Apology to the Workers Party

[Fook Seng]

VW may just be the fix for now. Someone with vocal chords and fire in the belly and a wider bandwidth for issues in parliament, yet his Party continuing to do the legwork.

WP's vocal presence has been too quiet on other than bread-butter issues, which would not win votes from the English-educated middle class.

The WP is strong as a party but this time around, individual-wise, SDP seems to me to have the stronger candidate for the occasion.

Let there be alternatives, even with the Opposition bench. This way, we can go into GE2016 stronger.

I subscribe to the view that some "reserved settings" have to be respected for significant ground efforts done. If not how then could one decide on which party should represent the Opposition to stand in which war? It is naïveté thinking that a party who thinks it has done hard work in a ward would give way to another that it thinks had not. This will only set a precedence for multi-cornered fights, setting back the Opposition ambition by a generation. We all know that multi-cornered fights make it harder for the Opposition to win.

Much of what had been spoken in the public forum, blogs, websites can these be voiced similarly in Parliament. I really doubt this can carry far in the Q&A process of a Parliamentary setting to be opened for full blown discussion, lest be adopted nationally for implementation. If the PAP would be willing to go with this style of parliamentary debate, a lot more of the Singapore's governance issues could have been resolved this. They believe in the absolute and total mandate to govern the moment they get a simple majority of the seats and they have much more than two-thirds. They can afford to lose one or two seats by avoiding BE and yet maintaining a two-thirds majority. In fact, my fear is that fearing a further lowering of popular votes, the ruling party would further tighten the rules in its favour if the Opposition does nothing about the two-thirds majority which to me is imperative to be brought down ASAP.

How to do it? Parties are divided on methods: working the ground or strongly criticizing government policies and offer alternative solutions to gain public support. For the former, it is done outside of parliament. You do not need a parliamentary seat to do it but it can help as you will necessarily be engaged fully on the ground if you do. For the latter, again a Parliamentary seat will not help much to push alternative ideas into implementation, not when the PAP is the ruling party anyway. In fact, discussing outside of Parliament gives these alternative ideas more scope for exposition, not being limited by time and relevance that a parliamentary setting will ensure. Anyway, the micro-level that alternative solutions have been brought up in the public forum, if submitted to parliament will easily be torn to pieces in a Q&A setting. It is easy, given time to do some research to put up an alternative solution but it needs even greater effort, research and access to data to withstand impromptu questioning in parliament. I doubt many of these so-called strong speakers can really handle these, from both sides of the camp without the support of the civil service without regularly having to apologise for mistakes. For the Opposition, the key role in parliament at this moment is to criticize policies until such a time it is ready to take over as government, in which case it should have its own army of professional researchers to offer viable alternative solutions.

I think we should also take lessons from past elections and that is what is so virally discussed in new media does not necessarily reflect the true sentiment on the ground. Otherwise TJS with his sometimes more than 75% support in cyberspace would have been the President and not TT.

 

[PTADER]

Once again we can see Sinkies' simple minds are centuries behind the ang mos in evolution.
If the ang mo is driving an Evo X then Sinkies are driving Evo I.
The ang mos understood the simple concept if you bicker among yourself you will get no wehere.
Maybe because the Yanks went through a painful civil war... is that what it takes for Sinkies to wise up?
TS is a classic example of "Sinkie" - a term coined by Tonychat (for definition pls ask the man himself)
They will rather be lord over by their hated master than to see their fellow siblings succeed.
They will rather fight their siblings than their hated masters.
They think they are articulate and sarcastic but to me that is mere stupidity.

You are correct on two counts. Ang mos do not bicker and Sinkies are stupid.

The last "ang mo" election I observed had the US Republicans contenders holding hands, cuddling each other and singing kumbaya as they lovingly kissed and caressed each other in their bid to convince each other to fall out of the Presidential race.

In France, it has become regular for political parties to form coalition government because the major centre left and centre right parties and a host of many "boh tua boh suay" parties do not only bicker but have the temerity to contest in elections and, even worse, win.

In an "ang mo" country nearer Singapore, there are only two parties, Labor and Liberals. That is why parties like the Australian Greens, Katter's Australian Party, Family First Party, Shooters and Fishers Party, Christian Democratic Party, Democratic Labor Party, Dignity for Disability parties do not bicker and defer to these two parties. They do not partake in State and Federal elections but somehow, manage to win seats in either State or Federal Elections. It is also why 4 individuals who ran as Independents are now holding the balance of power in the Australian Federal Parliament.

