Singaporean expresses support for a “politically vibrant†SG
-
February 6, 2010 - Temasek Review
Written by Our Correspondent
Singaporean expresses support for a “politically vibrant” Singapore
A Singaporean by the name of Albert Tay has written a letter to the Straits Times Forum today expressing his support for a “politically vibrant” Singapore with effective and genuine competition in its political landscape instead of the current archaic model dominated by one single party.
Mr Tay is writing in response to an earlier letter by a PAP supporter Ling Tuck Mun imploring Singaporeans to imagine a Singapore without the PAP.
Singapore’s political system has been the subject of intense discussion and debate among Singaporeans in recent months.
Law Minister K Shanmugam has defended it on the grounds that it enables the government to make quick decisions and react to changes efficiently without being bogged down by the opposition.
Its detractors criticize it as concentrating too much power in the hands of a few who have ruled the nation with impunity often with little accountability and transparency.
Mr Tay compared Singapore’s political scene with Singapore’s telecommunication markets when it still monopolized by SingTel:
“SingTel appeared to be ‘as good as it gets’. When other players entered the fray, we realised that ‘the best was yet to be’. Effective competition facilitates advancement in all human endeavours.”
He dismissed the fears of those who claimed Singapore cannot survive without the PAP as being unfounded by quoting the evolution of British politics:
“As the saying goes, a government is only as good as the opposition. Waxing lyrical about the PAP now is like a 17th century Tory saying it was impossible to imagine Britain without the Conservative Party. Well, the Conservatives are in the opposition now.”
The Conservative Party had ruled Britain in the 17th century before the emergence of the Labor Party which has been in government since 1997. It is expected to lose the elections to be held this year.
An increasing number of Singaporeans, especially the young, share Mr Tay’s views that Singapore will be far better off with a few credible political parties jostling for power rather than one single party.
Since coming to power in 1959, the PAP has engineered the political system to ensure and perpetuate its political hegemony.
There is no opposition in Parliament to hold it accountable to its actions and mistakes resulting in many flawed policies which have caused an inordinate amount of suffering to ordinary Singaporeans.
-
How to be poilitical vibrant with most of the voices are of one side?
-
We need new blood.
-
Possible?
-
Originally posted by Chew Bakar:
Possible?
Yes. -
Originally posted by Fantagf:
Yes.There are many obstacles. It's always been a one sided game.
-
Originally posted by Chew Bakar:
There are many obstacles. It's always been a one sided game.
Well, look who is calling the shots. -
Originally posted by Fantagf:
Well, look who is calling the shots.The voters are always sidelined.
-
Originally posted by Chew Bakar:
The voters are always sidelined.
Voters to them are nothing but tools for money making.