Wednesday, November 19, 2008 23:59
Political openness – why are the fleas still dancing inside?
In Politics • 1,175 views • 15 Comments
Alastair Su / Writer
In his National Day Rally speech this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong promised a series of initiatives that would “progressively open up” Singapore’s political space, acknowledging the need for the government to keep in tandem with a more educated, globalized public. Such measures would include things like lifting bans on political videos and relaxing rules concerning usage of Speaker’s Corner, hopefully encouraging greater debate and political participation among Singaporeans.
Three months later, a spot check is due. And here’s the writer’s verdict: nothing much has changed. Surprised? Despite a spike in activities at Speaker’s Corner, and maybe one or two more dissenting voices, Singapore is still very much the same as before.
One may argue that it’s too early to make a call. Political liberalisation is a process that takes many years, and we’ are still in its nascent stages. If so, allow me to make a prediction then: even if other political avenues are opened up significantly, Singapore will still be the same as before. Even without the lid, the fleas will still be dancing inside the jar.
Understanding why this is so requires some knowledge of Singapore’s political and social history. Singapore was born in tough circumstances, annexed from Malaysia in 1965 with little natural resources. Thus, tough leadership was required. The People’s Action Party (PAP) built its regime upon a doctrine of survival, where social and political freedoms were sacrificed for economic expediency. So, as the government focused on increasing productivity, raising technology levels, creating jobs, personal liberties were suppressed, and anybody who opposed this agenda was forcibly dealt with.
Surely enough, the PAP’s strategy has been very successful. It prided itself as a government that could deliver results, so critics were silenced by the dramatic changes that took place, as the sleepy colony transformed into a modern city. But more importantly though, beyond just effecting external changes, the PAP also raised a generation of self-reliant, pragmatic and resourceful Singaporeans. Therefore, providing more than just political leadership, the PAP helped to define our values as citizens. Things like freedom of speech, civil society and human rights are seen as “Western concepts”, whereas things like job security, economic competitiveness and efficiency are prized as our core needs.
Such PAP-inspired psyche can be seen in the recent activities at Speaker’s Corner. Traditionally, Speaker’s Corner acts an avenue for political expression in most countries; but in Singapore, it is a place where economic grievances are voiced.
The most exciting event so far, for instance, was a rally held by investors affected by the financial fallout. The forum section in the newspapers is also another example, where little or nothing is said about the ruling polity. The Sunday Times has recently called us a “petition nation”; the description is apt, as our form of civil society mainly involves providing feedback about everyday concerns.
Therefore, ask any Singaporean whether he would like greater freedom of speech, and the reply would be: “I’ll take that, if it helps to pay my electricity bills.” No matter how much our political liberties our expanded, no change will ever come. The new generation has never even tasted what it is like to have expanded freedoms, eroding whatever appeal the opposition will ever have. So unless the PAP performs a huge strategic error, the opposition will probably never win. We’re like the fleas inside the jar, where our pattern of behaviour has been established by the government, passing on from each generation to the next.
So basically, in other words, you don’t need to look forward to the next big rally to see the PAP. Just do some soul searching, and you’ll find them deep within you.
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About the author:
Alastair is currently 19 years old and is in his first year of National Service. His interest is in economics and current affairs, particularly of the region. Alistair also blogs at The Lookout.
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15 Comments
smallvice585
the thing that really is lacking is a figurehead or a group of figureheads to drive this “opening of political space.” who can we look for to lead the way in opening up alternate views physically and on the ground?
It’s not a figurehead. People keep thinking that the opposition needs a figurehead, etc etc. What happened to JBJ? He was a figurehead and he was sued, bankrupted and more. And he is DEAD. The author is right in that the only way for Singaporeans to get angry enough to actually rise up is by attacking their wallets, and it is happening before our eyes.
What’s more if there is a figurehead who leads the way, who’s to say that he’s not the next LKY in the making? Do we want another LKY? Do we want an Obama? In pragmatic Singapore, political ideals cannot eat one. Want the public to stand up? Then hope that gahmen makes a few more wrong investments…but is Singapore ready for the consequences?
gemami
Good to read but not very insightful. I take offence on the sentence; No matter how much our political liberties our expanded, no change will ever come.
This is a sentence that not only questions the generation before us together with the present generation, but also questions the future generations to come. Can anyone be so sure today that he is able to speak for tomorrow?
