When PAP in minority position

Parliament has been the playground of the PAP for five decades. In Parliament, the PAP rules with absolute majority and the opposition could hardly be seen, heard or noticed. The PAP dominated all debates and any opposition that tried to make a stand would end up as a victim of jeering and sneering and dismissive laughter. The unfortunate ones would either be thumped down or suffered the glare of cold steely stare.

It is a very frightening experience for the opposition candidates in Parliament if they are emotionally unprepared for the ordeal. The sheer majority or the volume of sneering laughter would be enough to cower them into submission. Would the PAP ever be in a position of minority and how would they react?

The NUSS Political Dialogue gave a glimpse of what it would be like to be in the minority for a PAP MP. Sim Ann was the sole representative in a panel with 9 opposition leaders and a clever and mischievous moderator that was friendly to the PAP side but not without needling at the PAP. Actually it was all done with good humour without being offensive and dismissive like in Parliament. The moderator, Viswa, an ex NMP, knew how it felt.  Ooooohh…  He had first hand experience of the most menacing kind. Kishore said Viswa was slapped by the dictator.

With the nine opposition leaders taking their stand against the PAP, and with an audience that acted like the backbenchers of the majority in Parliament, laughing, jeering and sneering, Sim Ann must be feeling how it was like in Parliament for the opposition MPs. It was one against not only 9 opposition leaders but also the gallery. The PAP’s voice was a lonely voice in the crowd and often not well received. At one stage a group broke into loud laughter in the midst of Sim Ann’s commentary that disrupted her composure. ‘What was that, did I make a joke?’ or something like that was her response.

What would it be like if the current situation in Parliament is reversed after the next GE? It could be comical when the cold glare would come from the new ruling govt, accompanied by jeets and sneers. Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim should start to practice this art of killing by staring in Parliament. Jee Say should also learn this trick.

What is Vivian Balakrishnan talking?

Dr Vivian said there are only two kinds of people who would work without incentives – those who are wealthy, and those who are corrupt.

“Don’t be seduced,” he was quoted by the TODAY newspaper as having said. “The danger with elections is it’s an auction. Everybody would promise you the moon. Everybody would say they don’t need pay on the assumption either they don’t need to deliver, or things will go wrong.”

I quoted the above from an article in TOC. Vivian was replying to a question on the $16,000 MP allowance and multimillion dollar minister’s pay.  Two kinds of people would work without incentive, the wealthy or the corrupt. KNN, does it mean that when one is not wealthy one is likely to be corrupt? Oh, he is talking about politicians. So lucky, I thought I will be in the bandwagon of the corrupt since I am not wealthy. So people no need to get angry. He is talking about politicians only. Oops, politicians may want to get angry.

Now who are the politicians that are promising the people the moon? If there are, please don’t trust them. They are like the snake oil sellers. Watch out people, listen to the politicians especially those promising you the moon. Don’t trust them. This is Vivian’s advice.

And this is new. Got politician say they don’t need pay meh? Who, which politician is saying he or she does not need pay?  Lily Neo? I think she doesn’t need pay. Heard that she gave away her MP allowance to the people. So what does it mean? Is she saying she does not need pay?

But I like the assumption part, either they don’t need to deliver or things will go wrong. I will like to promise the people things will be well in 50 years time. Vote for me and see the result in 50 years. Ssssshhh, in 50 years time I will not be around. Heheh, like no need to deliver leh, tiok boh?  Or is it that in 50 year’s time many things that I promised would not happen but I still got paid in the millions? I may promise good things in 50 years time, but not for free hor. I would not say I don’t need pay because I don’t need to deliver in 50 years time. I want my millions now. 50 years time, who cares, I also dunno where I would be.

Oh, if I am paid in the millions, I don’t need anymore incentives. Dunno about you.

Now what was Vivian trying to say? Got corrupt politicians? For the rich and wealthy, safe, would not be corrupt. For the poor ones, very likely, especially when they promised you the more and say no need to be paid. But if they asked to be paid in the millions, also very safe, would not be corrupt.

When our super talent and super wise statesmen dispense their words of wisdom, you must copy it down for your own good. You will get a bit wiser.

GE2015 – Latest surprise!!! 3 Champions in the Reform AMK team

Just heard that Reform Party has confirmed 3 candidates for Ang Mo Kio GRC. They include Roy Ngerng, M Ravi and Gilbert Goh. The names of the other 3 candidates to make up for the 6 member GRC have yet to be announced.

Who are these 3 gladiators in the dragon lair?

Roy Ngerng is the famous champion of CPF money. And for digging too much detail on the flow of the CPF money, he strayed into some sensitive areas and was sued by Hsien Loong for libel. Roy went to the public for financial support and within days nearly $200k was raised from total strangers to pay for his defence.

M Ravi was a human rights lawyer and had fought many high profile cases like the appeal to spare the life of a drug addict, the controversial by election in Punggol East and many other cases that other lawyers shunned. For his high profile work, Ravi had been dragged to court and also had tussles with the Law Society, got his name struck off from his law practice under charges of suffering from bipolar sickness.

