~by: Ravi Philemon~
Last Saturday (26 November 2011), a group from Young PAP (YPAP) took to Speakers’ Corner to campaign for ‘fairer fares’ for polytechnic students (see HERE).
An article in The Straits Times (see HERE) quoted Mr Koh as saying that the YPAP was now taking up the gauntlet because it did not want past efforts (polytechnic students’ activism for the same cause in 2008 and 2009) to “go down the drain” and that the decision to go to Speakers’ Corner is a decision in line with the YPAP’s new emphasis on “servant leadership”.
We asked Mr Koh if he would answer a few questions about the event at Speakers’ Corner. Although Mr Koh corresponded with us, at the time of publishing this article, he had not answered the questions we posed him yet.
We reproduce here the questions we asked him:
- What is the purpose of the YPAP group going to Speakers’ Corner?
- When did the group come up with the idea to do this? What triggered it?
- How many people were involved in planning for this event?
- The YPAP group’s FB note on this event says that the organizers were connected to Mr Baey Yam Keng. How did he help and/or contribute to this event?
- The Chairman of YPAP was not present in your event. None of the other MPs were present as well. Were they distancing themselves from your campaign? If so, why and what was their need to do this?
- How did the people who organised this feel when they realised that the event was not going to be supported by any of the MPs, by them being physically present at the event?
- Since your Chairman was not present at the event, can this be considered an official YPAP event? Why?
- What do you think the YPAP group’s campaign has achieved through this event?
- Is this a one-off event? If not, what else will you be doing to campaign for fairer fares for polytechnic students?
- Are there any other things you want to say?
–
In a comment on Facebook about the event in Speakers’ Corner, Mr Koh said:
NO LAH, THEY FOLLOW THE HORSE, BEHIND, BUT HORSE NOT TALKING, JUST TRYING, TO SEE,
WHAT HEAT, WHO IS HEATING
YPAP was probably made use of to determine the popularity status of the PAP on the ground. There was lukewarm support from the public and none from the parent body. Even the poly students whose interests the YPAP are championing, failed to turn up in force. The event just fizzled out like a damp squib.
Mr Koh is probably still recovering from the embarrassment caused by the no-show. This would explain why the 10 questions TOC posed him have remained unanswered. “Servant Leadership” are just empty buzz words.
The Wayang show failed. A good Wayang show must also have enough good actors/actresses, cosmetics and a solid story line. It is obvious that the people of Singapore are growing sick and tired of the ruling party. What’s more. They now have an old man selling his “pearls of wisdom” by the droves to preserve his legacy when he kicks the bucket in the not too distant future. Please give me a break.
Top not interested lah !
So “No budget” to bring in “busload” plus “free lunch”.
Cannot ask all the “uneduacted ah pek & ah soh “to support rite? that would be so “funny”
Poor “sacrificial lambs” !
Huh, only backend support?!?! Keblakan pusing?
Their trust-worthiness already
“go down the drain” .
Servant leadership should entail the leaders (at every level) folding up their sleeves and doing the grunt work. When is the last time we see the senior PAP leadership folding up their sleeves and doing the grunt work and not for show only? This is the party that requires grassroots leaders to knock doors and standby smiling residents ahead of MPs coming to knock doors (how sincere, right?). Some senior PAP leaders even arrow other MPs to do their MPS. I wonder how and why did the residents put up with that for years! An event like the so called protest will not succeed if even people like Teo Ser Luck or Zaqy do not bother to show up. There is no leadership by example. If leaders were not available on that day, hold it on another day. It would be better if Lee Hsien Loong don’t use words like servant leadership because it creates a virtually impossible standard for his MPs and party members to uphold. Perhaps the PM can knock doors in his constituency alone without any grassroots to start off…
“YP provided some backend support la :)”
Meaning those who were in front got screwed!
At the recent PAP post-mortem of its poorer showing in GE2011, PM Lee has called for change. He wanted a new PAP. So what is change? Based on PAP’s past records as Michael Palmer has also admitted, PAP has not done enough in regard to winning of people’s heart. What is the cause of such mistakes.
It is clear that PAP always views people as a source of problems, liabilities rather than positively as people of good spirit and righteous attitudes and behaviors.
Hence, instead of blaming people for all sorts of things and praising itself non-stop taking credit for the sacrifices of so many people’s labor, PAP should change in a more authentic manner with a a sense of service or duty to fellow citizens who pay them millions not to boast but to be humble and serve.
There is a common saying the leopard never changes its spot. So it is wasting time to carry on bluffing people like the kids. It is still cannot change, because of their million-dollar largesse or the hidden benefits from all the GLCs and reserves, just say so or just shut up and carry on doing as it likes until they are eventually thrown out with a bad name. It is as simple as this
Yes, the pap views singaporeans as a source of problem, people who make their job difficult, and the Foreign Trash as Redeemer who can save singapore while they are one God who can decide the fate of singaporeans or punish singaporeans.
