25 Apr 2006

Why Sudddenly EveryBody Talking About FIrst World

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has rebutted criticism by Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang that the PAP is not a First World government.

Mr Lee said that if the PAP did not have the capabilities of a First World government, Singapore would not have risen up to the First World standards as measured by the World Bank, the World Economic Forum (WEF), the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) and the Transparency International.

The Minister Mentor's rebuttal was issued in a statement by his Press Secretary on Tuesday.

The opposition chief made his comment on Monday, after the Minister Mentor said over the weekend that Singapore would not have a First World parliament without First World opposition candidates.

In Tuesday's statement, Mr Lee reiterated that the PAP would respond at the level the opposition chooses to fight for votes.

When dealing with opposition like the Workers' Party when it was headed by Mr J B Jeyaretnam - whom Mr Lee said "played by the standards of the street fighters" - he stressed that the PAP must respond in kind.

The Minister Mentor added that the Workers' Party under Mr Low Thia Khiang must take this opportunity of having got rid of Mr Jeyaretnam to begin the process of getting the Workers' Party to First World standards. - CNA/ir


I am not sure whats wrong with me, but one thing i know about first world politics, is that politicians do not tell each other "You are not first world." Elections were held in UK quite recently. Guess what they talked about, among other things? Education and Healthcare.

The Worker's Party Manifesto is a concerted effort to talk about real issues.

Why are we not talking about them?

I know, I know - because even politics in Singapore is not first world!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, first world government with a thrid world african-type mentality !

Anonymous said...

No, first world government with a Communist/Facsist type control! But that's not really first world in terms of democracy huh.

Anonymous said...

To get rid of one party so as to continue to work for 1st world class society.

Oh, no, no,no, this is not a good attitude. One monk advises old man and he says:

"It is really disgraceful if I am still arrogant and egocentric (Especially) if I am a knowledgeable and experienced person, I am a BAD EXAMPLE of human qualities and values."

Don't harm each other but have respect for each other is the 1st world class politics in itself!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, the 40-something years of rule have really gotten into their heads, hasn't it? So, they are first world now and the rest of us are country bumpkins? I need no further proof of their supreme arrogance. These guys have had it so good for too long.

Anonymous said...

First World Country?!!
It's more like Modern Communist Country to me!

Anonymous said...

it is obviously working for their own prestige more than for the country itself.

believe no oppo would want to get rid of anybody but the papsmer chief is fighting with his own ego actually to get rid of others in order to show they're powerful.

who give them the power???

Anonymous said...

when the statement "we are first world because our economy is first world" came, I recall the exchange between Mahbubani and Buruma:

M: Asians can think, because we know how to develop economy

B: Maybe, but I prefer to hear this from someone who's a civil servant

Anonymous said...

firstly, "killed" the economy and then tried so hard to restore at the expense of the citizens' livelihood. Some people could not take the stress of losing their jobs to the extent that they even committed suicide.

isn't this bad enough?? are they human beings with conscience?