Goh Chok Tong to S’poreans: What kind of politics do u want?
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ESM Goh to S’poreans: What kind of politics do you want?
By Yahoo! Singapore | SingaporeScene – Sun, Aug 14, 2011Confrontational or constructive?![](http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/nmHI3uc04O529dIvSv9xZg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-SG/blogs/singaporescene/600yahoo_gohchoktong.jpg "Will Singaporeans choose "constructive" or "confrontational" politics? (File photo)")
Will Singaporeans choose "constructive" or "confrontational" politics? (File photo)
Pragmatic or populist?
Those were the "hard choices" facing Singaporeans in deciding the kind of politics they want, said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong during a National Day dinner at Marine Parade on Saturday.
Expressing concern about the "whipping up of resentment" by those opposed to the Government during the May General Election, he asked if Singaporeans would choose "constructive politics" or "confrontational and divisive politics".
It is much easier to agitate and criticise than to come up with alternative, sound policies that will solve problems for the majorityGoh Chok Tong
In his first major speech since the May elections, Mr Goh also said that with the country being in transition, the new and younger team of leaders together with the people will have to decide what their goals are for Singapore, and how to achieve them.
They will have to make "hard choices" to solve problems within the economic, social and political spheres, reported Channel NewsAsia.
Referring to the growing number of Singaporeans voicing out their views on various issues, especially online, he added that those born after independence will increasingly decide Singapore's political future.
"Singaporeans generally, not just the young, now want to have more say in their future and have their diverse interests reflected in a pluralistic parliament," he said.
"It is much easier to agitate and criticise than to come up with alternative, sound policies that will solve problems for the majority. Will Singaporeans choose constructive politics and debate policies rationally in the future, or choose confrontational and divisive politics based on stoking envy and resentment?"
They must also choose between pragmatic and populist politics, said Mr Goh.
In pragmatic politics, Singaporeans will accept measures with short-term pain but long-term gain.
"In populist politics, they want immediate gratification and ignore the long-term costs. Which way will Singapore politics go?" he asked.
Turning his attention to Presidential Elections later this month, the former Prime Minister urged voters to scrutinize all four presidential hopefuls, "especially their character, integrity, experience, bearing and gravitas".
"In particular, we should ask whether they can deliver their promises under the Constitution," he was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.
As deputy prime minister, Mr Goh was involved in conceptualizing the elected presidency in the 1980s.
Saying that he knows the candidates well after having worked with all four of them before, he added that he wants the presidential office to be occupied by the best person who can rise above partisan politics and strengthen Singapore's governance framework.
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Goh Chok Tong's question is puzzling. As a leader serving for long, by now he should know the answer.
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PAP has lost the plot.
Time to go.
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Chok Tong, cool , cool down. EVery government in every country has the resentment from their citizens. All depends on what lead them to be so.
Good govt takes note of the resentment, seek opinion and suggestions, do some study and come up with practical and beneficial policies to the citizens, not those money making policies.
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Howcome, he is still around leh?
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That is a good question. He has stepped down.
Did we receive lie of their stepping down?
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Howcome, he is still around leh?
What a funny question.. He is still alive, of course he is around.Technically, he has stepped down but he still has his duties to MAS.
How come, you are still around leh?? <laugh>
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What kind of politics do you want?
This is subjective. And when it concerns the population at large, no right or wrong answer or even one capsulated answer.
We just want a kind of politics that gets things done the correct way, with consensus. We had our fill of the dictatorial best way.
No more of the LKY You Believe You Are Right, Just Go Ahead. Cut Them Out.
So it can be confrontational, constructive, populist, pragmatic, whatever as it needs to be. So what if a decision is delayed because of there is no consensus.
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Originally posted by jmstar~:
ESM Goh to S’poreans: What kind of politics do you want?
By Yahoo! Singapore | SingaporeScene – Sun, Aug 14, 2011
Will Singaporeans choose "constructive" or "confrontational" politics? (File photo)
Confrontational or constructive?
Pragmatic or populist?
Those were the "hard choices" facing Singaporeans in deciding the kind of politics they want, said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong during a National Day dinner at Marine Parade on Saturday.
Expressing concern about the "whipping up of resentment" by those opposed to the Government during the May General Election, he asked if Singaporeans would choose "constructive politics" or "confrontational and divisive politics".
In his first major speech since the May elections, Mr Goh also said that with the country being in transition, the new and younger team of leaders together with the people will have to decide what their goals are for Singapore, and how to achieve them.
They will have to make "hard choices" to solve problems within the economic, social and political spheres, reported Channel NewsAsia.
Referring to the growing number of Singaporeans voicing out their views on various issues, especially online, he added that those born after independence will increasingly decide Singapore's political future.
"Singaporeans generally, not just the young, now want to have more say in their future and have their diverse interests reflected in a pluralistic parliament," he said.
"It is much easier to agitate and criticise than to come up with alternative, sound policies that will solve problems for the majority. Will Singaporeans choose constructive politics and debate policies rationally in the future, or choose confrontational and divisive politics based on stoking envy and resentment?"
They must also choose between pragmatic and populist politics, said Mr Goh.
In pragmatic politics, Singaporeans will accept measures with short-term pain but long-term gain.
"In populist politics, they want immediate gratification and ignore the long-term costs. Which way will Singapore politics go?" he asked.
