PAP and Opposition strategies for the coming GE
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They will use fear as their no 1 weapon. what fear? we cannot afford to be like greece. if we act irresponsibly and spend more than we earn, who is going to rescue us? EU and IMF just rescued Greece, but Asia has not Asian Union like the EU. Then they will use reserves built up for the past 4 decades, will be depleted if an opposition party were to be in government, like implement welfare policies spore can ill afford.
fear is a good tool to either scare or frighten, as usually, people have some form of fear in their lives.
likewise why dun the opposition also uses fear as well to counter them? with the influx of FT and foreigners, they should tap on this to gain votes. very soon in future, spore environment and landscape will be very different from the one you lived for the past 40 years. sporeans will be a minority in their home country, yes, they should use this. they also should use that foreigners and FT took away the rice bowls of locals. foreigners also bring crimes to spore like prostitution, selling of contraband goods, begging or even robbing and slashing of innocent people like the recent kallang slashing.
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ya i think PAP will still used the same strategy... fear, give abit money, and act caring.... then after GE then nothing again..
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Originally posted by I-like-flings(m):
ya i think PAP will still used the same strategy... fear, give abit money, and act caring.... then after GE then nothing again..
after GE, more FT and foreigners and when the next GE comes, sporeans is in the minority in their home country. locals unemployment will be higher and very soon, you will find foreigners in the police and in SAF, air force and navy.
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Really sadden with the state and population demographics of this country currently.This FT issue is going out of hand!
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ya no need to see until the next next GE. in mrt trains I can see lots of bangalas, PRC and other nationalities more than sporeans. even those sporeans and PRS. can see they are not born here with their accent.
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Our govt so good leh, july they give me gst credits!
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Originally posted by ditzy:
Our govt so good leh, july they give me gst credits!
wah $200 can buy your vote already eh
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Think election will be held soon.
Ground sentiment indicates within next 3 to 6 months.
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/06/04/is-singapore-really-on-the-road-to-recovery/
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Originally posted by ditzy:
Our govt so good leh, july they give me gst credits!
Get ready for 10% GST soon.
We need to help the poor.
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Originally posted by F.raon.I.R:
Really sadden with the state and population demographics of this country currently.This FT issue is going out of hand!
dun worry.. they will just shorten the application time for PR and citizen... so they will not be consider as FT soon.. -
Originally posted by charlize:
Get ready for 10% GST soon.
We need to help the poor.
ya I think so. the GST credits means 10% GST is coming soon.
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
wah $200 can buy your vote already eh
Singapore voters are cheap.
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all gahmen and private school are flood by foreign aliens
so long as i am in power
why must i bother
it is only when election is coming
only then some sweets would be distributed
vote wisely
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the MIW will give GST offsets to sweeten their names and then have all the MPs and ministers which never show face one to show their faces in community emergency preparedness days, baby shows, walkabouts, opening of markets, playgrounds, void decks.. anything.. to show that they're "with the people" but will promptly disappear until the next elections come rolling along...
the opposition strategy is to bicker with each other and scuttle whatever plans they have with mindless mudslinging and shameless publicity stunts before the elections ensuring a defeat, after which they'll blame the MIW, each other and the people for their defeat...
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I only plead that whoever takes over aljunied grc not refurbish kovan food centre and wet market 2 times every 8 years.
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Originally posted by ditzy:
Our govt so good leh, july they give me gst credits!
They give you $200. But they'll get back from you $2,000...... There's no free lunch in this world hor... -
Originally posted by charlize:
Get ready for 10% GST soon.
We need to help the poor.
And ministers' pay will be readjusted upwards correspondingly............ -
Originally posted by Fenixx:
They give you $200. But they'll get back from you $2,000...... There's no free lunch in this world hor...I don't believe you! They are not so bad. Long live the PAP!
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Actually I think Opposition should not harp on the fact that more and more FTs are coming in. Afterall, its the numbers that counts to see who win ultimately ma. PAP alr let so many FTs become PR, whom are able to cast a vote. And they say that 45% of the population are now made up of them!? Straight away lose 45% plus some amt of Singaporeans. Confirm lose lor. lol.
Opposition should do something more neutral like on more job opportunities for our local grads, and how re-emphasize on meritocracy. Aiya, don't know la.
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Originally posted by TYING:
Actually I think Opposition should not harp on the fact that more and more FTs are coming in. Afterall, its the numbers that counts to see who win ultimately ma. PAP alr let so many FTs become PR, whom are able to cast a vote. And they say that 45% of the population are now made up of them!? Straight away lose 45% plus some amt of Singaporeans. Confirm lose lor. lol.
