Oh, you mean like the rise in GST, means testing, etc.?
I don’t know if most of us would be unhappy if they got blocked.

Politics and religions are man created stuff and both are outside the Realm of Nature. It is sad to see man trying to be smarter than Nature. Keep your natural identity at any price otherwise the root will rot and extinction will follow. I am an atheist.

patriot.

I too interact with the Malaysian Malays sometimes online in their blogs.
Just by reading straits times and etc..,u’ll never get to understand the ‘real’ sentiment on the ground.

Pls be informed that M’sian Malays are by large really differs from the S’pore Malays.

Most of them believe their identity should not be lose by modernity.
It’s the M’sian politics from the intital stage that keeps by racial/religious lines.

The Malaysian Malays will NEVER support DAP. In the urban areas they support PKR – and thats ONLY because of Anwar. In the rural areas they support PAS – because of Islam. The other 50% still vote for UMNO ! You have yet to fathom the Malay-Muslim mind. It is very naive to think that the Malaysian Malays who are so conservative when it comes to Lina Joy etc etc – will suddenly forget about Islam when it comes to elections ! Already PAS has led a protest against the Dutch Government because of Geert Wilder’s “Fitna” movie which is insulting to Islam.

I used to debate with many people at Malaysia-Today, Malaysiakini and back then – even on the old HarakahDaily Forum. By and large – the Malays are conservative Muslims and will NOT support the free-thinking DAP.

Nevertheless you should NOT lose sight of the 50% of Malays who STILL support UMNO ! So you see – the Malays vote along ethnic and religious lines.

Our constitution, the Westminster style of governance does not really cater much to opposition voice in government affairs. The only thing they can do is raise issues in parliament and hope that the cabinet takes it into consideration.

Imagine if the PAP were to lose their majority in parliament? What will happen then? Any policy which needs to be implemented with immediate effect will/might be blocked by the opposition.

Do you think WP and SDA can unite? I sincerely doubt so. They have two entirely different ideologies. One is liberal democracy, the other social democracy. Don’t talk to me about SDP, that’s a gone case party. If it can even get an NCMP seat in parliament, I’ll be very much surprised.

The main reason behind the swift of votes, has little to do with religion, the people are more concern with corruption, inflation and rising crimes.

I urge you to conduct proper research before making misleading comments on Malaysia politics.

Before the election, both ruling parties dominated the parliament with a severely underrepresented opposition, and are able to change the constitution at will. The judicial, the legislative and the executive are all controlled by the ruling party, and their civil services are excessively partisan. The mass media are all controlled by the ruling party and the internet is the only medium left for the opposition to exploit.

Despite the odds, the PKR PAS DAP coalition succeeded in the unthinkable and pulled an incredible upset against the BN juggernaut. The stunning part about the Malaysian political upheaval is the shaking apart of the myth that the opposition has no chance to win.

To be fair, there were many specific circumstances present in Malaysia that contributed to the situation today – UMNO managed to score several own goals through their arrogance and mismanagement to contribute to the shocking score line.

While the PAP have not made mistakes on the scale of UMNO, they still face daunting challenges ahead – rocketing cost of living coupled with a shrinking economic pie for the middle to lower income majority of Singaporeans; newer, younger generations of voters clamoring for a more open society – youngsters that lack the awe of our leaders that persist in more aged Singaporeans; the shrinking influence of traditional mass media in the face of the internet – especially when our mass media is widely perceived to be propaganda rags that lack objectivity where local politics are concerned.

I do not think that with our current equation that the emergence of a single charismatic opposition figurehead will bring about political revolution in long stagnant Singaporean politics. A single person can be and will be brought down by hook and by crook once he or she represents sufficient threat as seen from the fate of Tang Liang Hong.

I think that change will arrive eventually by the tides of time when older generations passed away completely with the remnants of the glorious age where the PAP rose from being underdogs to build with Singaporeans the glittering metropolis that we see today – before they lost sight of the people dwelling in the shadows of the shimmering sky scrappers; before they stopped being stewards and became rulers instead.

Another point to add :

I made the statement regarding the voting pattern of Muslims in Singapore simply to contrast with the situation in Malaysia. In Singapore – Islam is NOT a political force of any significance. However in Muslim Malaysia – Islam is THE dominant political force.

Singaporean Muslims do not have much clout but in Malaysia – to get anywhere in politics means that one must deal with the Islamic factor. Its unavoidable.

Most Singaporeans do not see Malaysia from this angle. And thats a big mistake. What works for Singapore may not be possible for Malaysia.

Though I agree with you regarding a secular democracy – BUT – Muslim Malaysia is NOT secular especially since Islam is its official religion and 60% of its populations are Muslims who mostly reject secularism !

Singaporeans have been indoctrinated to attain a good life from very small through the education system and the TV. We have been taught meritocrazy. So everyone simply went crazy about merits – trying to gain as much merits as possible in the eyes of the “Almighty”. And once we have scored 3 A’s or 4 Aces, we think of nothing but “A” – i.e. America and Australia, a or even Austria and Argentina.

Sometimes we may think of “S” which stands for $ but can also stands for stubborn, stupid and simple-mindedness, or even situational.

