Is the Workers' Party too quiet for Singaporeans?

[popdod]

I believe that Low did tried to grow opposition in numbers.

In GE 2001... WP fielded 2 candidates

In GE 2006... WP fielded 20 candidates

As for reaching more people & engaging them.. it will depend on whether the people accept the opposition parties as part of their lifestyle. For example, in GRC like Tampines & Pasir Ris-Punggol where I stayed & worked there for many years.. people there dun like opposition members & unlikely want to listen to their talking

Not enough other races members, will lose these races votes.
WP seems like a chinese clan party.

:o :( :o

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

IF WP has the capability to field 60 or even 84, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

"the latter would not like it?"
Wow, when did WP becomes Buddha! Hahaha...

If WP could field all 84, or even just 64, I could well retire from politics and live happily after!

I mean, there will be enough people to play the game and I will be pretty contended to just go and vote is necessary. Of course, I will make sure I vote properly.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Perspective]

IF WP has the capability to field 60 or even 84, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

"the latter would not like it?"
Wow, when did WP becomes Buddha! Hahaha...

I'm sorry, when did I become WP or 'Buddha'?

Odd. Have I been speaking up a lot for WP? Seems now 2 link me to a WP spokesperson.

 

[Ramseth]

If WP could field all 84, or even just 64, I could well retire from politics and live happily after!

I mean, there will be enough people to play the game and I will be pretty contended to just go and vote is necessary. Of course, I will make sure I vote properly.

Goh Meng Seng

When PAP tells voters to vote "properly", it means vote PAP.

When you (or other opposition, except YSL), it means vote opposition.

In a proper sense, only middle ground swing voters exercise any meaningful degree of proper voting, i.e. unbiasedly thinking through the pros and cons, past and present, before deciding for whom to cast their votes.

 

[Sideswipe]

Not enough other races members, will lose these races votes.
WP seems like a chinese clan party.

:o :( :o

How many minorities MPs or candidates do one want?

1 minority per 5 member GRC is 20%. Singapore 25% minorities. This ratio is reasonable.

To raise it to 2 minority per 5 member GRC would be 40%. minorities would be over-represented. Didn't WP contest Aljunied GRC with 2?

 

[Robert Half]

Same as NCMP. There are only 3 scales - one for MP, one for NCMP/NMP, one zero. Ministers are MPs but do not get MP allowance.

There are still professionials like VP of banks or MNCs applied to become NMP to up their social profiles.

I would personally think NMPs are independent individuals and do not represent any political parties and SMC.

Singapore still need elected opposition MPs not even NCMPs

 

[yellow_people]

Worker Party has 1 + 1 = 3% of seats in Parliament.

How much noise do one expect WP to make?

Life is not complicated. The peasants have already sent out the straightforward messages through their votes last GE that they don't want the oppositions in Parliament by voting in the PAP MPs in all contestable constituencies.

Thus why should the oppositions make so much noise? The peasants have already tell them frankly to shut up.

Sounds more like an pathetic excuse. JBJ was the the only WP candidate in parliament for quite some time since 1981 up to his subsequent removal and yet he was not only able to make his presence felt but made many an MP dread parliament sessions. LKY had to personally debate him for hours on end.

Despite that, I do not expect opposition like LTK and his new WP to make much of an impact at all. But he can do Singaporeans as a whole a favor by not boot-licking the PAP and LKY. Case to point there was absolutely no need for LTK to jump to LKY's defence over Viswa Sadasivan's maiden speech in parliament and state the pledge should not be brought up in parliamentary debates. There were numerous national issues Sadasivan brought up in his speech that Singaporeans in general could relate too and agreed with. Was LTK in disagreement with Sadasivan's speech? Worst of all LTK gave the impression of being a PAP boot-licker.

Stay quiet or shut the fuck up if you must or are afraid to speak up against the PAP abuses but its distasteful to get on bended knee and parrot or boot-lick the PAP. This is not the first time LTK has done so either.

grumble about LTK?
Did any of you voted LTK in? most likely no.
LTK is directly answerable to only Hougang residents as he is their MP. As the leader of Worker Party, he is not answerable to any of us since none of their candidates are elected into parliament. Even if you vote for WP last GE, it's useless too as in a plurality voting system - defeated votes are wasted votes. our votes mean nothing in defeat.

If it all boils down to choosing a candidate who can best manage the town councils, which is what the PAP are champions at and love to see btw, then there is no compelling reason to vote for opposition candidates at all. I believe national issues like CPF, influx of foreigners, inflated HDB prices, stifling environment are reasons why the few opposition candidates we have in parliament was voted in to begin with. LTK is not a village chief of Hougang and should consider himself as one either. If he does so its going to be at the detriment of his party.

