The forgotten and unappreciated group of people

What can the opposition candidates do? Can they negotiate FTAs, can they invest our huge reserves, work out master plans, bring in investments etc etc etc. Sure they can't. But do they need to? Who are the ones that do all the donkey work? Many may curse and swear at them, faceless policy makers who only know how to play by the books. But they are the real people who do all the thinking and hard work in planning and making sure that the country works like clockwork everyday. You guess it. They are the faceless and thankless civil servants. Politicians mainly set directions and build dreams. The civil servants are the one that get things done. Politicians may say I want medical fees to be reduced. And the civil servants will find ways to get it done. And if the objective is to make more money in transportation, the civil servants in LTA will get to work. Make SIA and PSA the number airport and seaport, and the civil servants will start cracking. Politicians need to have vision, to know what is good for the country, set the goals like Malaysia's 2020 and not winning the world cup in 2010. And politicians must also know that they must look after the people and not be obsessed with profit making per se. What is the point of SIA or DBS making billions when people are retrenched and become jobless? We need political leaders who think and care for the people and their welfare. Not political leaders who care about which organisation is making the most money while the people's welfare is neglected. The political leaders lead and the civil servants do the work. Political leaders must be caring men, decent men. Not necessary clever men who only think of their own pockets.

spreading rumours and inciting anger and insecurity

Chua Chin Hon's article in the ST starts like this: The WP has offered no concrete plans ofr Singapore's future, and has instead been spreading rumours about the rising cost of living, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday. He also criticised the opposition for dwelling on lift upgrading and means testing for hospital stays, with the aim to 'incite' feelings of insecurity and anger among Singaporeans so they would vote for their candidates.' Did Hsien Loong really said these? If people complain or talk about rising cost of living are guilty of spreading rumours, I think all of us are equally guilty. If people question or raise issues about upgrading and means testing, they are inciting feelings of insecurity and anger, I think we all better stop talking about them. Don't want to be accused of spreading rumours and inciting the people. This is dangerous stuff.

Hu scores in his visit to the US

Looks like Hu Jintao went to the US with a very important message during his last trip. I thought he was being slighted by Bush. But from what the way the Bush Administration is treating Chen Shuibian's request for a stop over to Paraguay, it seems that Hu had passed a very strong message to Bush. And the message has sunk in. The Bush is now distancing his administration from Chen and not sleeping with him anymore. In this sense, apart from the intentional American protocol slips, Hu has been successful in getting Bush not to meddle with China Taiwan relations.

invited and uninvited guest politicians

Over the last few days, many descriptions were made of our fresh face politicians. One description compares them to sprinters and long distance runners. The former will appear for a short run and disappear immediately. The latter is in for a long haul, will run the distance, always there. I would like to put the two groups into a clearer perspective. The long distant runners are normally high achievers, academically very brilliant and very successful or promising young people in their professions. They have spend a major part of their lives chasing their dreams of building a successful professional career, not in politics. Then the invitation card came for tea. And most of them will turn down the offer, citing other commitments of work and family. Only after a lot of persuasion will they then reluctantly accept to come forward to serve the people. It seems that to appear not keen to be politicians is a hall mark of this group. Eager beavers are not seen favourably. And once in, they are assured of a long haul. They are virtually assured of winning and becoming MPs. For even if they lose in the election, they will still be appointed as the de facto MP with grassroot leaders and organisations in their charge. And they will have more financial muscles to do more for the people than an elected opposition candidate. They can be assured of a wonderful career ahead of them, win or lose the election. On the other hand, the sprinters, or uninvited guest politicians are normally not that high achievers or very young and untested. They did not wait to be invited. They invited themselves to the political fray, risking a career, reputation and maybe even a lawsuit. This group has no qualms or hesitation about family or career commitment. To serve the people or be politicians seems to be their main life objective. They did not pretend to be uninterested in politics. They came forward on their own to be judged by the people during an election. And if they lose, they have no other means of support, financially or grassroot organisations or a big machinery to keep them active in the constituency. They have to go back to earn a living and be part time politicians. This is a reversal of what they will be, full time politicians when elected but part time politicians if not elected. This is a mark difference from the long distant runner who will be part time politicians when elected and full time politicians when not elected. The above practically sums up the differences between invited and uninvited guest politicians.

