I read with amusement PAP MP Hri Kumar’s Facebook posting with regard to the Workers’ Party’s refusal to take a stand on contentious issues. In a TRS article by Leong Sze Hian, he highlighted contentious issues pertaining to healthcare, housing, unknown per unit public housing cost, tonnes of missing statistics, etc. It is strange that an intelligent MP like Kumar somehow sat on the fence on all these issues for years but insists on the WP to come down from the same fence he is sitting on. I would like to offer the perspective of an ordinary Singaporean.
1 Every suggestion made by the opposition will always be shot down ASAP by PAP MPs in parliament. The WP seems to be acutely aware of this and has therefore remained silent on this issue. Kumar seems to be asking the WP to commit political suicide by making statements which will provide more ‘ammunition’ for the PAP to have another field day outside parliament. The PAP does not believe in engagement but political assassination, compliments of the mainstream media. Is Kumar being stupid or what?
2 PAP’s brand of politics is divisive and detrimental to Singapore. The monumental issues presently faced by Singaporeans have resulted directly from PAP’s groupthink. Presently, it has no idea how to resolve these chronic issues and is deflecting them to the WP again with the help of our mainstream media. Every thinking Singaporean knows this for a fact. To assume the WP will fall easily into his bait, is he being stupid or what?
3. Kumar arrogantly elevated his position as an MP to a ‘judge’ of political parties and wants to dictate to political parties how issues should be tackled. Are Singaporeans that naive to allow him to dictate online discourse? Is Kumar being really stupid to continue with repeated social media posting to deflect Singaporeans’ attention from PAP created issues.
As an MP, shouldn’t Kumar cease all his unproductive social media ‘engagement’ and spend more time on the ground to really understand the needs of his constituents?
Stanely
TRS Contributor