Fang Shihan >> TOC Review
In this first installment of our “Youth in Politics” series, we speak to Justin Ong and Nicole Seah from the Young Reformers, the youth wing of the Reform Party.
OPPOSITION party members seem to have it tough, especially when it comes to job opportunities. That is the common perception anyway.
But Justin Ong and Nicole Seah, both of whom recently graduated from the National University of Singapore, hope to dispel that idea.
Mr Ong, who majored in Political Science, is a corporate banker who has just started his career with the Development Bank of Singapore. Ms Seah is an accounts executive at a multinational public relations firm. She has a degree in Communications and New Media.
In this interview, they related with The Online Citizen about their vision for the party and the difficulties they face as young individuals seeking to reform the political landscape of the country.
1) How did your interest in politics begin?
Nicole: For a long time I was a person who subscribed to the rhetoric of the PAP – that we are a fishing village transformed into a first class nation. However, when I came to university, I took a couple of classes in politics and it was from there that I discovered alternative opinions and views. They may be more complex and sometimes convoluted, but they make more sense than the simplistic rhetoric the current government tells us.
In university, I also joined an independent publication The Campus Observer. It was then that I started to get very interested about what people were talking about and what was the alternative ground view. NUS promotes itself to be a world-class university, but I noticed that there were still prevalent problems. They had to be brought to the surface to improve the lives of students. I saw NUS as a microcosm of how Singapore is being run, and I started to think critically about the issues affecting the country as a whole. It was then that I decided that I wanted to do something substantial and take ownership of my own country.
Justin: As a teenager, the National Education programme was been a powerful force in shaping my political beliefs. Upon matriculating in university and studying political science, it occurred to me that the reality of politics in Singapore was quite different from the rhetoric that I had been taught. The sight of how the country was being run politically was discomforting. After exploring academic arguments and comparing the political systems of various countries, I started taking a greater interest in politics and eventually gave political activity some serious consideration.
2) What made you decide to join Reform Party?
J: I had been looking around the political scene for some time, since university as a political science student. After graduating, I gave some serious thought about which party to join. I decided upon the Reform Party, which was in some instances an obvious choice for me, It was a new party with JB Jeyaratnam’s legacy and led by Kenneth Jeyaratnam. I was attracted to both Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s academic credentials and technocratic clout along with the policies and programmes that the party represented.
N: I was looking around for an opposition party to join and to contribute to. One of the main things that attracted me to the Reform Party was the fact that it was very new. There’s a lot of potential and room for growth and the sort of political direction it could take. I wanted to be at the forefront, to play a part in shaping a new political era. Though I took notice of the Party when JBJ passed away, it was only until Kenneth took over that I started reading up on the website and the Party’s manifesto. The Party’s ideals strongly resonated with the kind of ideals I would like for Singapore. So I joined the party to support its ideals and contribute in my own way towards enacting positive change.
3) Justin, how were you selected to head the youth wing?
J: Upon joining the party, I was enthusiastic in initiating programs for youths. That was when the CEC (Central Executive Committee) suggested that I take form and take charge of a youth wing, catering programmes to individuals below the age of 35. I couldn’t turn down the challenge to organise something for a new party. I started the youth wing with a vision to cultivate a movement that I thought had been lacking in Singapore.
4) What are your vision and goals for the youth wing?
J: I’d like to see more participation in politics among youths. Political participation should be regarded as a meritorious activity and all Singaporeans should be encouraged to participate in public life. At the party, we hope to groom individuals who would eventually contest for the highest political offices in the land. We’d like to instill a lifestyle inspired by rigourous thought, debate and intellectual discipline.
N: It is important that politics is a fulfilling vocation for the youth. We aim to bring across the merits of politics, and people have to see it as a productive activity over say, spending their weekends at Orchard Road. All this while, in any activity that we propose or execute, we are essentially hoping to get youths interested and to join the party. We want to make politics relevant to the people and show them that it adds value to their lives.
5) What goes on at a typical Open House?
J: We have two Open House sessions a week for both the youth wing and the general public, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, respectively. Our Open Houses are open to all, and we typically receive visitors who would like to enquire more about our programmes and membership. At the Open House, we provide an avenue for the public to discuss politics and encourage the discussion of current governmental policies.