I will agree with the statement insofar as the PAP govt continues with the good works shown by their predecessors, the old guards. That was a group of rulers whose primary focus was the welfare of the people.
The current PAP govt shares only one thing in common to the PAP govt of the old guards. It carries the same name but it’s vision and mission have shifted beyond what the party had originally stood for.
This LHL govt is not PAP. It is a party that disguises itself as PAP. People still think it is PAP because of the link in the LEE name. This PAP govt is the devil in disguise.
Change will come. Remember these phrase when you think all is quiet and obedient – - – Barking dogs seldom bite
Self-enclosed
Most Singaporean are like the frogs living in the well, they never hv the chance to see things outside of the well.
Blind man
CHANGE begins and ends with YOU as an individual. No point saying the REST of the masses will vote otherwise.
When it comes down to YOU AND ONLY YOU to vote as an individual, what WILL you do ??
Follow the lambs to the slaughter?
Dr. Albert
Indeed! well said smallvice585 #.1
The writer of this article may be right that Singaporean is very much materials. But, in every era, we see that you only need one person to do the difference and the rest would eventually realize the truth and follow. Gandhi of India, Sun Yet Seng of China.
tiredsingaporean
I don’t like this person in the picture here, as though he is pointing his finger and say “See! all these people out there are idiots and they always believe what I say”
victor @young generation@
8…
what a good say..
i have the same feeling with u..
No news is good news !
Good day Alistair,
Good piece , I would like to share that we need to clearly ask ourselves ? Is the current Govt good enough to take care of Singaporeans who are in need?
Is the current govt capable of pulling us through tough times, when it’s crunch time ? or do they provide us with sugar coatings of EMPTY world class slogans that fades into ash, as the clock ticks and try to renew it with a better phase the next time round.
Many will say that nothing can be done, and there are many that say changes to improve the quality of life of Singpooreans can be made with small infant steps that will eventually lead to hugh and positive changes for the better
Heres something I would like to share with you. (read it somewhere off the web)
Watch your thoughts
The become your actions
Watch your actions
They become your habits
Watch your habits
They become your character
Watch your character
they become your destiny
The limitations and answers lies within ourselves.
Look deep within and if you should ever get a chance to vote.
Please make the right choice, and please feel free to share the TOC website with your friends and family. Let them decide and feel that theres lots that can be done for OUR Singapore
Singaporeans need to be well informed of how policy formulation and the lack of transparency can have a downhill impact on their lives.
Change for the better begins and ends with you, never with others.
tieren
political vibrancy is a culture. Like all other cultures, it has to be cultivated ground up, from the people. sure, the government can encourage it or discourage it, but the main impetus is the people.
x
don’t underestimate the chance of liberalization. change happens extremely fast in singapore, by the virtue of being a small country. you all have seen singapore can transform itself from a sleepy regional port to developed country in a mere 3 decades, because of being a small country. liberalization can also happen in staggering speed. indonesia, a large country, takes less than 10 years to be democracy. singapore obviously needs less time.
nokia71
So basically, in other words, you don’t need to look forward to the next big rally to see the PAP. Just do some soul searching, and you’ll find them deep within you.
___________
hi, nice article. I especially like the last para, which to some extent is soooo true.
But perhaps you are too young to realize that, changes have come, and will continue to come, as long as there are people who desire so.
C J
The only thing ‘open’, is his mouth…
Zeitgeist
‘They’ are winners. They had always won and they will continue to win. They will keep winning until there’s nothing left to be won. It’s a form of swarming. Just allow history to swallow us up. Stop wasting your energy. Put it to better use like putting food on the table. At least for the time we have left .
It all begins with the small issues such as public transport fare hikes and outrageous revision in electricity tariff. Once people have tasted freedom, then they would have realised what is missing and what makes them human.
Until one has participated in a protest or represented an interest group to negotiate concessions, one would not understand the sense of humanity and rawness that is associated to the freedom of speech and the freedom of association.
It is funny how Singaporeans associated such freedoms as Western concepts. They are not Western, but fundamental to every human person. These freedoms have always been practised in Asia but nobody has ever gave a name to it. Examples of demonstrated freedom of association and freedom of speech would be the Hokkien Clan and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. The West may be more vocal about these freedoms than the East but it doesn’t mean that the East never had or practised these freedoms.