WP's wavering stances on NMP scheme?

[Goh Meng Seng]

Before I start, I must state that it is really regrettable that I have to criticize Mr. Low Thia Khiang in this post. I always have high regards of him and even regarded him as my First Teacher for my initiation into Singapore Opposition Politics. Even though we may have differences in opinions but I have always given him the respect of a teacher or "shifu" to me.<br />
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However, this NMP issue is just blatantly against the very fundamental principles of Democracy and Democratic Electoral Process. It is just too important to me as a matter of principles, to state categorically that even my "shifu" is just obviously wrong to be involved in this undemocratic process of selecting NMP. <br />
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When I read the news on <a href="http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/nmp-select-committee-recieves-36-proposed-names" target="_blank">Asia One with regards to the Select Committee of Nominated MP (NMP)</a>, I was quite puzzled with the composition of the Select Committee. It was reported that Mr. Low Thia Khiang, Secretary General and Party Whip of Workers Party, was included as a member of this Select Committee.<br />
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Members of the Special Select Committee are:</div>
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- Speaker Halimah Yacob (Chairman)</div>
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- Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defence and Leader of the House</div>
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-Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien, Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs</div>
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- Dr Janil Puthucheary</div>
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- Ms Ellen Lee</div>
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- Low Thia Khiang</div>
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- Masagos Zulkifli BMM, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs</div>
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- Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Communications and Information</div>
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I am puzzled because as far as I can remember, when I was still a CEC member of WP, WP's position was that NMP should be abolished. This was written in GE 2006 WP Election Manifesto. I double check on WP website for its <a href="http://wp.sg/manifesto/" target="_blank">GE 2011 Manifesto</a>, this position has not changed. It is clearly stated in Chapter 1, Section B, Para 5 that<u><i><b> "The Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) scheme should be abolished."</b></i></u><br />
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Thus, I am really puzzled why Mr. Low Thia Khiang accepted the appointment of member of the Select Committee of NMP! Mr. Low in particular, was strongly against the NMP scheme. When the parliament was debating about Constitutional Change to include the NMP scheme, he was seen clapping his hands after Dr. Tan Cheng Bock has categorically stated his stance of opposing the NMP scheme.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ABZx_gnVlP4" width="420"></iframe><br />
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The first doubt surfaces in my mind is, has Mr. Low or WP change their stance with regards to NMP scheme? If not, why is Mr. Low in the Selection Committee of NMP?<br />
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Before any WP apologists would jump in and use GRC as a justification for Mr. Low's involvement in this NMP Selection Committee, I will make distinctions between the two different issues.<br />
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First of all, even if WP or any other opposition opposition parties are against the GRC system and call for its abolishment, but do they have any CHOICE of not contesting in GRC? If they are not going to contest in GRCs, then they will make PAP very happy as that is exactly what PAP wants: to monopolize power without the need to fight for seats! And the ONLY way of changing the GRC system is to beat PAP in its own game and rules until it loses power. This could only be done by contesting in GRCs and win the seats there!<br />
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Thus for the issue of GRC system, it is a matter of the lack of alternative ways to effect a change if we do not contest in GRCs. i.e. the ONLY way to change the GRC system is to contest the GRCs even though we are against it.<br />
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But for this NMP scheme, you do not need to participate in the whole selection process which inevitably give legitimacy to the whole scheme, in order to get rid of the scheme. Thus there is absolutely no legitimate reason, in my opinion, for anyone who oppose this NMP scheme to get himself involved in the Selection Committee at all. He is practically giving support and legitimacy to the NMP scheme which is totally undemocratic by being part of the Selection Committee.<br />
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Such contradiction is just too glaring to ignore. It is a matter of big principle here; Democracy is definitely not through appointment politics. Anyone who wants to sit and speak in parliament, must go through the democratic electoral process to earn his right of representation of his constituents. The votes he gets from his constituents are the basis of his right to be part of the parliament. This is why anybody who really believe in Democracy, any self respecting Democratic fighters would go against NMP scheme as it is allowing people to walk into parliament via the backdoor. It is just blatantly wrong for Mr. Low to be involved in the Selection Committee of NMP and yet declaring his objection to this NMP scheme. He has the right and choice to decline the appointment to the Selection Committee but he chose to be involved instead.<br />
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I raise this issue here because this is of public interests and not some private matters which should be taken lightly. I believe many WP supporters, like me, would like to know why this is so. Why Mr. Low has done something which seemingly contradicted WP's as well as his own stance against NMP. Has WP and Mr Low changed their stance with regards to NMP? Have they lost their Democratic Principles? Are they just paying lip service to their belief in Democracy? Do they believe in Democracy at all? <br />
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Well, only Mr. Low Thia Khiang can explain these questions and the contradiction of his action and the words embedded in WP Manifesto.<br />
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Goh Meng Seng<br />
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After Note: Some people have suggested it may be good for Mr. Low Thia Khiang to be in the Selection Committee so that he can ensure good people and not just Pro-PAP people are nominated as NMP. They are afraid that PAP anyhow choose people to be NMPs. <br />
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I would say first of all, he is just one person against several other PAP MPs in the committee and I doubt he can prevent any "Pro-PAP" or mediocre people to be nominated as NMPs. Furthermore, if he is NOT in the Selection Committee, these "bad choices" would be seen directly as the choices of PAP alone and Singaporeans can blame PAP for that. However, now that Mr. Low is in the committee, things will not be that straight forward at all. These bad choices (if any) will be seen as the COLLECTIVE CHOICE of both PAP and WP.<br />
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This is where the legitimacy that LTK has given PAP on this NMP scheme!