Actually, they are the ones who are really blaming.
How did the PAP end up like this? Even its so-called young activitist wing cannot connect with young Singaporeans. The PAP does not seem to have any ability left to enthuse people in anything it does. As a brand, it is now such a disaster. Lee Hsien Loong is not a bad leader – someone who has presence on the world stage – but he is so stuck in the cobweb of his father’s outdated views that he does not seem to be able to be his own man. But we urgently need to move on to the post-LKY era. This “hung” situation pending LKY’s exit is totally unhealthy.
PAP n YPAP are fakes.
Young PAP never kenna scolded by ol’ Lee for being idealists?
so own kind own kind, its all in the family. if alternative party organise, response sure different wan.
There is no need for wayang. The people will know if life is hard or not.
Any Papies MPs whom dare to show their faces at such event going against their own party are putting their careers and fat salary at risk. Did we forget that these MPs are there for the money and out of public service.
This campaign wouldn’t be that laughable had it not been declared as a ‘servant leadership’ manifesto. Now it is clear that ‘servants’ and ‘leaders’ are all hot-airs.
So the truth is out. YP is only “rovidiing back end support” to some poly students fighting for lower fares.
Thsi brings us to the question on why Staits Times highlighted very prominently in the papers that YP is leading the charge.
…..so called protest will not succeed if even people like Teo Ser Luck or Zaqy do not bother to show up. There is no leadership by example.
Hey,do not be surprise if you find them waiting at the nearby Hock Hai Building waiting for a signal to appear if the crowd swell!
They are all very relevant questions, why can’t YPAP answer them all? By not answering to those questions is as good as telling us about PAP well-known characteristic – Wayang!
I was at Deyi Sec on nomination day. Like ghosts, they came in the hundreds if not thousands. But they were bussed there and when recognized, seemed slightly sheepish. The overriding impression I gathered was that they knew which side of the bread was buttered. More self-interest rather than genuine passion. I am beginning to suspect that the ruling party may never find traction with our youth.
No free transport, no lunch boxes, no NTUC Fairprice vouchers, no goodie bags? Well, you can forget about it. We’re not interested.
Zebra just cannot erase their stripes and tell others that they are horses.
Why should YPAP campaign for ‘fairer fares’. Just walk across the table of the transportation ministry.
Or are we going to see YPAP getting the credit for a potentially successful campaign in convincing the transportation ministry or providers to reduce their fare.
Hello,these nuts want to DRAMATISE the proposal thinking that this way it will elevate themselves.
This is a foolish childish act only YPAP is capable of.
One word to sum up the whole fairer fares campaign.
Bullshit.
There are bigger and more urgent issues to protest about like out-of-this world Ministerial salaries, GIS’s and Temasek’s
astronomical losses, unaffordable HDB prices, the avalanche of FTs, etc, etc.
Does being tagged “youth” mean that you must stick to childish matters? You need to grow up fast to be noticed.
No wonder the public stayed away by the hordes, even those who were supposed to give you “back-end-support” like Teo Ser Luck and Zaqy.
Protest for the sake of protesting.
I can almost imagine in their boardroom someone saying.. “We should go to HL Park and do some protesting. Someone name me a cause quick”.
These YPAP members actually thought people will join in the “fun” at HL Park? Perhaps TOC can have a chat with Teo Ser Luck to find out why he was absent that day?!
Sori, GIS is actually GIC…
The event was a joke and a huge embarrassment!
YPAP = You Pathetic Arrogant Parasite
What YPAP does is not Political right?
They cannot be political and related to PAP right?
They are not related right?
They are there ultruistically to serve and sacrifice for the people not for their own personal gains right?
Happy Neuro.
Not long now.
The YPAP wayang organisers did not do homework and dun know who they try to lobby.
… so many PAP people on the 2 boards
YPAP please do not Wayang,
SMRT Board of Directors
Koh Yong Guan, Chairman
Saw Phaik Hwa, President & CEO
Lee Seow Hiang
Paul Ma Kah Woh
Ong Ye Kung
Bob Tan Beng Hai
Tan Ek Kia
Peter Tan Boon Heng
Yeo Wee Kiong
Major shareholder: Temasek 54%
ComfortDelgro board of directors
Lim Jit Poh
Kua Hong Pak
Ong Ah Heng
Oo Soon Hee
Sum Wai Fun Adeline
Tow Heng Tan
Wang Kai Yuen
Wong Chin Huat David
Major Shareholders: Singapore Labour Foundation 12.09%