Kelvin Teo
During General Election 2006, Goh Chok Tong was given a special assignment to assist the PAP candidates in the Opposition wards Hougang and Potong Pasir in electioneering. Despite dangling HDB upgrading carrots at Hougang and Potong Pasir residents, he still failed to secure victory in both wards.
In response, Dr Gillian Koh from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy raised a question: “If it is pitched as a contest between Mr Goh versus Mr Chiam and Mr Low, can the PAP and Mr Goh afford the strategy not to work” during a 2006 March interview with TODAY.
More recently, PAP member A.K. Lakshmanan, a long-time resident of Potong Pasir asked the PAP’s central executive committee if the party had ‘abandoned’ Potong Pasir after losing in 2006. However, with the announcement that Potong Pasir and Hougang are eligible for the Lift Ugrading Program, some speculate an intensification of the PAP’s intention to up the ante of its contest at those wards.
Now, let’s take this scenario further into a hypothetical situation and address this question which speculators and observers may have been asking all along – if the PAP wants badly to take back Hougang and Potong Pasir and decides to send their ministers to contest there, would such a tactic be successful?
In order for such a tactic to be successful, the basic assumption is that a typical minister carries some sort of a ‘sacred cow’ status in the voters’ eyes, so much so that they loathe to vote against the minister. This is a reasonable assumption, given the fact that a minister would have at least a considerable level of political cache.
However, there was a slight surprise that our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong secured a mere 66.14% of the votes at Ang Mo Kio GRC, close to the average that the other non-minister PAP members secured. To put the electoral competition into a proper perspective, Lee’s party colleagues were up against seasoned opponents from the opposition camp whilst the former faced the ‘suicide six’ squad of relatively young candidates with no experience at the polls at all.
It is the Prime Minister whom we are talking about, and if we follow the basic assumption about the heavyweight status of these candidates (and hence the reference to them as “sacred cows), Lee would be expected to perform better than his non-minister party colleagues with the added fact that he was up against a bunch of newbies. This did not materialize as he only managed an average score.
Furthermore, ministers would have to deal with a certain ‘bone’ in their throats, which the non-minister PAP candidates may be spared from – the contentious issue of ministerial pay. The comparatively high remuneration that our ministers enjoy is not going to be popular among voters. Regardless of where they contest, inclusive of current opposition-held wards, they will have to deal with this ‘bone’.
Affinity to personalities also plays a big role during a contest at an opposition-held ward. Mr Chiam is a familiar face at Potong Pasir in all his years there spent serving the residents. Mr Low Thia Khiang has an even more unique way of bonding with Hougang residents; he is renowned for attending funeral wakes. His PAP rival, Eric Low, at first tried to race with him in the funeral circuit by sending out grassroots supporters on bicycles, circling the void decks of HDB flats on a lookout for funeral wakes, which he would subsequently attend. However, Eric gave up after six months.
Low Thia Khiang knew who was having funeral since the application for funeral permits would be filed at the Town Council, which the latter has access to. According to Eric, the “blanket” with the condolence message would be sent out by Low Thia Khiang even before the coffin arrives. Due to Low’s unique way of bonding, he has moulded into an appealing personality in his voters’ eyes. If the PAP wants to send a minister to contest Hougang, it is very likely that the latter would have to ‘race’ with Low in the funeral circuit at Hougang.
Dialect also plays a part in establishing rapport between the candidate and the residents, especially amongst residents from the same dialect group including those who utilize that particular dialect as part of their daily lingua franca. There is no denying that Low’s fluency in his teochew dialect has not gone unnoticed among his voters. The Teochew dialect is predominantly spoken by Singaporean chinese residents at Hougang. They were originally from Kampong Ponggol, a predominantly Teochew community before relocating to Hougang. Although newer residents eventually came to Hougang from all over Singapore, there is still a sizable Teochew community present.