N: What is heartening is that, increasingly, you get people who walk in on their own accord. It doesn’t have to be that they want to join the party. They’re taking an interest in current affairs and policies. They come here to bounce ideas off each other and listen to what people have to say. The open house serves as a platform for people to come together together and share their views on what they would want best for the country. At the moment, it is very hard to find such physical platforms elsewhere.
Describe your political views.
J: I believe that political competition is as vital as economic competition. In Singapore where bread and butter issues take precedence, the Reform Party’s strength is its strong economic perspective.
I believe that the divisive income inequality gap in Singapore needs to be addressed, and alternative policies need to be put in place to address such a problem.
To me, the growth-at-all-costs model is no longer viable for Singapore. I believe that economic policies need to be revised for the Singaporeans to live more equitably. I am glad that the Reform Party has a firm stand on economic policies and has been a place which has encouraged my political views.
N: My political view is about striking the right balance between the 3 sectors – politics, economics, social. Especially for social issues, because I feel that there’s a greater emphasis placed on economics than the other two. In light of that, I feel that it is important to have a diversity of voices. You cannot have one person, or a very small group of people, dictating and telling you what to do all the time.
Different voices represent different segments and everyone has to have a stake in what they would like for the country and what is best for them. I feel strongly about the social aspect of politics. I think that in running a country, your foremost concern is for the welfare of that people. I’m not talking about a welfare state, but it is important that policies are implemented for the benefit of the people.
7) If you were one day (hypothetically) made the Prime Minister, what is the first policy you would change?
J: I would reduce defence spending and place more emphasis on education. All Singaporeans need to have a safety net in place that they can fall back on. I believe that all Singaporeans should be encouraged to have a minimum of secondary school education funded by the state. It is a political right of citizens to be protected by the government.
Also, there should be more emphasis in lowering the teacher-to-student ratio, and to move away from mass-based education system to one that is personalized to the individual. This encourages critical thinking. I think it is far more worthy to put in place such an education system, than to accumulate tanks and fighter jets.
N: I would revise the incentives and funds that are allocated to foreigners and reduce the influx of foreigners into the country. While Singapore can afford to have a multicultural populace with a substantial number of foreigners, it is important is that we do not marginalize citizens in the process or make them feel like second-class citizens in their home country. This is a potential negative social consequence when the number of foreigners outweighs locals, or when there is a large influx coming into the country in such a short time.
The government blames it on people not reproducing enough. But if it was not so stressful and the cost of living so high here, we wouldn’t be having this problem. After all, the process of reproduction is human instinct and a natural thing! In line with reducing incentives, I would also revise the minimum wage policy. It is important that Singaporeans do not feel that they are struggling to make ends meet in their own county. Singaporeans should not feel threatened in their own home.
8 ) How did your friends and family react when you joined the Reform Party?
N: My parents were very proud of me. They felt that I was willing to stand up for something I believed in. I felt encouraged by that.
J: Initially, some of my friends were worried for me. They thought that stepping out to join an opposition party would mean that I would be marginalized in the job market. However, they were eventually relieved to see that this was not so. My parents have been very supportive of me.
They appreciated my maturity to be politically involved and respected my different way of thinking. They gave me their blessings as they were glad that I could reach out to help the community in some way and were happy to learn that I had established myself in a leadership position within the Reform Party.
9) What are some future activities of the Youth Wing?
J: Right now we are trying to network the youth wings of the various parties by inviting one another to our open house sessions. I hope to organize a debate competition in the future and also a series of invited guest lectures. We hope these programs will be beneficial and add value to their lives.
N: We also plan to tie up with couple of clubs in universities to raise awareness of what we do. I think we would be keen to reach out to the DSC (Democratic Socialist Club in NUS) because for clubs like these, it’s a place where people already have an interest in politics and civil society issues. We want to fuel that further. On top of that, we are busying ourselves with maintenance activities such as working towards establishing a solid online presence by manning the Facebook page and revamping the Party’s website.
J: Apart from our usual activies, we have been very active online and are currently in the midst of setting up a new website which will be up sometime in November. The youth wing has been quite proactive in spearheading the party’s online activities and provides a good opportunity for youths to have a hands-on experience in contributing towards a political cause.
10) How difficult is it to get youths to join the party? What are some of their reasons for not joining?
J: Youths in general have been receptive towards joining the Reform Party, but as usual, there are always certain barriers. Many of them wish to complete their studies before joining us as they have a heavy schedule of lessons and CCAs (Co-Curricular Activities).
