A fresh wave of debate on the Singapore model is sweeping China. The revived interest is largely being driven by the droves of Chinese officials traveling to Singapore for training. Party cadres are practical. They want to see what works. And they think Singapore speaks their language.
The Straits Times recently captured a quote that summed up why Singapore appeals to Chinese Party cadres. "The Singapore model of development before democracy is something that suits China," Chinese professor Lu Yuanli said, according to the newspaper.
There have been three waves of "Singapore fever" among Chinese officials. The first came after 1979 when Deng Xiaoping visited Singapore for the first time. The second followed Deng's famous 1992 Tour of southern China when he praised Singapore as an orderly and well-managed country that China must learn from and surpass. The third wave dates from around 2007 when southern leaders like the Guangdong provincial Party secretary started to publicly urge cadres to learn from Singapore.
Singapore's system exists on too small a scale for China as a whole to copy, but it can be, and has been, used as a template by city officials. This kind of city-level emulation started as far back as the early 1990s.
Concrete results include the Suzhou-Singapore Industrial Park – a project that survived teething troubles in its early stages. And there was the program at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University that has trained some 16,000 Chinese city officials.
Singapore's appeal is not restricted to China. The person seen by many as having created the economic miracle, Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, is seen by many developing states as their superhero. Small Middle Eastern countries, eager to replicate the success of the Southeast Asian city-state, also send officials to study the Singapore model. One could say the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, at my alma mater, was institutionalized to spread the Singapore way.
But the economic crisis has presented challenges to the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) government, which has enjoyed an uninterrupted spell in power since 1959. Singapore was one of the countries worst affected by the crisis, with its manufacturing and growth rates plunging rapidly in the last few quarters. More pertinently, Singapore's economic success was achieved at an immense political and social cost. Few people these days like to draw attention to the events of the 1960s, when many of Lee's political opponents were arrested and imprisoned for up to 23 years without trial.
While it would not be exactly correct to say that the PAP lost its mandate to rule in recent elections, it is worth asking why there are only two non-PAP members of the Singapore national parliament, and why members of the opposition are regularly arrested under public nuisance and illegal gathering laws.
Is the Singapore model of development really the way to go?
Huang Shuo is a Beijing-based freelance writer. He can be reached at
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn
http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2011-05/22/content_22608686.htm
singapore way of politics is slowing losing its grip. personally i prefer a liberal and having more opposition into govt to put the govt into intense debate and scrutiny on all policy that affect singaporeans. i bet most singaporeans like myself do not always put economics success ahead of social happines.
in this election, many middle class person discard the PAP and vote for opposition. naming, high housing price, ministerial pay, gerrrymander, accountability and transparents on all govt expenditure, immigration policy.
i am waiting for see how they can fix it. it they continue to put economic success ahead of its ppl and so far from what i can see, singapore economic sucess is only benefiting the ppl at the top and not filter down the corporate ladder, similarly in govt organisation.
Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
Oh the Teo candidate who was thrased by Grace Fu in Yuhua?
With demise of fear, how come she got thrased?
Demise of political career?
The silly, backward Chinese are navel gazing, propaganda chasing, building castle-in-the-air.
Singapore's system is westminster democracy. There are many variants of democracy. Singapore is, albeit, one of the many forms of DEMOCRACY.
You either believe in universal suffrage of mankind or don't.
You either believe that man is born with certain basic human rights/freedom or don't.
You either believe that man has the freedom of choice with regards to his destiny or don't.
Before these silly Chinese can get down to a best form of government that is most suitable for them, ask themselves what they believe in?
The best form is the worst if they never believe in it. The worst form is the best if they work hard to uphold it. A country built on cosmetic, not solid foundation, will never last.
Any wonder the writer is Chinaman with an English name Larry? Very telling of the mentality of these people!
Originally posted by Redwhite spore:Oh the Teo candidate who was thrased by Grace Fu in Yuhua?
With demise of fear, how come she got thrased?
Demise of political career?
You PRC or Singapore?
Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:Teo Soh Lung : The Demise of Fear...
As a young man in the 80s, I had very little interest in politics. I had experienced the Singapore economic miracle first hand. I stayed in a kampong without paved streets, without street lights at night and without toilets with flushing systems. While the PAP govt was in charge, the streets became paved and lighted.The toilets were later upgraded to have a flushing system. Consumer goods such as TVs, radios, fans and refrigerators began to appear in homes as incomes rose. You don't think too much about politics when you can see your life improving year after year. I grew up not knowing the difference between a socialist and a Marxist.
For the many young Singaporeans of today, their political awakening came in the past decade when the Internet and social media began playing a bigger role in politics and the great economic miracle ended without any clear vision by the PAP on how the country should progress.Years of fumbling along followed with only one clear goal to grow the GDP by any means possible - expanding the foreign influx, casinos, tax haven for the rich and so on. The end result of rising income gap, rising cost of living and deteriorating quality of life woke many people up and they become interested in politics and political alternatives.
My own political awakening came in 1987 when a group of young men and women were arrested and detained without trial. I had great difficulty believing the official story presented to me that these people were out to overthrow the Singapore govt by force and they were part of a Marxist Conspiracy.For many Singaporeans, it was hard to believe how a small group of unarmed men and women can take on and defeat the Singapore Police Force and the SAF which was armed with billions worth of equipment. It didn't matter whether there was proof or no proof.It didn't matter whether ordinary citizens believed what they were told. It didn't matter what international human rights organisations or foreign govt concerned about human rights said. They were locked up and abused and there was nothing anyone could do to help them. The event ignited the fear in many people of the authoritarian govt that will go after people for doing what they believe is right for the country to preserve its own dominant power.
