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Prata Man : Discontent will undo Singapore's progress

makapaaa

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23-1-2015 4:39 AM http://sgfuck.org/mybb/images/mobile/posted_0.gif Post: #1
sgbuffett http://sgfuck.org/mybb/images/buddy_offline.gif
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Ex-president S R Nathan said that he is worried about the rising discontent in Singapore and he believed that Singapore will go downhill, if the discontent is not properly managed.

"If this discontent gets out of hand, as a nation we risk stepping on to a slippery slope, a return to the uncertainties of the days before we joined Malaysia and then became independent," Mr Nathan said.

"We could be in danger of losing the progress that we've made over the years. We must all be prepared to compromise," he also said in his book.

Mr Nathan said this at the launch of his book, 'S R Nathan In Conversation', at the Singapore Management University on Monday.

"I have never been directly involved in politics as a politician, and I have no intention of straying into areas of policy that are properly the territory of the elected government," Mr Nathan said.

"But I have allowed myself to ponder on some of the ways in which our society is evolving, for example with the growth of new media, and what this could mean for us in future."

He said that because of new media, the dissatisfaction shown by Singaporeans is being magnified.

He also said that new media has changed the way politics is discussed in Singapore.

"Reasoned political discourse and intelligent, constructive criticism are rare in this online world," he said.

He felt that there are critics who mean well and are constructive but "For some, it's a kind of sport. 'He's walloping so-and-so, I'm very happy, I'll join in'."

It is a pity, however, that, Mr Nathan would choose to criticise Singaporeans who take to new media to critique the government.

Mr Nathan said that he is concerned that there is distrust shown by Singaporeans against the government, and he is also worried about the abuse shown.

However, what Mr Nathan failed to acknowledge in his speech is that Singaporeans have gotten upset and angry with the government because the latter has not listened and responded to the worries of Singaporeans.

Where Singaporeans have called for the government to manage housing prices, reduce healthcare and transport costs, provide more subsidies for education and increase wages, these have all fallen on deaf ears. The government has turned a blind eye to these, causing Singaporeans to feel that the government has turned its back against the very people who had voted for it.


Moreover, with the issue of CPF, the government has continously tried to sidestep the issue, amidst calls from Singaporeans for more transparency and accountability from the government in its management. Also, even as Singaporeans ask for the CPF interest rates to increase so as to allow the CPF to actually grow, the government has chosen not to address this point at all.

Indeed, Mr Nathan is right when he said that "We must all be prepared to compromise."

However, what Mr Nathan failed to see is that it is the PAP government that needs to compromise. Have Singaporeans not been compromising for long enough, for at least the past 20, 30 years?

Singaporeans have allowed the PAP to run them over with policies that would marginalise and even victimise them, where poverty has increased from about 15 percent in 2000 to 30 percent today, and where prices across the board have doubled or tripled but where real wages have remained stagnant for the past 20 years.

The concerns and worries that Singaporeans have are real and it is derisory to deride Singaporeans as not being able to manage their anger and to criticise Singaporeans for it.

It is the case that Singaporeans have been unable to openly critique the government for the first 40 years of Singapore's history since independence from the British, and where new media finally allowed them to do so, instead of responding to Singaporeans' concerns, the government has instead found a way to block Singaporeans out from its senses and ignore Singaporeans.

As such, the anger and sentiments online might seem disproportionate to Mr Nathan, and in fact, to the PAP ministers and members of parliament, whom have been seen as being out of touch and detached from Singaporeans.

But if Mr Nathan and the PAP were to understand the real concerns of Singaporeans and trace the sociopolitical developments as to how the lack of the freedom of expression has created the distorted discourse online, then Mr Nathan would learn to be more sympathetic and empathetic to the needs of Singaporeans.

Yes, there is a need to compromise. But if Mr Nathan would be willing to see it, it is Singaporeans who have bent so far backwards to compromise that it is time the PAP do their part and play ball. The PAP cannot continue to allow itself to win elections after elections, and then introduce policies that allow itself to benefit at the expense of Singaporeans.

