The ruling party has made it clear many times by telling the opposition parties that they are not there to help them get into Parliament. The opposition parties must work for it to win the votes of the people. Why should the PAP make it easy for them? This is politics. You expect the PAP or any ruling party to make things easy for the opposition? Grow up. And it is a fair statement and position to take for the ruling party or any ruling party.
Similarly, it is not the job of the opposition parties to make it easy for the ruling party. Their job is to oppose any policy and expose their flaws. Of course no need to anyhow shoot when a policy is good lah. That would only make the opposition unreasonable. But can always keep quite or say that it was expected, good policies are expected. And after being paid obscenely still expects to be kissed and patted on the head? What if bad policies?
It is not the job of opposition parties to praise the ruling party. If they chose to, it is ok, but it is not their duty to do so. Just because the ruling party asked them to praise them does it mean that they must obey, and dutifully praise the ruling party? Are they that easy to train?
And it is not their duty to jump the gun to prove that they are reasonable, to attack anyone from the opposition or critics of the govt for any missteps or mistakes. Reasonable they must be but no need to be compliance. Why is it the duty of the opposition politicians to appease the ruling party to prove that they are good boys? And to jump to attack anyone that they think have crossed the line and must be whacked, and to whacked first to look reasonable, to justify themselves to be in the good books of the ruling party? Idiots.
There is no need to put yourself in the good books of the ruling party if you are on the other side of divide. Unless you want the ruling party to give you a pat and say ‘good boy’, or you want to cross over. In the eyes of any ruling party, the opposition parties are opposition parties, waiting to replace them, not friends in politics and the struggle for power, and could even be regarded as ‘enemies’ to some with very strong views. That is why they will be attacked and attacked ruthlessly when they crossed the line or make a mistake. Apologies not enough, must also explain.
In realpolitiks it is a competition of opposition camps for the right to rule. Though it is good to be on friendly terms on a personal basis, there is no need to score brownie points to be on the good side of the opposing parties. It would be silly to attack fellow opposition members or critics just to prove you are reasonable. You really think the ruling party will appreciate that? Or would they be laughing themselves silly at your stupidity, so quick to draw the sword to kill your comrades in arms for your enemies.
Do I make any sense? Should opposition politicians prove that they are whiter than white to be dictated by the whites, to please the whites?
Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/