Hence, one cannot simply dismiss the effect of personality appeal of opposition candidates, and even if ministers are sent to contest Mr Chiam and Mr Low at Potong Pasir and Hougang (a hypothetical contest especially at Potong Pasir because Chiam is leaving his ward to contest in a targeted GRC for the next elections, and also this is his last contest due to old age and health issues), they need to win over voters with their own brand of personality appeal and that would take some time. Displacing the appeal of their opposition rivals could prove even tougher.
Therefore, even if a minister is sent to contest in an opposition-held ward, he may not even win. Firstly, it is not safe to assume that a minister portfolio would automatically win extra votes. Secondly, the minister candidate may not necessarily be successful in displacing the personality appeal that the opposition candidates have built up over the years. Hence, for the PAP to send a minister to contest against Mr Low at Hougang for instance would be as good as playing a high-risk game in which the former would have more to lose from such a gamble.
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A true leader worth his salt would take on his most powerful opponent to shut the critics up and gain respect from his loyalists.
If you are a good and smart general and one day you are alone and confronted with a situation where a bunch of little soldiers challenged you to a fight, what is the smart thing to do? If you fight them all, you will surely lose and be badly injured. The way to get out alive is to identify the leader of this bunch of young punks and beat the shit out of him. The punks will either run away or pledge allegiance to you. The question is, is LSL really a general???
I really find great insight knowing about what LTK did for the Hougang residents. These are things not reported in MSM at all.
One thing is other opposition parties should also try to learn some lessons from how he and CST managed their estate.
Ground work is very important in winning votes. While high ideal attracts the intellectuals, they are spread all over Singapore and is unable to mass enough numbers to put a candidate into parliament. As such, it is important that opposition candidates do their ground work well so that they can wrestle a constituency or better, a GRC, away from PAP.
I hope opposition parties can share tips and tricks with one another to help one another win. Even if a different party wins, it will raise the profile of opposition parties in general and will let more people to support you in terms of cash donations and manpower volunteers.
Opposition parties must work together to break the hegemony PAP have in parliament for so many decades.
Unlikely PAP will send a Minister into the lion’s den. Can’t afford to lose such precious asset and loss of reputation.
Besides, people will more likely to vote against PAP if they really send a Minister, to send him out of Parliament.
The truth is, I do not see any leader, just a bunch of stooges.
Therefore, to send any of the stooge to contest PP and Hougang, the PAP has to do so by drawing lots. There is no other way. The PAP stooges will simply arrow each other for the task.
Ideally the old fart can surprise all of us by announcing that it has been his mistake insisting on the GRC system and for the next election all wards will revert to single seat contest. In so doing, the PAP stooges get the chance to redeem themselves in One on One like a leader should and of course I will be the PAP’s undertaker at no cost.
If the Pigs @ Parliament ministers agree to go, then it is funny.
It is like LKY telling him that I don’t like you but if you can do something decent, I might take you back.
How about asking Marlboro Tan to contest again in Potong Pasir? He was beaten twice by CST. And he hid under Tampines GRC due to walkover and that’s why he’s in parliament now, without the people’s mandate!!!!
Wherever Marlboro Tan goes, we S’poreans sure get hid in our pockets! Remember when he was Transport Minister, what did he implement? COE & ERP. Ended up most of us who owns a car literally ‘Si Hor Yi’ and ‘ERP’ ‘Everyday Rob People’!
Now he is Minister of National Development (MND), wow, big title! Look what happened to our spiralling HDB prices?
Hey Marlboro Tan, if u still have that 2 balls underneath you, why don’t you be man enough to take on any opposition challenge in a SMC ward fight? Let’s see if you really get the people’s mandate and whether if you are really popular amongst S’poreans.
I bet you are still wearing skirt for fear of what happened in your past 2 elections results in a SMC!
I think the current ministers like Lim Swee Say, Marlboro Tan, Lim Boon Heng, Wong Kan Seng, Lui Tuck Yew, Khaw Boon Wan, Lee Boon Yang, K Shanmugan, Lee Bee Wah, & our beloved PM Lee Hsien Loong should take up the challenge of competing in a SMC ward and see for themselves whether they are really popular with the populace.
