Opinion
Biggest misconception is about the PAP, not the reserves
While Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that it is the “biggest misconception” to think that Singapore will always have enough reserves, Augustine Low argues the true misconception is the unfounded belief that the nation would falter without the People’s Action Party (PAP) leading.
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by Augustine Low
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that it is the “biggest misconception” to think that Singapore will always have enough reserves.
He is mistaken.
The biggest misconception concerns the People’s Action Party (PAP).
There is a widespread unfounded belief that the country would be in trouble without the PAP at the helm, the party that says we are with you, we are for you, no one will walk alone, no one will be left behind.
People with such a misconception had better think again.
If the PAP cannot keep their own house in order, can they keep the well-being of the people in check?
To distract and detract, what we keep hearing of are troubled times ahead for Singapore. This has been the consistent message from the PAP for a very long time.
Presidential hopeful Tharman Shanmugaratnam echoed this three days ago when he spoke of his worries for the country: “I’m deeply concerned about Singapore’s future. I think we’re in for very different times, we’re going to go through a transition, but no one knows exactly what comes at the end of the transition, especially globally.”
It just goes to show that the PAP is in his DNA.
Tharman can’t help but toe the PAP line, despite him going out of his way to assert that he is his own man, truly independent and not inextricably tied to the party that he served for more than two decades.
Tharman was merely echoing what we have heard time and time again from the PAP – and this year has been no exception.
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, at the May Day rally, highlighted “the increasingly dangerous and troubled world we live in.”
Painting just as gloomy a picture, PM Lee said in Parliament that the world “has turned much more troubling, even dangerous.” He even sketched a scenario of three major geopolitical storms that could disrupt the country.
Can’t we do better as a country?
Can’t the leaders do better than spell trouble and project pessimism? Which country doesn’t face threats and uncertainty?
What are the chances that PM Lee will once again speak of troubles and dangers and storms at his National Day rally this Sunday?
Yes, the country has been seeing its fair share of storms lately.
But aren’t the storms of the PAP’s own making, and not storms caused by external factors?
Ironically, the party that always warns the people about impending storms and troubles and danger has found themselves entangled in one storm after another.
Still, the PAP keeps harping on honesty, integrity, incorruptibility, trust, respect, protecting families, staying clean and cardinal values.
Still, PM Lee in his National Day message, spoke about “what makes us exceptional” as a country.
He was speaking as if the recent spate of scandals and controversies did not rock the country.
The words “exceptional” and “exceptionalism” used to apply to Singapore. But the country has been slipping and sliding for years now.
Today, almost 20 years after PM Lee assumed the post of prime minister, we are looking more and more ordinary, and less and less exceptional, as a country.
Is it exceptional for a country to be mired in slip-ups, transgressions, scandals, and yet more scandals?
Is there exceptionalism in three ministers coming under investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB)? While two have been exonerated, one is on leave of absence pending investigation.
Is it exceptional for politicians to sue (or threaten to sue) their own citizens, a practice dating back decades?
Is there exceptionalism in being known as the POFMA country, where politicians get to decide what is truth and what are falsehoods?
In an exceptional country, do citizens who support or vote for the opposition get branded as “free riders”?
A country that treats its citizens according to the red, blue and white of their politics surely cannot be considered exceptional.
Last month, Singapore executed a woman for the first time in 20 years.
Last year, Singapore saw the highest number of suicides since the year 2000.
Unlike many countries, Singapore does not have an official poverty line and a minimum wage.
Can’t we do better as a country?
We go through the whole exercise again of the people being told that the elected president holds the all-important “second key” to the reserves, and the best person for that job is a PAP-backed person, with longstanding ties to the PAP.
Can’t we do better than yet another PAP person as elected president?
Not too different from being told that ownself check ownself is a virtue that is good for the people.
Except that ownself check ownself only leads to ownself praise ownself, ownself investigate ownself, and ownself exonerate ownself.
The people could end up the biggest losers if they keep burying their heads in the sand, and keep thinking that the storms will blow over, and keep having the misconception that they would be in trouble without the PAP.
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We should ask if SG has been “exceptional” under Loong since he pays himself exceptionally high salary (compared to other heads of gov in the WORLD). Why this sudden talking about our reserves and the integrity of our ministers – aren’t these supposed to be the fundamentals of any gov system, not just an “exceptional” one? Our reserve system and the principle of ministerial integrity were established long before Loong’s time, so is it “exceptional” that he merely continue what had been norms? We should remember he is not a seat-warmer like Ah Goh, great things were expected – are… Read more »
Yes the PAP is exceptional, as what LHL says – exceptional at telling lies and covering up, exceptional at installing own president, exceptional at ownself check ownself., exceptional at changing the rules of the game to stay in power.
Look at the way they defended the one guy in the ridout using so many people and defining their meaning of perceived conflict of interest made me totally give up on them. Its absolutely true there is absolute Erosion.
The biggest misconception is that both male and female can do the pap smear test. Go ask the white termites… lol.
Actually the real pap smear test is only for female.
Fully agree. The people are the fools if they buy the fallacy that the PAP is their savior. The PAP are the suckers. Suck the people like parasites.
Please get a new script writer, we have heard this same tape recording numerous times. Hollywood also would not want the script.
The PAP is now a party of liars and hypocrites and snake oil salesmen. The idea that Singapore cannot survive without the PAP is bullshit. Time to rid them out before they bankrupt this country and send this country to the dogs.
Islanders believe without proof or evident, every assertions and postulation that those expensive white oligarchs spewed to be inerrant and immutable truth.
Fool you twice (and more), shame on you!
The PAP are scaremongers. The people are sheep, i.e. can’t think for themselves, just think that what the PAP says is gospel truth. So the PAP gets their overwhelming majority in Parliament each. Sorry to say this, but can’t see it changing. Singaporeans all talk but when it comes to voting, they are cowards!!!
The people deserve the government thy get. If the people don’t wake up, at least the 60%, nothing will change. The PAP will never change as long as they get the 60% to vote for them.
Takes 2 to tango..
PAP scams the voters..
Voters allow themselves to be scammed..
Many voters are lazy to think
Even when they face hardships, they do not think..
They will go to see the PAP MP to say, <b>”Please help me.. I cannot think..”</b>
The MP nods head, knowing that the voter has no brains.
Singaporeans are stupid by default.
Latest— there has been a village bicycle in Tampines not just cycling to Marine Parade. It has been cycling to other constituencies as well.
Can anyone add to this latest news???