Singapore can't go down Red and Blue woh...

[watchman8]

First you must address the deep infiltration of the PAP machinery into the grassroots, People's Association, civil society, GLCs, all aspects of the economy, etc. They have their fingers in every section of the pie. Gotta get those fingers out first.

once PAP loses 2/3 majority, the fingers will automatically detach themselves.

 

[mojito]

once PAP loses 2/3 majority, the fingers will automatically detach themselves.

Unlikely I think. GLCs will still be influenced by Temasek which is controlled by one or two families.

 

[Rogue Trader]

Unlikely I think. GLCs will still be influenced by Temasek which is controlled by one or two families.

Voters have no influence over the fate of Temasek holdings. It belongs to a select few royalties. Only when an internal power struggle breaks out, it will remain the golden egg laying goose for them.

 

[watchman8]

Voters have no influence over the fate of Temasek holdings. It belongs to a select few royalties. Only when an internal power struggle breaks out, it will remain the golden egg laying goose for them.

MOF is ultimate control over temasick and GIC. Once pap loses 2/3 majority, you can expect the perm sec and other senior civil service staff will become more neutral and accountable. the opposition MPs will have more inside info to ask really tough questions.

 

[wwabbit]

Lee Hsien Loong's statement about the Red and Blue divide is really just a red herring, and an ad hominem attack on idea that it is desirable for Singapore to have a strong opposition with significant seats in parliament. He is just trying to convey the message that Singapore is in trouble if there is a significant number of opposition in parliament. We know this is all bullshit and fearmongering because there are plenty of countries out there doing well with lots of opposition in parliament.

Others here have posted various attacks on the stupid analogy, but here is another one. The Red and Blue divide in the USA is not really at the state level. If you look at the biggest red state Texas at the county level: http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/2012/results/texas You can see that there are several counties that are actually blue. Besides the southern counties bordering on Mexico that are majority latinos, the counties containing the 4 biggest cities in Texas - Houston in Harris County, San Antonio in Bexar County, Dallas in Dallas County and Austin in Travis County - are all blue. If you look all over the US you will find that this holds true for just about every county - counties with high population density and urbanisation generally vote for Democrats, while the rural counties vote mainly for the Republicans.

 

[mojito]

MOF is ultimate control over temasick and GIC. Once pap loses 2/3 majority, you can expect the perm sec and other senior civil service staff will become more neutral and accountable. the opposition MPs will have more inside info to ask really tough questions.

Thank you. I think that clarifies. Temasek and GIC are both owned by MoF, the Minister rather than the Ministry it seems, no typos there. Therefore it is fair to say that the civil servants would make little difference. In order to wrest control, the PAP not only has to lose its majority - it needs to give up the Finance Minister seat.

 

[Rogue Trader]

MOF is ultimate control over temasick and GIC. Once pap loses 2/3 majority, you can expect the perm sec and other senior civil service staff will become more neutral and accountable. the opposition MPs will have more inside info to ask really tough questions.

So your assumption is Perm secs and senior civil servants are robots who only do their jobs without fear or favours?

Also, the relationship between the civil service and gahmen linked companies are blurred for a reason. And the people up there play that to their advantage. Even if the next minister of finance and the next Ceo of Temasek don't share the same bed anymore, I'm sure they'll still be good buddies.

The only way things will change is when a big player within the system stages a takeover. Or when GLCs become so badly run they are sold off to become "truly" privatised. No rational person will give up a position of wealth and power. And while all this happens, I don't see life getting better for normal salt of the earth singaporeans.

The only solution for this country is to invent a time machine so that sinkies can go back to 2006 GE and not give PM Lee a "strong mandate".