But you are right. We are Sinkies and we do not know what we want.

We must only know what the PAP wants. It has become worse now. We must not only know what the PAP wants but must also know what the WP wants. If we not not know what the PAP wants, we will get spurs slammed into our hides. If we do not know what the WP wants, we are stupid.

For simple minded and stupid Sinkies like us, it is all very confusing. My plea to the WP and its members, astroturfers and supporters is to please be gentle and patient with us Sinkies.

 

[Lestat]

My point is that WP is not prepared to take on serious and big issues because they do not have the confidence or the mettle to handle such issues. They therefore work hard on the ground to build support or retain support. Getting the support is not the end. There is a job to do.

If the PAP was smart, they will not pay any attention to WP at all and eventually people will move away from WP, based on parliamentary performance. Parliamentary performance is not just on the floor of Parliament but tackling national issues across various media, raising support and profile, getting people to focus on important issues as well as looking after constituents' needs.

By now PAP should know that WP only reacts aggressively when allegations or issues affects them directly. The sell and leaseback for computer financial software is a case in point. Another is TCH's unnecessary comments and interference during Hougang BE. if he did not do anything during the Hougang BE, there will no issues to latch onto.

My sincere believe is that party members and those with relatives siting in CEC can convince the CEC to separate Town Council and Parliamentary work in 2 equal parts and pay equal attention. To see progress , you will need to rate them separately at least annually and also seek the views of others outside the party. The other thing is that the CEC composition is a dead giveaway on the quality of candidates. This is despite the stringent recruitment process.

If you recall a party member recently put out a list of all the things that WP have been doing to dismiss detractors comments. That list is also another insight where the focus lies. I don't blame the party member/blogger as it has been institutionalised over years.

Points mentioned above, well said.

 

[PTADER]

JBJ just like CSJ always came up with excuses to explain away his actions. Everyone knows that there are people standing in reserve in the event of someone, a GRC candidate or an assentor, fails to show up on Nomination Day. (The idea that JBJ would not have people standing by is not credible, especially given JBJ's view that time was running out for him..) In the Marine Parade BE in 1992, which was called to allow JBJ to stand, JBJ disputed CST's statement that the then SDP had a right to field a team as it was the rising force after the 1991 GE. JBJ wanted to avoid the two strongest opposition parties slugging it out in a constituency which would leave him defeated and his party battered. JBJ was hoping that SDP would not field a team and allow him a clear run. SDP fielded a team led by CSJ, whoi simply ignored JBJ. JBJ then chickened out. JBJ will not tell the media he chickened out, so he contrived a phoney excuse.The wheel has turned full circle. Some people do indeed believe that they are "above". They will get to see whether the voters agree with that, and also the lay of the land, in a multi-cornered fight.

As you are one of the very wise and highly intelligent WP crowd that I referred to in my first post, I ran another check after reading your response. What I found is shown in blue.

As Chiam See Tong declared to Lee Kuan Yew in Parliament in 1985: "Well, if the Prime Minister says so, it must be so."

Lee Kuan Yew said Jeyaratnam "chickened out". And like CST, I too subscribe to this passionate belief that whatever LKY says so, must be so. Now that I have added confirmation from a trustworthy and reliable WP source like you that JBJ "chickend out", I believe it, doubly so.


Jeyaretnam says he won't lose sleep over PAP's comments.
147th Prostitute Press, 21 December 1992


SINGAPORE - Workers' Party leader J B Jeyaretnam yesterday dismissed speculation that he and his party were fading from the political scene, saying he would not lose any sleep over anything the People's Action Party said about him.

"They are entitled to say what they want but that doesn't mean that's the gospel truth!" said Mr Jeyaretnam when asked to comment on the remarks of the Prime Minister and Senior Minister about the WP's last-minute pullout from the by-election.

"Mr Jeyaretnam decided to chicken out," said SM Lee Kuan Yew at a PAP rally last Thursday...."

 

[kukubird58]

hahaha.....ang mos do not bicker???
During USA 2000 PE, George Bush vs Al Gore, there was a controvesy in the swing state of Florida...
the matter went to the Supreme Court and George Bush was declared the winner....
until today, there is still doubt about who would won the election if a recount was allowed to proceed.

 

[ray_of_hope]

JBJ, the lionheart in the eyes of his acolytes, chickened out in 1992. I am sure CSJ has noticed that and perhaps, to avoid being called a chicken, he will do as he has already announced and field a candidate at Punggol East. We therefore look forward to the headlines in the print media, especially The New Paper -- the most trustworthy source, as 60% of the voters in Holland-Bukit Timah affirmed in 2011.

