I am sure that the PAP will use the Osama factor to frighten Singaporeans into voting for them this Saturday. What they’ll say is that there is uncertainly now and that only they can help protect Singapore. That is NOT true. We Singaporeans have to come together and do this ourselves. We will be far better off when we have multitude voices in Parliament to help collectively move this nation forward and sail the seas of uncertainty.
Each new challenge – as with the now dead Osama and an Al Qaeda that is sort of leaderless – can be best-managed with us closing ranks behind a set of leaders who are leading because they believe in this country and not because they’ll be paid millions.
I will support a PAP candidate/minister who says that if s/he is elected and become a minister, that s/he will not accept the multi-million dollar salary and hitch it to the top earner of the bottom 20%of the society. Then, if he really wants to do better, he will make sure that the bottom 20% move up economically.
So, let’s watch for the PAP’s use of the Osama factor and bogeyman. Call it out when you hear it.
MFA has commented as follows:-
The MFA added that ‘continued vigilance and cooperation by all countries’ would be needed as ‘terrorism, and the ideologies that perpetuate it, pose complex and long term challenges’.
More to come tonight.
I’m sure they’ll have a response.
There are few scenarios that Singaporeans must understand in this GE2011:
1. More voices but no change – To have less than 1/3 opposition seats in parliament will not change anything already done, e.g. cost of living, FTs, property prices, etc except that opposition MPs can make more noises and suggestions that PAP in majority may not listen. There is also a risk that PAP back in power will find ways to suppress all oppositions so that there will not be any chance of voting like in this GE2011.
2. Partial change – To have more than 1/3 and less than 2/3 opposition seats will be likely to change some already done as above but will not change the Constitution that allows GRC, NMP, NCMP, and election boundary redrawing. PAP will still be in power or sharing power with oppositions. This may be harder for PAP in power to diminish the oppositions.
3. Complete change – To have more than 2/3 opposition seats means the alternative party will be the government and PAP the opposition. This can change everything including the Constitution. However, Singaporeans must make sure the elected government rewrites the Constitution to abolish those ill clauses and introduce check and balance clause. Also, to ensure Constitution is not allowed to change without referendum. Otherwise, the next non-PAP government may have the chance to abuse the Constitution as well.
Basically, this GE2011 is not about local town upgrading, FTs, or cost of living, etc. It is about whether Singaporeans would like to take back the political power and have a say on the future of Singapore. Once the people take back the power, they can then have a say on how to run this country and all those policies and problems will be resolved to their preference.
Singaporeans must vote wisely on 7 May to decide what they want in the future.
thanks for your comment.
the system we have does not allow us to collaborate in a way to determine the outcomes deterministically. there are no opinion polls published. the pap outlawed that. they want us to vote in an information deficient manner. but the internet and social media can mitigate it somewhat. it is a pity that a democratic system has been subverted by power hungry greed.
we have also a significant, albeit diminishing, population still disconnected from the social media and dependent on the younger generation to help them to understand the issues and reduce if not remove the fear factor.
may 8th will be a new dawn in any of the three scenarios you describe. there is no going back.