Why I joined the Opposition
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It has been just over a year since I joined the Workers’ Party (WP) as an ordinary member. I must say that the past year has probably been the most exciting and eventful year of my life, and there is every indication that the year ahead will top that. Although I declared months ago in the “About Me” section of my blog that I am a WP member, this will mark my first full blog post about my involvement with the opposition.
I wasn’t always an opposition supporter. I have no history of oppositionists in my family and most of my friends and teachers from school days knew me as someone who always followed the rules and did not question authority. Many, therefore, have expressed surprise that I have taken the plunge into opposition politics.
I first got interested in current affairs during my undergraduate days at the University of Southern California in the United States in the late nineties, where I majoring in electrical engineering. Although the level of political apathy on campus was still high compared to that of previous generations of students, it was enough to help me to see that what happened in the political realm had a huge impact on everyone’s life, including my own.
I brought my interest in politics back to Singapore when I returned in 1999 to serve my National Service. Back then, I used to think that being part of the PAP government machinery was the only way to effect positive change in Singapore. This was a reason why I made a drastic career switch from my first job as an IT consultant to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in 2005. It was also why I had volunteered for more than seven years as a youth leader in South West Community Development Council, which I have since resigned from.
Ironically, it was during my time in the civil service that my eyes were opened to the reality that Singapore needs a stronger opposition in order to ensure better governance for our future generations.
The civil service is generally a very well-run organisation, with many intelligent, competent and committed officers at all levels of the hierarchy. As a political desk officer in MFA, I had the privilege of interacting with a diverse array of officials—fellow policy officers, protocol officers, management support officers, permanent secretaries, ambassadors, ministers, and officers from other ministries like the Ministry of Trade and Industry and IE Singapore.
I made a number foreign visits during my stint in MFA, usually staffing ambassadors and ministers in small delegations. This gave me an opportunity to have lots of personal interaction with them and get a sense of how they thought about issues away from the glare of the media. I remember occasionally even getting into debates with them, sometimes over the PAP’s lack of commitment to democratic principles and fair play. During one such debate, over drinks on evening in a foreign capital, I recall the wife of the ambassador turning to my director and telling him, half in jest: “Don’t suppress that idealistic spark in him!”
Fortunately my director didn’t suppress my idealism, not that I displayed much of it after that—it is generally not career enhancing to have a reputation for being too idealistic in the Singapore civil service, where hard-nosed pragmatism is a prized asset. But I realised that despite its efficiency and professionalism, the civil service can only help fulfil the political objectives of the party in power. It cannot change those objectives, because it has neither the power nor the mandate to do so. Policy directions are set by politicians in the ruling party. (By policy directions, I’m referring to issues like whether or not Singapore should provide a universal social safety net for needy Singaporeans, not whether the Public Assistance grant should be $360 or $400.)
My friends in the PAP tell me that it is more effective to change Singapore from within the PAP than from outside. I believe that changes to the finer details of policies are possible from within, but fundamental changes to the way the country is governed can only come if the top echelon of leaders in the party either radically change their mind, or are replaced. Neither is about to happen anytime soon.
The pace of change from within will be too slow to meet the challenges of this fast moving world. Our country cannot afford to allow our competitors to pass us by or for our income divide to reach dangerous levels, while we wait for some senior gentlemen at the top to pass from the scene.
The need for an effective opposition
The PAP has conditioned Singaporeans to see the political opposition as a destructive force in society. They routinely accuse the opposition of “playing politics”, engaging in “unconstructive criticism” and “opposing for the sake of it”. These are very untrue and damaging characterisations.
In the United Kingdom, where we inherited the Westminster Parliamentary system from, the official title of the largest alternative party is “Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition”. This implies that the opposition opposes the government—“Her Majesty’s Government”—and its policies, but not the state, as represented by the monarch.
Even while the PAP remains in power, there is a useful role for the opposition to play. The opposition can use its platform in Parliament to apply pressure on the government to change policies which are not serving Singaporeans well. As much as the PAP wants to portray itself as impervious to public pressure, the reality is that when they know that there is a real threat to their support at the next elections, they will have to bow to public pressure built up by the opposition.
