Notable quote by redbean

'I have my ears on the ground, but I hear nothing'. Redbean

What a shame

In 1955, when David Marshall was elected as the Chief Minister of the island, he was not given an office to execute his duties. The mean British, who were the colonial masters then, gave him a small table and a chair next to the staircase, like the desk of a security guard. That was the contempt the British rulers had for a locally elected leader of the people. David Marshall took the insult in his stride, for he knew that there was nothing he could do against the masters of the day. And it seemed that we have learnt from the British well, not be better masters, but on how to continue with the tradition of not providing an office to our modern day elected representatives of the people. It must be a wise practice of the colonial masters that we must retain, if not good, as a reminder of how things were then. Last night I watched the news and was shocked to see Yaw Shin Leong, the newly elected MP of Hougang, conducting his meet the people’s session in a void deck. Doesn’t the elected representative of the people deserved to be given a proper place to serve the people? I can only hope that I am wrong, that it was a temporary arrangement as he is a newly elected MP. I believe that in all decency, no matter which party the MP comes from, once he has been elected by the people to be their representative, it is only proper that the state provides him with an office space to carry out his duties to the people. Depriving him of such a facility is an insult to the office and the people that elected him to office. A people’s elected MP is not running his own private business. He is there to serve the people for the well being of the state. It cannot be that an office of the state, a representative of the people who can sit in Parliament to discuss national issues, have to meet the people in the void deck, or to pay for his own office. It cannot be that the country, with all the billions in reserves it has, is too poor to afford such an arrangement. Sounds very third world really. It would be interesting if the MP of Jalan Besar or Joo Chiat should set up his office in the back lane of Desker Road or on the five foot way outside a bar in Joo Chiat. I think I am wrong, and all elected MPs will be allocated a reasonable office for sure, in respect of the office and for him to carry out his duties to the people. But if this is not the case, then Yaw Shin Leong and all the MPs must be very grateful that the HDB did not charge them rent for the use of the void deck or to chase them away. I had a dream last night. I was walking along the void deck of some HDB flats and came face to face with some sign boards. One read ‘No football allowed’. Another one read ‘No meet the people session allowed’. Then I woke up only to know that it was a bad dream. I know that a first world country would not allow such things to happen when we can pay ministers in millions and with world class offices in the heart of town. Are we willing to continue to live with this shame?

Goh Meng Seng accepting full responsibility

Goh Meng Seng is accepting full responsibility for the failure of his party to win any seat. So, is saying accepting responsibility enough? Is this the culture of politicians here? Happily accepting responsibility and life goes on? The Japanese PM is forgoing his PM allowance to take responsibility for the nuclear disaster in Fukushima. This is what taking responsibility is all about. They used to slit their own tummy with a short knife or resign in shame for any faults or wrongs coming from their offices. The GRC of Tampines was ripe for the taking. It was very unfortunate that NSP failed to take it and many people, especially the young people waiting to buy their first flat, will have to suffer for it. Goh Meng Seng’s minister specific strategy was right. Any minister that fouled up would not be able to defend their failures. And everyone is expecting Tampines to fall. Goh Meng Seng’s failure was to over extend his forces. An opposition party cannot think of winning a GRC with half strength, or less than half strength. His major fault is, as everyone now knows now, spreading his talents too thin. Marine Parade was an abnormally. The team in Marine Parade was a no hoper. The Nicole phenomenon caught everyone by surprise and exposed the weaknesses of Marine Parade. The failure of Goh Meng Seng’s strategy of spreading his forces too thin also came to bug him in Marine Parade. Marine Parade could be his in the next GE if PAP did not change the team. This time round it was not a possibility from an objective assessment of the situation before the GE. With the success of Nicole, Goh Meng Seng taught he could have Marine Parade. But he forgot that the rest of the candidates were very weak. Depending on Nicole alone could just go that far. The biggest regret is still Tampines. A joining of forces with the other parties for the next GE would be very fruitful is the political climate is similar to what it is today. The NSP must learn from this fiasco after paying such a huge tuition fee. The principles behind the minister specific strategy is the same as turning weakness into strength, by concentrating the limited fire power on a weak point. Don't ever think of winning a GRC with a weak team.

The feedback that PAP needs

Two letters in the ST forum today by a Anthony Oei and a Chan Jia Huan conveyed all the things that the govt likes to hear. These are the type of feedbacks that the govt badly needed to legitimize its style of governing. It is a testimony of the people’s desire for the type of govt they want, and the type of govt they deserve. In Anthony’s letter, it was all congratulatory, that it was a big victory for the PAP for winning 81 out of 87 parliamentary seats. It was a big lost to the opposition for losing Potong Pasir. He added, The PAP’s performance is a clear indication that the majority of Singaporeans still want the party to govern, despite the party lost its first GRC and Hougang, and suffered a drop in the overall share of the vote.’ If the ground is thinking the same way, PAP should pat itself on its back and say well done. The people are all behind the PAP, and there is no need to make nonsensical talks about listening to the people or serving the people. The results showed that the PAP had been listening to the PAP and serving the people well and that’s how they got the convincing win in the GE. Chan Jia Huan was more or less repeating what the PAP had been saying all the time. We are too small, cannot afford a two party system, all system will break down, bickering, rioting, MPs fighting in Parliament, impasses, and everything that is wrong in a two party or multi party system. What music to the ears of those who advocate for a one party dictatorship? This kind of feedback must be what the PAP needs. And the ST is printing it in its pages. It is the voice of the people. I think the people who voted for the opposition must be regretting their mistakes and will definitely vote for the PAP in the next GE, with overwhelming majority. The PAP can now be at ease that the people are against the opposition and against a multi party political system. Excellent feedback. Reality check, solid PAP victory.

They were so drunk

They were the superer of all the super talents in the island. They were the thinkers and tinkers, whose ability to plan, to be proactive, to read into the future, to nip problems in the bud, were claimed as superior and worth every million they are paid, but they failed to see what is coming. They went on and on dismissing the daft Singaporeans, telling the Singaporeans to buck up, to down grade, not to expect too much if they could not afford it, tighten belt, to acept a quality of life worst off than their uneducated or semi educated parents, while they pay themselves millions and millions and enjoy a living standard far exceeding the Swiss. They think the people are blind, and daft of course. They were so drunk that they could only uttered that they empathized with the people’s plight, but questioned the poor if want to eat in hawker centre, food court or restaurant over $50. They could not understand what $50 mean to the poor. They only understand that they needed millions and millions to maintain their opulent lifestyle. Right into the midst of the GE, their swollenheads were still in the clouds, not knowing what the ground was like. Only the intense pressure in Aljunied jolted George Yeo into awareness, that the anger of the people was real. And only the last couple of days that they started to change tack, to apologise, to want to listen to the people, to change their style of talking down to the people. The dismissal of George Yeo was a defiance act, a rebellion against the PAP. And the people of Aljunied made it very clear that the days of the PAP are over. The general public too sent the same message. The losing of one GRC was a cautious step taken by the people. They were still unsure of how the opposition would be like. They were looking for change, but with apprehension. The popular vote of the PAP fell from 77% to 66% to 60% must say something. Would the high and mighty understand? If the WP could show the people of Aljunied and the rest of the island that they could manage the estate well, if they could show that they are responsible and as able as the PAP in Parliament, the next GE will see a sea of change that the people have been waiting for all these years. Too much good food and good life is like having too much fat in the head.