one party system is good for singapore

After considering and reconsidering, I think the best political model for Singapore is still a one party govt. There is no need for opposition MPs or opposition parties. They are really a nuisance and only cause problems for the govt. Look at the old estates and upgrading problem. If there is no opposition, no opposition wards like Hougang and Potong Pasir, the HDB would be able to do a systematic, logical and consistent programme to upgrade all the estates according to age and wear and tear. No need to adopt incoherent policies and programmes like some old and deserving estates not getting upgraded, some young and not deserving estates getting upgraded earlier. All these are the faults of opposition parties. Now some older estates, older than Hougang and Potong Pasir, are getting angry because priority is now given to these two estates if PAP wins them over. For the good of Singapore, vote PAP and support a one party system. This is the only sensible and logical way to go. Very pragmatic and very Singapore.

good sausage making machine

how to make good sausages? just find some good meat and throw them into a good sausage making machine and out comes good quality sausage. guaranteed quality sausages from a proven recipe and formula. any sausage from any other machine, with different types of meat will definitely be inferior. there is only one proven machine, branded to last forever. anyone want fine sausages? the recipe includes good quality control, sourcing from the best quality raw material, not leaving any stone unturned, and only sold or saleable locally. not available internationally. may turn bad if exported and exposed to different environment. good for local consumption only. but for the exceptional quality, be prepared to pay the price for it. good stuff doesn't come cheap.

children in wonderland

After the last few days of election campaigning I am more convinced that we are sorely in need of a strong opposition representation in Parliament. I do not know how you people out there feel. Some of you may still think that having opposition is a waste of time. But to me, without opposition we are going to be little children in our little nursery wonderland. For once, the govt is pledging to do so many things for the people, to reduce cost of living, estate upgrading, more jobs etc etc. Even crow problem was neglected and needs an election to be pointed out. I would thought all these problems should be solved a long time ago. But these are problems to be dealt with in the future, after an election. What if there were no opposition, no election? We need competition, opposing and alternative views. We need the other hand to clap. Otherwise we will be clapping with one hand.

Gomez slip: an interim measure

The WP is now under tremendous pressure to do something to parry off the attack on Gomez. To accept the PAP's suggestion and withdraw Gomez at this point in time will immediately destroy their chances in the election. Some WP supporters will see it as a betrayer of their own member. Some will see it as capitulation under PAP's pressure. While the public may see it as an admission of guilt. But not to do anything will allow some who have already been swayed by the logic and evidence presented that WP is part of a conspiracy or Sylvia being involved as well. And that WP is refusing to clean its own house. This is equally bad. Either way, WP's chance of a victory is gravely undermined. What perhaps is a compromise solution and to delay taking immediate action of any kind is for Gomez to make a commitment that he will resigned from the team if he is proven guilty in a court of law. Until a charge is filed against him, and until he is given an opportunity to defend himself in court, he is as innocent as any one. Let the due process of law take its natural course to prove his guilt. And till then, no one shall continue to talk about the case as it will compromise his defence in court later. With such an undertaking by himself, he and his team can then concentrate on the election itself. And should anyone continue to harp on the issue, it could be seen as attempting to interfere in a case pending trial. Now this I am not too sure whether this is sufficient to restrain anyone from passing more comments and further aggravating the situation. At least it is some kind of a response to what the PAP is demanding but without weakening their election effort.

does sylvia lim know?