This is the beauty of genuine political competition. Just like how commercial competition forces businesses to work harder, become more efficient and provide better services to woo their customers, political competition will force the ruling party to focus more on bettering the lives of all Singaporeans in order to earn their votes.
I joined the WP because I believe Singapore needs an alternative leadership that is capable of taking over the reins and steering our country to its next level of development, should the PAP stumble. This will ensure that Singapore will continue to prosper and thrive even without the PAP in power. I believe the WP has the potential to be that alternative government in the future, and I want to play my part to contribute to its growth and development. I hope to be able to help my party sharpen its policy proposals and broaden its outreach to Singaporeans who are not usually interested in politics.
I am under no illusions that the road ahead as an opposition activist will be long and fraught with obstacles, not to mention minefields. Many who have gone before me have paid a heavy price for their ideals. Some have lost everything they had, except their dignity. All Singaporeans are heavily indebted to these heroes, whether or not they realise it.
I hope I will not have to suffer political persecution like these heroes did, but I know many things are beyond my control. I therefore ask my friends and readers for their prayers and support, as I take my first of many steps in this long march towards building a better Singapore for all Singaporeans.
geraldgiam.sg
Reclaiming our five stars – democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality
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Oh! you are a lucky chap to be able to join WP and still can write story about it. Congradulation on you successful joining. What can do for us?
Now i tell you why i dun join anything,
I was born in Taichong, Taiwan, at a very young age, i see riots and sometime strikes in my neighbourhood, and you can see Mafiaso being paid to deploy and kill opponents leader. No girl at my tender of 21yo in Singapore can ever witness such events, because PAP had done a good job in maintaining peace and harmony.
But peace and harmony has a price to pay, it is not free, the cost of it burdened many Singaporeans, especially people who are real poor, some are rich but act poor, and more so its affect most on those who are poor but act rich. Other than cost, the multi racial society of Singapore is also being tested to it limit by the PAP in their policy of free trade, free economy and nearly free immigration. Not only that usual 4 main races we seen, we also get to see more other races from different countries and cultures integrated into our society. This lead to massive identity lost for local singaporeans, it either they become PRC or Indians or some new minority groups like mynamar or vietnamese etc etc.
Also, by propagating peace and harmony, Singaporeans have to maintain their discipline, obeying orders and policies set by govt without any tolerances for objection, and in a long run, complacencies set in leading to People forgo poliitc issue, and just by obeying blindly, you get peace and harmony. And i have to admit i fall into this catergory too, just go by the flow, and you get peace n harmony, which in turn led to opportunites and wealth growing.
And within the search for opportunities and concentration on wealth growing to sustain a high cost of living, many singaporeans forgo politics and heckcare so much about who it the govt, however, since PAP is the present ruling party, let not spoil the show and break piggy banks for the sake of getting a change to support oppositions. That is to say, to a typical singaporean, if the soup is nice, so be it, expensive is not an issue, let the ingredients remain, just change to soup every 4 to 5 years will do.
As an experience youngster on politics unrest situation, i see no guts in most singaporeans to except change, for me, i am neutral to it, there is both pros and cons in fighting for your rights and peace and harmony. Because of both side of the extreme, i join no one.
Angel
Director
CLUB 88
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perhaps i will join PaP
because
:IF you cant beat them, then join them!
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My cousin mother in law 3rd aunt tailored those white pants and shirts for PAP Ministers and MPs, if you want, can PM me. same same as LKY wear on National Day, alternatively, you can take LKY previously wear at NDP09
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Oh! you are a lucky chap to be able to join WP and still can write story about it. Congradulation on you successful joining. What can do for us?
Now i tell you why i dun join anything,
I was born in Taichong, Taiwan, at a very young age, i see riots and sometime strikes in my neighbourhood, and you can see Mafiaso being paid to deploy and kill opponents leader. No girl at my tender of 21yo in Singapore can ever witness such events, because PAP had done a good job in maintaining peace and harmony.