I think it is normal for youths to have such considerations and prioritise their time in such a manner. I too, only considered joining a political party after I had graduated as I was afraid that I would be distracted. Apart from that, our programs are quite attractive to youths and our membership has been steadily growing. It is very heartening that I can play a part in cultivating a movement for youths to participate in politics.
11) “Singaporean youths are apathetic.” What are your comments to this statement?
N: There’s a growing number of Singaporean youths, especially online, voicing opinions, and participating in civil society. They are also standing up and having more opinionated discussions on various issues happening in Singapore and around the world.
However, this demographic might still be a minority. There are still are a lot of youths out there who do not care about politics. But this is not because they do not care about their country. Rather, it is the unfortunate consequence of a nanny state. We’ve been raised in a way that a lot of us do not think about having a strong stake in policies that concern our lives, because there is someone out there who insists that a certain way of life is best for us.
J: I think the word “apathy” is incorrectly used. A more applicable word to suit our context is the word “anomie”, which denotes a certain helplessness against the system. This helplessness which occurs on a systemic level is reinforced when results does not correlate to effort. However, we need to change this. We need to encourage participation in the public life for youths to feel a greater ownership towards the political processes of the country. We need to empower each and every individual to elect their government of choice through the vote.
12) What is the biggest problem within the opposition, as you see it? How can it improve?
N: The opposition lacks a technocratic group to take over the government. The problem with opposition politics is that people do not perceive us as being credible enough to form an alternative government. That, coupled with a climate of fear and What-ifs make it difficult for the opposition to have significant political breakthrough.That said, it is not about replacing one group of elites with another. Rather, there needs to be different political voices out there to keep the state accountable for what they do, to keep policies in check and ensure that it is the best possible outcome for the people.
J: On one level, the opposition is too weakly supported. We need ground support for us to be elected in parliament. On anther level, the opposition needs to be responsive towards the continually evolving needs of Singaporeans. The opposition needs to progress in a proactive manner and not through a reactionary engine. We need greater unity and work even harder towards the vision of forming an alternative government in the future.
13) Lastly, Justin, our female readers have been keen to know: Are you attached? Married?
J: I am single-mindedly attached to the ideals of the Reform Party and am married to the ideal of reforming Singapore.
The only meaningful public appearance he made along side his old man was during the senior’s funeral. Period.
To Non-partisan on October 19th, 2009 2.02 pm:
Let’s begin where you ended, shall we?
1. Re: “So until I see viable policy solutions being offered by the opposition, then I have no choice but to continue supporting the current party that has some sort of solution and can run an entire country properly.?
I know it is a very trendy thing among some Singaporeans to declare themselves to be ‘non-partisan’ and other suc descriptors to justify their spinelessness. This group wants others to believe that they supposedly have inedpendent minds, but everything else they say invariably betrays the fact that they in fact *can be* and *are* being led by the nose by the PAP.
So why do you think of yourself as ‘non-partisan’ when you are clearly already biased towards the PAP?
2. Re: “I don’t see any semblance of workable long term policies being suggested by these opposition members.”
I suggest to you that that may be because YOU are unable to recognize the long-term worth of policy already proposed by several political parties currently in opposition. It is quite likely that, like the PAP you are being led around by your nose, you have the gambler mentality that they have that recognizes only those policies that result in “instant gratification” (ie. short term gain) as the only viable option/s.
3. Re: “Sure it sounds great when you announce that you want to kick all the foreign workers out. But the question is, who then will take over the jobs of these foreign workers?”
Can I find out which opposition political party has claimed to want to ‘kick out all forereigners’? I am expecting documentary evidence with this answer.
4. Re: “And has anybody considered the long term financial implications if we impose a minimum wage system that many people want to implement?”
I have.
Would you like to engage in a debate over this issue with me?
Number 84, Terrence,
Good to know that but you see ah, I felt that TOC has been covering all things RP continuously for a few weeks already. Never seen such continuous coverage for the rest of the parties as well so I feel, not fair. You can go take a look at your past articles and the dates and tell me if I am wrong.
