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| What mistake has he made? |
Goh cried, "What mistake has he made? You can take a minister and criticise him for not delivering on perhaps housing (Mah Bow Tan) and transport (Raymond Lim). Like Wong Kan Seng you can say he let Mas Selamat escape. George Yeo, what has he done to deserve this? And he is a core member." Before we move on, we need to thank Goh for reminding us that the defects Mah, Lim and Wong are still core members in the PAP line up, their unrepented sins apparently forgiven even before the election is run.
For starters, George Yeo is immortalised for telling the barefaced lie to the people, "An IR is not a casino." During GE 2006, he was known in Aljunied as the "travelling minister".
Then there's this bit about intelligence, competence, ability to deliver results, and judgement which can be trusted. If he were so good at foreign relations, why were things so patchy with the Indonesians that they refused to sell us sand? Mahathir's quarrel is with Lee Kuan Yew, but Yeo hasn't exactly cultivated a friendlier rapport with Badawi or Najib Razak. After Mas Selamat was captured in Johore, and throughout his detention across the causeway, the Malaysians didn't grant our police commissioner permission to access the terrorist (Wong probably thought it too malu to ask) and find out how he crossed the straits, with flotation devices like empty NEWater bottles or rubber duckies (and we still don't know). Ain't it the role of diplomats to assist in this cross border co-operation? Oh, Yeo did his share of strutting on the world stage alright, much to the consternation of Taiwan foreign minister Chen Tan-sun. Thanks to his (unsolicited) showmanship expertise on Taiwan independence, Chen declared in front of all the nations on planet earth, "Even Singapore, a country the size of a piece of snot, can swagger around to criticise Taiwan at the United Nations".
Ngiam Tong Dow explained that the Ministry of Finance had no budget for the Esplanade, latter will need all its seats filled at $300+ prices to break even. George Yeo tweaked the system, and used the Singapore Pools to finance the project through "future earnings". Yeo's just another Vivian Balakrishnan, lavishly signing away others' money, and expressing “no regrets” because the event was “value for money”. Another one too important to lose?
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No one is indispensable in any organisation including country. GY may be a good man in some's eye but there are many "GY" in Singapore. What has he done so far for the good of Singapore? The most he is just another elite or white horse in the PAP structure. Correct me if I am wrong. He was elected through GRC in the beginning too.
ReplyDeleteWill he be able to voice out in parliament against his party on policies?
There are few scenarios that Singaporeans must understand in this GE2011:
ReplyDelete1. More voices but no change - To have less than 1/3 opposition seats in parliament will not change anything already done, e.g. cost of living, FTs, property prices, etc except that opposition MPs can make more noises and suggestions that PAP in majority may not listen. There is also a risk that PAP back in power will find ways to suppress all oppositions so that there will not be any chance of voting like in this GE2011.
2. Partial change - To have more than 1/3 and less than 2/3 opposition seats will be likely to change some already done as above but will not change the Constitution that allows GRC, NMP, NCMP, and election boundary redrawing. PAP will still be in power or sharing power with oppositions. This may be harder for PAP in power to diminish the oppositions.
3. Complete change - To have more than 2/3 opposition seats means the alternative party will be the government and PAP the opposition. This can change everything including the Constitution. However, Singaporeans must make sure the elected government rewrites the Constitution to abolish those ill clauses and introduce check and balance clause. Also, to ensure Constitution is not allowed to change without referendum. Otherwise, the next non-PAP government may have the chance to abuse the Constitution as well.
Basically, this GE2011 is not about local town upgrading, FTs, or cost of living, etc. It is about whether Singaporeans would like to take back the political power and have a say on the future of Singapore. Once the people take back the power, they can then have a say on how to run this country and all those policies and problems will be resolved to their preference.
Singaporeans must vote wisely on 7 May to decide what they want in the future.
PAP has a choice. If they value an particular Ministers, they should put all of them together in the same GRC. In that way these indispensible Ministers will be in a "AAA" team and will definitely be uncontested and they can automatically go back to Parliment.
ReplyDeleteHowever, since the PAP wants to use the GRC to bring in low caliber candidates, then they run the risk of losing.
This is simple logic and the PAP cannot blame the citizens for choosing the better team.
Let us all convert the yet-to-be and bring in more alternative voices to the Parliament. The PAP has ruled with an iron fist for the last 46 years, without real consultation and competition. They have become way too complacent for the good of Singapore.
ReplyDeleteI really love Singapore. It is my home and I don't wish to see the country decline and fall into the hands of the poor-quality foreigners, simply because some mercenary PAP crooks want to fulfill their personal agendas.
GY is over. MBT/ WKS/ Khaw/ V Balak/ NEH/ LSS/ RL should be removed as well. And I hope we don't need to bring in the Americans and their special squad.
I will be voting as a resident of ALJUNIED.
My vote and my immediate family will be for the WP.
For a better Singapore. For Singaporeans!
I am inclined to agree with Jacob, but the scheme can easily backfire.
ReplyDeleteSupposing MahBT, WongKS, NgEH were put together as AAA team, but majority of voters rate them as DDD, maybe even EEE minus, then quite likely the 3 PAP stooges will be booted out.
PM Lee can also group LimSweeSay, VivianBala, RaymondLim as BBB team, but again the voters may rate them as FFF. How about PM Lee himself? I think a PM should stand in a SMC, and to me, LHL does not deserve an F but a G, Goodfornothing!
I believe it makes sense to consider having some kind of law/rules in place whereby family members from the same party putting themselves up as candidates, must be in the same GRC team. It will give voters a chance to accept or reject a duet like LKY and son in the future.
Conspiracy theory has gone long enough to say some stuff about THE family's role in most of the companies here, even beyond politics. But well, we probably do not need any real disagreement about that. But honestly, this thing about family members contesting together in politics seriously should be stigmatized in practice. It's not for any other reason than say......well, I am lost for words here.....
ReplyDeleteSingapore has to stop being beholden to LKY, not so much anything but simply that we cannot as a nation expect to rely on him to help us manage our national matters, especially because he is so old and won't live forever. It is the fact with all parties, and honestly, Singapore has to learn to emancipate itself as a country as well, if it truly wants to become a true fledged democracy. If not, we will only end up being stuck in celebrating the achievements of a rise from a fishing village into a city-state, which is the narrative constantly pushed to us, but which has little to offer in the way of national identity and solidarity.
Seriously George Yeo is of the least concern to anybody. I think he was brought in during GCT era thus u see SMgoh defending him over WKS. Quite clearly, there're already some fractions going within the party.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, he will soon find a cushy job somewhere in GLC or in Foreign service easily. Lee can easily "fix" that.
So vote in your votes Aljunied ! Do democracy, progress and justice for your next generation..they will be grateful.
//More voices but no change - To have less than 1/3 opposition seats in parliament will not change anything already done, e.g. cost of living, FTs, property prices, etc except that opposition MPs can make more noises and suggestions that PAP in majority may not listen.//
ReplyDeleteDisagree.
There is a great difference between 2 opposition MPs and 10 opposition MPs.
If this election votes in 10 opposition MPs, I bet that PAP will immediately look into the issues of cost of living, FTs, property prices, etc.