But peace and harmony has a price to pay, it is not free, the cost of it burdened many Singaporeans, especially people who are real poor, some are rich but act poor, and more so its affect most on those who are poor but act rich. Other than cost, the multi racial society of Singapore is also being tested to it limit by the PAP in their policy of free trade, free economy and nearly free immigration. Not only that usual 4 main races we seen, we also get to see more other races from different countries and cultures integrated into our society. This lead to massive identity lost for local singaporeans, it either they become PRC or Indians or some new minority groups like mynamar or vietnamese etc etc.
Also, by propagating peace and harmony, Singaporeans have to maintain their discipline, obeying orders and policies set by govt without any tolerances for objection, and in a long run, complacencies set in leading to People forgo poliitc issue, and just by obeying blindly, you get peace and harmony. And i have to admit i fall into this catergory too, just go by the flow, and you get peace n harmony, which in turn led to opportunites and wealth growing.
And within the search for opportunities and concentration on wealth growing to sustain a high cost of living, many singaporeans forgo politics and heckcare so much about who it the govt, however, since PAP is the present ruling party, let not spoil the show and break piggy banks for the sake of getting a change to support oppositions. That is to say, to a typical singaporean, if the soup is nice, so be it, expensive is not an issue, let the ingredients remain, just change to soup every 4 to 5 years will do.
As an experience youngster on politics unrest situation, i see no guts in most singaporeans to except change, for me, i am neutral to it, there is both pros and cons in fighting for your rights and peace and harmony. Because of both side of the extreme, i join no one.
Angel
Director
CLUB 88
But peace and harmony has a price to pay, it is not free, the cost of it burdened many Singaporeans, especially people who are real poor - this i agree
just write lady boss of club 88
at a tender age, i saw geylang gangster i killed you you killed me
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Originally posted by water margin:
But peace and harmony has a price to pay, it is not free, the cost of it burdened many Singaporeans, especially people who are real poor - this i agree
just write lady boss of club 88
at a tender age, i saw geylang gangster i killed you you killed me
at at tender ageI was busy playing with
transformer toys
If got ganster fight
I just stand aside and watch the fun
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Originally posted by water margin:
But peace and harmony has a price to pay, it is not free, the cost of it burdened many Singaporeans, especially people who are real poor - this i agree
just write lady boss of club 88
at a tender age, i saw geylang gangster i killed you you killed me
geyland got gangster meh...all pimps lah and lion dancers hiding behind temples...only, police come, all run like dogs, people tattoos for clan and identification, they tattoo for fun...unlike taiwan mafia, police also hv to be careful in dealing with them.
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Originally posted by noahnoah:
at at tender ageI was busy playing with
transformer toys
If got ganster fight
I just stand aside and watch the fun
in singapore, i only watch school boys fights, win one can go movie with me
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water margin, congratulations ! As long as you are genuinely for the people of Singapore, you have my support.
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you support??? i think he will do better without your support...
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Originally posted by angel7030:
you support??? i think he will do better without your support...
He does not need an attention whore like you to be his spokesperson. You are so desperate for attention so much so come here disrupt discussion to draw attention to yourself. Crawl back now to your pub brothel, go seek attention from your clients who will pay you. -
Originally posted by Fantagf:
He does not need an attention whore like you to be his spokesperson. You are so desperate for attention so much so come here disrupt discussion to draw attention to yourself. Crawl back now to your pub brothel, go seek attention from your clients who will pay you.
clients also u intro wan mah, what totti fellow, so desparate, aiya, ask two gals go and con him first..thank you aunty!! -
Originally posted by angel7030:
clients also u intro wan mah, what totti fellow, so desparate, aiya, ask two gals go and con him first..thank you aunty!!