The third champion is Gilbert Goh, the owner of Transitioning Org for fighting for the cause of PMETs losing their jobs to foreigners. Singaporeans who lost their jobs or could not find reemployment would go to Gilbert to seek advice and counselling.

It is a strange coincidence to have 3 champions of social issues to come together to contest in Hsien Loong’s GRC. They call this a confluence of events. Now everyone would be eager to know who would be the other 3 candidates to partner the 3 champions in a battle royale in Ang Mo Kio.

Would the 3 champions be able to slay the dragon in the dragon lair? Would Leong Sze Hian and Kenneth Jeyaratnam be in the team? That would be a something to watch.

PS. I did a quick calculation with my abacus. The possible votes going to this team, just on the merits of the 3 champions: 30% of CPF members will support Roy. Ravi will get 10% support from the human rights group and another 20 % from all his relatives in Ang Mo Kio. Gilbert will get 20% from all the PMETs and their families and relatives and friends. After flipping the abacus counters, these added together will be about 25% of the votes in Ang Mo Kio. And add this to the 30% hard core anti PAP voters, wow, 55% in favour of the Reform Party team. What about swing voters?

PS. The other members of the Reform team announced last night are entrepreneur Osman Sualaiman, former banker Jesse Loo and ex NTUC club media producer Siva Chandran.







    

Nicole Seah – I am back

The darling of Marine Parade, Nicole Seah, is back from Thailand to help out in the GE. It is a pleasant surprise for everyone who loves this girl with a heart. Her presence and her positive comments on WP’s candidate He Ting Ru  have already caused a stir and are very encouraging signs that she could be in the WP’s team. Nicole was quick to dismiss the suggestion that she could be a WP candidate citing WP’s stringent criteria on not parachuting superheroes in an election. She also said she would not be running in the GE.

I hope the WP would not be so regimental and to rule out completely the opportunity to put up this hot favourite of the last GE in Marine Parade. Nicole singlehandedly lifted up the NSP team of minnows to give Chok Tong a fright of his life. And surprise of all surprises, Chok Tong would never thought of a return of Nicole Seah and to give Nicole a second chance to take him down in Marine Parade.

The popularity and draw factor of Nicole cannot be underestimated and Low Thia Khiang must be thinking seriously to use this trump card if he wants to win Marine Parade and Nicole is crucial to the WP team contesting there.

The Nicole factor may be the deciding factor in Marine Parade and I believe the voters of Marine Parade would warm up to her and show their support for this girl with a heart of gold. There is a new buzz and a new optimism in Marine Parade and the WP camp.

There you go girl. I really hope Low Thia Khiang would make a rare exception in this case. This is the eastern wind he must be waiting for. With He Ting Ru and Nicole Seah in the bag, WP is getting to look very exciting.

Vote for candidates with good credentials

This seems to be on the minds of many thinking Singaporeans. They want good candidates to serve them in Parliament, no matter which party. How to fault such thinking?  So many candidates, including those of the opposition will be credibility tested, maybe even mentally tested if they could run a town council as a prerequisite to run a govt. This type of things only happen in Uniquely Singapore. Running a town council means can run a country. George Bush ran a football club and was good enough to be Presidente USA. Ronald Reagan was an actor.

Apologies, I got carried away. Where was I? Oh, good candidates. What is a good candidate? A medical degree, a lawyer, a general or a police commissioner or a civil servant or a corporate executive or someone early million dollar salary? Where is the relevance, where is the skill set? Would an animal lover make a good politician to run a govt?

What if a team has all the right qualifications, the good looks, the desired qualities that would make them good enough to run a govt? Ok right?

What if they come from a party with a manifesto that is bad for the country or people? What if, hypothetically, the party boss is a mafia boss or a loan shark or a drug lord incognito, would the credentials and qualifications of the individual candidates be important?

What should the voters be looking for? Should they not also be looking at what the party stands for, what kind of leadership is behind the party and then the individual candidate’s character and qualifications?

A good candidate, a highly qualified candidate, is not the only thing that the voters be looking for. Look at the whole picture before deciding. Do not vote for an angel hired by the devil to show that he has a team of angels when the devil is calling the shot.

The voters must be savvy and street wise, to know what they really want. A very good example is the by election of Punggol  East or for that matter Aljunied GRC. In both instances, there is a bigger objective to determine who they should vote for.

What is the bigger objective in this GE? It is not individual candidates, it is not about municipal matters or about town councils. It is about Singapore and Singaporeans and their well beings. It is not about a 50 year dream and a promise of mansions in the sky. It is about the real things, about the livelihood of the people, now when they are living and trying to survive and make a good life for themselves and their families.

Who cares about 50 years time when one is struggling to live today and putting food on the table tomorrow?  Look at the whole picture and understand what this GE is all about. The voters of Punggol, Hougang and Aljunied GRC were very clear on what they want. 

Do you know what you want and what would you be voting for? A highly qualified candidate with a strong heart? Or a candidate with a good heart in the right place?