 

[tanwahp]

Maybe it is time for LTK to step down from this committee since there are other WP MPs in other committees.

What I beg to differ with is what the author wrote in the following:

1. That it is "wavering".

Goh Meng Seng should know the meaning of "wavering". To waver is to move from A to B (back to A in some cases). LTK has been with the NMP selection committee since 1997 and the WP has opposed NMP scheme since the beginning. There is no wavering. The correct word is "inconsistent". I will argue in (4) why this isn't inconsistent although admittedly it can be perceived that way.

2. That it is a big issue.

LTK has been in the NMP selection committee since 1997. Goh Meng Seng chose to join WP in 2001 and did not raise this matter any time before he resigned. Either he is acting like a typical politician, or did not do his homework.

3. That LTK found his way into the committee is not justified.

In 1997, LTK was as good as the sole MP for WP. If he is appointed by parliament into any of the 8 parliamentary committees and turned down, WP would have no representation in any parliamentary committee. For argument's sake some would say it is a dereliction of duty.

4. Let us not use GRC as a justification but the Elected Presidency scheme. I am not sure what is Goh Meng Seng's position on the EP. Let's say he believes that the EP should be abolished but participated in the campaign and tried to help someone become the president, would that be inconsistency?

5. GMS gaily embedded the video of Tan Cheng Bock, a member of the PAP which started NMPs, NCMPs and GRCs despite opposing these schemes. But clearly being more interested in LTK, GMS missed out TCB's "wavering".

 

[PoliticalDialogue]

It is possible that the NMP scheme is here to stay even if WP gains considerably more seats at the next GE. The scheme might eventually evolve to form a second, unelected chamber in Parliament, similar to a number of countries, including the UK which has the unelected House of Lords. The purpose would be to have people who have specific expertise going through the reading of draft government bills forensically, i.e., with a fine tooth comb to excise out errors or potential errors. Nothing wrong with this.

 

[SockPuppet]

Mr. Goh, it is no point wasting energy critique WP. You should be deciding what you want to do to get yourself elected in 2016.
So are you going to work with Roy and activists or not?

 

[steffychun]

Hey Goh, what was your stance when you were in the party or NSP?

 

[HTOLAS]

What would you call moving from WP to NSP to being an independent anal yst who hums and haws about whether or not to come back to Singapore, or even politics?

That said, if Mr Goh were the only candidate to stand against the PAPzis, I will still vote for him, in the same way that if the only opposing candidate were a monkey.

 

[winnipegjets]

Aiyoh ...BG Goh ...have you been ordered to continue to attack the WP on the flip-flop theme?

How can it be a flip flop when the WP has not changed their position on NMP? Sitting on the committee does not mean endorsing it. You play with the cards you are dealt. Is that too hard for you to comprehend?

 

[GoMadSeng]

GMS Party Manifesto 2016

Haha.... it just prove that WP people lack creativity or even know what shame is!

Some WP people who are closer to me, have already admitted that some of their comrades have done so lah!

