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Tag: PAP

  • Art Fazil: How To Answer To PAP?

    Art Fazil: How To Answer To PAP?

    How To Answer Back:

    The PAP are banging on the crucial Malay votes to help swing the election should the Chinese votes split at 50/50. They are targeting the older malay generation who are more inclined to vote for the PAP. Here are a few tips on how to answer back should your parents or grandparents give you the usual PAP spin :

    1. When they tell you “we used to be backward, no modern facilites, kampong houses, jamban (toilet) no pump, etc. so without the PAP we won’t be like this now.”
    You answer: Its the job of any elected government to make a country progress including providing housing, roads, water system, sewage system. Thats why we pay taxes like GST, Income tax etc. Singapore is not the only country on the planet that became modernised in the last 50 years.

    2. When they tell you: “Look at the countries around Singapore and how much troubles they are in”.
    You answer: If our neighbour has a fever and we have a toothache, as much as we empathise with the neighbour being sick with fever, we have our own toothache to deal with. Other people’s problems are theirs, not ours. And there is a Kaypoh Road in River Valley.

    3. When they tell you: ”We must be thankful to the PAP because compared to the neighbouring countries, we are better off”.
    You answer: Stop making comparisons like that. If really they need to compare, then compare Singapore by GDP i.e. against developed nations in Europe and compare our welfare, health and retirement policies. Its easy to compare against a less developed economy. That’s bullying. Its like a guy driving a fast car and laughing at the man on the trishaw. But try comparing Singapore to that of developed nations and we will see the shortcomings.

    4. When they bring up THE Name of the Dead: Tell them that nobody asked LKY to join politics. He wanted to be the Prime Minister, ran for elections and he got the job. LKY did not work for free. He was paid a salary, like any other civil servant. The salary came from tax-payers money. And he also said untrue things about Malays/Muslims in his Hard Truth book. (The book hasn’t been re-edited inspite of the backlash from the Malay/Muslim community).

    5. When they say: “If you don’t vote the PAP, they will know & you will be in trouble”.
    You answer: The vote is secret. No one will know who voted for whom. And by the way, the whole country knows majority of residents in Aljunied, Hougang & Punggol East didn’t vote for the PAP. They are still alive and kicking.

    6. When they tell you: “Look how many mosques the PAP has built.”
    You answer: In Singapore there used to be more than 100 mosques built by the community (read ex-Mufti Isa Semait’s biography) which has been around for many years. Sadly such heritage sites are now gone. In place are MUIS-administered mosques with a 99 year lease. Also ask them about Waqaf land being taken away, sold for peanuts resold to developers for gazzilions of dollars.”

    7. When they tell you only the PAP has Malay interest at heart.
    You answer: Yaacob Ibrahim

     

    Source: Rilek Brader

  • Singapore’s Election May Hurt The PM But The Government Is Safe

    Singapore’s Election May Hurt The PM But The Government Is Safe

    As Singapore goes to the polls in a general election on 11 September 2015, the contending parties appear to be heading for a showdown over the timeframe by which the government should be judged. The government wants voters to judge it based on its record over 50 years or more; the opposition says it should be judged based on the last decade.

    The reason for the differing perspectives is not difficult to understand.

    Judging the government over 50 years leads to a narrative of success: how the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) government took Singapore from its starting point as a post-colonial city that had recently been expelled from Malaysia and turned it into a successful, modern capitalist city-state with one of the highest standards of living in Asia. This is the story of a stable, peaceful, harmonious, multiracial Singapore, where the people provide helpful feedback to the government through the government’s official outreach programs.

    But judging the government over 10 years leads to a narrative of failure: how the PAP opened the floodgates to more than a million foreign workers (on top of a population of less than four million Singaporeans); failed to lift a finger to upgrade infrastructure; failed to consider the social implications of 40 per cent of the resident population being non-Singaporean; and created a housing shortage. It is a government that cannot even make the trains run properly. A 10-year narrative is a story about the high cost of living, aloof cabinet ministers, arrogant civil servants and an insular, unaccountable government.

    In this battle of the narratives, the government has a strong head start. So far the opposition parties have barely been able to make their voices heard. Meanwhile, the PAP has spent the entire period since the death of founding father Lee Kuan Yew on 23 March ramping up the story of the Singapore government’s achievements over the last 50 years or more. The week-long mourning period after Lee’s death was very overtly a celebration of the government’s achievements over more than 50 years. And the litany of important foreign guests at Lee’s funeral was presented as a public acknowledgement of the high esteem in which Lee was held by world powers.

    This theatre proved to be a down payment on the August celebrations of Singapore’s 50th anniversary of independence — a government-funded extravaganza that dwarfed anything that the island had ever seen. This celebration concluded with the prime minister’s annual National Day Rally Speech a week later. Its focus on Singapore’s 50 years of achievement fitted the theme that had been building for the past five months, and it sounded just like an election pitch. Unsurprisingly, the election was called two days later.