On top of that you all went walk about with KJ. Other parties no walk abouts ah? WP always have and NSP sell their papers all the time around my area. Also that SDP has been hitting the streets and I am very impressed to read about them from Lianhe Wanbao. Other parties also have young members in politics, so many of them so many years. There are also activists from NUS, SDP and other civil societies who are as young as the two above and who have proven that they are not only talk but action too. Lucky I don’t only read TOC but I am not saying that TOC has anything wrong.
Then, anyway, nevermind. Hope we see more coverage of other parties soon.
Hoped that this will be a start in getting rid of the far of voting for opposition especially for those in civil service. They have this mind set that this big brother can know who they voted for. No PAP, there goes the promotions!
The people especially the civil service must know that PAP is not the government. Its the strongest party will form the government. If PAP lost most of its seats thru a “freak” election then PAP will be come opposition.
The government must have people’s mandate to rule. 66.6% is not a mandate. Walk over is also not a mandate!
98) Baccarat, yes pap policies only benefit themselves and the subject is about rp not tsl. But it is only right for me to make a correction on what you wrote. The DHL balloon is not a community strategy, it is a marketing tactic. i was in marketing. Maybe i knew your colleague’s husband, maybe not. To be fair and with due respect, in the short time tsl was there, he earned our respect at least the level i was in. I thought he handled the bureacracy in the HQ well to drive change locally. I will work for him again if he returns to private sector. He has a heart for people and should not have joined PAP. wtf, i saying good things again about PAP cb people. This will be the last time !
#99Baccarat, how could you dismiss a common language of our common people in kopi shop where more than 50% of our population frequent. How to ask RP to talk to ah pek when you are not doing it, you lcb. You are obviously a spoiled brat mf and you better don’t associate me with PAP. No matter how educated you are, you are either a cb or a lc, thats the kopitiam language if you like. To engage, you better know and prepare, if not, dont mouth kon, lp song.
This is a commendable quote by Justin Ong:
Re: “I think the word “apathy” is incorrectly used. A more applicable word to suit our context is the word “anomie”, which denotes a certain helplessness against the system. This helplessness which occurs on a systemic level is reinforced when results does not correlate to effort.”
To: Robox on October 19th, 2009 11.08 pm
Hi, you mentioned you have looked into the minimum wage suggestion. Can you share your thoughts on this matter?
A number of opposition parties have been advocating minimum wage, but I feel a bit uncertain about it.
I am not an economist, so would really appreciate having someone who have thought about this to argue out the pros and cons of such an approach.
The way I see it is this: If we implement minimum wage, those currently earning below the minimum wage would benefit from this, but as wages increase, cost of goods and services increase. As this affects those earning minimum wages, it is probably the cheaper goods and services that are affected more than the luxury goods/services, so the people feeling the most impact from rising cost would be those earning just above the minimum wage. This group does not benefit from the minimum wage, but will now have to pay more for goods and services – resulting in a decline in living standards. It seemed like shifting the burden from the lowest 10-15% say, to the next lowest 10-15%. Which really is not a solution at all. Right? Would really appreciate your views.
To TOC: Not sure if it is proper etiquette for me to discuss this matter here when it is not directly related to the above article, so if, my apologies. I can create a post on my blog for further discussion if you prefer.
” The current model of economic growth founded on cheap labour is obsolete and has not benefited the vast mass of our people.
We can raise living standards by reducing taxation and charges on the less well-off while maintaining a low overall taxation burden that supports investment and growth.
We can focus on raising productivity and real incomes through a minimum wage and greater investment in education while improving the environment and playing our part in policies to combat climate change.
We can reduce the unnecessarily high level of saving that is channelled into unproductive overseas investments and increase our domestic consumption and standard of living without sacrificing our future.
We can give ordinary Singaporeans a direct stake in the growth in value of our foreign assets and government-linked companies.”
- RP http://www.thereformparty.net/?page_id=2
Great job TOC. More young people need to step up to fight for our future. If so, our country still has hope.
Hope to read more interviews with other opposition parties as well.
Most voters are still clueless about what opposition candidates stand for and who they are.
To: Opposition is not anti-establishment on October 19th, 2009 3.16 pm
Non Partisan:
1. In an ideal democratice system, the oppostions should be a part of the establishment and the Parliament is one of avenues for robust debates on government policies. The role of the oppositions is to check the government and represent the voices of its constituents. They are in no position to provide policies because they are not the government and do not have the mean to effect any policies. Before PAP became the government, they did not spelled out their economic policies, they were busy shouting down David Marshall’s government and bringing the voices of the people, demanding for self governing.
