After one year-long of national conversation involving some 47,000 Singaporeans or less than 1% of the population, the man in charge wants to dispel a few myths about the mass engagement exercise, without providing any clue for the name change, and who the "our" refers to.
The first myth to be debunked is that OSC dialogues were a "major meet-the-people session", with the Government collating a wish list and then giving people what they want, explained Education Minister Heng Swee Keat. The disappointment is understandable.
Last night's episode of "Talking Point, The Vote " concluded with over 56% voting "No" to the question, "Has Singapore Conversation adequately reflected your views?" The online inputs to the tv programme were, to borrow the words of a panel member who was a facilitator at OSC sessions, quite cutting and blunt:
"Talking about consultation? I seriously doubt they listen at all! Some of the issues raise (sic) were not even consulted and they made the decision for us. Eg. CPF minimum sum."
"Why is it that mental health issues which I raised at OSC and also to Education Heng Swee Kiat who promised to look into the welfare of caregivers of the mentally ill not looked into?"
Guest on the panel, Indranee Rajah could only bluster there are also "other opportunities" available for feedback from the public. Which confirms what Heng said about the OSC not being a platform to collate a wish list and then giving people what they want. Quite simply, they never intended to listen to the voices of the people in the first place. Whether NC or OSC, it was always a one sided conversation.
Heng said the OSC-influenced policy shifts will be unveiled only at Sunday's National Day Rally. Confirming the worst, he emphasised that they will not sacrifice strategic thinking for the sake of showing empathy and responsiveness. So what else is new? It has always been their way or the highway.
When Lee talked about the vision of Singapore along the themes of "Hope, Heart and Home", one is reminded of Goh Chok Tong's promise of "Swiss standard of living". Sure, the Swiss standard has been attained, for them but not for us mere mortals. If Heng openly refuses to demonstrate empathy and responsiveness, where and when will we ever get to see our Hope, Heart and Home?
One almost trembles at the anticipated announcements concerning state support for health-care costs and housing affordability. More likely, Medisave minimum sums and Medishield premiums will be increased - Health Minister Gan already highlighted that they will go up with enhancements planned for to the scheme - and housing affordability will be redefined with 30 year loans extending to 50 or 60 years. You want empathy and responsiveness, you won't find it in the OSC charade.
Posts
Looks like they are still selecting only those they prefer to listen to, aren't they ? People have been complaining about the CPF Medishield & Medisave inadequacy for ages and yet they now still say have to be cautious as if people want to be sick on purpose!
ReplyDeleteAnd if they had been really sincere & instead of so eager to threaten that cartoonist, they should have treated his political satire cartoons as useful feedback for the NatCon, couldn't they ?
Talking about sincerity & integrity, my foot.
Really langgar daa!
DeleteHearing only the right stuff......
DeleteNice. Looks like the 40% has grown to 56%.
ReplyDeleteYou are being too optimistic. You will be surprise to know the mentality of the mere mortals. Give them a few peanuts during election year, say Garment good or hear the middle ground say- I cant bear to join the 40% because I , myself is better than the candidates. More in the 60% need to to screwed further for them to wake up.
DeleteHahaha......
ReplyDeleteIt is the People that have to shoulder the Blame for the Situation we are in today.
The People are too willing to wait and hope and hope. They are never tired of hoping and waiting, waiting and hoping.
The Voters are the Hopeless Lot and I hope most ot the Netizens were/are not belonging to the 61%. Otherwise, many will be highly hypocritical.
Many bloggers seem to me to be hopers too.
patriot
When our economy is fed steriods, property market growth hormones and people painkillers, we need more than hope; we need "Miracle 2016".
ReplyDeleteMiracle? Do you still believe in miracles? That's wistful thinking. Remember no one owes us a living ok? Our multi-racial society will collapse in no time with those aliens onslaught. Our social infrastructure, social fabric and cultural identity will break soon. Already the signs and symptoms are there but they are too blind to see. Can a hopeless drug junkie see reason? Can an addicted gambler give up his old habit? Not easy daa!
DeleteMy take on the name change from National Conversation to that 'Our Singapore Conversation', is because we have been using 'NAT CON' !
ReplyDeleteThe Nat Con catchphrase was ripped off from the Scots. Just like the Job Credit Scheme which was copied from elsewhere and shamelessly claimed as a local invention.