    At first glance this account must read as if the PAP government holds all the cards, but this would be a misleading interpretation. Because everyone knows how strongly the deck is stacked against the opposition. Any slippage at all in government support is interpreted (correctly) as slap in the face for the PAP.

    This is exactly what happened in the 2011 general election, when the elected opposition presence in parliament increased from two seats to six (out of a total of 89) and the PAP vote slipped to a record low of 60 per cent. This result was compounded by more government defeats and near-defeats in another three electoral contests held since the 2011 election, meaning that the stakes for the government are now even higher.

    Support for the government is sitting at such a low level and the string of government defeats and near-defeats has been so consistent that anything less than improving the government’s vote and share of seats will be considered a defeat for the prime minister.

    A bad result is not going to disempower the government, but it does have the potential to disempower Lee Hsien Loong within cabinet. Lee has every reason to be confident that he will be able to step down from the post at a time of his own choosing, whether next year or in 10 years’ time, since the imperatives within Singapore’s political culture mean that it is vital to maintain the appearance of stability. Yet he also knows that if this election goes badly for him, he risks losing authority within cabinet and being a ‘lame duck’ prime minister for the rest of his term, however long that might be.

    There are strong precedents for both of these assumptions — and Lee helped set them while he was deputy prime minister to then prime minister Goh Chok Tong. As I detailed in my 2014 book, The Ruling Elite of Singapore, the combined might of Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong outmanoeuvred and defeated Goh in the internal machinations within cabinet in 1996, but Goh refused to step down and simply carried on as a figurehead prime minister for the next eight years, while his deputy, Lee Hsien Loong, exercised the real power.

    If the PAP emerges from the current election without clawing back at least some of the ground it has lost over the last four years, then Lee Hsien Loong risks suffering a similar fate. If that happens, then elite politics within cabinet are going to become very Byzantine indeed!

    Michael D. Barr is an associate professor of international relations at Flinders University and Editor-in-Chief of Asian Studies Review.

     

    Source: www.eastasiaforum.org

  • Goh Chok Tong: Aljunied Voters Still Undecided

    Goh Chok Tong: Aljunied Voters Still Undecided

    Many residents in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) seem to be unable to decide which party to vote for in the upcoming election, said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who urged voters in the Opposition-held ward to consider their own interests when casting their vote.

    “My sense of the ground is that many are caught in a dilemma. They told us quite openly they want to support the People’s Action Party (PAP), but at the same time, they are afraid that if they vote for the PAP, then the Workers’ Party (WP) may be out. And therefore, there’ll be no Opposition party headed by Mr Low Thia Khiang and Ms Sylvia Lim in Parliament,” he said after a visit to Bedok North and Hougang Central, his second visit to the GRC in three weeks.

    To solve their problem, Mr Goh advised residents to consider their own interests as voters.

    “Because when you vote for somebody, you must vote for candidates whose values you appreciate — values like humility, sincerity, hard work, integrity, honesty,” he said.

    Apart from that, residents should also vote for their own as well as their children’s future, he added. “Who can help you better in the future? If you rationalise and look at these two (criteria), then you can come to a decision.”

    Mr Goh, who is contesting in the neighbouring Marine Parade GRC, likened the choice between the PAP and the WP to one of choosing which cruise ship to take.

    “If you go with the PAP, you’re actually embarking on a cruise ship with a definite destination. You know the destination, you know the journey, the path taken by the cruise ship. You know the captain, the crew members, you know the quality,” he said.

    “The other choice you’re given is, ‘Take my cruise ship (that is) going nowhere’ … These are gambling ships (with) casinos, very exciting. They say, ‘Take my ship, you can gamble, but we go nowhere, just go round and round,’” he added.

    Mr Goh said: “If you’re a gambler, then of course, you take the casino ship. But if you’re not a gambler and you worry about your children’s future, you’ll take the other ship.”

    On voters’ concern that the Opposition would lose its presence in Parliament if residents voted for the PAP, Mr Goh said the WP can “have their cake and eat it”, referring to the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament scheme, which gives the top Opposition losers seats in Parliament. If the WP loses the election, it will still have a strong voice in Parliament, but not have to run a town council.

    The WP’s management of Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council’s finances has been the subject of a series of heated exchanges between the PAP and the WP during the hustings.

    “They would be more free to write more great speeches, to make more great rhetoric in Parliament,” Mr Goh said.

    The PAP’s team in its contest for Aljunied GRC consists of Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, who is a four-term Member of Parliament, as well as four newcomers — lawyer Muralidharan Pillai; Mr Victor Lye, chief executive of an insurance firm; Mr Chua Eng Leong, a private banker; and Mr Shamsul Kamar, a former head of department at a school.

    They will face WP chief Low Thia Khiang, party chairperson Sylvia Lim, Mr Pritam Singh, Mr Chen Show Mao and Mr Faisal Manap, who are incumbents.