Opposition should do something more neutral like on more job opportunities for our local grads, and how re-emphasize on meritocracy. Aiya, don't know la.
you are as good as not saying. another cockanadoo
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
after GE, more FT and foreigners and when the next GE comes, sporeans is in the minority in their home country. locals unemployment will be higher and very soon, you will find foreigners in the police and in SAF, air force and navy.
Rooney9 I agree 130% with u. Ang mo will raise the unemployment rate in management posts.
If the PAP does not stop the white foreign talent rhetoric, I am going to vote for opposition.
And if the government continues to grant more and more whites FT permenant residency and citizenship, they will not get my vote now nor many years to come.
Unless I see a marked reduction in angmo FT in management positions, I will never vote PAP.
I also think that the opposition should focus on the white FT policy. These white FT are on an expat package with no voting rights. Many of them will not be voting. Trust me.
Warning: Wait another 10 years, the white FT will become citizens and have voting rights. By then, it will be very difficult to rid Singapore of white FT.
Do you really want your beloved S'pore and your sweat and toil (NS and unfair employment policies) to become more unbearable?
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We need foreign talent and foreign workers.
But too much is not good for the economy.
We are now seeing the consequences - overcrowding and increased crime.
Sg is only that small to accomodate so much so fast.
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Strategies for the next election 2010/2011
TEMASEK REVIEW
By Lawrence Pek
With the looming GE slated in 2010 / 2011, there are plenty of issues that need to be reviewed by any respectable Opposition Party. Playing the role of a Campaign Manager, I would like to add value with Election Strategies, rather than the issues itself.
1. A Clear and Concise Message
a. Pick 3 to 5 Issues and Hammer Hard – People cannot remember so many things, 3 to 5 things will do, It is important to keep repeating these issues and use clear BUZZWORDS. People remember these key words.
b. DO NOT ATTACK THE PAP – 2 reasons here – 1stly, PAP will NOT attack unless provoked (because they want the moral high ground), with SPH (with all its newspapers and CNA) under their control, you cannot win this battle. 2ndly, If you attack the PAP, this will cause the electorate to deviate on your message. For this election, the PAP will be on the defensive, they will spend a lot of resources in explaining their unpopular policies.
c. Know the IN and OUT of these issues so that you will never be blindsided by any response from the PAP – Be ready with clear and strong responses from the PAP camp – “if they say this, we need to say this…” Let PAP attack you, then respond robustly, engage the issue. Make sure your audience gets these messages clearly. The MSM will have the burden to carry any Opposition responses, since it has to carry the initial attack from the PAP camp.
2. Sympathy Votes:
In Singapore’s political landscape, it is strange that none of the Opposition used this tactical advantage. If the opportunity arises, Opposition needs to play the Underdog card, a lot of swing or undecided votes can be curried over.
3. INTERNET:
The Opposition cannot depend on SPH (newspaper and CNA) to give you the same space and time support. You will need to expose your message to your audience via the various online platforms – you will need to choose carefully as choice of online platform will associate you accordingly i.e. you will be branded accordingly.
a. Videos and Audio – the strongest trend recently in political reporting is On Line Journalism – e..g. “CNN’s I-REPORT” – have an armada of student activists that will record your rally messages, carry interviews from Opposition Leaders and Public responses (kopitiam comments are critical).
b. Time to Air – this is a critical strategy, you need to deliver your content faster than the PAP – usually, you can win mindshare faster and you will be seen more credible with 1st to Market. Put the PAP on the back peddle.
c. Create “Talking Heads” videos of key Opposition Leaders – video clips which will delivers key points about the issues, about their party and what is happening daily during the campaign period. Email these opposition supporters and make sure that they forward to as many people as possible. Stay away from traditional print media – they are too expensive and many legal issues.
d. Create a “Jingle” – similar to Buzzwords – easy and catchy. Create a simple jingle – this can be a simple 10 sec jingle to a full 3min song – which can reflect the entire the pissed off mood of the local Singaporeans. There is a song on you tube from Dick Lee that uses Billy Joel’s “we did not start the fire”…I thought that was catchy and sticks on people’s minds.
4. Measure the responses from the ground:a. Prior to the Election, even now, there are so many raw sentiments on the grounds – regarding the various issues. What they think, Why they think that, and What should be done. Carefully, you need to understand that this is different from what YOU think, why YOU think that and what YOU think should be done. It is important to understand that it is NOT YOU, the Opposition Party against the PAP, but rather – it is the PEOPLE against the PAP. Carry the people’s messages effectively, and you will be OK. Position yourselves as the People’s Alternatives Voices.