The WP winning Aljunied is a major political milestone in 2011. The other great milestone of equal importance is the demise of fear. 24 years after her unjust detention, former detainee, Teo Soh Lung, contested in Yuhua SMC.Ordinary Singaporeans came out in full force to attend rallies and capable people stepped forward to say and do what they believe is right and good for this country. The demise of fear ushers in a period of hope and change for Singapore.
-----------
Demise of fear
by Teo Soh Lung on Monday, May 16, 2011 at 3:48am
The recent retirement of MM Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong from the cabinet was welcome news to many Singaporeans.
Both men would like to be remembered as having brought Singapore to what it is today. Certainly we will remember them as having contributed to the economic success of Singapore. History will no doubt remember the good deeds of the two men. But history will also slowly but surely reveal the dark deeds of the two men.
There was a time when MM Lee as the first prime minister of Singapore could have achieved unparalleled greatness in this region if only he had been kind to his friends who helped propel him to fame. I am thinking of the greats of Lim Chin Siong, Dr Lim Hock Siew, Dr Poh Soo Kai and Loh Miaw Ping, who together with so many others helped him win his first general election in 1959 and unselfishly let him assume the office of prime minister.What he did to them in 1963 and to hundreds if not thousands more in the years that followed was unforgiveable. We know today that they were locked away under the Internal Security Act for decades and silenced for more than half a century.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong who was First Deputy Prime Minister in 1987 learnt to be ruthless from MM Lee when he agreed to arrest and detain 22 innocent people that year.For three decades thereafter, the PAP appeared to be invincible. GE 2011 changed all that. In a matter of days, the prime minister and other ministers came out to apologise for their mistakes. It took many by surprise. Have leopards changed their spots?
I don’t know. All I know is that the young have taken control of Singapore and are determined to put a stop to the arrogance of the PAP.The young and articulate opposition candidates came out in full force. They campaigned without fear. The people responded and suddenly, fear disappeared and they regained their voices. Both the people and the candidates realised in the course of just nine days that they have the power to change Singapore.
For me, GE 2011 is the most important GE after 1984 when two opposition members, namely J B Jeyaretnam and Chiam See Tong were elected into parliament.With six members of the Workers’ Party in parliament this year, we, the people of Singapore can have the confidence to feel free once again and to look forward to a PAP government that will be more accountable to us in the next five years.We can be sure that if they do not listen to us, the next GE will see more losses for the PAP.
As for the passing of MM Lee and Senior Minister Goh, they will soon be forgotten except in the pages of our history book.
http://www.facebook.com/notes/teo-soh-lung/demise-of-fear/131602886914593
I agree that Teo and the others is a very sad case. Even Dhana resigned because he never believe that these people were marxists.
This will be a black mark in the history of Singapore.
Teo is seeking a closure for her past and justice to a past wrong.
Let hope the current govt has the moral courage to right a wrong and bring closure to a bygone era.
Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:You PRC or Singapore?
-double post-
Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:You PRC or Singapore?
This guy is a PR comes here to sing marikita......
Originally posted by 4sg:This guy is a PR comes here to sing marikita......
Be broadminded. After all it's a fact that FTs do create biz & job opportunities for all, incldg Singaporeans besides making the place vibrant.
Soon, u may hv to sing negara ku or zhong guo hong he guo or even the Indonesian or Indian song
Originally posted by Redwhite spore:Be broadminded. After all it's a fact that FTs do create biz & job opportunities for all, incldg Singaporeans besides making the place vibrant.
Soon, u may hv to sing negara ku or zhong guo hong he guo or even the Indonesian or Indian song
traitor
take him out and shot
Originally posted by laurence82:
traitortake him out and shot
Like
Originally posted by Redwhite spore:Be broadminded. After all it's a fact that FTs do create biz & job opportunities for all, incldg Singaporeans besides making the place vibrant.
Soon, u may hv to sing negara ku or zhong guo hong he guo or even the Indonesian or Indian song
I always said he is a PR troll and PAP plant. Now here is the solid proof.
Waiting for citizenship for his whole family.
Originally posted by Redwhite spore:Be broadminded. After all it's a fact that FTs do create biz & job opportunities for all, incldg Singaporeans besides making the place vibrant.
Soon, u may hv to sing negara ku or zhong guo hong he guo or even the Indonesian or Indian song
And you too. With your recent arrival, don't think that you know so much of Singapore and Singaporeans that you take on yourself the tasks of telling Singaporeans what is good and what is bad. It speaks volume of narrow-mindedness and shallowness.
Originally posted by Redwhite spore:Be broadminded. After all it's a fact that FTs do create biz & job opportunities for all, incldg Singaporeans besides making the place vibrant.
Soon, u may hv to sing negara ku or zhong guo hong he guo or even the Indonesian or Indian song
Do you know that my forefathers have all sung the Negara ku, God save the Queen, Kimigayo?
Some humility for a new boy in the block will do some good.
Let this redwhite chap be la. Not nice to have the same voices all the time.