Man, if our next election is really free & fair and if it’s changed to SMC, let’s vote all these bunch of clowns out and save S’pore from further sinking!!! If we S’poreans don’t help ourselves, no one will.
Its time to regain our birth rights (remember JBJ, we have to wake up from our slumber, remember Dr CSJ, who has sacrificed so much for us). Its time to have an alternative voice in Parliament. Remember all those true S’poreans, opposition parties, who have struggled for us commoners.
Say NO to PAP, Say NO to GREED (Minister’s Salaries), Say NO to DICTATORIAL GOVERNANCE, Say NO to OPPRESSION. Say NO to ISA, Say NO to DEATH PENALTY. Say NO to NEPOTISM, CRONIYISM.
Say YES to TRUE DEMOCRACY, Say YES to MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM. Say YES to reduced GOVERMENT SALARIES. Say YES to INDEPENDENT MEDIA. Say YES to INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY, Say YES to INDEPENDENT ELECTION DEPARTMENT, Say YES to INDEPENDENT POLICE FORCE.
GOD SAVE SINGAPORE……
If all Singaporeans were as stupid as those who voted for the opposition in Hougang and Potong Pasir then our country would be worse off than Malaysia.
As we all know Singapore was a crappy harbour town back in the 50ies, no better than Manila or Jakarta.
Thanks to the PAP we are now a true global city.
The opposition supporters should all get a ticket to Manila and Jakarta to see how is life there – without a party like the PAP. They may even get a ticket for New York or London and see all the crime and the high tax rates there. Then nobody would vote for the opposition any more.
Opposition is stupid. A minister or not: Let s liberate Hougang and PP from the clutches of the most stupid opposition in the world.
Majulah Singapura! Majulah PAP!
A true leader will take on CST or LTK at their respective wards. Even LHL or GCT will NOT stand a chance one-on-one in Potong Pasir or Hougang. They simply send a scapegoat. A leader walks his talk. PAP leaders………………simply no balls!
The true substance in a personality lies in sincerity of deeds not threats of cutting the residents off. Goh ‘Choke’ Tong and PaP lost miserably in the broader aspects of human understanding of bondage. He bruised his own ego.
Remember GCT stormed into Potong Pasir and Hougang during the last election in a last ditch to threaten the voters if they did not vote for PAP, they will be left
out. ‘Choke’ came in like a white knight in shinning armours and tried to nurse the two grown up babies Eric Low and Sitoh. He left a defeated nanny and the two overgrown babies’ growth were retarded till this day.
GCT really had no training in the art of human understanding and try to sabotage the emotional well-being of the residents. Mr choke forgot the two wards residents all have what we called GUTS and BALLS to screw the PAP into defeat.
There will be no benefit of a doubt, if any pappy minister is standing in PP or HG in the next election even LKY, will not see the light of day. This is how the ground level and undercurrent will be felt this couple of years with the defiance of PAP and its bulldozer policies.
My prediction is Aljunied GRC will change hands without the underhand tactics of PAP. Joo Chiat SMC will be taken over by opposition if Chan Soo Sen is dropped.
Look for surprises to come for the oppositions.
No minister will contest in a Single ward cause their multi million dollar salary is at risk. Would you let your salary be at risk? Just like the army, they sent the privates to do the dirty job….
I ask you, if PM Lee asked MBT or Vivian or Khaw or even WKS to go contest in Hougang? What comes to his mind? …. I am comfortable hiding in GRC, would I want to risk my multi-million dollar job? I not stupid lah..why risk? Even PM Lee would not want to go to Hougang. He also has same mentality.
1) WinstonCheng on December 4th, 2009 12.18 am
A true leader worth his salt would take on his most powerful opponent to shut the critics up and gain respect from his loyalists.
While I will vote for opposition regardless of who they send in the next GE, and I was one of those who help to make the PM have an average score in the last one, I would have to disagree with your statement.
As per your statement, a great leader would be like the guy in the Troy movie.. who went to face Achilles one on one. He went, despite knowing there is no better leader than him. He died, and in the end the city was lost without his leadership. Tell me, is that a good leader? To me, that is stupidity of the highest order.