I still remember during my NS days, when my CO was a very strict person, just like a dictatorial tyrant, all the officers and men under him behaved like very obedient mice. But when that CO was posted out, all of us were so relieved. All the stress, pent-up feelings and fear were suddenly gone. We celebrated the occasion with a big bang at the End-of-Year function. I see Singaporeans will one day have a chance to celebrate like this.

Control is good but too much control is bad.
Greed is good but too much greed is bad.
Getting fat is good but getting too fat is bad.
Spinning is good but spinning too much is bad.
Power is good but too much power is bad!
Stability is good but too much stability becomes COMPLACENT!

AND COMPLACENCY IS VERY VERY BAD!

Also, you said, “even if every single Singaporean Muslim voted for an Islamic opposition to the PAP – they still would not be able to garner enough votes to put their candidate in parliament”

I disagree. Of course assuming all Malays vote for one candidate and all Chinese, Indians and other vote for the other one, the Malays will never be able to put their candidate in parliament. But the reality is not so cut and dry.

I’d argue that Malays still have the power to swing votes. Take Aljunied in the GE2006 for example. I understand that the reason for the PAP’s win is that Malay voters (who make up more than 15% of the constituency) mostly voted for the PAP because WP was perceived to be too Chinese. If WP was able to win them over, who knows what the result would have been?

I agree with you, we don’t have an ‘Anwar’ yet. And I can assure you that that’s d only difference.

But if this is any difference at all, then basically there is really nothing that different.

The people always need good leaders. Before the leader shows up in the opposition, the incumbent will have all the time for itself to perform. Sadly, many embrace the power assuming invinsibiliy. No no no, it’s just that the time is yet come for the showdown. Hahahahaha…

Before Anwar comes about, Mahathir could have done anything. He made the Monster in Anwar for UMNO, and he made Badawi paid for it. Anwar is a good guy as well. I ever openly admitted that it is god’s blessing that Malaysia has two marvelous leaders in Badawi and Anwar.

It is my wish that eventually both can join force… a politically naive and too idealistic a wish, I know. But that’d be celebrated even by a Singaporean as myself. And politics can be anything…

Badawi is a marvelous leader in such messed up politics left behind by Mahathir, obviously can be considered a good guy, hence. Now in his most dangerous moments, he still find support in Singaporeans as myself. I am not known to praise indiscriminately. That must show how much as well I expect of Premier Badawi. The sad thing is, Anwar is an admirable man as well, and a leader we like. I sincerely feel sad that both have to fight against the other… Sad.

Sadder at the possibility that amidst the fight, Mr Mahathir could have found his way into power again.

For Singapore’s case… GRC is nothing. GRC actually works both ways. Hahahahaha… GRC has its critical weak spot as well. And pls don’t expect me to explain how to ‘break’ through.

Dr Chee and Anwar are both ‘radicals’. Fact is, Mr Anwar was himself a ‘street fighter’ if I not wrong. Hahahaha… The problem about Chee is, as I have being misunderstood on this many times, that Dr Chee do not move in the correct ways. Even if he disposed Mr Chiam off SDP, he’s… not correct in his moves. So him as a leader is direct disaster to his followers.

I support the racial quota in HDB, since I am not in favor of further diversifying efforts of our fragile society in the fact of another religion and race… Elitism and the religion of Snobs, for instance. So…

Actually, your fear of migration to lose power backing opposition is too paranoid. You see, when the Taiwanese wanna change gahmen, many of them flew back to do what? Over the years, the majority who could leave Singapore still holds on to their citizenship. And I am aware of overseas anti-gahmen elements quietly grouping themselves up.

The oppositions… have a quality issue; a real quality issue. Assuming every of them is Slyvia Lim, and capable of leading squads against GRCs… What next? It’s still a 50/50 fight. It’s just a gamble. And even if WP unites every party n form the gahmen, can they govern like that?

In Taiwan’s case, and Malaysia’s case as well, the opposition rises up not because people believe they will do better. They are just fed up. KMT->MJT->KMT again…

If Badawi had been stupid to follow Mahathir’s methods, the people would have not given him any chance at all. Malaysians know Badawi is good. They want him to prove himself, they give him the chance. His personal score shakes little.

In politics, anywhere, especially when the world has become a global village… as what I have blogged, and you are invited to leave your dignified mark there via comment, everyone is getting everyone’s business. Singapore is a cosmopolitan, if PAP can only fend, it cannot fend forever. When nobody trust PAP, when everything PAP says is taken to be wayang, when PAP is viewed as a snob… You think GRC will help? Hahahahahahaha…

Malaysia and Singapore is the same, Alwi. In whatever name or whatever fashion issues are, it all boils down to the same thing.

Voters… are only human. Starve them, they fight; fix them, they retailiate; caveat emptor, they mess up; give them one million, they want two millions…

What is so different, Alwi?

When opposition has its leader, nothing will be different. Low Thia Khiang actually is ok, all he ever needs is an ‘add-on’. When we talk about leaders… we talk about a whole package.

MM is aware. You heard him. For Elfred, it’s just sit back, and enjoy the coming shows.

Alwi, there is no excuse in the lack of quality. So we shall see how oppositions play their cards.

One thing about political fight… It is not always just street fighting. Hahahaha… Maybe my latest article may interest you alittle.

Rest well.

I got a show to catch.

http://elfredinario.wordpress.com/