TR EMERITUS

OPINION After much discussion and debate on the Budget lately, only one MP dared to point out the glaring mistakes made by the PAP in the last few years and ironically, he is a PAP MP: its "instant tree" mentality. "Crowded shopping malls, congested MRT trains and rising HDB prices - these are some of the problems caused by an 'error of judgment' by policymakers....The rapid intake of immigrants, coupled with breakneck growth, were both signs of Singapore's 'instant tree mentality," said Mr Inderjit Singh during a recent parliamentary session. He posed a question which we have been repeating ad nauseum on this site: the need to increase Singapore's population at such a massive rate by one million within just five years and why infrastructure, especially public housing, has not been beefed up in advance. In 2003, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced his ambitious plan to increase Singapore's population to 6.5 million people, nobody dared to express a dissenting view. The floodgates were opened suddenly without warning and too many foreigners were allowed to enter Singapore within too short a period of time such that it is almost impossible to integrate them right now. As a result of its mistake, a $10-million dollar Community Integration Fund has to be spent to "integrate" the newcomers, an uphill task given the fact that immigrants tend to congregate within their own community. According to a recent Wall Street Journal, the relentless influx of foreigners into Singapore has depressed the wages of ordinary Singaporeans, increased the cost of living, especially that of public housing, decreased labor productivity and led to an overall decline in the standards of living. It is too late now to reverse the policy and Singaporeans are already feeling its negative impact in their everyday lives. This oversight on the part of the PAP is nothing new - it is endemic in any political systems dominated by a single person or party with little checks and balances. The PAP's "instant tree" mentality leads to intellectual sclerosis, group-think and one-dimensional thinking which is potential disaster in the making since there is no way a credible alternative can emerge to challenge it right now. Its classic modus operandi encapsulates three attributes: 1. Paternalism: an ingrained view that only it "knows best" of what is good for Singapore and only it has the "divine right" to lead the nation 2. Stubbornness: inability and unwillingness to listen to feedback from the ground and persists in doing things its own way even though it is wrong 3. Arrogance: refusal to accept responsibility for its mistakes made and covering them up with the help of the state media. Many Singaporeans including even some PAP MPs had questioned the PAP's "growth at all cost" policies in the past to no avail. The key policymakers belong to a small group within the PAP and once the decision is made, e.g. to open two casinos in Singapore, nobody can change their minds. The state media will be tasked to sell their ideas to Singaporeans and force them down their throats whether they like it or not. It is a recurring theme we see again and again. As late as last year, the media has been parroting the PAP's official stance that foreigners are needed in Singapore and now it has made almost a 360 degrees U-turn and focus on productivity again. Amid the chicanery and cacophony, few Singapore realize the root cause of the problems we are facing now lies with the PAP's "instant tree" mentality - that Singapore can only prosper under a "strong and effective" government which can make "bold and quick decisions". We are now paying the dear price for the PAP's "effectiveness". The PAP's utter incompetence, ineptitude and impotence have become so obvious of late that even the sycophantic Singapore media is having a difficult time whitewashing them completely. Though the PAP is the ruling party in name, the real seat of power lies in the hands of a few. Ordinary PAP MPs with no portfolios have very little say in the policy-making. They can comment, argue and debate like Inderjit Singh, but at the end of the day, they still have no power to effect changes in the policies. Singaporeans must realize now that it is useless to vote for PAP MPs in parliament because though they may be willing to raise their concerns, they are powerless to do anything. What we truly need is a strong opposition to deny the PAP of its traditional two-thirds majority to deprive them of the power of passing bills and legislation at its whims and fancies. As Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Najib Razak admitted, the days of "government knows best" are gone forever. Singaporeans must reclaim the ownership of their country before it is too late. Singapore belongs to every citizen and not to any particular party, family or person. Vote for change, vote out the PAP!  Read More →