 

[tanwahp]

JBJ, the lionheart in the eyes of his acolytes, chickened out in 1992.

That is not a fair statement. One of the WP candidates in JBJ's team was late.

After being banned for 10 years, JBJ couldn't wait to contest.

I always find it a pity that WP could not contest Marine Parade. A WP team led by former JBJ with 1 seat in parliament and a team led by SDP which had Chee in the team and 3 seats in parliament including Chiam. It would have been a keen fight.

If JBJ contested back then, it would have a lot of bearing on politics today.

 

[ray_of_hope]

That is not a fair statement. One of the WP candidates in JBJ's team was late.

After being banned for 10 years, JBJ couldn't wait to contest.

I always find it a pity that WP could not contest Marine Parade. A WP team led by former JBJ with 1 seat in parliament and a team led by SDP which had Chee in the team and 3 seats in parliament including Chiam. It would have been a keen fight.

If JBJ contested back then, it would have a lot of bearing on politics today.

Read what I said in #38.

 

[kukubird58]

hahaha....i don't know if jbj chickened out in 1992.....
but i have no pity for a team that cannot get a simple act together; i.e. to keep time for such an important appointment.
whose fault???
of course papee's fault lah....for not extending the deadline.

 

[tanwahp]

Read what I said in #38.

JBJ was confident of his chances in MP and will not back out just because he saw a SDP team.

The press can count the number of candidates that stood with JBJ at the nomination center. If the press saw a full team, they will never believe JBJ and seek to expose him as a coward. They must have seen that JBJ was short of one.

 

[ray_of_hope]

JBJ was confident of his chances in MP and will not back out just because he saw a SDP team.

The press can count the number of candidates that stood with JBJ at the nomination center. If the press saw a full team, they will never believe JBJ and seek to expose him as a coward. They must have seen that JBJ was short of one.

You accept his explanation? I am happy for you and the TS.

 

[Sideswipe]

hahaha....i don't know if jbj chickened out in 1992.....
but i have no pity for a team that cannot get a simple act together; i.e. to keep time for such an important appointment.
whose fault???
of course papee's fault lah....for not extending the deadline.

of course pap's fault. 1 to 2 hours for election registration. time so short. pap did that to purposely sabo our oppositions so that they can walkover the seats. the oppositions always fill wrongly the forms, arrived late, arrived already then have to go toilet pansai. time is too tight for our oppositions.

thailand have one whole week to register as an election candidate. we should extend the time. seriously, half a day will do just fine. 1 or 2 hours so short for what ?

 

[kukubird58]

of course pap's fault. 1 to 2 hours for election registration. time so short. pap did that to purposely sabo our oppositions so that they can walkover the seats. the oppositions always fill wrongly the forms, arrived late, arrived already then have to go toilet pansai. time is too tight for our oppositions.

thailand have one whole week to register as an election candidate. we should extend the time. seriously, half a day will do just fine. 1 or 2 hours so short for what ?

hahaha...maybe opps should raise this an election issue......lol.

 

[ray_of_hope]

If they claim they cannot get their people ready and file their forms at the stipulated time, they want us to believe they would make good MPs? I see.

 

[kukubird58]

Disappointed JBJ says time is running out for him.
10 December 1992, 147th Prostitute Press (Business Times Division)

"WORKERS' PARTY secretary-general J B Jeyaretnam said yesterday he was disappointed at not being able to contest the Marine Parade by-election, as time might be running out for him.

The Workers' Party failed to file nomination papers on time because one of its slate of four members did not turn up. When nominations closed at noon, only Mr Jeyaretnam, Jufrie Mahmood and party chairman Tan Bin Seng were present at the registration centre.

Party member Gan Eng Guan came running into the centre five minutes after nominations closed, leading many reporters to think he was the fourth man.

But at a press conference later, Mr Jeyaretnam said Mr Gan was not the missing candidate, whom he described as a graduate in his 30s. He said he had yet to find out what had happened...."

hahaha....i was wrong on the fact....so the 4th member was not late....it appeared that he went missing.....
so what happened to him????
was he kidnapped by papee supporters on the way or what???
can some wise guy provide closure to this chapter on the mystery of the missing member.

