It used to be Khaw Boon Wan the devout Buddhist, the one that was full of compassion and very in touch with the ordinary people. Many could identify with him as a good minister. Boon Wan was THE man to front the party on any difficult issues. People used to listen to him in his cool, slow and measured demeanour. This is all history.
PAP now needs another poster boy to carry the flag. Among the new ministers, Chan Chun Sing is obviously out. Then there are Lawrence Wong and Heng Swee Kiat left. Baey Yam Keng was noted to be the auntie killer, but could be too junior to front the party. Between Heng Swee Kiat and Lawrence Wong, the party must have found Chuan Jin has a better face. So Chuan Jin is to be, the new PAP poster boy to get the party out of difficult position.
Now this should solve the mystery of why an unpopular new media regulation needs to be explained not by anyone from MDA or the Minister of Infocomm but an acting Minister from the MOM. What relationship has the MOM got to do with this media regulation to have its minister trying to explain away the unhappiness of the netizens? Anyone got any clue? I don’t.
So it must be an issue of putting the best face forward, the best front man. If Chuan Jin can carry this through, his future is going to be bright. But with a very unforgiving and cynical internet community and a very unpopular regulation that is seen more as not only unnecessary but obstructive, a good looker is not going to look much good in such a situation. Hope Chuan Jin does not get a broken nose or jaw in the process, and keep his poster boy image clean. He could be considered as having done well if he got away with a few scratches.
After Chuan Jin, can’t see anyone else good or pretty enough, or likeable enough to be the party’s mascot, except Singa.
Chua Chin Leng AKA Red Bean
*The author blogs at mysingaporenews.blogspot.com