Dear Sirs,
The departure of some of the brightest stars that entered the political firmament 3 years ago does not bode well for opposition politics in Singapore.
The resignation of Nicole Seah from NSP on top of the departures of Dr. Vincent Wijeysinghe, Michelle Lee and Hazel Phoa is a disappointment to many Singaporean voters who have placed their hopes on them. Though new blood is likely to emerge within the next 18 months the electorate must learn to be less picky and treasure some of the stalwart politicians who have been around for decades and give them a chance to prove their mettle in the next Parliament.
The few who have withstood the test of time includes Dr. Chee Soon Juan, his sister Chee Siok Chin, and Juffries Mohammed from the SDP. Though they have been demonized, it is time for the electorate to stop shooting itself in the one good leg when the other is already cast in iron. Beggars cannot be choosers when fewer and fewer are offering themselves in the ring.
So what are we to make of the high attrition rate in opposition parties? Lack of stamina, commitment, ideology, family, community and party support plus youthfulness? Yet we have the prime examples of Sylvia Lim, Gerard Giam, Pritam Singh and Lim Li Lian and others whose grit and gumption have enabled them to withstand the test of time. They swept the Aljunied GRC and Punggol East into the WP’s fold.
So what is the trade secret of the WP?
Is it because Low Thia Khiang is a Nanyang University graduate steeped in the art of Sun Tze political warfare? Or is it due to strict party discipline? I think it is a combination of both.
I remember talking to Mr. Yaw Shin Leong the young man who held Hougang for a brief period of less than 2 years before his departure. He told me that when his boss makes a political move he must study all the elements of Tian, Di, Ren, Her and only when they are in alignment then he makes his move. This was some 4 years before the GE of 2011. Thus when I saw Mr. Yaw Shin Leong at the nomination centre for Hougang instead of Low Thia Khiang I realized in a flash that the Sun Tze of Singapore Opposition has decided to make his move.
The next GE is likely to be in the last quarter of 2015 when the 50th Anniversary celebration comes to a close. Whether there will be broader opposition alliance remains to be seen. We should not be too dismayed if the WP shuns a grand alliance to go it alone. Neither should we chaff at Dr. Chee who remains steadfast at the helm despite his demonization. Like Dr. Chiam See Tong and J. B Jeyeretnam, Dr. Chee will remain the North Star of Singapore politics. It is time for the Singapore electorate to see him vindicated.
Patrick Low