—–
If the opposition continue to only view themselves as going to be a check on the current government, then they will never earn the support and respect of people on the fence like me. Yes, it is difficult to effect any policy because of the huge majority that the PAP have in Parliament, but as you said, before they become the government, they had 1 stand which was to demand for self-governance. At the very least, they had a position. AND they were building a team that could take over and run the government, which they did.
Now let’s turn the tables to the current opposition. Each party has a different platform, each has their own strengths and weaknesses. But do you see any 1 party being able to win the majority seats and take over and run Singapore? How many members of the opposition parties can you name besides the same few faces? How many of these people actually only appear once every 5 years? Who do you think can take up the Ministry posts? I’m not saying the PAP have credible or the best choices, but it is the lack of an alternative that leaves us with no choice at all.
100) Hang Jebat on October 19th, 2009 10.40 pm
“I commend both of you for stepping out of your comfort zones. But why RP? I hate to see you waste your talent. The strength of a political setup is as good as the conviction of its top leader.”
I don’t see the point in bashing KJ just because of his recent emergence. Nothing wrong that KJ had stayed out of politics and came out only when the time was right. I think that here is a virtue in leading a quiet life and not attracting unnecessary attention to oneself. He could have been full of fury and lashed out at the government for what they had done to his father, but instead, KJ displayed temperence. Unlike many others, he had not marginalised himself politically even before the game is played. I think that KJ has been wise so far in making his punches count. To me, it is of exceeding importance for a politican to know when and how to throw his punches in order to stay in the fight.
I appreciate that KJ has been away overseas accumulating the necessary technical and managerial experience that is necessary to operate on a ministerial level. We should be proud of him for being one of Singapore’s finest sons; being global yet staying rooted to the country. Although he had been unlucky in finding a job in Singapore, he did not just turn his back on the country and migrate for good.
Just because he has been successful in his career doesn’t make him an elitist disconnected with the ground. If it is indeed that KJ is only now climbing down his “ivory tower”, we should congratulate him for stepping out of his comfort zone. He could have easily continued living the good life quietly, but instead, he has entered the fray and muddied his hands for his political ideals.
For me, there are many ways to contribute to Singapore. Some may start earlier than others, but that is not to say that they will be better politicians. We should just let KJ prove himself at the polls eventually and have a proper baptism of fire before we judge. Let us be fair men of reason and allow KJ’s policies to do the talking instead of us simply equating him to be nothing more than just JBJ’s son. Let allow Kenneth Jeyaretnam to be his own man.
@112) Non-partisan on October 20th, 2009 1.25 pm
After a job interview, if you don’t get the job offer, do you still appear to work for the company that rejected you for free?
If you want opposition candidate to appear to you, vote them into parliament. You can then see them EVERY WEEK in meet-the-people’s session if you like.
You can’t eat your cake without buying first. Want opposition to come up with policies? Vote them in first.
“Lack of alternative” is said by people who are still sleeping. Wake up and you will get to see plenty of alternatives.
Stop giving yourself excuses. If you think PAP is doing a bad job, then vote for the opposition. Keep voting for PAP when you don’t think they are doing a good job is just hurting yourself and others and being blind.
Vote in the opposition, give them one or two term and if they don’t do a good job, then vote them out. It’s that easy. It won’t kill you.
Keep saying opposition has no experience or ideas is like saying we don’t hire fresh grad and only experience workers. If every one don’t hire fresh grad, where are you going to get experienced workers?
If everyone don’t vote the “no experience” opposition, how are we going to get experienced opposition?
To 11) joker93:
Yes you are right, and that’s why I tell some of you to ‘hold your horses’ before going on a campaign to make RP seem like some sort of savior.
Politics in Singapore is a long battle, and personally I hope more of you be patient and see whether the RP can connect with Singaporeans at all, or become another WP (I dont want to elaborate)
“I started the youth wing with a vision to cultivate a movement that I thought had been lacking in Singapore.” (Mentioned Justin)
Justin boy, may I remind you ah that there are many movements initiated by youths in Singapore from civil society and opposition political parties. From NUS to independent young activists. I have always read about them although I myself am too old to be part of their youthful activities but I have signed their petitions, attended their functions quietly when I can lah. Those youths are getting more united and younger and have been doing things for a few years. What kind of movement are you interested in cultivating and do you actually think that people will actually be supporting you more than the ones who have been actively doing things over the past few years?