Sylvia Lim is now expected to be answerable for the actions of Gomez. According to reported evidence, she went to the counter with Gomez to ask for the minority form. And when Gomez was filling the form, she left to attend to the press and returned later. This was what Today paper said: '...Mr Wong said that while Mr Gomez claimed that Ms Lim had seen him submit the form, the tape showed she was not with him when he put the envelope in the bag. "She must know that Mr Gomez has not been truthful. Instead...she has sought to trivialise the matter by saying we are splitting hairs."' Are the two above statements conflicting? Sylvia was not there when Gomez put the form in the bag. So how could she know? She can only know if we know that the two have colluded and planned the whole event. But is there evidence on this? Back to top '); //-->

gomez guilty

The Gomez issue has taken centre stage in this election. He is now faced with an accusation that he intentionally tried to cast doubts on the integrity of the elections department and the election system. This is a serious charge and the PAP expects the WP to take action against him, even to withdraw him from the election. Far from being a 'distracted' candidate who made an 'unintentional omission' and then apologised for it, Mr James Gomez set out to deliberately set up the Elections Dept with the eventual aim of showing that the Govt had no integrity, said Deputy PM Wong Kan Seng.... The acts show beyond any doubt that Mr Gomez lied.' said Mr Wong. 'This was no small lie.' quote Today. According to George Yeo the WP could still contest theelection without Gomez, with only 4 candidates. Should WP continue to field Gomez, then it stands to be seen as either an accomplice or supporting his wrong doing. Does WP has a choice of not doing anything now on the ground that Gomez has not been proven or found guilty by a court of law? Or is Kan Seng's investigation enough to hang him? And if WP take this stand, can the police arrest him and put him in custody pending trial? Is this a seizable offence? At the moment the WP's position is that it is an honest mistake. While the PAP said it is not an honest mistake but with intent to cause mischief. Can the WP continue to contest the election and wait for a charge to be filed against Gomez?

means testing is now not a PAP promise

Boon Wan has said that he is putting the means testing on hold. There are many practical reasons that have yet to be sorted out and if it is too cumbersome, he might not implement it. I hope he remembers that he has cautioned people from spending lavishly on healthcare, that prudence with their money is very important. People should be very careful to have enough for that rainy day, or days. Nobody knows how much is enough when such things are concerned. The other issue that Boon Wan might want to look into is the concept and policies on how to charge for medicare. Can medicare be priced the way a tv or a car be priced? Is the value of life of a young man different from an old man, a worker different from a millionaire? Should they be charged differently in a government/public hospital when everyone is assumed to be the same? Should people be given more choices on how to spread their little savings in their CPF to pay for medicare? Should the govt insist on how much people should pay and dictate the choices for them?

where is the beef?

After four days of rallies, all the people heard were promises of more good things for the people and one upmanship, or trying to run down the opponent. Is this the quality of debate in a general election of a first world country? For having a first world govt and being paid out of this world salary, the people can expect and must demand more quality and substance. It is time for the govt to go down to brass tacks and tell the people what they are going to do to give the people a better life. Yes Hsien Loong said that the govt is going to tackle rising cost of living issues which they have forgotten in the last few years. Ok it is alright to have amnesia and forget that they have to look after the people's interest all the time and not during a general election. Now the people must want to hear what are the steps the govt is going to take to solve the people's problems. How are transport fares and all other fees going to come down? Or they cannot come down, out of the govt's control as they are determined by external factors? What about high cost of medical fees and school fees? What about quality jobs, unemployement and senior workers? Tell the people what will be done and how and when it will be done. These are not new problems and many thinking heads must have been looking at them and would have worked out something by now. They can't be thinking about them now because there is a general election. And for being paid out of this world salary, the people would expect out of this world solutions. So far nothing out of this world have been said. The solution to pay ever higher medical fees by different schemes through insurance and medisave are nothing enlightening. The fees still go up and the people still pay. Show the people some brilliant solutions to justify the high salary so that the people will all shut up and even respect the govt more. But if the solutions are the standard regular increases in fees and fares to maintain good profits, then there is nothing unusual. Four more days to roll out what the govt is going to do, in details. Staying together, moving ahead must now be translated into follow up actions.