Delete/// The National Conversation was the name given to the Scottish Government's public consultation exercise regarding possible future changes in the power of the devolved Scottish Parliament and the possibility of Scottish independence, a policy objective of the Scottish National Party, who at the time were the minority government with power over devolved affairs in Scotland, as the Scottish Government. It culminated in a multi-option white paper for a proposed Referendum (Scotland) Bill, 2010. ///
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conversation
Sinkies are on steroids and are dependent on the steroid suppliers.
ReplyDeleteThey are afraid that once the suppliers are no more around, they will be in trouble. So die die must keep them around.
It is right to say that the people have done themselves in.
First, there were the blue pill (blissful ignorance of illusion) and the red pill (painful truth of reality). This Sunday, Singaporeans will be given another choice (c'mon big applause) - the pink pill (less painful truth without any illusion).
ReplyDeleteNational Conversation was meant to hear you but later since they wanted you to hear them ("the right thing") it was changed to "Our Singapore Conversation"
ReplyDeleteMy, yours,ours, the - what does it matter to people who believe that the country is PAP and PAP is the country? The problem with them is they start of with some fixed mantras: doing what the majority reasonably want it to be populist; and aid to the less fortunate is welfarism; to get them to do what you want you need to stick spurs into their hides; give them an overdose of financial aid to convince them that it will not lead to more procreation. Thesa are hard truths - after all after LKY's father lifted him by the ears when he broke his vaseline bottle he never again did it. You see, it works. Trust them.
ReplyDeleteOur stupid government could have paid $1 million to a $2 branding consultant to come up with the name change looking at how they spend our tax money to rename Marina Bay - Marina Bay. Hahaha.
ReplyDeleteThink it was $500,000, not $1M . Still money and stupid.
Delete$800,000
DeletePAP doesn't understand what a *conversation* means - if all the PAP wants to do is to micro-manage the direction of the NatCON, then it is not a conversation, it is a monologue.
ReplyDeleteNo point in listening this Sunday.
ReplyDeleteIts meant for their own kind.. the zombies who following with absolute devotion.
I have stopped listening since GCT started the term "social compact". Yeah, right!
This 'conversation' is meant for them. You see, for decades they feigned listening. Since they did not listen then, they thought it best to consolidate all your gripes into an A4 sized paper. Its efficient, its quick, it allows many to believe that for once, "I have an audience"
They hope this would be a neat trick to give them a leg up for 2016.
I hope in 2016 more than 50% will give them a leg up their behinds, it's the only way to facilitate a genuine national conversation.
DeleteThere is no need for Natcon.
ReplyDeleteThere is no need for National Service.
The Rulers and the Ruled are as good
as divorced, worse than excommunicated.
You want a real National Conversation?
ReplyDeleteVOTE OPPOSITION.
And let's have a real conversation in parliament.
The correct way to engage PAP in a National Conversation is by voting Opposition MPs to engage the PAPigs in a parliamentary debate.
The parliament is the only legitimate place for a National Conversation.
OSC is a stage created to check Heng Swee Keat's suitability for higher office. They didn't tell you this, did they? More than 20 years of "listening" and they still can't get things right. It's better they don't pretend to listen.
ReplyDeleteOSC - it's a national test to check on our stupidity and gullibility level.
DeleteOstentatious
DeleteShowy
Clueless
People like to have choices. Not too many but enough to choose from.
ReplyDeleteChoices that reflect their perceptions, their needs, their aspirations.
Leaders of people are suppose to propose choices. These choices can come from the incumbent or the opposition.
Oppositions are leaders too. They just dont have the steering wheel yet.
Offer choices that reflect the people's aspiration and calm their fears.
This act alone, if it is sincere and thought out carefully, will signal to people that their fears and aspirations have been heard.
But since 1990, they have acted primarily on their own. They did offer choice:
That usual bogey man theory that there is evil all around us and the world intends to do us in.
Insecurity of a group of people whose leadership is not very real and their history is not so elegant as they want you to believe.
In the midst of the OSC, they threw us the PWP. Do you think there was any sincere wish to engage the people? While you can protest, demonstrate, shout & curse in other countries, you are severely clipped here. The only avenue for voicing your frustrations is through the ballot box. This precisely what happened the last couple of elections. Those in charge are digging their own graves.
ReplyDeleteeverytime the miws induct new people into its ministerial ranks, there's this loathsome rah-rah exercise in engaging the people; it's like a thesis of sorts for these new guys. Remember george yeo with his "next lap", david lim with all the motherhood statements, vivien with ...oh, i can't remember wtf.., now ah heng with nc/osc. Despite all these, are we any better? have our concerns been addressed?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 11.56pm is right, the only conversation that will wake up miw is to vote Opposition.