Stop associating yourself with me.Nobody is stupid to be conned by you. They will want to find out how clean and your gals are. Whether you are having aids or not, this question is on the mind of guys.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Stop associating yourself with me.Nobody is stupid to be conned by you. They will want to find out how clean and your gals are. Whether you are having aids or not, this question is on the mind of guys.
all because of you lor, go and intro so many, all from sexforums looking for me...aiyo...some even want to book me, ...huat liao....KONG xi Fa Chai liao...thank you aunty -
Originally posted by angel7030:
all because of you lor, go and intro so many, all from sexforums looking for me...aiyo...some even want to book me, ...huat liao....KONG xi Fa Chai liao...thank you aunty
Crawl back to your brothel pub. -
crawl, crawl, crawl...to toilet first
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hmm....
taiwan.................due to dull tasting,limited n bad food from minced meat noodles to beef noodle soup....gangsters feel they had been short changed of decent life at local taiwanese caipng stall!so they jump up n down n go kill local mayor in taiwan.
spore...................due to spicy tasting food of all manners in the past from laksa,spicy malay caipng,indian beiyani and chinese kuay teow...people feel full n contented and go home n sleep immediately after caipng stall. so they go home and sleep..zzzzz.
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angel7030,
why u everytime goto toilet???dun tell me every night a few big heavy gorillas sleep on u and compress yer intestines!!!??
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If nobody read the article (TS) but posted here for only a few forumers to read, it still no use.
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Originally posted by laurence82 father:
angel7030,
why u everytime goto toilet???dun tell me every night a few big heavy gorillas sleep on u and compress yer intestines!!!??
no lah laurence PAPa, everynite drink and drink...here yam seng!!! there cheers!!! peoples drink one, i have to drink thrice..need to acknowledge customers mah, the more they drink,,..the merrier i am...every job got its own hazard to deal with...mine is drinking...now u give me a barcadi, me feel like vomitting. -
Somebody is so fond of talking about herself himeself, he she should create a forum to talk about herself and himself and not come here conveniently and shamelessly draw attention to herself and himself.
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Originally posted by water margin:
It has been just over a year since I joined the Workers’ Party (WP) as an ordinary member. I must say that the past year has probably been the most exciting and eventful year of my life, and there is every indication that the year ahead will top that. Although I declared months ago in the “About Me” section of my blog that I am a WP member, this will mark my first full blog post about my involvement with the opposition.
I wasn’t always an opposition supporter. I have no history of oppositionists in my family and most of my friends and teachers from school days knew me as someone who always followed the rules and did not question authority. Many, therefore, have expressed surprise that I have taken the plunge into opposition politics.
I first got interested in current affairs during my undergraduate days at the University of Southern California in the United States in the late nineties, where I majoring in electrical engineering. Although the level of political apathy on campus was still high compared to that of previous generations of students, it was enough to help me to see that what happened in the political realm had a huge impact on everyone’s life, including my own.
I brought my interest in politics back to Singapore when I returned in 1999 to serve my National Service. Back then, I used to think that being part of the PAP government machinery was the only way to effect positive change in Singapore. This was a reason why I made a drastic career switch from my first job as an IT consultant to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in 2005. It was also why I had volunteered for more than seven years as a youth leader in South West Community Development Council, which I have since resigned from.
Ironically, it was during my time in the civil service that my eyes were opened to the reality that Singapore needs a stronger opposition in order to ensure better governance for our future generations.
The civil service is generally a very well-run organisation, with many intelligent, competent and committed officers at all levels of the hierarchy. As a political desk officer in MFA, I had the privilege of interacting with a diverse array of officials—fellow policy officers, protocol officers, management support officers, permanent secretaries, ambassadors, ministers, and officers from other ministries like the Ministry of Trade and Industry and IE Singapore.
I made a number foreign visits during my stint in MFA, usually staffing ambassadors and ministers in small delegations. This gave me an opportunity to have lots of personal interaction with them and get a sense of how they thought about issues away from the glare of the media. I remember occasionally even getting into debates with them, sometimes over the PAP’s lack of commitment to democratic principles and fair play. During one such debate, over drinks on evening in a foreign capital, I recall the wife of the ambassador turning to my director and telling him, half in jest: “Don’t suppress that idealistic spark in him!”