Economic strength can never gain as much support as sincerity to reach out to fellow Singaporeans, even the lao kok kok ones like myself. Chiam has reached out to us, JBJ did too in his fiery never say die ah spirit, Low Khia Thiang was ok but now going abit bo lak and Chee Soon Juan (he has a PHD hor) is going and going every day no matter how hard they want to bury him. All of them have shown their potential and reached out to us in their own pattern, the young and old and the educated and uneducated ones. They never only talk about economy but also about human rights, equality and many more things lah. You want to talk only about economy, ok can but where are the other things that are important to Singaporeans? We are not happy you know, because we cannot express ourselves. Before 1990, maybe still can a little bit but after that all no balls because scared of being arrested. Will you come to address that?
Go and watch the JBJ speeches when he was in the parliament lah and learn. You want support, long way to go man.
Also ah, don’t talk atas lah we are all layman. Use simple language because not every one of us go to university. Eh zai bo? Young people… aiyoh I also have Permanent Head Damage hearing young people talk sometimes.
108) Political Salesman on October 20th, 2009
Baccarat, how could you dismiss a common language of our common people in kopi shop … you lcb. You are obviously a spoiled brat mf and you better don’t associate me with PAP. No matter how educated you are, you are either a cb or a lc, thats the kopitiam language if you like. To engage, you better know and prepare, if not, dont mouth
My reply
Scold as you like, u r simply showing your ugly face, pls don’t waste the space here, if you like to show your sub-sub culture, go write another blog
You are certainly a low end tactics pap supporters.
Your next msg is not worthy of any reply… go attend BEST class. lol.
To 116) Denny Tze on October 21st, 2009 1.29 am
“What kind of movement are you interested in cultivating and do you actually think that people will actually be supporting you more than the ones who have been actively doing things over the past few years?”
hee hee. dei, u answered your own question la. the existing kind of movement of student activism getting no support la. good that rp trying something new by create value-adding activities for youths.
I like rp plans and will get my kids to join when they are older. at least make give them safe opportunities to refine their political opinions. for what always protest, kena arrested by police and shame yourself by looking like hooligans on the news? and insult court judges for what? of course they not happy, jail u as they must protect their image..
agree with rp that the “opposition needs to progress in a proactive manner and not through a reactionary engine.” good start rp. don’t let us down.. we are all hoping for a reform through u.
117) Baccarat
who are you to tell him to write another blog? you sound more pap than that salesman will ever be.
Hazel Poa on October 20th, 2009 10.45 am:
Thanks for your post. I will write my comments in your blog shortly, probably starting tomorow.
GP,
I don’t wish to argue with you, as I don’t know u and seen no views from u
all i asked is for bloggers shoudl respect one another and NOT to use vulgarity,
The ability and tendency to use vulgarity does not indicate a person’ understanding of the common people in the streets.
This page is about Young RP, it is not abt you againsit me or I against another, let’s be matured and polite ( well, including me ), I reiterate that if any one like to discuss with vulgarity abd deviate from the subject, it is better to start anothjer subject in this or other blog, this request DOES NOT make me a PAPpy.
MOVE ON …. please
One point to add on.
If one uses vulgarity and claims that is pap supporters, stoning by others here is expected
If one uses vulgarity and claims that “he is an oppsoition supporters”, PAPpies will us ethis to paint black on opposition parties, actually many proud pappies think supporters of oppositions is a bunch of lowly educated folks.
How we behave may paint a bigger pictures than we wish to.
[[actually many proud pappies think supporters of oppositions is a bunch of lowly educated folks. How we behave may paint a bigger pictures than we wish to]]
Good let them think so. The more PAP looks down on opposition and supporters, the more likely and the more surprised they will be when they lose in the next general election to a few opposition members.
The key for opposition winning in the ballot box now is for PAP to keep performing sepukku on itself and look down on its opponents and citizens.
Btan,
Not only PAPpies may look down on opposition supporters, some swing voters are deterred from voting opposition party ( parties ) if they perceive that oppositions are a rowdy lot.
You can see from the GE results in 2006 and 2001, votes for WP > NSP > SDP.