8) Mui K L
You are just like some of our ministers, please compare apples with apples.Trust me if you send the bunch of PAP ministers to the places you mentioned. They will not be able to do the job like they did for Singapore. Please Compare Hong Kong or Mauritius to us, they did much better than us, Manila, Jarkarta is only City, The government have to look after the whole country.Oh I forgot Singapore is also a city not a country.
With a population of 5mil compare these to Indonesia in billion and Philippine many time more than Singapore, our ministers is like having the best lives has compare to the ministers in those countries you mentioned.
Take for Hong Kong with 9 mil population, their transport is the best, their MTR is better than us, HK with so many cars all these years did not need ERP to curb car population, so ask yourself WHY.
It is clear that there is no immediate threat of losing Potong Pasir and Hougang in the coming election.
The real challenge for the opposition, in my opinion, lies in the ability of the opposition to maintain their support base in Potong Pasir and Hougang in the coming 2 or 3 elections, and beyond. One needs to recognise that Mr. Chiam is getting old and he is not exactly in the brink of health. In this respect, though Mr. Low Thia Khiang might be at an advantage due to his personality appeal to the residents of Hougang, we should not forget that due to the extent of social engineering which has taken place in addition to our aging population, it is reasonable to predict that demographics of the Hougang constituency will be changed ultimately. If I were to be the ruling party, I will try to change the demographics of Hougang by diluting the support base the opposition party is enjoying now, by extensive upgrading of existing facilities and improving the infrastructure of this constituency. Not only this will attract people from other constituencies to reside in Hougang, the existing Hougang residents in support of the opposition will find themselves to be treated more equally as compared to the past, and thus will feel less repulsive against the candidates of the ruling party. Besides the years of hard work that has been put in by Mr. Chiam and Mr. Loh and their parties, the ruling party have they themselves to put for failing to capture the two constituencies by adopting their usual oppressive tactics.
There is no doubt that the ruling party needs to be reformed totally. However, time is even for pressing for the opposition in Singapore to make use of this opportunity to redefine their role, unite and grow.
How things have changed. There was a time when new and inexperienced PAP candidates got shooed into parliament under the ministers’ armpit. If the sentiments expressed here are anything to go by it looks like ministers now are so despised that they have to depend on green horns to get into parliament? Will the ministers take up the challenge to prove everyone wrong? Do they really have the balls to do it? Chances are they will not. Let’s wait and see.
Sorry, Kelvin. Thanks for the post and with all due respect, the conclusion of your post is rather obvious.
Its about “divide and conquer”. No one in their right mind will fight a battle they know they cant win.
Simple game theory will tell you its too big a risk for PAP to run – they might lose a minister in an election. Any party, with a clear mind, would keep their best people, and then fight it out in Parliament later (if ever there was ever a fight in there anyway).
What you read in the papers is a strategy to put some level of doubt into the electorate.
wow, if GCT stood for election( instead of being adviser) in Potong at the last election, that would mean he may have won?
Then i support GCT to stand for Potong election this time and not just as adviser.
He sure win hands down. close 1 eye also can. Chiam old already.
Chiam is like a heaven sent for the poorer singaporeans to indicate there is heaven afterall.
Have been seeing Lui at HG areas his face on many big banners.
i wonder if he will replace George?
This is purely science fiction hypothesis discussion.
Oh come on, these million dollar MPs would never dare to put their heads on the line; it’s all talk & no action really! Like many of you guys said, why would these multi millionaires rock their golden rice bowls & even there’s only a 1% chance they will lose, it’s a 1% chance.
Just like my MP, I have only seen him twice….during the last 2 elections! After that, he just went MIA but of course when the next election comes, the media will tell us that he had been busy on the ground & just gotten some 3 star award from PA!! Or he had been busy helping some 110 year old neighbour to get a S$400 a month job at the local wet market & how grateful he is to our wonderful MP!! And after the election, this 110 year old neighbour would be kick out of her 1RM HDB cos she could not afford to pay the rent anymore!! This really sucks!
