GE2015 – Order in disorder

This GE is going to be a very different GE from the past. Many things have changed, many variables have been taken out from the equation. There used to be disorder in the opposition camp and they would end up fight among themselves to see who would keep the deposit and who would claim to have done well for keeping their deposits. Winning was not in their minds other than participating in a general election for the sake of participation. Losing was a certainty and they kept going at losing by indulging in multi corner fights.

The fear of the same thing happening seems to be over after the second meeting of the opposition camp. They have more or less carved out the electoral map and decided who would contest in which GRC and single wards. Other than a three, 1 single ward and two GRCs, the rest of the field have been settled. Even then, the likelihood of an amicable solution is quite likely as can be seen by SPP and DPP closing rank to take Bishan Toa Payoh together. SingFirst and Reform Party may adopt the same formula to field a combined team in Ang Mo Kio. Such an option would see the two parties putting up their strongest candidates for the contest instead of the nothing to lose suicide squad in the past.

Yes, the opposition parties would be fielding their best candidates in this GE without over stretching themselves and putting up weak candidates for the sake of standing for an election. Without going for broke or trying to prove how many candidates they could field like the in past, they are saving their best ammunition for a real crack at the seats available. Every party will be choosing their candidates very carefully to make every man counts.

One positive outcome is that Ang Mo Kio will have a real contest if the Reform Party and SingFirst were to join forces and put up their best candidates for the job. This time Hsien Loong is not going to have it easy as before when only the unknowns were put up more like sacrificial lamb. In this GE, the sacrificial lambs or suicide squads, the no hoppers or nothing to lose candidates, would likely come from the PAP in WP held wards.

Every opposition party would put up their best for this election as they consolidated their strength to avoid 3 corner fights. This has turned out to be a good thing, with the opposition parties finally wised up to the challenge. They would still be a handful of wild cards who would think they can win in a 3 corner fights in single wards. What is their real motivation is anyone’s guesses but they will be seen as the spoilers to the party. Thankfully this will not be the norm and the main contest to be in Parliament will be as serious as it can be.

Let’s hope there will not be any nasty surprises during Nomination Day and no kelongs. It would be very painful to see parties given a GRC to contest but put up a dud team to compete, as good as giving a walkover to the ruling party.

The politics of AHPETC

AHPETC has been dragged into court not because a crime has been committed but over procedural matters and unacceptable management practices. And the court seems to be questioning itself why they are involved in this case. Shouldn’t it be a matter that the Minister of National Development could deal with it summarily?

The ding dongs in the courts of law mean that the judges would be kept very busy trying to judge something that they are not sure if they should be judging. It means the courts time would be taken up instead of allowing other criminal cases to be heard. It also means that the AHPETC would have to engage lawyers for its defence and to spend money on it. Would the money come from the WP or AHPETC? And the WP politicians involved would be kept busy trying to absolve themselves from blame.

The same question I would like to put forth, why are politicians elected to run town councils and be directly responsible for the administrative matters of a town council? Shouldn’t this be the jobs of full time civil servants or statutory boards? Politicians are the least appropriate to run a permanent organization that is supposed to run continuously no matter which political party is in power. The daily operating function of a town council is an administrative function, not a political function or responsibility.

Why burden politicians to be the administrator of a statutory organization running essential services? And why compromise the proper and smooth functioning of town councils and the efficiency of running an estate with politicians and depriving them from performing their roles as law maker? Running town councils should not be subject to the unpredictability of the election processes. There must be continuity and permanence of tenure and the expertise and dedication of permanent staff.

Politicians should be free from the responsibility of running a town council. It is not what they are supposed to do. It is not what they are elected to do. Their primary duty is law making and making sure all the service providers provide decent and efficient service to the people in their respective constituency. Their role should be like the Transport Minister overseeing the functions and operations of the train and bus services or other ministers overseeing other essential services. If the Ministers are not satisfied, they can express their unhappiness and demand the operators to buck up without themselves being asked to buck up and be nailed.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki – Japan’s just desert

As the Japanese grief over the fate of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the lives lost when two Atom bombs fell on the two cities, many are still wondering whether the events to commemorate the dead and destruction of the two cities meant anything to the Japanese?

Kwok Kian Woon wrote a piece in the ST on 6 Aug titled, ‘A letter to Japanese friends on Hiroshima Day’ in the most friendly way possible to share Japan’s grief and politely asked the Japanese about the same question I asked above. Kwok Kian Woon quoted Kuo Pao Kun saying, ‘I think that of all peoples the Japanese have in their living memory the most profound understanding of the war because the Japanese were at the same time a very cruel aggressor and a victim of the cruelest experience of war….What is there in the Japanese psyche, what is there in the Japanese culture, that stops a people capable of deep, profound thinking coming out strongly as a people, not just a few individuals but as a people, to reflect openly and deeply about the war?

What did Kuo Pao Kun and Kwok Kian Woon wanted the Japanese to reflect about? The pain and destruction from Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not insignificant. But compared to the pain and suffering wrought by the Japanese on the millions of Asians from Korea, China in the North all the way down to South East Asia, to Indonesia, the Philippines and Burma, what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were chicken feat. The pain and suffering and the lost of lives and destruction brought about by the invading barbaric forces of the Imperial Japanese Army were abominable. Can Japan and the Japanese people understand that? Can Japan and the Japanese people understand the thousands of Americans that were bombed and killed in Pearl Harbour without knowing what hit them? Can the Japanese understand the hundreds of thousands of American and Allies soldiers that died and maimed to fight them and to drive them back to the Japanese shores, all because Japan started an invasion to conquer and colonise other people?

