He reiterated his point when he said the country is too small to afford political paralysis. Trouble is, his People's Association is making darn sure that a harmonious political system will be next to impossible to achieve.
Workers Party's Chen Show Mao wrote how the PA messes up a friendly neighborhood gathering to celebrate the annual 7th Month festivities:
"The organizers as in previous years had planned to hold the festivities on a hard court in the HDB estate, but this year were told by the Paya Lebar CCC (Citizens' Consultative Committee under the People's Association) that, as a condition for receiving CCC approval to use the venue, they may no longer invite their MP to the event. Future approvals will be withheld from errant organizers."
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| Click to view the apology note |
While veteran grassroots leader Lee Bak Lee confirms that the CCC "has not and will not impose such a rule (about inviting politicians to dinner) on residents", the PA is reiterating its "longstanding policy" that activities held on its premises have to be non-political in nature.
Somehow, Mr Chen and similar will have to come up with a politics-free way of sharing a meal with fellow Singaporeans. Even eating curry has been confabulated up to send a political message to the PRC family who won a Pyrrhic victory over their Indian neighbor's kitchen practice. Heck, even the dull presidential election is exploiting the spice to juice up a boring campaign. We look forward to the day when we have to declare our political persuasion before being allowed to visit the public loo. Come to think of it, didn't something like that happened during the May 7 elections?
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Is this not, in layman's terms, the sort of evidence that TT asked to back up TJS's point as to what would constitute a political opponent in the context of PAP politics ?
ReplyDeletePAP MP can, but WP's MP cannot. What kind of politics does PAP practises by courtesy of LKY and his comrades, may I ask ?
All along we believe cc/ccc etc were introduced to galvanise the people. The way it is run (taking the above as an example)they are more political than for common good. Government must now come clean to state the Dos and Don'ts of such organisations. Political scene has changed and there are no more such thing as All-PAP MPs. Citizen organisations must be open to all including opposition figures.
ReplyDeleteDidn't a certain General Chan said "no politics for politics sake"? That'show they started with these basic mindset at the youth and PA levels , yet they expect people not to throw stones at them? I think they will have just provoked the hungry ghosts into angry ghosts when they don't see their favorite elected MPs there to share the meal. Then they will take it out on the Presidential candidate who claims to be "unifying" real mccoy and show their true colors on 27 Aug. The people need all the help we can, even from our spirits to fight this stupid machine called politics and policies of PAPies.
ReplyDeleteCC/CCC/RC are PAP grassroots organisations. The ruling party are not going to handover these community enhancing networks to other political parties. WP may not have a choice but to start their own grassroots organizations.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely NTUC and PA belong to PAP. I remembered that my friends who worked in NTUC and PA were required to work and support PAP's GE campaign during the 2006 GE.
ReplyDeleteMy friend in NTUC was even tasked to garland the MP...
Looks like the Aljunied CCC grass roots leaders have not heard or are not paying heed to PM LHL message: “I am sorry”, “Change”, “Reform”,”Rules of prudence”. They will go down in history for tainting the image of Singapore
ReplyDelete"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." -- George Washington (1732-1799) Founding Father, 1st US President, 'Father of the Country'
Quite frankly, I think is naivety that WP expect to take over the current structure/logistics which the PAP has built up just by the mere fact that they are not elected. They have to start building the own grassroots and repeat the waste of taxpayers money or they will have to fire up everybody in their wards to protest against such outright discriminations. There's no other two ways about it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a big wake-up call to the Workers Party that if even one day they take over the governing of Singapore don't or rather never expect the civil services be the same after the PAP.
ReplyDelete>>We look forward to the day when we have to declare our political persuasion before being allowed to visit the public loo
ReplyDeleteNSP candidate Nicole Seah was not allowed to Mountbatten CC during the GE
So let me get this straight. The losing MP Cynthia Phua who lost in the election gets to be a "grassroots advisor" and can go mingle with local residents or events as an invited guest, but the winning MPs from WP cannot? WTF is "politicizing" this whole affairs? Does that make sense to you? Can you imagine say TJS or TKL wins the Presidency election, and PAP decides to place Tony Tan as one of the sitting "Wise man council" and start giving out and dispensing all the presidential advise and insist the sitting President to act..how do you like it People!!!!? Dumb & Daft & Meek President..think AGAIN!!
ReplyDeleteThe Peoples' Association is obviously defying our PM Lee's calls on ALL Singaporeans to work together towards a better tomorrow.
ReplyDeletepatriot
The Workers' Party had a few good lawyers, and they know the law. What is stopping them to pursue according to the law. Are they afraid or fearful.
ReplyDeleteSingaporeans are questioning the number of foreigners and other issues in the country since the GE 2011, and what has the Workers' Party being doing. Complaining about their own space. And why now highlight the issue - the Workers' Party had known since May/July that the space does not belong to them, and why dont they oppose the HDB ruling.
Are they asking us, the common people, to fight for their cause - sounds like the PAP style of work.
It looks like Khaw Boon Wan is just as dirty as Mah Bow Tan.
ReplyDeleteIn a press statement released on its website, Workers’ Party and Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC)’s Chairman Sylvia Lim revealed that AHTC received an email from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) containing a list of sites to be excluded from AHTC management, including 26 sites commonly used for community activities which had previously been managed by the former Aljunied Town Council. No background nor rationale was given for the decision.
“Upon further and repeated enquiries from AHTC, HDB revealed on 13 July 2011 that these sites had been leased to the People’s Association (PA), in 2 tranches – on 27 May 2011 and 13 June 2011. The AHTC had thus been informed retrospectively of this decision, which to our knowledge has not been published anywhere,” she wrote.
“It appears to us that the unilateral decision by the HDB to lease these sites to the PA and to have them excluded from common property under the management of AHTC without any consultation with the AHTC or its elected members is politically motivated and an abuse of power,” Sylvia added.
Wow, and we trust them with our reserves. Well I have already kissed by CPF goodbye as the withdrawal age will be raised to 70 before I reach 55. If they are doing this at the grassroot level, imagine what must be going on at higher levels, the 12 years NS disruption for one white horse is but one example. I guess even if a opposition gets majority, they cannot govern effectively because they will face resistance from the ruling party. I believe there is an underlying fear that their wrongdoings will be exposed and that could trigger a reaction like this.
ReplyDeleteMany PApies spies appearing in the comments recently ... please try harder!!!
ReplyDeleteTo anon 8:08 , why don't you go and get PM Lee to reconvene his parliament first and talk about representing the people.
ReplyDeleteBesides, if Shanmugam & PM wants us to believe that the MPs are there to represent and be the voice of people (not the president) then technically only the people of Aljunied GRC voted for their WP MPs. I don't live there but I feel is unfair too. But are WP MPs going to speak for me? Clearly not, and they can't. So I'll make sure my President is my alternative voice lah .