If they field a Minister, there is more reason to vote against him (her).
They of all are the people are responsible for policies that we find more and more disagreeable.
The question is : would they dare ?
This will never happen! Remember what lky said and proposed before for non-elected-ministers! Because lky does not believe in democracy, hence, he often opines that an eloquent and convincing politician is not a pre-requisite to be an effective-minister!! He abominates USA’s style of democracy and election procedures! He will never risk losing his so-called best “talented-ministerial-potential” candidates to the opposition’s challenges! Sorry to say, he is an eloquent lawyer, so he is using reverse tactic to ensure eloquent-ness is not in the parliament, hence he can be the sole strongest debater to defense whatever policies he envisions!!! Sure win no lose!!!!!
But will this stand remain even after LKY eventually and finally retires gloriously?
will the next leader who take over be the same person?
I don’t think Mr. Woody
Goh has the guts to go to P.P. or Houngang to contest during the coming election.
during the last election,he was sent by PM to these two wards to do some ‘window dressing’ and to boost up the PAP’s candidates’ moral. To be fair, he did put in lots of effort! He went from block to block, climbing staircases, knocking at every doors! By the end of the day his track shoes must have worned out and he must have been a few kilos lighter! But all his efforts were in vain inspite of him dangling $million carrots just two days before the polling day!He left , defeated, like a dog, badly mauled, with the tail between the hind legs!
Now, if he has the GUTS & BALLS as @ leejuanpat put it, is the best chance for him to salvage back his dignity and pride by constesting in either of the wards.
If he wins, he will become an instant PAP hero,if he loses, so be it, just step down and enjoy the retirement, and call it a day!
Or the lure of $million per month too hard to resist???
#8
You have been reading the main media for too long. Singapore is a nice and well planned city but inside is rotten.
Go interview the Indonesian or the Taiwanese, they will tell you what is the feel of real democracy like without Suharto and CKS.
Didn’t they almost lose a minister in GY in Aljunied? hahah
As the cantonese saying goes – won’t one be afraid of the dark after encountering a ghost? :)
Don’t think it’s going to happen – unless of course it is a case of “borrow knife to kill someone” – i.e. let the voters do the dirty work…
This is a clever strategy……
It can mock PAP over and over again…..for all the mighty talk….they cannot win
This Hougang or Potong Pasir.
If they try it with a minister or anyone else…… for the next election, I won’t be surprised if the PAP candidate loses his/her deposit.
GChokeT taught he is so hung-ho that he challenged HG &PP like a ‘Walking Tall’.
See what happened afterthat, he now walks like a short ass.
So, next, any takers?
Go, Oppts Go!
this is bad!
somehow this coming election, i got a damn feeling that the oppts esp RP would pull a surprise event. ppl now are sensible and political awareness that links to future prosperity as well as bread and butter issues toward their family life.
unless the pap realised and make changes towards near the election for the benefits of true born singaporean not only temporary but long long time to come constitutionally.
i believe strongly ppl are really pissed and want changes.
I would have thought the first question to ask is whether PAP genuinely wants to regain both wards. My view is that strategy-wise, it is better to be perceived to be serious in both contests, but to “allow” both wards to remain in the hands of both “amicable” opposition members (barring CST’s impending move to a GRC).
PAP would be worse off if they are seen to be bull-dozing over the moderate opposition voices since it would be contradictory to their aim of increasing the non-ruling representation in parliament. Putting ministers, even if they are capable of winning both wards back, would leave more detractors to the ruling parties. More votes would be lost overall, and more will vote for the “monkeys” (as some forummers seems to call some of the opposition candidates).
PAP is better off having the more-reasoned opposition members such LTK, CST and SL as part of the eighteen non-PAP voices in parliament, than to risk increasing the primate population therein.
BR YA NT
“So much for being alternative when it looks like the main (ie. MSM).”
MSM supposedly belongs to the nation at large (aka public) yet the public cannot really control the access as far as our country is concerned.