Turning his attention to Presidential Elections later this month, the former Prime Minister urged voters to scrutinize all four presidential hopefuls, "especially their character, integrity, experience, bearing and gravitas".
"In particular, we should ask whether they can deliver their promises under the Constitution," he was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.
As deputy prime minister, Mr Goh was involved in conceptualizing the elected presidency in the 1980s.
Saying that he knows the candidates well after having worked with all four of them before, he added that he wants the presidential office to be occupied by the best person who can rise above partisan politics and strengthen Singapore's governance framework.
I want PAP to continue ruling with about 20 to 30 Opp MPs for check and balances. -
20-30 not enough, at least 40.
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Originally posted by Domo Kun:
I want PAP to continue ruling with about 20 to 30 Opp MPs for check and balances.
Change to Workers' Party government.
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one cannot be constructive if he does not first listen to what the discontents are about...how they would be willing to come to ground level and square off the discontents...than just simply brushing off as confrontational ...
that is how the system laid its foundations in the first place in 1959....
an architect can design and construct a building ..but if it lacks maintenance and refuse to listen to latent problems of the building and its pathologies overtime..it would ultimately lose its value or be shaken....
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"Pragmatic or populist?"
False dichotomy....
"It is much easier to agitate and criticise than to come up with alternative, sound policies that will solve problems for the majority. Will Singaporeans choose constructive politics and debate policies rationally in the future, or choose confrontational and divisive politics based on stoking envy and resentment?"
False dichotomy plus slippery slope plus appeal to ridicule....
""In particular, we should ask whether they can deliver their promises under the Constitution," he was quoted as saying by The Straits Times."
Did we ever have a constitution? Anyone please correct me if I'm wrong...
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The world today is a globalise world, and it changing so fast, ever the govt said so, eg you can see the stockmarkets and the events happening all the world moving at a fast rate, you dun really need to harbour the long term plan, it is more for those hardcore basic stagnated policies.
If citizens is to remain pragmatic, they may not catch up with the trend of changing and act quick inorder tor respond quickly, by being populistic, at least you act and manage to change in time as the world changes, the present example of govt changing it strategy to remove some unpopular ministers and re focusing more on Singaporeans and their livinghood is a result of a populist action. If citizens are to remain pragmatic, today, these unpopular minister will still be around, act arrogantly, and there will still be free flow of FT and Fworkers like no tomorrow. The citizens of singapore should be praised for being populist so as to change and able to adapt to change both themselves and others to suit the current situation that is moving and changing so fast with not much room for being pragmatic.
If a 23yo gal like me can tell you this, I dunno why you can still be around, pragmatically speaking, you should had retired and give up all your position.
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Originally posted by Dalforce 25:
20-30 not enough, at least 40.
I want PAP to lose but as you can see. PAP have been around for quite a long time. Like a tree deeply rooted into the soil how to uproot it so easily. 20 to 30 then 40 then 50 then 60 kick them out slowly. -
Originally posted by tranquilice:
Change to Workers' Party government.
Change does not happen so quick. It takes time. This is my wish too. -
rubbish in, rubbish out
whos playing politics here? the politicians or the nitizens?
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Lau Goh, the best person for President is not one ( TONY TAN) who abuse power by allowing the son to be deferred for NS - 12 years for the sake of going overseas for study. The best person for the job is not one who only interested to push for what he wants and ignore the needs of the population. To Mr Tan Cheng Bock, multiracialism is not our immediate need and concern, dumb!
Lau Goh, PAP does not accept BOTH DESTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTIVE POLITICS.
There are Singaporeans who discuss policies rationally but Lau Goh and PAP refuse to acknowledge it. All blames go to the nation, all credits go to PAP!
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Originally posted by Domo Kun:
I want PAP to lose but as you can see. PAP have been around for quite a long time. Like a tree deeply rooted into the soil how to uproot it so easily. 20 to 30 then 40 then 50 then 60 kick them out slowly.
Why PAP is around for so long, because of citizens being dazed with pragmatic politics for too long, they do not dare to change, take risk and in long run, become complacent and let nature take is course, that is what PAP wanted, but it seem that today, it is changing, could be because of social media influence or peoples had seen the world to tell them enuf is enuf, we want a change. So, they turn to populist politics, and that makes the PAP govt scrambling to get in touch thru social media, you see the change make thru populist politics? -
Originally posted by jmstar~:
Lau Goh, the best person for President is not one ( TONY TAN) who abuse power by allowing the son to be deferred for NS - 12 years for the sake of going overseas for study. The best person for the job is not one who only interested to push for what he wants and ignore the needs of the population. To Mr Tan Cheng Bock, multiracialism is not our immediate need and concern, dumb!
Lau Goh, PAP does not accept BOTH DESTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTIVE POLITICS.
There are Singaporeans who discuss policies rationally but Lau Goh and PAP refuse to acknowledge it. All blames go to the nation, all credits go to PAP!
Other than a MIW tan, just takes any other tans will do, be it orang utan or rambutan
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where's the curry speech?
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peoples' (not social) ROI is the key to sustain long term political power ...
social is a much abused term and misleading....income gaps are the peoples' concerns and more concrete deliverables
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all talks must be worked out in concrete terms deliverable to the people...
grandiose social terms are ivory lingual presentations
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What kind of politics do I want?
I just don't want poleetics
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Originally posted by BanguIzai:
What kind of politics do I want?
I just don't want poleetics
I don't want uniqueLEE Singapore, I want our own Singapore.