 

[yellow_people]

How many minorities MPs or candidates do one want?

1 minority per 5 member GRC is 20%. Singapore 25% minorities. This ratio is reasonable.

To raise it to 2 minority per 5 member GRC would be 40%. minorities would be over-represented. Didn't WP contest Aljunied GRC with 2?

You are missing the point. How many Indian, Malay or Eurasian WP members are there in WP as a whole? 1? Maybe a couple more in the youth wing? James Gomez is no longer with the WP and I doubt very much he believes in the WP platform any more. Jufrie once a WP member is now with the SDP. Popdod's point is that without these minority races in the party, the WP will not be able to field a team to contest the GRC in the first place.

 

[scroobal]

Excellent post bro. Good to have you back on this track. Best post in months.

Opposition and opposition supporters have to treat such criticisms as wholesome feedback so that these parties and their followers can realign their sights and do better.

Stay quiet or shut the fuck up if you must or are afraid to speak up against the PAP abuses but its distasteful to get on bended knee and parrot or boot-lick the PAP. This is not the first time LTK has done so either.


If it all boils down to choosing a candidate who can best manage the town councils, which is what the PAP are champions at and love to see btw, then there is no compelling reason to vote for opposition candidates at all. I believe national issues like CPF, influx of foreigners, inflated HDB prices, stifling environment are reasons why the few opposition candidates we have in parliament was voted in to begin with. LTK is not a village chief of Hougang and should consider himself as one either. If he does so its going to be at the detriment of his party.

 

[Sideswipe]

Sounds more like an pathetic excuse. JBJ was the the only WP candidate in parliament for quite some time since 1981 up to his subsequent removal and yet he was not only able to make his presence felt but made many an MP dread parliament sessions. LKY had to personally debate him for hours on end.


If it all boils down to choosing a candidate who can best manage the town councils, which is what the PAP are champions at and love to see btw, then there is no compelling reason to vote for opposition candidates at all. I believe national issues like CPF, influx of foreigners, inflated HDB prices, stifling environment are reasons why the few opposition candidates we have in parliament was voted in to begin with. LTK is not a village chief of Hougang and should consider himself as one either. If he does so its going to be at the detriment of his party.

JBJ and LTK are different characters and work differently as an opposition MP.
JBJ didn't change anything in parliament during his years there. Our 2 Oppositions can't do much now either

If the peasants want to see a change in national policies, we have to vote the opposition candidates in masses. Parliament is solely about strength in numbers. PAP will review their policies for the country if they realized, they are losing votes because of unpopular policies.

agree LTK should not consider himself a village chief but he is nothing more than a village chief too. Some peoples like to think LTK represent Singapore opposition voters but no, he isn't. LTK is not a nationwide MP, just a MP for Hougang residents.

The real reality is a majority of 1 lawmaker control Parliament, form the cabinet and win any voting issues. 2,10 or 30 oppositions MPs all no use.

 

[yellow_people]

JBJ and LTK are different characters and work differently as an opposition MP.
JBJ didn't change anything in parliament during his years there. Our 2 Oppositions can't do much now either

If the peasants want to see a change in national policies, we have to vote the opposition candidates in masses. Parliament is solely about strength in numbers. PAP will review their policies for the country if they realized, they are losing votes because of unpopular policies.

agree LTK should not consider himself a village chief but he is nothing more than a village chief too. Some peoples like to think LTK represent Singapore opposition voters but no, he isn't. LTK is not a nationwide MP, just a MP for Hougang residents.

The real reality is a majority of 1 lawmaker control Parliament, form the cabinet and win any voting issues. 2,10 or 30 oppositions MPs all no use.

How dumb do you take the voter for? The electorate knows that if they keep voting opposition candidates like the ones from WP, it will only embolden even more "pretenders" in the mold of WP who either "take cover" or go MIA or boot-lick PAP. And somehow that's going to drive the PAP to review its policies?? Fuck NO.

 

[yellow_people]

Interesting enough, majority of those who commented were disappointed with WP's lack of voices in various issues. Some even stated categorically that they may just spoil their votes if WP stands in their wards.

I have been saying this for more than a year now. These people who commented are hard-core opposition supporters (some 15% of the electorate) and the WP have tragically presented this important segment of the electorate, a Hobson's choice. Most of them including yours truly will spoil the vote if it comes down to having to choose between the PAP and WP. As an opposition victory, from past results has always been narrow and comes down the wire, without these voters, WP has absolutely no chance of securing a victory and even LTK could even be in serious trouble in Hougang. The WP evidently can't even be bothered with feedback.