 

[lockeliberal]

Dear PT

Does LTK have his flaws ? Hell yes. But he wins against the odds. From the first day we have debated I have made the same two points over and over again, the objective is now how bad or how good, or how pure ideologically , politically , any one opposition party is, the objective is to hurt the PAP by beating it at its own game. If it means leaders who sell their souls to the devil so be it because its exactly what LKY did in a fuastian bargaining with the " devil "

WP cannot win without SDP supporters, SDP cannot win without WP supporters, no amount of bitching about LTK WP or SDP changes this one iota. I fully acknowlege that the party I support has to push more even as the SDP adopts its ground game. I really do not care who wins but someone has to WIN



Locke

Dear Bro Lockeliberal,

I have been wrong on many, many counts; from criticising the Venerable Low Thia Khiang to slamming the WP (and even criticising and slamming Goh Meng Seng. As a short aside and if you still remember, GMS was then the hero and darling of the WP members, crowd and supporters for his inate talent and special abilities in criticising, denigrating and condemning non-WP individuals and non-WP political parties).

If you remember, I was the one who introduced the label "WP Baru" to denigrate the WP under what I then saw was the racist, insipid and cowardly leadership of Low Thia Khiang. I did so for several reasons. Chief of this was my naive but sincere belief that Singapore must never turn Sinocentric and that it must always be sincerely committed to multi-racialism as a genuine political and national belief and not for political expediency or so that political parties will be able to field a GRC team. Commitment to and multi-racialism must be an unshakeable belief and not political tokenism. I also felt that politics should never just be about the running and management of Town Councils or grassroot works. I then felt and sincerely believe that politics is about the national vision, economy, security, strategic directions for the future and other "high brow" issues.

At that time, I felt that Low Thia Khiang was not up to the task and that he is and would amount to nothing more than a Sinocentric penghulu of a kampung (that's "village chief" for those who come from SAP schools or who do not know the national language) and no more. With the passing of time and with 6 WP MPs+ 2 WP NCMPs in Parliament , I can see that I was wrong and am embarassed and ashamed to admit that I was wrong.

With a Sikh and a Malay MP and Sylvia Lim's view "that it has been the party’s experience that Indians tend to leave after getting party cadreship" the WP has clearly demonstrated it is not resorting to political tokenism but is indeed committed to multi-racialism as a genuine political belief. Politics, as I have now realised, is indeed about the running of Town Councils and grassroot work. The bonus in having the WP in Parliament though is that the WP MPs not only excel in the running of their Town Councils. They excel as Parliamentarians as well. Their convincing, dizzying and sizzling parliamentary performances is nothing short of scintillating. Their fearless, fearsome and robust engagements in parliamentary debates on "weighty" issues augurs well for the present and the future of Singapore.

I hope the WP members/ astroturfers, crowd and supporters have, in that little corner of their big hearts, the magnamity to forgive me for my past trangressions.

You all were right. I was wrong.

Yours remorsefully,
PTADER

 

[mojito]

In an "ang mo" country nearer Singapore, there are only two parties, Labor and Liberals.

Three, including conservatives.

That is why parties like the Australian Greens, Katter's Australian Party, Family First Party, Shooters and Fishers Party, Christian Democratic Party, Democratic Labor Party, Dignity for Disability parties do not bicker and defer to these two parties. They do not partake in State and Federal elections but somehow, manage to win seats in either State or Federal Elections. It is also why 4 individuals who ran as Independents are now holding the balance of power in the Australian Federal Parliament.

Australian MPs do not have to manage town councils and play deity to peasant petitions. Where were you living all this while?

 

[zeebjii]

JBJ, the lionheart in the eyes of his acolytes, chickened out in 1992. I am sure CSJ has noticed that and perhaps, to avoid being called a chicken, he will do as he has already announced and field a candidate at Punggol East. We therefore look forward to the headlines in the print media, especially The New Paper -- the most trustworthy source, as 60% of the voters in Holland-Bukit Timah affirmed in 2011.

JBJ chickened out? Says who? LKY? Are you still in primary school? That's 4 questions for you.

 

[zeebjii]

You accept his explanation? I am happy for you and the TS.

So you think they should believe you and LKY instead? LOL of the year.:oIo:

 

[Fook Seng]

If they claim they cannot get their people ready and file their forms at the stipulated time, they want us to believe they would make good MPs? I see.

Maybe in the distant past this could be the case and a couple of hours registration time could be enough but today with the dysfunctional transportation system and network, such an important process in our democratic system should be given a longer processing time otherwise I really think it should be brought up at election rallies to show once again as an example of how the ruling party fixes the opposition.