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PAP or SDP? The future according to LKY
<TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=contentheading width="100%">PAP or SDP? The future according to LKY </TD><TD class=buttonheading align=right width="100%">
</TD><TD class=buttonheading align=right width="100%">
</TD><TD class=buttonheading align=right width="100%">
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=createdate vAlign=top>Monday, 23 March 2009 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>
Singapore Democrats
Last Friday during a talk he gave at the National University of Singapore Society, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew told the audience: "If you get capable people forming the next government, people who know what they have to do to make Singapore work, then I'm not worried. I'm not worried whether it's PAP or SDP or whatever government." (see below)
Mr Lee was looking ahead into the future on the topic Singapore and Singaporeans – Quarter Century From Now.
On the surface, such a statesmen-like observation is beyond reproach: A set of capable leaders who have the vision and the drive to make things work for the country. Now who wouldn't want such leadership?
The question is, how do these leaders rise and come to the fore? This is where one needs to separate Mr Lee's rhetoric from Mr Lee's reality.
While he acknowledges that such leaders can come from his own party or from the Singapore Democrats, he continues to ensure that only those in the PAP are presented to the Singaporean public.
The media that he controls repeatedly extol the virtues of his own people and of those he thinks serve his grand design. Of course, the SDP does not fall into those categories which is why our news are censored.
But Mr Lee knows that as much as he tries to marginalise, and even get rid of, the Singapore Democrats we are not going to go quietly into the night and hand Singapore's future on a plate to people who show utter contempt for public debate and the democratic process.
The incestuous praising of their own kind will yield a political gene pool that will prove to be anaemic and result in dysfunctionality in the long run.
If it needs to be said, capable people don't always agree. The disagreements are often vehement and sometimes even irreconcilable. But these disagreements need not be destructive for the country. In fact, history shows that great ideas and progress have often come from a clash of minds.
But society can only benefit from the contestation of political thought when the ideas of competing parties are allowed to clash in full public debate.
Mr Lee is right, however, on one score. The SDP is currently attracting capable people who will, in time, form the government.
To be certain, many of these people are presently reluctant to openly declare their support and come forward to work with us because of the oppressive nature of politics in this country. They help out behind the scenes.
But many, despite the threats they face, have openly declared their support for the Singapore Democrats and are courageously standing up to be counted.
They do so because they know where we stand and what we want for this country. We have laid out our vision clearly. We have articulated unambiguously our alternative policies and ideas. We have not been diffident about subjecting our views to public debate. We have taken on board criticisms when we have gone wrong and stoutly defended what we believe to be right.
Because of this we have been able to draw Singaporeans of substance and integrity, guided by their sense of justice and urged on by their conscience – even if it means having to endure whatever political nonsense the Government dishes out.
Money and the lure of the false prestige is not a motivator. Opportunism within the SDP is not the in-thing.
Perhaps it is this knowledge of the Singapore Democrats that prompted Mr Lee, consciously or otherwise, to acknowledge the SDP's role in Singapore's future.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=contentheading width="100%">PAP or SDP? The future according to LKY </TD><TD class=buttonheading align=right width="100%">
</TD><TD class=buttonheading align=right width="100%">
</TD><TD class=buttonheading align=right width="100%">
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=createdate vAlign=top>Monday, 23 March 2009 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>
Last Friday during a talk he gave at the National University of Singapore Society, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew told the audience: "If you get capable people forming the next government, people who know what they have to do to make Singapore work, then I'm not worried. I'm not worried whether it's PAP or SDP or whatever government." (see below)
Mr Lee was looking ahead into the future on the topic Singapore and Singaporeans – Quarter Century From Now.
On the surface, such a statesmen-like observation is beyond reproach: A set of capable leaders who have the vision and the drive to make things work for the country. Now who wouldn't want such leadership?
The question is, how do these leaders rise and come to the fore? This is where one needs to separate Mr Lee's rhetoric from Mr Lee's reality.
While he acknowledges that such leaders can come from his own party or from the Singapore Democrats, he continues to ensure that only those in the PAP are presented to the Singaporean public.
The media that he controls repeatedly extol the virtues of his own people and of those he thinks serve his grand design. Of course, the SDP does not fall into those categories which is why our news are censored.
But Mr Lee knows that as much as he tries to marginalise, and even get rid of, the Singapore Democrats we are not going to go quietly into the night and hand Singapore's future on a plate to people who show utter contempt for public debate and the democratic process.
The incestuous praising of their own kind will yield a political gene pool that will prove to be anaemic and result in dysfunctionality in the long run.
If it needs to be said, capable people don't always agree. The disagreements are often vehement and sometimes even irreconcilable. But these disagreements need not be destructive for the country. In fact, history shows that great ideas and progress have often come from a clash of minds.
But society can only benefit from the contestation of political thought when the ideas of competing parties are allowed to clash in full public debate.
Mr Lee is right, however, on one score. The SDP is currently attracting capable people who will, in time, form the government.
To be certain, many of these people are presently reluctant to openly declare their support and come forward to work with us because of the oppressive nature of politics in this country. They help out behind the scenes.
But many, despite the threats they face, have openly declared their support for the Singapore Democrats and are courageously standing up to be counted.
They do so because they know where we stand and what we want for this country. We have laid out our vision clearly. We have articulated unambiguously our alternative policies and ideas. We have not been diffident about subjecting our views to public debate. We have taken on board criticisms when we have gone wrong and stoutly defended what we believe to be right.
Because of this we have been able to draw Singaporeans of substance and integrity, guided by their sense of justice and urged on by their conscience – even if it means having to endure whatever political nonsense the Government dishes out.
Money and the lure of the false prestige is not a motivator. Opportunism within the SDP is not the in-thing.
Perhaps it is this knowledge of the Singapore Democrats that prompted Mr Lee, consciously or otherwise, to acknowledge the SDP's role in Singapore's future.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