Promises PAP should not keep

The PAP boasts about its record of keeping to its promises. What ever they say or toss out to sound the public, it will become a reality. Good or bad, popular or unpopular, righ or wrong, it has been decided and they will go ahead with it. Transport fare increases, school fees, medical fees etc these are as sure as the sun will rise. Now there are two things which they are saying and I wish that they don't keep to their promises. The first is means testing for hospitalisation. This is an outrageous intrusion into people's private life, their finances and difficulties, all to be exposed to some strangers in the name of means testing. Means testing is simply MEAN. Means testing, with an objective to make sure that people cannot stay in C wards if they have some money, is in conflict with the principles of prudence and thrift. People must not be forced by means testing to spend more than they want. And not to forget the fact that the govt is not going to reduce medical fees but to restructure in the payment only, either from insurance or medisave in the cpf, or by instalments. So no one will know when his savings will be depleted either by one or two or triple hospitalisations. How could forcing people to spend more be in line with Boon Wan's call for the people to be prudent in their spending, in protecting their CPF to last their life time? The next promise that came over the air last night is the intent to merge Hougang to Aljunied GRC. And maybe all single wards that were won by the PAP will also go that way. This will ultimately destroy all single wards and turn the whole islands into big GRCs. This is no good as it deprives independent candidates or small political parties to stand. What ever the propositions or promises, what is lacking is choice, freedom of choice. Once decided, all must follow, and only one choice. And do policy makers really believe that a one rule or one option can fit all, meet the needs of a diverse population? Singaporeans need more choices, more freedom of choice. Private hospital can offer the world best medical care by the world best professionals and charge a couple of million bucks to the willing customer. Let market forces determine how willing the customer is prepared to pay. There is no issue about that. If someone like Wee Cho Yaw wants to pay half a million for an appendicitis ops, if he is happy and the private hospital happy, let it be. But govt hospitals cannot operate on market principles. Exceptions may be allowed say for the A wards to compete aggressively and charge exhorbitantly. That is also fine. But the people must have a choice for managed medical fee based on reasonable cost of medicine, equipment and a salary that is not running away with the market. Produce all the doctors that the market needs and let them go to private practice and make their millions. But their earlier years, maybe 5 to 10 years be in public service and be paid a reasonable and not out of this world salary. Many people's lives depend on them, and many people cannot afford crazy medical fees. The govt must not allow govt hospitals to operate freely like commercial hospitals and allow them to hold at ransom the lives of ordinary people. This is irresponsible. Please don't keep to your promises on these.

pap candidates are sincere in wanting to serve

With the hustings heating up, both sides are trying to tell the voters how good and deserving they are. Everyone is there telling the voters that they are there to serve them, the voters are the boss. Some of the PAP candidates are taking the line that the opposition candidates are like terrorists, appear once in 5 years and disappear after that. That oppposition candidates lack sincerity to want to serve the people, are opportunists. The PAP candidates also present themselves as sincere politicians who have been there in the last 5 years serving the people. That it is in their blood to want to serve the people. Presumably even those who have retired from politics would still be there to serve the people after their terms end and would not disappear like opposition candidates. And PAP candidates will also come out voluntarily to stand for election even if they have not been invited for tea. They are always there with the people's welfare at heart. Tea or no tea, they will come forward unlike opposition candidates who invited themselves into the fray and scurrily run away if not elected. So we have sincere PAP candidates versus not so sincere opposition candidates. Candidates who came out to serve after being invited for tea and candidates voluntarily stepping forward wanting to serve without being invited for tea. Another issue that's quite puzzling to me is that Sitoh was very confident that if elected he will upgrade the lifts in Potong Pasir. According to him the estate is too old and he will apply to HDB for lift upgrading fund. Chiam must be sleeping and did not know that his estate is very old and that he could apply to the HDB for lift upgrading fund. And worst, according to Chok Tong, Chiam has no fund to do upgrading for his estate. I would believe that HDB will allocate upgrading fund to whoever is the MP of the estate and running the town council. I may be wrong.

scoring political points

After the relentless attack on Gomez, he came out and apologised. But that was not to be the end of the episode. In Low Thia Khiang's view it was an honest mistake. In the eyes of the PAP, it is not only a Gomez issue. It is about the credibility of WP, about transparency, about the quality of all WP candidates. This is the same kind of reasoning that people will use in politiking. Once a mistake is made, when there is doubt on one of its members, then the whole organisation will be questioned. It is lucky that Durai is not a PAP member or candidate. Or he and PAP will be grilled like how Gomez and WP are being grilled. Scoring political points!