WP people aren't really First World and you are right, they don't make sense at all! Enough said!

WP leadership should thank me to teach their members a hard lesson on Freedom of Speech.

WP people are incapable of evolution and will continue their Dumb and Dumber ways...

One by one, WP MPs will prove to be disastrous.

It is strange Sylvia Lim didn't use her usual WP's "no comment" style when approached about this little romance.

WP MPs including LTK tried to do is to act blur about their contractor attempted to charge hawkers for high rise cleaning when they are not supposed to.

WP has lost quite a bit of respect from the middle ground with such wishy washy dealings

I know WP is now a famous University of Smart Alec

LTK has already surrendered, putting his head into the sand like an ostrich

CSM is "opportunist" when he spent most of his time, decades, outside Singapore but only come back for the GE when it was due in 2011.

It is apparent that the way WP handled this issue is dishonest and the quotation has actually put more doubts on WP's management.

Just too bad, SL and LTK have to continue that dishonest line of argument.

WP AHTC just act blur, see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil.

Has it occurred to you that it would be worst if VB mentioned about that email, to make a solid point about WP's inconsistent dishonest flip flop in its argument?

Don't underestimate PM Lee, he won't just step in if he doesn't have full confidence in the case.

I feel so sorry for WP and its people to stoop so low in standards

WP still stinks like shit to many people.

No wonder WP has tripped over itself again and again

It doesn't really matter, what matters most is that NEA is a valid point against WP.

Those WP amateurs have made it so bloody crude by taking photo of themselves with those boxes of masks!

WP just condone such acts and behavior from ATL, shaking off its responsibility.

I know WP can hardly read properly and that is why they keep tripping all over the place.

Alas... you have missed the point totally! Vivian B is just trying to be sarcastic lah!

Pritam has outdone himself again with this silly press statement.

Sylvia should not come out to accuse NEA of playing politics

haha... Pritam is hopeless.

Ego is with the Smart Alec WP before that.

WP cannot be excused of its faults.

Just too bad, all point to bad contradictions of WP AHTC.

WP should stop playing victim now. This is what NEA has attacked them. Don't need to snake in and out.

Why didn't WP do just that? Talk so much for what?

WP has screwed up big time.

WP has made terrible error. It is lucky that I am not the reporter

WP should do a political retreat, apologize and promise to investigate and review the system they have now.

Pritam can't even get basic facts right on what NEA is attacking AHTC of and yet he dares to write such press statement?

Can someone tell Pritam stop embarrassing himself can or not?

WP has been checkmated, dude.

Just to show what is fundamentally wrong with WP....

This may look as if it is a small matter right from the start but WP screw it up even bigger than it is supposed to be.

You will have to face this flatly, WP is walking down the slippery slope of cronyism.

WP is unprofessional. Any professional service and solution provider will always be there to solve problems, not to push blame later.

I guess whole lot of WP members will fall into your category of opportunists!

WP people are trained to shut up on policy issues but just attacking their critics...

I am sorry but I guess WP IB people also short of fuse as well.

Sometimes I feel that these Blue WP warriors are just too over-sensitive! Maybe even guilty-conscience!

WP is always playing safe but just get whatever good returns from other people's fight

To let WP lead such a movement is really funny.

WP people have been going around to sourly slime other people's good work, out of fear? Jealousy? Envy?

WP needs the change quite badly. This is already past the half way point since last GE2011. The whole problem of WP, from weak performance in Parliament to FMSS, all point to the need to change leadership.

LTK looks very pathetic when he needs to listen to interpretation while PM Lee hoot him while he tried very hard and sometimes LOST when he translated his thoughts from Chinese to English.

I think WP has lots of lapses and room for improvement.

WP the largest opposition only put up posters 3-4 days AFTER nomination day! If they are really serious about contesting, will that happen? Masak Masak, play play, just like chope place with tissue paper lah!

Well, WP people aren't objective at all.

ALL the press releases by WP in recent year will start with praising PAP first, without biting at all!

WP seems to be praising PAP more than attacking PAP policies and actions while other people like me and other activists are doing more than WP!

I am always supportive of WP. In fact, I spent more time supporting WP than any other party because I bother to write about their failings and things they should avoid; Critiques on the flaws and failings are very important for organization to grow and get better.