作者: 容秀华（音译）2010年3月6日 译者：冀居·谢 我简直不敢相信，当职总秘书长和总理公署部长林瑞生(Lim Swee Say)声称他是一只来自从未听过的“青蛙王国”的小青蛙，面对刘程强（Low Thia Kiang）议员对他的所谓低薪工友改良大计的批评时，他什么都听不进。林先生苦心孤诣创建出来的计划被聪明的刘先生在国会攻击得体无完肤，难免尴尬。然而林先生竟然可以想出这么无厘头的辩解，来捍卫他受伤的 尊严，实在令人佩服得五体投地。 难道林先生行事不像个小皇帝吗？难道所谓部长、职总秘书长拿着令人恶心的两百万年薪应该是这副德性吗？拿着纳税人的钱去这样面对批评吗？难道他这不是以厚颜无耻来自立家规吗？ 如果林先生足以代表执政党部长们的自大态度，我们就有理由在大选时把更多反对党人带入国会。行动党领导层显然知道这个危机，所以目前一直在讨好选民，使他们 在下届大选不至于失去太多的集选区(GRC)。所以反对党应该捉紧机会合作夺下一两个集选区。他们可以做到的，只要他们不闹分裂并且推出可信度高的候选人。如今随着年轻选民对行动党政府期望的幻灭，时机已经成熟了。行动党领导层特别担忧年轻选民的忠诚，所以无所不用其极地讨他们欢心。或许人心都早有定数，所以任何行 动党领导的最后挣扎将无济于事。 马来西亚国阵(Barisan National)在上届大选所经历的政治海啸，应该是行动党的一记警钟。或许下届大选行动党面对的海啸势头没那么大，然而他们已经急得如热锅上的蚂蚁，随时扑灭任何马来西亚政治海啸所带来的灾难性副作用。所以通过主流媒体大灌经济策略委员会(ESC)报告的迷汤和所谓利多的预算案(Budget)，行动党领导层希望借此来提振应届大选的黯淡前景。 反对党不应投闲置散，这是一个很好的机会把傲慢的行动党刷下座来。他们应该吸引更多可信的候选人，特别是像改革党(Reform Party)那样吸收一些学者，在来临的大选中代表党出征。为数不少的网民也呼吁年轻选民不要投票给行动党，这应该是反对党一个好的开始。 关于作者： 容先生是新加坡内安局1971-1974的局长。 （这里链接他的博客）  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Though China lags far behind Singapore in Corruption Perception Index rankings conducted yearly by Transparency International, its government is moving towards greater accountability and transparency which puts Singapore to shame. In a landmark speech made during China's National People Congress (NPC) a few days ago, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao calls on greater accountability and transparency to be practised at all levels of the government in order to tackle the scourge of corruption. Chinese leaders and public officials are now required to declare their personal income and assets including their properties, investments and number of wives to the central government and be scrutinized by the the supervisory authority: "温家宝强调，要把反腐倡廉建设摆在重要位置。各级领导干部特别是高级干部要坚决执行中央关于报告个人经济和财产，包括收入、住房、投资，以及配偶子女从业等重大事项的规定，并自觉接受纪检部门的监督。" (read rest of article here) The practice has already been adopted by some provinces and counties. For example in January 2009, Ci Xi city of the prosperous coastal province of China revealed the income and assets of some 700 public officials to the public: "1月中旬，浙江慈溪市在全国率先施行“廉情公示”，向社会晒出700名官员的资产家底" (read rest of article here) This was followed by the revelation of the amount of monies in the government coffers by a county in remote Xinjiang province: "新疆阿勒泰地区纪委设立的廉政账户也由申报前的几万存款，激增至公示前的76万，这无疑从侧面说明了这项制度的威慑力。" Premier Wen also promised to create the conditions for citizens to criticize and check on the government and to allow for more debate on politics in the media: "要深入推进政务公开，完善各类公开办事制度和行政复议制度，创造条件让人民批评政府、监督政府，同时充分发挥新闻舆论的监督作用，让权力在阳光下运行。" Singapore leaders kept boasting about themselves being the most "honest, honorable and incorruptible gentlemen" in the world, but to this very day, they have yet to reveal their personal wealth and assets to the public as is the common practice among many first world countries. Even the state governments of Penang and Selangor in Malaysia require their state executive councillors to do so. Though China is a de facto one-party communist state, it is becoming more and more open and liberal. The media is relatively free in certain cosmopolitan cities  like Shanghai and Guangzhou and are allowed to report on current affairs and criticize government policies. For example in Guangzhou, there is a popular current affairs programme focused on exposing the inefficiencies and inadequacies of the city government. Such a programme will be unimaginable in Singapore where its leaders are still worshipped as infallible "gods" by an ignorant, apathetic and brainwashed citizenry. Action talks louder than words. The PAP leaders should follow the example of China and made public the personal income and assets of all its ministers and senior civil servants. They must also reveal the exact losses incurred by Temasek Holdings and GIC which are making Singapore a laughing stock in the world. Only then will they truly live up to the practice of accountability, transparency and good governance. Self-praise is no praise really. No government can ever be built or run solely based on "trust". There is an urgent need for some sort of checks and balances to be institutionalized within the Singapore political milieu.  Read More →