Alternative media (in the context of individual web-sites) belong to the site owners and you can always set up your own site to counter the views that you do not like (unless it is controlled by the garment). Now can you really set up traditional media (aka MSM) like TV channels & radio to counter the views that you do not like.
Go back and fly your MSM kite and come back again if it really flies.
Goh Chok Tong is also the chairman of MAS. Isn’t this a direct conflict of interest ? How can a Senior Minister be the chairman of MAS ? Is he really a “talent” who can manage both positions ? He should give up his position as chairman of MAS if he wants to continue to serve the country as Senior Minister. That shows how greedy a person he is to draw money both as a Senior Minister and chairman of MAS. In addition to that, he never fulfil his promise to achieve a Swiss standard of living for singaporeans. All he is ever concern with is to make sure his pocket and his brain is filled with money.
Sending a minister to contest PP or HG is suicidal; so it will not happen. If not Mr MBT would not have gone to Tampines in 1988 to ensure his entry to Parliament.
As usual, any opp candidate would be “scanned” and if need be, his/her history would be dragged through the mud for all to see, inclusive of whether you had picked up your dog’s poo or not. It is up to us to believe what’s written in the mainstream media.
The only way these 2 wards can be lost by the opposition is for the 2 MPs reputation to be tarnished by some criminal acts. Otherwise, MIW will just have to bide their time and see the retirement of these 2 guys.
It will be very interesting if LKY compete for Hougang, will this old gun win? I don’t think so, everyone saying this old gunner are the father of singapore, ask him to try winning back Hougang from Mr. Low and not putting a non minister to compete for Hougang.
I think all PAP Ministers are the same, their face, frame, power and most important money (their high salary) are more important then Singaporeans. That why they don’t dare to take this high risk of loosing their position by competing Hougang.
What a Coward Group!
Not like the Opposition they are trying all way out to win some vote from against PAP ministers.
“is better off having the more-reasoned opposition members such LTK, CST and SL as part of the eighteen non-PAP voices in parliament, than to risk increasing the primate population therein.”
now is your nose longer than you hands and legs combined and almost touching the back where you waste tends to seep out.
talking our primates, don’t you think a lot of us are now beginning to grow up and seize the very primal instinct that has long being denied by a self-anointed group known as higher mortals. probably you need some cooling period also.
*
primate noun (ANIMAL)
/ˈpraɪ.meɪt/, /-mət/ n [C] specialized
a member of the most developed and intelligent group of mammals, including humans, monkeys and apes
There are still plenty of Apathetic people around who never analysed the news and are not updated with what’s going on .
we need to start with our family members and hopefully, all will vote the same.
next , our circle of friends, relatives.
That is about all we can do.
The rest is up to god.
Where have you been?
I mean readers, where have you been today? kekeke
if i were the real prime minister…
i would had sent leekuanyew to contest in houghgang and gohchoktong in potong pasir…
so simple make it so kiasu and longwinded……………..
comeon pap placed your money where your LOUDhailin mouth is…
show us your sportmanSHEEP…
It would be interesting to see LKY contest in ptps or hougang. At least he can attempt it before he , i mean , eventually retire, if any?
Times have changed. PAP is now on the defensive.
Imagine they even blurt that they will send out the army if there is a “freak” election, tells how desperate they are now.
Sending minister(s) to P.P. and Hougang? har… I think it’s the opposition that’s attacking in the coming election. I think Chiam, Sylvia and Kenneth will both take on 1 GRC for each party.
The only PAP candidate that I support is Dr. Lily Neo. The rest can buzz off.
PS: Pls stop the father of Singapore thingy, how hollow it sounds nowadays.
Anyway, gct is just the most useful and steadfast puppet of lky and nothing else, that is why he has to listen to lhl who is so much younger and junior than him!!! hahahaha………
fielding a minister in Hougang against the incumbent MP Low Thia Kiang ? Let me see now, what are the possible candidates : lim swee say ? vivian ? lim boon heng ? that lui guy ?
bring it on, man! We residents in Hougang will save Singaporeans at least $2 million every year. :-)
LKY should sacrifice himself by standing in Hougang or Potong Pasir to prove to his own younger colleague that he is the greatest leaders of the 2oth Century. He has not been fighting an election battle for a long time but conveniently collects multi-millions dollars for the past two decades. To prove his worth of multi-million job, he should fire up to fight for the last time to shut his critics off before its to late.