Despite the polite words of Kwok Kian Woon and Kuo Pao Kun, the Japanese did not understand and did not learn anything about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan under Abe and his militant cabinet is remilitarizing to be the same militant Japanese of pre defeated Japan. They are legitimizing themselves to go to war again. They want the right to go to war, to fight, destroy and kill again. They have burnt their pacifist constitution.

The Japanese did not learn anything from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They do not mind Hiroshima and Nagasaki to be repeated again. Or they do understand what Hiroshima and Nagasaki meant and want to do another Hiroshima and Nagasaki on others, to avenge their defeat and their pain and suffering.

Let me quote Kuo Pao Kun again, ‘What is there in the Japanese psyche, what is there in the Japanese culture, that stops a people capable of deep, profound thinking coming out strongly as a people,….’ What is there for the Japanese people to know that they should not try or attempt to repeat what they did to the rest of Asia and to the Americans, and to live in peace instead of harbouring the ambition to go to war again, as a war mongering nation?

Japan must be warned not to allow Hiroshima and Nagasaki to happen again. They brought it upon themselves. Do they want history to repeat itself by flexing its military might and cherishing for war again?

GE2015 – The Ace in PAP’s deck

I wrote about Hsien Loong having a hand without an ace to play in this GE recently. Knowing PAP’s ingenuity and creativity to come up with surprises, they will find an ace somewhere. Yes, Hsien Loong does not have an ace in hand. Would he find an ace from the tea party interviews? So far, from those faces that have been paraded, the would be’s and could be’s, there is nothing unusual, the same DNA from the military and civil service. There could be a couple of grassroot leaders showing up, but nothing flattering, anything but an ace?

We may have to wait until the whole new cohort is announced to have a taste of what’s cooking. Would there be the likes of Prof Paul Tambyah of the SDP? Or would there be a Nicole Seah to make the difference and cause a big sensation?

But wait, in case many have missed it, the star politician of the PAP camp has already started campaigning and rooting for the PAP. We have done it, our track records are there to show and to prove it. We are the best and we delivered.

Heard of the cardboard policeman? No, this one is not a cardboard politician. He was from the past, and is campaigning every night on your TV screen. The consummate politician of all time of Singapore is back. Yes, you see him. Yes, he is campaigning for the PAP. He is the Ace that would not go away. He is back!

PAP has rolled out its only ace to fight the 2015 GE. He is asking for your vote for the PAP. He is all PAP has and had to win this election and more elections in the future. Would it work again?  Would his magic work again to bring PAP to another election victory?

Another miracle in the making in the history of Singapore! The man from the past, travelled through time to fight an election campaign today. Time travel is possible in a uniquely Singapore way. Do not underestimate the resourcefulness of the PAP.

He may even appear during the election rallies on stage.

GE2015 – The opposition camp shaping up

There was a peace pipe meeting by the Indian Chiefs of the opposition camp to settle some ground rules to avoid a 3 corner fight in the coming GE. This is positive news to know that they would not be so reckless and be party spoilers by trying to fight to see who would not lose his deposit and trying to make every contest counts. Opposition parties that go into an election for the sake of being in an election, in 3 or 4 corner fights when their chances of winning or keeping their deposits are so slim reflects a mentality of stupidity that can be expected of no brainers. Or they could be the rumoured moles participating just to split the votes. You fight an election to win not for some personal ego or spurious reasons.

The NSP called for the pow wow, and hopefully everyone attended the meeting with a sincere heart, and did not go there wearing a mask to hide their real intent. Party spoilers and moles there will be, and they will appear at the right place and right time to prove their worth. And there is nothing the voters can do except to exercise their intelligence to vote them out, take them out of the equation like in the Punggol East by election. It is not easy in a GE as the party spoilers and moles would not wear a badge to be identified.

Yesterday the media highlighted the possibility of more 3 corner fights as more opposition parties are staking their claims in hotly contested GRCs. Marine Parade, Tanjong Pagar, Jurong, West Coast, Holland Bukit Timah were the few mentioned. It was also reported that WP would be contesting in 5 GRCs, SingFirst in 4 and  Reform Party 2. SDP is likely to put up 3 or 4 GRCs, NSP maybe 2 or 3, and SPP, DPP and the rest 1 or 2 each.

With 16 GRCs available, it would mean that every GRC would be contested this time and with more to spare or to be muddled in 3 corner fights. The SMCs would all be contested and there will be no walkovers. What these mean is that statistically there will be enough opposition candidates to cause an upset and a change of govt. With all the seats contested, and if there is a major ground shift, a coalition govt is a possible reality.

What is really important is that the three major parties that could put up a serious challenge with equally good candidates, ie WP, SDP and SingFirst, already could cause an upset by contesting 12 or 13 of the 16 GRCs. 9 GRCs will be enough to form a coalition govt if the SMCs are evenly split.

Would there be a new govt on Sept 13? Time to start thinking. The ball is round this time. Despite the odds, all the planning and scheming and gerrymandering, if George Yeo could be taken down, if Ah Lian and Ah Huat could send the top talents packing, anything can happen now. And who knows, Roy Ngerng could end up the dragon slayer. And if And Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar go to the opposition, it will be all over.

This GE is going to be more unpredictable. One thing for sure, there will be more GRCs going and more ministers would be out of jobs by the sunrise on Sep 13.