Summarize what they are thinking, saying and use key Buzzwords to position your summary. If possible, use local dialects to carry these responses effectively. If financial resources, it is important to do a simple poll for these issues and these buzzwords.
b. After each rally, it is important to know what the attendees think about the speeches, the speaker and most interviewees will be more than happy to provide their responses as well as their recommendations.
Preparation is key – know what resources you have and how you can use them effectively, clear roles and responsibility should be assigned. Campaign Manager should not be just that, managing the resources as well as measuring the responses and tweaking the strategies.
The election boundaries are such that period of campaigning will be short so effective use all avail resources will be key. Even though this is a given, my suggestions maybe more applicable to 2 major difference since the last election. The Internet as well as how much more pissed off the local Singaporeans is now with their policies. These 2 things create a potent mix that may spring a surprise on the ruling party.
There are bound to be more strategies and I welcome lots more ideas to add or refine to mine, but rather than blogging about the issues, let’s consider specific strategies to win more and more votes. Let’s think differently.
The Winds of Change is blowing….
Disunity & being uninformed are primary factors in PAP’s long rule
TEMASEK REVIEW
Over the last few years there has been an increasing sense of frustration openly expressed by Singaporeans on the internet about their inability to end PAP rule. The primary reasons for the weak position of Singaporeans are the disunity amongst them and the lack of knowledge. Until these are resolved, there is no way any major change can be expected.
TYPICAL REASONS GIVEN
Two main reasons often put forth have been the disunity of opposition parties. The disunity amongst opposition parties are always cited as the main reason. This is an idiosyncratic expectation since political parties in other countries are not united either. In fact they form unity coalitions based on certain strategies only. That unity coalition is just an electoral platform / mechanism. However in Singapore there is a wierd expectation that opposition parties have to function in the same manner. Some argue that there is no unity coalition platform in Singapore either. The truth is even if there is one, they will not be able to win the majority of the votes.The other reason that is often given is the passiveness of Singaporeans who are indifferent to PAP when coming to the voting booth even though they are full of criticisms before reaching the voting booth. Some say this is due to fear and so on. Again the truth is, even if Singaporeans have the courage, they will still be voting the same manner.
DISUNITY AMONGST SINGAPOREANS
The core reason for the weakness of Singaporeans is their disunity. Any two Singaporeans of any contrasting background rarely unite in the area where they are different. Rich Singaporeans do have friends or relatives amongst poor Singaporeans. How often do you see the rich Singaporeans endevouring to uplift the economic status of their poor friends or relatives. The disunity amongst ethnic groups is so pronounced and disguised under the pretext of cliches. The Chinese Singaporeans still stick to the game of blaming the minorities for their underperformance instead of admiting to the serious flaws in the system that marginalises the minorities. The Chinese Singaporeans have plenty of expectations for the minorities but none are about uplifting the economic status. The same form of disunities can be found amongst religous groups, groups of different literacies and so on.In such a divided population, the PAP can indeed rule for another 50 years. To create unity amongst Singaporeans, they themselves have to be the drivers. Firstly they will have to bury the mistrust they carry for the last 50 years. They also have to stop the blame game. Most importantly they must dream for their fellow Singaporeans what they want for themselves.
UNINFORMED POPULATION
The majority of Singaporeans remain uninformed about the realities of PAP and Singapore. It is this lack of knowledge that gives them blind hope when they vote for PAP. In fact there are so many Singaporeans who have unwavering conviction that PAP will turn any desirable economic situation around and that nobody can create a better Singapore than PAP.
Indeed the Chinese population in Singapore never enjoyed a higher economic status in previous rules from 1819 till 1959. It was only in PAP rule that they enjoyed the highest level of economic outcomes. This is what the Chinese supporters of PAP tend to think will be eternal. Nothing in this world is eternal, especially whatever relating to mortal humans. The PAP model is in serious decline. The Chinese population have slumped in their overall economic outcomes from earlier decades due to skewness in income growth whereby the rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. This however is little understood. What is much further less understood is the fact that unless they vote out PAP, there is no reason to expect their overall economic circumstances to improve.
Even amongst the minority voters, a large majority of them do not realise that their economic status has never been any worse in the last 190 years except in the PAP era. Private home ownership rate of the Malays was extremely high in Singapore till 1959, which has slumped since then. The Indian and Arab community had significant control over the economy till 1959. Minorities fail to realise that the PAP simply excluded the minorities to the margins in their economic equation. What is interesting is that some of the biggest supporters and organisers of PAP grassroots are the Malays. For every minority henchmen and token representative PAP uses to tie down the minorities,there are a hundred waiting ernestly in the queue to replace him / her. They are driven by both greed and ignorance.
Andrew Thiam