Fortunately my director didn’t suppress my idealism, not that I displayed much of it after that—it is generally not career enhancing to have a reputation for being too idealistic in the Singapore civil service, where hard-nosed pragmatism is a prized asset. But I realised that despite its efficiency and professionalism, the civil service can only help fulfil the political objectives of the party in power. It cannot change those objectives, because it has neither the power nor the mandate to do so. Policy directions are set by politicians in the ruling party. (By policy directions, I’m referring to issues like whether or not Singapore should provide a universal social safety net for needy Singaporeans, not whether the Public Assistance grant should be $360 or $400.)
My friends in the PAP tell me that it is more effective to change Singapore from within the PAP than from outside. I believe that changes to the finer details of policies are possible from within, but fundamental changes to the way the country is governed can only come if the top echelon of leaders in the party either radically change their mind, or are replaced. Neither is about to happen anytime soon.
The pace of change from within will be too slow to meet the challenges of this fast moving world. Our country cannot afford to allow our competitors to pass us by or for our income divide to reach dangerous levels, while we wait for some senior gentlemen at the top to pass from the scene.
The need for an effective opposition
The PAP has conditioned Singaporeans to see the political opposition as a destructive force in society. They routinely accuse the opposition of “playing politics”, engaging in “unconstructive criticism” and “opposing for the sake of it”. These are very untrue and damaging characterisations.
In the United Kingdom, where we inherited the Westminster Parliamentary system from, the official title of the largest alternative party is “Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition”. This implies that the opposition opposes the government—“Her Majesty’s Government”—and its policies, but not the state, as represented by the monarch.
Even while the PAP remains in power, there is a useful role for the opposition to play. The opposition can use its platform in Parliament to apply pressure on the government to change policies which are not serving Singaporeans well. As much as the PAP wants to portray itself as impervious to public pressure, the reality is that when they know that there is a real threat to their support at the next elections, they will have to bow to public pressure built up by the opposition.
This is the beauty of genuine political competition. Just like how commercial competition forces businesses to work harder, become more efficient and provide better services to woo their customers, political competition will force the ruling party to focus more on bettering the lives of all Singaporeans in order to earn their votes.
I joined the WP because I believe Singapore needs an alternative leadership that is capable of taking over the reins and steering our country to its next level of development, should the PAP stumble. This will ensure that Singapore will continue to prosper and thrive even without the PAP in power. I believe the WP has the potential to be that alternative government in the future, and I want to play my part to contribute to its growth and development. I hope to be able to help my party sharpen its policy proposals and broaden its outreach to Singaporeans who are not usually interested in politics.
I am under no illusions that the road ahead as an opposition activist will be long and fraught with obstacles, not to mention minefields. Many who have gone before me have paid a heavy price for their ideals. Some have lost everything they had, except their dignity. All Singaporeans are heavily indebted to these heroes, whether or not they realise it.
I hope I will not have to suffer political persecution like these heroes did, but I know many things are beyond my control. I therefore ask my friends and readers for their prayers and support, as I take my first of many steps in this long march towards building a better Singapore for all Singaporeans.
geraldgiam.sg
Reclaiming our five stars – democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality
WP and RP must work more closely in the coming election so as to win 2 GRCs and a few single seat constituencies as expected by voters.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
geyland got gangster meh...all pimps lah and lion dancers hiding behind temples...only, police come, all run like dogs, people tattoos for clan and identification, they tattoo for fun...unlike taiwan mafia, police also hv to be careful in dealing with them.
Your generation and water margin's generation diff. Last time, gangsters everywhere - true. Geylang, Redhill, toa payoh etc. -
Good luck water margin in joining opposition,they need new blood like you to be bold enough to join them.
I will vote your party in GE,that is,if i got the chance to vote lol.
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you voting for General Electric,...well, who is the chairmanship holding fort there? maybe i go buy their shares