By Ng E Jay
You would have thought the mainstream media would have been coy about this issue.
But today, Straits Times columnist Rachel Chang finally admitted in her article “New citizens and the next GE (24 June 2010)” that new citizens regularly express overwhelming support for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), with some even going to the point of unfettered adulation and admiration.
Ms Chang writes in her article that when she informally sought out the political views of new citizens, she found that she was “hard-pressed to find a new citizen who harbours anything but admiration for the ruling party“, and that their support for PAP ranged from “placidly approving to aggressively proselytising“.
Take careful note of the last word that Rachel Chang used — proselytising. New citizens do not merely support the PAP. They worship the PAP like Gods.
Rachel Chang’s article also contains quotes from some new citizens explaining why they support PAP. These quotes do not just express admiration for the PAP as a political party, but in fact seem to be geared at justifying many of PAP’s autocratic policies.
For example, university lecturer Ori Sasson, who originally hails from Israel, expressed support for PAP’s restriction on public demonstrations and other civil liberties.
Mr Sasson said that in Israel, he had never felt the need to participate in public demonstrations even though they were allowed.
Mr Sasson also said that while other countries give citizens freedom of expression, their tax rate is higher.
His implication of course is that he prefers Singapore’s lower tax rate and is prepared to give up his human rights and civil liberties in exchange for it.
Naturally, the PAP would want all Singaporeans to think like Mr Sasson, who is probably viewed as a “model citizen”.
A*Star research officer Niu Liming, who originated from Beijing, told the Straits Times that his experience with other political systems made him favour the PAP.
He said that the problems Singaporeans face, such as the lack of a social safety net or high property prices, pale in comparison to the problems citizens of other countries face.
Of course, Mr Niu as a government researcher is drawing a much higher salary compared to the daily rated and blue-collar workers, and so he may not be able to empathize with how rampant inflation and escalating prices have hurt poorer Singaporeans, and how low wage workers in Singapore are left unprotected because they do not have a minimum wage, and there are no independent labour unions to represent their interests.
But naturally, views such as those of Mr Niu are very welcome by the PAP who would want all citizens to share similar opinions.
Ms He Li Fang, 41, a teacher from China, also explained to the Straits Times that because Singapore is a small country, the strong impact of government in the lives of people meant that “new citizens will not waver in their loyalty to the ruling party“.
The overwhelming support of new citizens for the incumbent PAP does not come to a surprise to most netizens, who have probably known it all along.
All the Straits Times article does is to assure us that the government will not do anything major to drastically reduce the import of new citizens in the name of increasing productivity.
You can be rest assured that the status quo will continue, no matter how the government seems to be changing its tune every now and then.
______________________________________
Headline picture courtesy of The Straits Times
__________________________________________________________
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
So now they are trying to persuade us to accept China’s “B” Team that won the World TT Tournament by having side shows in each neighbourhood. I was caught off-guard and it was a new learning experience to know how badly they wanted us to have a big party to celebrate the occasion. Unfortunately skeptics are derisive and very vocal about it, such that it may be impossible to declare a public holiday and have an Orchard Road party for all citizens. Moreover floods may happen too so….not many may want to attend.
# My Views
Yes, they would, I imagine in serious thoughtful contemplation. Their margin of error is “fresh water fishes might find out later they cannot survive in salty ocean water.” Some of us takes 3 decades to discover the true colour of the incumbent political class and the gloomy outlook confronting.
Remember, fishes live in dirty water. Aquarium fishes thrive in the ocean for that long? That is a puzzle for them to find out – hopefully, for their sake too, no regrets later when they are also “re-cycled” out, just like our middle-aged professionals. They are late comers to the recycle bin.
Rachael Chang’s article in ST is too contrived. Very forced. When you are asked point blank, of course, the answer is yes, we support the PAP.
But its different if you are a colleague of these new citizens, you hear a different tune.
I will give them the benefit of the doubt when during election time to see which box they check.
All policies implemented by PAP affect all citizens, old & new. We all react more or less in a universal fashion.
Sooner or later, these new citizens are painfully aware that PAP policies do more harm to them than good. How else can you explain the high return rate to motherland for those originating from China or India?
It would be more useful if Rachael Chiang’s article could focus on the number of new citizens who have given up their Spore citizenship in favor of re-taking up their old citizenship in China & India.
It is an open secret that both China & India have liberal policies for their former citizens to revert back to their old citizenship. Its easy without any red tape.