    Mr Goh’s visit comes a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited the Opposition-held ward.

    Asked if his and Mr Lee’s visits could sway residents to vote for the PAP, Mr Goh said that for the people whom they have met, it would. But he added that those who were not present at their visits were the ones whom the party needed to reach out to.

    “We can’t take things for granted. It is still very much an uphill task for the team over here. It’s not easy … They’ve got to work for every vote,” he said.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Yaacob Ibrahim’s Jihad

    Yaacob Ibrahim’s Jihad

    Yaacob is the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs since 2002.

    The Malay community hates him because allegedly he never stood up for their rights, especially on wearing the tudung.

    It matter not, the number of mosques he has helped built or the work he has done with MUIS and MENDAKI to help the community progress.

    Maybe we do know the good work that we has done but we are deliberately turning a blind eye on them and focusing only on his negative things.

    It is tough to be Yaacob.

    The community did not choose him. We did not elect him. Yaacob knows this,  yet he continues to do his job….

    There are now more Malay first class graduates, more professionals… blah blah blah.. But you already know that because you can see our community progress with your own eyes. You saw how the mosque has evolved from just a place of worship into a space that functions as support pillars for families with quality teachers and facilities. You have seen the lives of the less fortunate being transformed after being given a second chance.

    Yet, we criticise him all the same. We even cast doubt on his faith and that he is not fit to lead us because he is not the Muslim that we think he should be.

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    Who are we to judge if an individual is more Muslim than others.

    We want Muslim ladies to be able to wear the tudung without prejudice but how do we get about doing that?

    We have been asking the government to allow our Muslim ladies wear the hijab for the past decades. Yet here we wait.

    Singapore is a secular society and by definition it is not connected with religious or spiritual matters.

    Yet we have a Minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs fighting for our rights with whatever power he has in him.

    It is tough to be Yaacob Ibrahim.

    But he is a tough man because as a Muslim he knows that it is his responsibility to keep persevering in his fight for our rights – some call it a lost cause, we call it is his Jihad.

     

    Source: https://thoughtsofrealsingaporeans.wordpress.com

  • Amrin Amin: PAP Prihatin, Akan Terus Berusaha Cari Huraian Bagi Isu-Isu Melayu/Islam

    Amrin Amin: PAP Prihatin, Akan Terus Berusaha Cari Huraian Bagi Isu-Isu Melayu/Islam

    Isu-isu Melayu/Islam terus menjadi tumpuan kempen para calon pembangkang Melayu sepanjang pilihan raya ini.

    Tanpa menyentuh mana-mana isu tertentu, calon baru PAP, Encik Amrin Amin berkata, para anggota partinya prihatin dan akan terus berusaha untuk mencari huraiannya.

    Namun katanya, ia perlu dilakukan secara bersama dan dengan pemahaman bahawa Singapura adalah sebuah negara berbilang kaum di mana keperluan kaum minoriti juga perlu dijaga.

    Maka itu, beliau menyarankan agar pendekatan lebih luas diambil dalam hal ini, dengan tumpuan juga diberikan kepada gambaran lebih besar serta teras Singapura yang perlu dipelihara.

    Encik Amrin ditemui semasa sesi kunjungan menemui penduduk di Woodlands Avenue 6, pagi tadi.

    Lawatan-lawatan seperti ini sudah menjadi satu rutin biasa bagi Encik Amrin Amin sepasukan, sejak Hari Penamaan Calon Selasa lalu.

    Diketuai Menteri Pembangunan Negara, Encik Khaw Boon Wan, pasukan lima anggota ini kelihatan bertenaga, meskipun bermula seawal 8 pagi tadi.

    Menurut Encik Amrin, sambutan yang diterimanya setakat ini amat memberangsangkan.

    “Saya telah berjumpa dengan ramai penduduk di kedai kopi, di kedai kopi dan pasar-pasar. Saya gembira dapat bertemu dengan ramai penduduk dan mereka memberi saya sokongan serta doa semoga dapat melaksanakan amanah masyarakat ini sebaik mungkin,” kata Encik Amrin.

    Walaupun setakat ini belum lagi ada isu-isu besar yang diutarakan penduduk, Encik Amrin akui masih terdapat lagi ruang yang perlu diperbaiki.

    Beliau berkata kesempurnaan mungkin tidak boleh dicapai.

    Namun beliau yakin pasukannya mempunyai rancangan yang baik untuk meningkatkan lagi mutu kehidupan para penduduk di sini.

    Sebagai calon kali pertama, peguam 35 tahun ini juga, berkata beliau banyak belajar daripada para aktivis serta para calon yang lain.

    Kerja keras, ketabahan serta kekuatan mereka dijadikan inspirasi bagi membulatkan lagi tekadnya untuk menyumbang kepada masyarakat.

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

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