7 May, a new political landscape

On the wee hours of 7 May 06 half of the Singaporeans were soundly asleep. Another half was griped by a state of shock that swept through the island. The youth of Singapore have spoken. And their disillusioned parents have joined forces with them to deliver a crippling blow to the ruling PAP govt. A totally unexpected result was frozen on the tv screen. PAP lost 3 GRCs, East Coast, Aljunied and Ang Mo Kio. Lee Hsien Loong was voted out by a team of young upstarts, all still wet behind their ears, inexperienced and with school text books still left around their tables. Jayakumar, the deputy Prime Minister, lost his stronghold in East Coast. And together with Aljunied, two of the most promising young ministers, George Yeo and Raymond Lim were also sent packing. And all the single ward seats were won by the opposition candidates! It was a crisis beyond imagination and of a scale that shook the whole nation. What now? The worst nightmare had started. It is a bad dream on a Sunday morning. No it can't happen. The election now in its third day is only a formality, a cake walk to another 5 years of PAP rule. Time for breakfast.

an alternative opposition strategy

What I would consider a better strategy to win one GRC is for WP to borrow Abdul Rahman Mohamad from SDA to join Sylvia Lim's team instead of Gomez. And Mohammed Rahizan Yaacob be replaced by either Chia Ti Lik or Perry Tong. Then field the team in Hong Kah or West Coast. The second WP team can take on one of these two PAP team. In this way, the likelihood of scoring a goal is much better than the current strategy of diluting their strength and competing fairly strong PAP teams. I am still puzzled why they think Aljunied and East Coast are easier to take. The slate of opposition teams indicate very clearly that they were unable to attract good professional candidates from the minority communities. Until they are able to bring in a few good minority candidates, theirs is an uphill task.

scoring on the gomez slip

The PAP is not going to let this blunder get away without scoring political points. And they delivered some heavy blows last night, hitting at the incompetence and the non admittance of an error as an attempt to distort a mistake. This is what WP is going to pay for dearly. Sylvia Lim is perhaps the strongest of all the oppositon candidates. Probably much stronger than Low Thia Khiang and Chaim. But her GRC team is now a three legged horse. Even before the first round is over her team is already limping around. What a shame to lose a fight this way.

strategy of convenience

For the sake of logistic convenience, the opposition alliance has concentrated their effort to battle in the north east sector. Superficially this looks clever and convenient. But strategically it is a very simplistic approach to a serious battle like a general election. They have missed taking on the weaker GRCs in the process and instead taken on more formidable opponents in East Coast and even Aljunid and left a few weaker GRCs in the west completely untouched. This may prove very costly as this election could be a watershed and provides a golden opportunity for the opposition to make a dent. But this strategy of convenience may allow this chance to slip away.

Are we first world?

A summary of the features that we are first world standard. 1. Education standard and facilities 2. Medical services and facilities 3. Country infrastructure. 4. Per capita income 5. Economy and GDP 6. Quality of govt 7. Standard of living 8. Cost of living 9. Litigation to solve personal differences 10. Political system Features that are short of first world standard or even third world standard 1. Politics and political process a. over dominance of one party b. exaggerated uneven playing field c. engaging political opponents 2. Quality of opposition parties 3. 250,000 families struggling and need financial assistance. 4. Political immaturity of the people, apathy etc 5. Sense of fear Features that are out of this world 1. Remuneration of politicians 2. Prices of cars 3. Govt control over people's savings