It is better to beat PAP by conviction and pursuaion to voters and not by “surprises” due to certain behaviours.
120) Nhandakumar
Wow boy, I didn’t think that I mentioned that youths who are actively doing things now are not getting support and going nowhere. Who say everyone of them needs to go protest to be an activist leh? Anyone who takes up an issue, works on something (for migrant workers or social issues), who does advocacy work, who conducts events based on a causes or causes are activists. Wah check the dictionary lah. In fact anyone who seeks to form a movement or something like that can also be considered an activist. Not only politicians create movements boy.
Also who says protests are bad? If the government opens things for discussions and engagement, them no need to protest lah but they don’t, you see. It is very authoritarian like here, we have no voice. So by protesting, people exercise their rights speak. Finland is one of the happiest countries in the world and their government just lets people protest, sometimes also takes the messages of protests into consideration and do something about it. Here in Singapore? Pui ah, they never will one lah (and never have).
RP has not even started anything, we should wait and see before going hooray hooray. You think they will start something value added just because they talk about money and doing things ‘proper’ ah? Well then WP Youth Wing is even more value added lor. Comeon lah, progressiveness is to push for change, ‘value added’ or not, if it doesn’t work, it is of no use. Being proactive in a progressive manner doesn’t rule out demonstrating unhappiness and challenging the system. If the blacks did not protest and demonstrate, they will still be sitting at the back of buses now in America. If Gandhi and followers did not demonstrate unhappiness towards their British colonial masters, then India will still be under the British rule. Our government is so hardline on giving citizens no freedom and also continuing with their racist racial quota in everything. Eh you know even the imigration policy has racial quota or not? People have been letting them get away with it for so long time. I tell you, if this is happening in India, Hong Kong or Taiwan, the government will be overthrown long long time ago already. We are always so obedient and backward.
Even when shit has been thrown in our faces and it concerns us, no one stands up and say NO. Please lah, I cannot believe it man. Sit lah and talk about issues but when no actions have been done, all the talk is only empty chatter lor. Correct?
To RP, good luck playing ‘catch up’.
@126) Baccarat on October 22nd, 2009 8.31 pm
[[Btan,
Not only PAPpies may look down on opposition supporters, some swing voters are deterred from voting opposition party ( parties ) if they perceive that oppositions are a rowdy lot.
You can see from the GE results in 2006 and 2001, votes for WP > NSP > SDP.
It is better to beat PAP by conviction and pursuaion to voters and not by “surprises” due to certain behaviours. ]]
That is why we have alternative news sites like TOC and TR. So these swing voters can see for themselves the “good” PAP had done, wake up and vote for the opposition.
Already I have seen a few voters claiming they regret voting for PAP and will vote for opposition in future.
We need more of these former PAP voters to wake up to swing the votes. in GE 2006, we didn’t have sites like TOC and TR. Hopefully in the next GE, these sites don’t suddenly get DOS attacks and get shut down. (TR already received some attacks but unknown where these attacks are)
TOC itself also have former YPAP members who now are more aware of the bad things PAP done and the good work that opposition did.
Look at it this way. Why PAP launch operation coldstore and did the things they did to Francis Seow and Tang Liang Hong is because these people pose credible threat to them. Even people like Chee Soon Juan was a pretty credible threat, hence they fixed him as well. Those that do not pose a credible threat (credible as defined by PAP) do not get fixed.
So at this moment, best is not get under their radar. A surprise victory is still best. Let those million dollars sleep more in their tower. When the next GE comes and oppos win at least one GRC…ho ho ho say liao… (best is two GRCs)
Once oppos win 2 GRCs + 2 SMC (thats 12 MPs) it will be success beyond imagination, and those fence sitters will definitely take note. Even such a “small” setback to PAP will galvanise them to do something either positive. If positive, good, we have achieved our objective and confirmed that we are right, i.e. vote in opposition wakes PAP up to work for us instead of for them.
If voting in more oppos makes PAP even worse, fixing even more oppos, we vote in even MORE opposition members. Maybe 24 or 30 this time. Until PAP wakes up or they get changed.
This is power of the people. If only we all act in a united fashion.
BTW, looking at many opposition supporters here in TOC and TR, I see many who are coherent, smart, able to think critically and passionate. Not a unruly mob. If others chose to see us in a less than flattering light, its their prerogative and all I can say is that they are still burying their heads in the sand. In any case, we can’t convince everyone anyway. Just like there is a group of hardcore opposition supporters, there is also a group of hardcore PAP supporters. That’s just the way it is.