Hi everyone.
To the opposition candidates and supporters reading this.I am a Business Owner.My family are mostly professionals.We have Civil Servants as well.We have made a pact together with our neighbours to vote for the Opposition.So you have a 100% Swing from our side.All of us voted for the PAP in 2006.Well 70% of us since the rest lived in walkover wards.
My clan and business chamber members are also voting opposition this elections.We will like to see the Opposition get at least 40 seats in Parliament.It is up now to the opposition to contest all the seats and show unity.If the Malaysians can do it, why not us?
The elections will be called in the March Holidays according to my sister who is a teacher.They are not allowed to take leave during that period.So please let you Opposition MPs know about this.
You have our support and please do not let us down.They will use the cooling period to paint a bad picture of you.But we have already decided a log time ago.We regret voting them in GE2006.
And don’t worry about the Ang Pow prior to polling day.This will backfire.The Foreign Workers issue alone has swung the vote 100% on my side.So guys, you are looking very good for now.You have the Swing votes, go for the Fence sitters.Pool your resources together.
It is in March 2010.Confirm it with your Civil Servant friends.
The test of COURAGE for the PAP would be to put one of their millionaire ministers there One of their SMM, MM or deputy prime minister, The REal test of TRUE COURAGE would be to pitt LKW/ PM/ or even our PRESIDENT to stand there and maybe even all of them stand in HOUGANG or POTONG P. to show them that the people will vote them in no matter where they stand for election!
But dont think they would have the guts to do so. These days people dont vote base on popularity.They would capable men in. So if the PAP keeps harping that them present crop are the most capable then let them prevail or perish!
A trial will convince them. But you and I know they will never do this. They tried in the last election to offer carrots but the people saw thru it and knew they were imitation carrots!
They do not have the guts. Risk their multi-million dollar salaries? No way! They are a gutless group of self-ingratiating people.
@ Mui KL- I think U’re a most stupid person in the world to speak in this way to comparing using the worst , Y not using the best to compare (Any Europe country or China, Hong kong). U’re one which has been brain wash by the PAP. Ok In salary said : Y are they so shy to compare with American or China, U’re the most stupid person in this world !
Don’t worry LKY will preseve this two opposition ward. If he don’t like those Minister ,he will throwc them to the tiger den (opposition ward). finish him off.
#8
i’m in Japan now on business. it is a democracy that saw an opposition party swept into power because of the inherent problems of having one party in power for too long. ‘strangely’….there are no riots. people here are prosperous and wealthy and society is very orderly and everything goes smoothly. even their christmas decorations are 10 times better than orchard road. i actually gaped at it with my mouth opened…so tastefully done. Japanese are so creative, so orderly and smart people.
i suggest u stop listening to the PAP. democracy really doesnt bring riots and disorder u know. And jakata and manila are not the only cities in the world that practices democracy. maybe u are unfortunate lah, only got to visit these two ‘democracies.’ maybe if u visit vietnam and talk to the vietnamese, u may realise that even they are more ‘democratic’ than Singapore.
Back to the topic:
the demographics of the voters has really changed. 5 yrs ago i was a teacher and my students, (16 yrs then) told me they wont vote PAP. i asked why? they were astute enough to say ‘corruption and nepotism’. ironically, the topic of meritocracy taught in Social studies, which is basically a NE subject full of praise abt S’pore, backfired because these students asked if s’pore practices meritoracy, then why is LHL PM? Even at their age they concluded: Nepotism
on another occasion, i spoke to a group of students from the Raffles group of schools, they told me the same thing.
now 5 yrs later, they are 21 yrs old….and they know the true meaning of meritocracy and how it is preached but never practiced by LHL.
Yes please send a minister to my constituency. i want to do my patriotic duty to Singapore and VOTE HIM OUT.