My thread, ‘WP, to slap or not to slap the driver’ attracted a lot of emotional comments. Some were angry, some disappointed while some were sympathetic to the WP. Some were demanding for more actions from WP to slap the driver real hard.
The main issues are the high expectations they have of the WP and its leadership role as the major opposition party. Many commented that they threw everything behind the WP for one simple reason, to take on the PAP. And they were not mincing their words when this was not seen to be done. As the main opposition party they want the WP to live up to their expectation as there is no other party to do the job in Parliament and out of Parliament. The WP is seen as the white knight, a potential alternative or party in waiting should PAP fall on the wayside.
There are also those who tried to understand the WP for not standing up and be more vociferous in their views on many things and events that were happening. The current position of the WP would cost them some votes for sure, not to the PAP but to other opposition parties that are seen to be doing the work, especially SDP.
An opposition party in the leadership role to lead the rest of the opposition parties, to coordinate and bring them together as an organized and serious political force, is left wanting. The WP is expected to play this role. For the WP to distance itself from it is disappointing. If not the WP who else? It is a responsibility that falls naturally on the most successful opposition party and not taking up the cudgel is seen as shirking from this responsibility.
The WP cannot go it alone if it is to be taken seriously to dislodge the stranglehold of the PAP. They need all the opposition parties, minus those that are questionable, to be on its side to present a united front for those who wanted PAP out. Absconding from doing so, alienating the other opposition parties and adopting a lone ranger small party attitude will do the WP no good. The people are demanding for real change, substantive change, for leadership, and the current strength of the WP is just not up to it to be respected or seen as a serious political force. Just sitting beside the driver as a co driver is not what the people want, not enough to satisfy the needs of the people.
WP must stand up and respond to this undefined role as the leader of the opposition and not hide within its shell. Take the lead is what the people expect of the WP.
Would the WP rise to the challenge or be content to be a little bridesmaid?
Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/