Then this government better start having arrangements with countries who need our skills & help native Singaporeans move over there with ease. The government owes us this. They don’t like what we think, they favor new immigrants, so they should help our transition to other more humane countries. Oh I can tell the Aussie government that I don’t mind being a subject of racism as I get human rights in exchange. Geez. Sasson’s statement about sacrifice of human rights being okay is totally whack. Of course, it’s my wishful thinking that the local gov will help us naturalize into other countries. But I think if they wanna rely on new citizens for support, don’t expect us to serve National Slavery. Forget reservist too. Conscription’s inhumane in the 1st place.
is our govt an “elite” group of mercenaries motivated mostly by $$?
I just have a good laugh when this crossed my mind. Seemed like the Opposition Camp is now in sort of a fix; they can no longer make the huge inflow of foreign talents an election issue since they are also hoping to win these new citizens’ votes.
My Views 28 June 2010
I just have a good laugh when this crossed my mind. Seemed like the Opposition Camp is now in sort of a fix; they can no longer make the huge inflow of foreign talents an election issue
………..
you meant wongcantsink just got sacked?
who made the oppositions minister of immigrations? wow/woah!
My Views, on 28 June 2010,
you had a good laugh, wait till the new citizens hear about the “other” side of our high-&-mighty MIWs.
eh TOC, maybe the header for this topic should read: “New Citizens overwhelmingly support PAP- vocally!
just like how PAP pays lip service to its very people its suppose to look out for. dun regret if PAP themselves get voted out resoundly.
there are things that money can buy, but for everything else…. ?
waha-haa…
# My Views 28 June 2010
“I just have a good laugh when this crossed my mind. Seemed like the Opposition Camp is now in sort of a fix; they can no longer make the huge inflow of foreign talents an election issue..”
New citizens are late arrivals and next in the Q for the recycling bin. They would not have time to accumulate some fat and cushion for that. So they fear new arrivals as much having crossed the Rubicon. Ask those Pinay engineers “retired” just past 40s and unable to find suitable job at their last pay. They won’t love the puppies. And Chinese knows from history that water both floats and sink the boat. They are not gullible but hard bargainers. Puppies don’t learn from their Suzhou experience.
so what if new citizens overwhelmingly support the PAP?
its the majority native singaporeans who enabled their reign for half a CENTURY.
Lets get the perspectives right.
I was once a ‘new citizen’ myself. I too had great admiration for Singapore and the Singaporean way. I extolled the virtues of the PAP. The contrast with the country I had left behind, where nothing worked, was unfathomable. I was happy to take up citizenship.
But that was many years ago. (A much younger) Lee Kuan Yew was then Prime Minister. Ministers were then not paid astronomical salaries and the ‘family’ was then not so firmly in-charge. But even then, the ruthlessness, the tyranny was coming to light: the persecution of JBJ, restrictions on the circulation of The Economist and the FEER, wholly unjustified and to this day unexplained Operation Spectrum and so on and so on.
It didn’t take long for the gloss to come off. Give it time and many of these newcomers will become ‘ordinary Singaporeans’ like you and I.
[BTW, if you take it far enough back, all of us or our ancestors were 'new citizens' at one time. The more appropriate term to use to contrast with the recent immigrants is 'Singapore born'].
I have said this before and I will say it again: If PAP has its way, PRs will be allowed to vote in the near future, so as to keep them in power.
This is not as far-fetched as you may think. Do you know that UK allows all residents (including those on work permits) to vote? This is how Labour stayed in power for so long, through their immigrant-friendly policies, at the expense of jobs for citizens. The difference is that UK has a huge social welfare scheme for unemployed citizens, while Singapore has… NOTHING!
I am not sure whether the Singapore constitution permits this change to go through without a referendum. Hopefully it does or PAP can just push it through the parliament!
In many ways, UK experienced the same glut of immigrants from eastern Europe and elsewhere as Singapore did over the past decade. I would advice anyone studying the social-economic effects of bad immigration policies to look at UK.
Japan is also contemplating giving PRs the right to vote, but they only have an immigrant population of 1.6% whereas ours is 36%!!
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/permanent-residence-may-be-granted-right-vote-japan
PAP recent increase huge amount of FTs not only to take up jobs, and also to settle them down and vote for them, since we are getting more unhappy.
PAP just plan to make sg a business profit city, they dont give a damn on us anymore as long as they stay in power, they can keep recruit new FT whenever they like to support them
when opposition try to advertise a little bit,they get fined. nothing we can do-.- only the rich survive in Singapore