Goh Chok Tong admits that GRCs are meant to skew
As if Lee Hsien Loong's remarks denigrating Australia were not enough to convince people how anti-democratic the Singapore government is, Senior Minister (and former PM) Goh Chok Tong has now provided more evidence.
In his latest speech, Goh said that one of the purposes of Group Representation Constituencies [1] was to help People's Action Party (PAP) candidates win election easily.
There! He has admitted it. The State and its electoral system have been corrupted to serve partisan ends.
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10 comments:
not so simple; his remark can be (and in fact will be by PAP) taken to mean the "country" gets better MPs and so the benefit is not partisan
what it does reflect is the common thinking, not just within the "establishment" but also outside it, that it emcompasses all the leadership talent of the nation and in IS the nation; the need to distinguish between leaders, party, government and country easily slips their mind
anon, your comment is flawed, bad english and unintegible, like most singaporeans, you are able write drivel.
Goh's messaage simple means, singapore is qa dictatorship, and the people do not count. If they disagree it is easy to import from Bangladesh and India to help the government run the country at radically cut down wages.
PAP running out of reasons to justify GRC concept.
What SM Goh gave was a reason. But whether the reason is acceptable, ethical, correct and clean remains debatable.
In my view, after giving some thought, SM Goh's reason is crap.
It goes against the spirit of public service, sincerity to serve and promote the kiasuism mentality of Singaporeans.
100% must win then willing to stand?
Everyone knows in life, there is no such thing as 100% warranty and 100%guarantee.
I thought government always encourage Singaporeans to be more daring,take risk and be entrepeneurial ?
How come this Risk Theory does not apply to PAP MPs ?
Are PAP personnel that risk averse? Then what right do PAP MPs have in asking Singaporeans to take risks and bite the bullet all the time ?
It is time PAP bite the bullet themselves and rise up to the new challenges in the changing business and political climate which PAP themselves always urge Singaporeans.
I would urge PAP to win by the book for once. Show Singaporeans and the world PAP can win by the book and win fairly.
PAP should not always hide behinds cloaks & daggers to win. It makes them weak,complacent and fat.
When negotiating with other countries, will the PAP MPs be allowed to hide behind GRCs and be protected?
PAP must stop this mentality.
Now if I as a normal unthinking Singaporean citizen can think this thoughts, why can't our educated Singaporean journalists think of this point and write in their papers ?
I am disgusted SM Goh can talk like this. If Parliament ratio was PAP 45 : AP 39, would SM Goh dare to spout such nonsense? He is hiding behind PAP's dominant majority in Parliament.
If SM Goh was in the private sector, and he said these kind of words, he would have been laughed at.
He is promoting a bunch of kiasu and greedy guys into Parliament and he actually endorse such mentality and behaviour.
I am frightened at the thought I have such a man for Senior Minister.
I fear for Singapore.
What SM Goh actually really mean is to discourage successful professionals from joining alternative parties (AP).
Actually, to break PAP's monopoly and cycle is very simple.
Just gather a fellowship of 84 successful professionals which is not hard to find in Singapore and put them in Worker's Party.
Wallah, we will have a different election from yester years.
But will these successful professionals take the "risk" given the kind of Singaporeans produce year in year out under 40 years of PAP rule are so pragmatic and stoic?
SM Goh is actually refering to these successful professionals and sending them a signal or begging them not to join alternative parties or the "boat will be rocked".
It is very easy for these successful professionals to join alternative parties but PAP keep implanting the "Illusionary Fear" and "Risky" environment into them.
In the end, GRCs are meant to keep these successful professionals from joining alternative parties because GRCs increase the risk of winning any election.
GRCs are also meant to test the strength of the fellowship.
GRCs are usually won not by candidates themselves but by the unity of the candidates in the GRC team.
Imagine a PAP GRC team subject to strict hierarchies and rank VS a loose bunch of professionals teaming up for the first time under an AP banner for a GRC.
Who will win in the end?
No matter how successful the professionals of the AP team in their own fields, without the unity and cohesion required, they will still falter in the last lap.
For this scenario, PAP has the upper hand because of their tradition and history and PAP knows this.
PAP will use all methods and barriers to prevent them from losing even if electorate has no more faith in them.
A win is a win so no matter how ugly the win is, PAP do not care.
If PAP cannot get the man they want, PAP would make sure neither does AP get the man.
This is the ugliness of Singapore poltiics.
For APs to succeed in GRCs, they must get successful professionals like James Gomez, Tan Hui Hua, Brendon Siow, Eric Tan, Slyvia Lim etc who can do the job but willing to follow at the same time.
I hope smart and thinking professionals will not fall for SM Goh's tricks.
PAP looks worried and frightened now.
First Lee Kuan Yew say can support opposition but cannot change government
Now, Goh Chok Tong also say the same thing.
Last time, both said THERE IS NO NEED FOR OPPOSITION !!!
Even an Ah Beng or Cha Kway Tiao man in their shoes will say the same thing.
It is all about protecting self-interest and their own iron rice bowl and riches, not protecting Singapore.
They keep using the excuse of foreign investors. Even foreign investors wants a choice too when negotiating with governments, not to mention civil servants, people and unionists.
