘lepers’ of Paradise

Were they abandoned? They were frightened, lost, in despair and crying for help. But their voice was lost in the din of heavy traffic and the vibrancy of a city in a hurry. No one heard them. For many who heard, the replies were rather dismissive. They were greedy. They knew what they were in for and they should walk away without an arm or a leg. That is the rule of the game. In their hour of desperation came a shining light. He came not sitting on a golden chariot. Neither did he have any trappings of authority or marks of approval. He stood on the mount in Hong Lim. He spoke and they listened. And they followed him. A leader has risen in adversity. A bond has been built between the lost sheep and the man who is to lead them. He could be the stone that the builder has rejected. And this could become the cornerstone of a new movement. There was a genuine and urgent need for leadership of a different kind, a leadership that is built on the need and helplessness of a people who are looking for one. It was a classic storybook scenario for great men to rise to lead. The natural leaders of the people will come forward to serve, not for money, but to answer the people’s call. This is real leadership.

Confucianism or Confusionism

The ideology of Confucianism is very clear about the roles of people and their relationship in society. Everyone has a proper place and should behave accordingly. The king must behave like a king and be responsible for his kingly roles. The people must be people and go about their lives as the ruled. Also, people must behave responsibly to fellow human beings. The father or mother must be what they are, as responsible parents. Relationships and roles are clearly structured, no overlapping or crisscrossing, no confusion. And no wearing multiple hats of conflict and contradiction. When such conditions exist, society or country will be orderly and peaceful. When the roles are mixed or interwoven, when king acts like commoners, or parents like irresponsible children, or acting as both, everything under heaven will be in turmoil. Applying these to our present polity, I can see only Confusionism instead of Confucianism. What we have today is a govt that is not only the govt but also in business. And businesses, with govt participation, think or sometimes behave like they were the govt. The workers are represented by the Union. The Union is also the govt, or led by the govt. So the govt is the union and is the worker and vice versa. This confused or complex state of beings has completely blurred the respective roles and responsibilities of the organizations. Obviously the design of these organizations to be in this way was cleverly crafted to operate in harmony and efficiency. When things are running smoothly, the system will be greatly admired and appreciated. We have attributed our success and good fortunes to these creations, tripartism, Singapore Inc, privatized public hospitals and privatised public business organizations etc etc. But when things start to go wrong, when there is conflict of interest, people get confused. What are they supposed to do when they are 3 in 1, govt, business and people? The holy trinity is supreme only in the heavenly abode when each can switch roles instinctively with ease without compromising one another. In the earthly dimension, human beans are not that godly to be able to switch their roles efficiently. A time delay often occurs when the incumbent responsible has to decide which hat he wants to wear or should wear. The minibond crisis and the great retrenchment are classic examples of how people got confused in their roles. There are many other examples. Should they act on the side of the govt, or on the side of business, or on the side of the people? Which is the correct role to play? It is Confusionism at its best. In the midst of this confusion, Tan Kin Lian rises to lead the people when many people and organizations should be doing so but not doing. Once the void is filled, the divide gets clearer and wider by the days. Confucianism is good when there is no confusion. Confusionism is troublesome.