Where the PAP has each time increased its own salaries and consequently also increased income inequality in Singapore, then the PAP has to take a good hard look at itself and ask if the dissatisfaction online is justified or if it is a figment of imagination to the PAP.

Yes, there is a need to compromise, Mr Nathan, but if the PAP has kept pushing Singaporeans to the wall, it is perhaps the PAP that needs to do the compromising now.
 

vtran2684

Alfrescian
Loyal
"I have never been directly involved in politics as a politician, and I have no intention of straying into areas of policy that are properly the territory of the elected government"

As Iceman would say to Maverick in Top Gun

BULLSHIT.
 

winnipegjets

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
PAP is in a state of panic ...in the past, they were able to prevent dissatisfaction from emerging as the PAP press only pumps out only approved news.

Now, the PAP cannot contain the loud voices of criticism and the intense scrutiny. They have the IB which is a dismal failure.

The only solution to our problems is to get rid of the PAP, People like Nathan should be investigated.
 

vtran2684

Alfrescian
Loyal
PAP is in a state of panic ...in the past, they were able to prevent dissatisfaction from emerging as the PAP press only pumps out only approved news.

Now, the PAP cannot contain the loud voices of criticism and the intense scrutiny. They have the IB which is a dismal failure.

The only solution to our problems is to get rid of the PAP, People like Nathan should be investigated.

he probably has a get away plan.
 

Froggy

Alfrescian (InfP) + Mod
Moderator
Generous Asset
Undo Singapore's progress? What progress? PAP standard? This country had deteriorated year after year under this current regime how far downhill should the people allow it to go? It is time to kick out Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsirn Loong and all their cronies now before it's too late.
 

halsey02

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Prataman got pension as a civil servant ...pension as a president ...this prataman is living off us.

Have you seen leeches or have been bitten by one? used to roam the shrubs & hills here & elsewhere...they are small black thing that will anchor onto you & gets inflated & FAT after sucking your blood. The only way to get rid of them, is to carry cigarettes ( I don't smoke) & higher to burn them off....

But the 60% have good blood in them & they are al right with all the "leeches" sucking off them......:biggrin:
 

shittypore

Alfrescian
Loyal
Undo Singapore's progress? What progress? PAP standard? This country had deteriorated year after year under this current regime how far downhill should the people allow it to go? It is time to kick out Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsirn Loong and all their cronies now before it's too late.

PAP still treats Sinlies as Gong kias. Lets us unite and vote these ungratefull LHL and his cronies out.
 

mojito

Alfrescian
Loyal
Singaporeans will undo Singapore. Loyal civil servants do you hear me? The fate of Singapore is in your hands. Don't try anything foolish with your votes.
 

laksaboy

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Hey, Ah Neh SELECTED president, I thought you are happily retired? Why bark like a dog for your masters? Have they. in their desperation, turned to you to speak up for them?

What a sack of shit you are, Traitor-Nathan.:oIo:
 

Spock

Alfrescian
Loyal
Just another rehash of the tired refrain that we know what is best for you and we are here to protect you from making foolish decisions that you will repent on later.

He should have just left it at "He said that because of new media, the dissatisfaction shown by Singaporeans is being magnified." and leave it to the elections to prove the statement's veracity.
 

frenchbriefs

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
if society cannot live cohesively and in peace and harmony how can it possibly survive and thrive?to add on to the social tension is huge wealth inequality.most successful and most admired countries in the west have relatively low gini coefficient.a society whereby there is such huge gulfs between classes can only lead to further conflict and friction.
 

Cerebral

Alfrescian (InfP) [Comp]
Generous Asset
I thought SDP is calling PAP to a debate on policies? That would be a quality intellectual political discourse. Why did they not take it up?
 

SockPuppet

Alfrescian
Loyal
Have you seen leeches or have been bitten by one? used to roam the shrubs & hills here & elsewhere...they are small black thing that will anchor onto you & gets inflated & FAT after sucking your blood. The only way to get rid of them, is to carry cigarettes ( I don't smoke) & higher to burn them off....

But the 60% have good blood in them & they are al right with all the "leeches" sucking off them......:biggrin:

Prataman has grown very fat indeed. especially in his term as president.
 
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