Yes, we are in force and we should be united as one. Long for the day when we could step out in force and walk in those markets in a larger force than them. We just need to get our acts together. There must also be one identified leader to lead us. Someone that has sacrifice for us and did much to bring the awareness of the good things that opposition has done. Dr. Chee has sacrifice much and we should support him to lead us through this. There is no better time than to do it now and for him to bring us forward to the next GE. Let’s support Dr. Chee and KJ can assist him to form this formidable team. SDP is in fact ready to make things happen. Here is the team I think would really make that diffrerence we have waiting for so long :
LTK and Chiam as advisors.
Dr. Chee Soon Juan as leader of the alliance, Sylvia as 1st deputy leader and KJ as 2nd deputy leader, Chee Siok Ching as organising sec, Edmund Ng as treasurer
130) Jomin, you are bloody joker. Chee is a loser. We can take him on with one finger in any election. He has no grounds at all. To lead the opposition ? Better queue behind. The undisputed leader of the opposition and OFFICIALLY is Mr. Low Thia Khiang. Please get that straight in your head, you bloody joker
Low Thia Khiang is the undisputed leader of opposition ah? Then how come he is getting so bo lak leh? Chee not bad lah still going even though they try to bury him. He has the spirit and strong believe in the opposition cause. Low Thia Khiang cannot lead the opposition to strength lah, if so then how come he takes so long leh? Never see him try to unite the opposition people leh just always hear him being so big headed. Ask if Wong Can’t Sing should resign, his system suddenly went into shock and he didn’t say anything. Mockery lah.
Aiyoh if only JBJ is still alive. That man ah, steady steady one. That one is the real deal and is what opposition have to be. Low ah, aiyah, what to say leh? Maybe he plays safe safe politics but then hor, does not seem to work so far. Not for us lah but maybe for himself and his party only lah.
Saw the Young Reformers in action at Tampines Round Market(Tampines St 11) on 8th Nov 09. Like to suggest to the young reformers to interact with the crowd. Standing around together to talk amongst yourselves can be done during mealbreaks and like to see enthusiasm in your distribution of the party flyers.
It was hot and humid, however using the party flyers to fan and cool down instead of distributing them may not leave a good impression.
As i had commented, it’s very consoling to see our youngs coming in to participate in the affairs of the CITY, do show your dedications and sincerities in your mission.
Take my comment as feedback, i meant well and hope to see some of You as our good future leaders.
Yourstruly: patriot
What is the Reform party’s stance on the racist, xenophobic views expressed on forum or blogs like TR?
Whyso, dun be a joker lah. No politician in the right mind would claim to be racist, xenophobic lah.
I think TR is wonderful and nothing as u alleged.
You need to prove beyond reasonable doubt. Else, you technically can be sued.
Andrew,
Reform party nor any opposition has not given any suggestions, namely
1. what should be the minimum wage rate?
2. What about the death spiral as pointed out?
3. Why is there a need for minimum wage?
4. wont the minimum wage cause some part of the workforce to be retrenched, esp those not so productive ones or those that cannot add much value. Won’t a mw marginalize the lower income more?
I’m frm the civil service, opposition you have my vote!! I’m against the ruling party not the government. Opposition also part of the government. All civil servants please wake up!! Do you want your children to suffer worst then ourselves?
I am a retired church preacher – albeit a
very captivating one.
I can help train young opposition candidates to speak persuasively for the
forthcoming General Election.
“I am single-mindedly attached to the ideals of the Reform Party and am married to the ideal of reforming Singapore.”
Hehe, too bad divorced liao.
Suddenly, national service doesn’t seem like such an anamoly anymore. People in their 20′s are indeed the stuff we can depend on.
To justin n nicole – thank you for proving most singaporeans wrong, about the gen-Y softies.
the political debate i saw on tv, pap vs the opposition parties, i can say the oppositions are a disgrace, except the indian guy from sdp. they don’t speak coherently on their parties’ policies and can’t even express their well in english. i saw the doom in their future, but now with the above 2, my perception of opposition has changed.
kudos to rp for bringing on these 2 candidates. these young and driven opposition candidates speak well and coherently. i now see the future of opposition parties.