PAP sound as if Singapore will not be attractive to foreign investments once Worker's Party form the government.
PAP make it sound like Singapore will turn into East Timor overnight and Singaporeans becoming unruly bloodhounds if PAP lose power.
What scare tactics and nonsense is this !?
If the PAP government did its job and introduce the correct economic fundamentals and systems while in power, foreign investors will still invest in Singapore even if PAP lose power.
PAP is not Singapore and vice-versa.
Foreign investors is investing in Singapore as a country and not investing in PAP as a political party.
If PAP's theory is correct, then investment in countries like Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Europe, Australia and US should be very low because they change governments every election year and considered politically unstable.
Countries like China, North Korea, Vietnam and Myanmar should be a heaven for foreign investors because they are the same ruling party for decades,not years and considered very politically stable.
WHAT RUBBISH !?!
Maybe this argument can work 30 years ago when Singaporeans are uneducated but now Singaporeans can think. Besides we have living examples of successful democracies and successful economies cohabiting side by side. Mind you, we are talking about the richest nations in the world.
Countries like Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Europe, Australia and US have scandals but it never seriously rock the economy or markets because they have a sound system and trust which Singapore do not have.
Singapore have one NKF scandal and it almost cause the charity industry to collapse overnight because of lack of trust, transparency, laws, system and opposition (TT Durai ruled like PAP). It shows how weak the systems in Singapore are.
Singapore had a power loss cause by Conoco Philips for exactly the same reasons as NKF. (because of lack of transparency, laws, system and opposition)
If the same NKF incident happen on PAP and there is not a ready strong Worker's Party to take over, my god, PAP will drag down Singapore as well. Our CPF, Reserves, Assets etc might have been plundered then but it will be too late.
PAP can collapse but please leave Singapore alone.
This is why Worker's Party must grow, grow and grow and be strong enough to form the next government. Singaporeans then can buy some insurance for themselves.
I have worked with foreign investors and most agree they do not care whether PAP remains as government. As long as the civil service, business laws, rules and regulations are in place, they will still invest in Singapore.
In fact, foreign investors prefer Singapore to open up politically so that they have a choice too because they do not want to be held ransom by only PAP. They prefer to negotiate with more than one choice.
Furthermore, foreign investors prefer PAP to start creating safekeeping systems to keep Singapore running even if PAP collapse. In fact many investors did not invest in Singapore because of the one-party system.They do not want an Indonesia consequence.
Indonesia consequence: Indonesia was chaotic for awhile after Suharto collapse because Suharto did not do his duty of preparing Indonesia for life without him while in power. But Suharto did prepare very well life for himself without Indonesia. Indonesia has now stabilised and may grow from here.
Moral of the story: PAP should start preparing Singapore for life without PAP or without the Lees. This is PAP's duty when in power.
It is PAP's moral obligation to Singaporeans so as to lessen the impact of PAP's demise to Singapore. PAP should start separating itself from unions, businesses and grassroots organisations.
Presently, foreign investors have to deal with GLCs all the time and they complain our business climate is not as competitive and liberal as Hong Kong. GLCs stifle thier investment chances in Singapore.It may boost foreign investment instead if PAP no longer remain the government.
If PAP collapse, Singaporeans may see positive changes they never ever thought of they could experience before.
Agree, for all those top money we pay for 40 years to those ministers, Singapore must have a more resilient and stronger political system.
Our present system now is too fragile to withstand even a blow of the wind.
In Sun Yat Sen's words:
" The constitution is repeatedly rape and rape by the very people that came into power through the constitution to protect the constitution. "
How about writing to Straits Times Forum to protest and ridicule this statement by SM Goh and that new PAP MP who is former CEO of IE
( I really dunno his name)
The PAP does not have to play by the book. The party, or should we say dictatorship has got the poor singaporean's by the literal balls.
Today we hear ballot boxes from aljunied are being open for some lame excuse. The real reason, find out who voted the the WP during the last election.
And as for Singapore MP's being world class, the claim is the biggest load of bollocks I have ever hear. Just listen to the level of debate in parliament, disgracfeful considering our ministers and MP's are supposed to have degrees growing out of their arseholes. They stutter stammer, and have to read their questions off a tatty piece of paper, and the standard of English is disgusting.
If they ever had to appear in any European parliament they would be laughed off the floor.
So you see although they are poor, the PAP has a stronghold over the country, with the threat of the cane or it's equivalent hanging over the heads of the people.
As an outsider, I am willing to wait and watch this country slowly distruct itself. Reading the anti singapore stories you are now r4eading nmin the world's press, and the bloggs doing their daily work, we won't have to wait too long, unless matters improve.
A gobvernment cannot run a country with it's population looking so miserable and downhearted waiting for the next pay cut.
I have travelled on your busses, and MRT's and the look of hopelessnes in the fish like blind eyes of passengers is hearbreaking.
Aha... some political backstabbing at work?
Play on! Nothing like dissent in the Royal Court itself...
Where's that William Shakespeare fellow??... we need another play!
I can't wait for the falling on the sword scene, followed by some brutal assasination...
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