Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Days Of The Mandarins Are Numbered

Looks like Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng let loose a whopper of a blooper when he said "over time, it (PAP) will field fewer Chinese-educated ones". That's when you start to notice that the recent PAP line up announced is mostly English educated, Chinese and "less likely to cause riots". Ignore the anomaly who embraces the ISA ("for pragmatism") even though his own flesh and blood father was locked away without benefit of trial with that same instrument.

The ST article about the 5 MPs who are stepping down didn't draw much attention, since most of them only showed their faces around election time. Joo Chiat's Chan Soo Sen, 55, was more visible in the clan gatherings, where he was immensely popular at karaoke time, belting out Hokkien ditties with gusto. But he was bitter about being made to step down earlier from Minister of State heights, whinging to anyone with a sympathetic ear, "they had to bring 3 guys in to do my job". Maybe it was just the alcohol and/or Newater talking.

Wong was responding to a question on whether the PAP's new slate of candidates will be able to replace outgoing seasoned MPs with a Chinese background. The party is not against fielding Chinese-educated candidates, he insisted, but must look beyond them for party renewal. "Because of the education system, increasingly you'd find that there are not many who are completely proficient Chinese speakers," was his lame excuse. Or attempt to blame the Ministry of Education for their failings in Mandarin education.

Meanwhile another PAP newbie Steve Tan, 37, took exception to Wong's slight about his personal proficiencies. He claims he is not only bi-lingual, but also bi-cultural. For a moment you actually hoped he would add that he is also bi-sexual, i.e. say anything to grab the LBGT vote. That would offset the damage inflicted by fellow newbie Desmond Lee, 34, who stated in no uncertain terms, "I agree with the Government's position. Section 377A states the position of the majority." This despite what even PAP lawyers had argued in parliament that it makes no sense to keep a law and not enforce it. Desmond, we are told, is a former legal service officer who served in the Supreme Court, the Attorney General's Chambers and the Law and Health ministries. Maybe he spent too much time drinking tea instead of pontificating over fine points of the law.

If you still haven't had enough of the ongoing crap, listen to this "fooled-me, hah!" circuitous narration of when and how she actually became a citizen.

6 comments:

  1. Interesting Read :-
    Sugar Coating of New PAP Candidates Part I

    Link :- http://de-leviathan.blogspot.com/2011/03/sugar-coating-of-new-pap-candidates.html

    If the first batch of new PAP candidates announced were not about the "the interests and ambitions of political parties and individual interest to create a legacy and make history", what else is? Imagine DPM Wong is our Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and he could not even coordinate with his fellow DPM Teo Chee Hean who is also the Minister for Defence in their Election strategy to introduce the new PAP candidates.

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  2. Tattler

    Mandarins/Pratas/Chikus whatever it may be, would be interesting to do a tally of past MPs who have retired or left politics to see where their next phase of careers have taken them? Far from wanting to serve the public, one suspect many are now seeing it as a ticket to PAPremiership is the step to a luscious career in some GLC or directorships in others much later.

    Somebody too, should tell Chan Soo Sen, welcome to the "real world" after years of ivory living in the PAP tower. Serve him right for not voicing out against the immigration policies earlier, as I bet the 3 replacements who're doing his job are cheaper, better and faster too.
    At least he still can secure his bread-n-butter from breadtalk where he serves as director. The men in the street are not so fortunate.

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  3. DPM said subtly, "We don't bring new people here to conduct a revolution ... If you want to hold a revolution, then I think it is somewhere else, not in Singapore." He added: "I think Singaporeans ... will not welcome a revolution that will shake up everything."//

    Implying - dont' give me more security headaches, take it to somewhere else if you want "real change". Meaning = IT is status quo, business as usual. In the name of nice-sound "Renewal" or "4G New PM" in actual fact is just old wine in new bottles.

    What fanciful names WKS wants to name it is fine. For the same reasons Opposition Parties wants a breakthrough in GRC is a coming of maturation and show of strength for "possibly a new & alternative government". That should be the Opposition chants in the coming months. All are good and legit intentions as far as voters can see. Better still, they work for half the price of the current SLOWER, GOOD but MOST EXPENSIVE (antithesis of Faster, Better, Cheaper) leaders.

    Time for Change. Yes We Can. Less The Clan!

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  4. Fool me, huh?3/28/2011 7:51 AM

    I have had the misfortune of working with this person in the bank. If you do not help her in climbing the corporate ladder, you only get to speak to the secretary.

    She is decked out in Chanel suits, drives a big car, makes large bonuses by talking, what would she know about the poor and the helpless?

    From 15, she has been in boarding school. A malaysian who can go overseas, clearly a priveleged life. What would she know about the heartlanders?

    Did she get to be a "banker" by doing what she knows? Nope. It is about what you say, what you wear and who you talk to that makes you a big banker.

    I fell off my chair when I saw her in the papers. The government has finally shown that it is all about the superficial that they are keen in. What is real and genuine is all talk!

    It is the woe of Singaporeans when she is part of PAP. We have finally reached the beginning of the end.....

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  5. It is not the beginning of the end.

    It started over a decade ago.

    ReplyDelete