To fellow Singaporeans on this special National Day, because it falls on 2014, which is a romantic ‘Love You Forever’ year, it is about time to confront an issue in this political junction where things can get seriously better or seriously worse.
During the early years of political fights for a better tomorrow as fees and costs flew and education rendering this cultural desert even more barbaric, the initial fights came pretty barbaric as well in a Singapore coming out of the political chaos in the 60s to the more settled state of the 70s.
While people have been condemning the PAP for high-handed management style and closed mentality breathing down their policies to the relatively powerless who had given them power to manage their lives, increasingly we are having newer generations of political elements who emerging from a pretty much ‘culturally hammered society’ that subsequently, we are seeing more and more enthusiastic speakers with more naked blasts against the ‘enemy’ even since Dr Chee seized power at SDP and was hit very hard by the incumbent.
While there are many issues at the PAP, and many not-so-desirable elements from management to ‘foot-soldiers’ there, but in order that fighting results in meaningful and positive changes with all the resources and efforts put in, isn’t it obvious that if we find the PAP people out of common sense to have blatantly involved in certain unacceptable conducts, that if the machinery is no longer working properly because of a flood of certain types of elements (e.g.) thanks to Meritocracy, that we must be hence aware of opposition, the alternative to a PAP future, going down that route as PAP’s…
How many times have people complained about authoritarian approach to freedom of speech?
How many times have people denounced the unfair treatment of opposition elements which are Singaporeans as well?
How many times people are unhappy that PAP people are barbaric and only speak with power and no common sense?
How many times have people raised eyebrows when things are conducted with double-standards… and even conveniently sweeping issues under the carpet and attempting to silence the public instead of solving problems?
How many times have you not wished that people who really worked as Lim Kim San and Goh Keng Swee and S Rajaretnam are still around instead of Mr M or Ms TPL and so on as situation is getting worse, public consultations go on and nothing changes meaningfully as some rich even think that the laws belong to them?
At this National Day of 2014, if we love Singapore, if you really are concerned about the future of Singapore, be it PAP or the opposition you support, be it your own interests or for the greater good of the nation in building, it is my humble opinion that we must think it through of what elements we want in the leadership of the future for the future and… from the future.
Because the society and leadership you’d choose for now will be what you will be choosing for the future. Like a child you groom, your choice of dealing will decide what adult you’d choose for yourself to flood the society and the leadership.
As such, I’d like to urge Singaporeans reading this to understand that being a public figure is not simply hoping everyone to ‘sayang’ (be nice to) you.
This is a world of many differences where all may have a role to play for a constructive force for the state to move forward. Hence we cannot have leaders and leader-wannabes hoping only to capitalize the anti-PAP sentiment due to PAP’s insistence to groom what public has suggested to be useless elements for useless management of things to result in the grooming of an avalanche, that we ‘groom’ another generations of alternative leadership of no substance but hoping to boss around Singapore with ‘credentials’.
Which is, will a wise leader capable of uniting the population ban anybody in the name of freedom of speech or any excuses?
Will a wise leader have no respect to his or her opponent and hope to capitalize on the mud-slinging of their competition with rude labeling and beating under the belt?
Will you, a wise voter, vote for a rich person or someone of high social status simply because he or she conforms to social norms but can actually do nothing for the state or…
…will a wise voter not vote in a leader who is capable of making a better tomorrow?
As such, in this National Day… my question to you is…
Do you seriously believe a person who only knows about fighting for economic well-being for a better materialistic tomorrow for himself or herself be someone who will even care to lead you to a brighter future?
Isn’t this like a dream that your greedy boss will even care about you more than answering to his shareholders and his profit margins?
I am not saying that rich people are all bad, but I am definitely not saying that rich people who donated a bit of money and doing some volunteer things with their spare time will really be able to lead… because for decades, we already have many rich people/pretenders…
…giving you a drumstick now but taking an entire coop of chicken from you later.
And for decades, Singaporeans tolerated this ‘unfair trade’ until some people recently told me that Singaporeans are ‘HAPPY’ because about 90% accepted the old insurance scheme since they didn’t opt-out, so they should have no problem to be burdened with increased insurance scheme that now nobody can opt out. So nobody needs to opt out because about 90% are ‘happy’, i.e.
And after decades, after Dr Chee’s sad stories of being hammered, after Mr Chiam had to leave SDP for him, we now have more people becoming ‘public figures’, speaking in ‘there is no need to fear the lightning’ style, and warring against a PM in a machinery still in his hands, and being very rude… to the point of pure tactlessness… behaving like gods.
Be it with WP or the other major opposition parties and elements, I have to voice out this…
As a voter, it is YOUR and my responsibility to support the right elements to take charge. And after 2014 National Day, we’d soon find ourselves in the last buffer year to 2016 election that many of us are excited about.
PAP or opposition supporters you may be, but for a state so tiny as Singapore in a drastically changing global situation, I believe more and more will realize that to survive as a nation, we can no longer stay in the old ways of the old days…
…where anything goes.
Unless anybody can tell me Ms Tin Pei Ling will be able to handle foreign relations, domestic policies with now tons of problems… every seat is actually vital. We must fill every seat in parliament, every position in the machinery with capable people and end this mess once and for all.
If you are complaining about double standards in the PAP, DO NOT engage in double standards for opposition politics as well.
If we have ‘anything goes’ for one seat, we will have ‘anything goes’ for most seats… because it shows that you don’t care. And if most seats are filled with ‘anything goes’… when Lim Kim San tried to set up HDB, he was challenged by civil servants to house everyone properly, that history will repeat again to the next lone Lim Kim San facing a majority in the machinery and parliament of ‘anything goes’… simply because you don’t care.
As a citizen of a young state, I say it is about time ‘you do care’.
Last but not least, while encouraging fellow Singaporeans to seriously think about the future, I must also send my most sincere well-wishes to the incumbent to be their best and do their best… So far, despite Mr Lee’s promise that your flat value will not be lost, I heard that BTO flats are getting more expensive while Minister Khaw’s MND is celebrating the value of resale flats falling… and from MOE to MOM to various ministries, we do have some issues which need to be done.
It appears to me that neither the MOM nor economic reforms are making much headway…
Perhaps in the one last year before election 2016, our beloved PM does have a miracle hidden in his sleeves… a sort of surprise for Singapore’s inclusive society?
I hence wish our beloved PM all the best, and look forward to him and his team’s better performance as promised at the last GE.
With such talents supported by Meritocracy and with all the ‘hearts’, I am very sure he can perform even better. And I look forward to more similar talents in the coming election for an even better future.
Happy belated National Day.
Scope