Why WP prefers to kill PAP slowly and with love...almost

[Confuseous]

I don't buy the argument about Workers Party wanting to be a "co-driver" to keep the PAP on its toes. Politics is ultimately about power, and the Workers Party eventually wants to be in the driver's seat. So, why mess with something that has worked? Given the realities of our population's sentiments, PAP-lite is the way to go if a political party wants to eventually come to power in Singapore. Low Thia Khiang obviously understands this. Anything more radical than that is a path to political marginalization.

I know educated urbane professionals who, while they have problems with the PAP's arrogance and high-handedness, have difficulty imagining a post-PAP Singapore. These are the middle class folks who decide the shape of our political landscape.

So, when the WP says that they will work with the PAP going forward...

- http://flaneurose.blogspot.sg/2013/01/workers-party-secret-behind-being-oh-so.html

 

[myfoot123]

So, when the WP says that they will work with the PAP going forward...

- http://flaneurose.blogspot.sg/2013/01/workers-party-secret-behind-being-oh-so.html

Not many people can grasp the mind of LTK. His priority is to groom a team of potential candidates into parliament for "training" under PAP infested parliament and eventually.....
the moment will come for him to tell PAP to fuck off and he will someday at the rally tell the voters "WP IS REALLY TO FORM A GOVERNMENT!!!"

You really must be able to read him. I think I did.

 

[steffychun]

LTK is not the best political leader but neither is he the stupidest. I doubt a Chee or GMS or JBJ would have shifted the parliamentary portions today to this figure. Bet you even under a David Marshall, WP at most would stagnate at 2.

 

[Kinana]

LTK n WP members admires what pap had done for Singapore n just don't see themselves taking over govt. The same holds true for all singkies.
That's why their vision of Co driver is the most appropriate one

 

[steffychun]

LTK n WP members admires what pap had done for Singapore n just don't see themselves taking over govt. The same holds true for all singkies.
That's why their vision of Co driver is the most appropriate one

Oh Shuddup. When your KPK makes it in a GRC shut up even more

 

[brocoli]

Oh Shuddup. When your KPK makes it in a GRC shut up even more

actually he is right

 

[Fook Seng]

WP doesn't wear their ambition on their sleeves. Only goondus do. People who try to urge WP to do that are also goondus.

 

[red amoeba]

Indeed wp is not ready to form govt neither is Singapore ready for wp govt. last thing wp want is for voters to c it as threat to stability n back away....moreover he nid some room to groom the party n mbrs....maybe in a few election...if they can attract more csm calibre ppl...

 

[Logisex]

His intention might be clear to some but they way he communicate it might irk some others and might just backfire. The way LTK puts it is like a WP tsunami is going to wipe the PAP out in the next GE so he has to tell Sinkies not to vote the PAP out yet. Its not going to happen for at least 2 GEs and I would rather he just say thank you and get on with his work.

 

[Guinness]

His priority is to groom a team of potential candidates into parliament

Can WP be the next Yuan? He endures the emperor so that he may be the next ruler if LHL is not careful. This is only a hypothesis.

 

[nirvarq]

Whatever we said or think is not important... The only important thing now is how many quality candidates can WP gathers by 2016 ?

 

[CPT (NS) BRANDON]

LTK is not the best political leader but neither is he the stupidest. I doubt a Chee or GMS or JBJ would have shifted the parliamentary portions today to this figure. Bet you even under a David Marshall, WP at most would stagnate at 2.

I beg to differ. I consider LTK to be one of the shrewdest politicians around. He is a true-blue POLITICIAN unlike all the PAP leaders who are really bureaucrats, technocrats, civil servants -- none of them are proper politicians. This is the result of selecting candidates from the ranks of the scholars and the civil service elite. They have forgotten that the primary purpose of a party is to WIN ELECTIONS, not come up with policies laden with administrative jargon like MX9 or CEES or MAP or AEP or other stuff that no laymen understand.

The PAP's sole remaining politician is currently weak and infirm and has one foot in the grave.

LTK and Sylvia are both shrewd politicians. However, the question really is -- who will succeed them when the day finally comes when WP has 25-30 seats in Parliament, and has a realistic shot at forming the government? The process will take another 15, 20 years. By then, LTK will be approaching his 70s. Surely too old to be Prime Minister.

 

[Fook Seng]

His intention might be clear to some but they way he communicate it might irk some others and might just backfire. The way LTK puts it is like a WP tsunami is going to wipe the PAP out in the next GE so he has to tell Sinkies not to vote the PAP out yet. Its not going to happen for at least 2 GEs and I would rather he just say thank you and get on with his work.

I also thought at his rally speech, his do it themselves and only two credible parties (which although referring to the original older parties, could easily be mistaken for the present lot) would irk SDP and NSP supporters and would backfire. As it turned out, there was no backfire. I can only conclude that in the electorate at large, there was no such thing (very small numbers only) as WP supporters or SDP supporters but just opposition supporters and at the moment, the WP brand of politics appeals more to them because it is closer to what they immediately need and that is why WP contested wards drew more votes for opposition.

 

[Fook Seng]

LTK and Sylvia are both shrewd politicians. However, the question really is -- who will succeed them when the day finally comes when WP has 25-30 seats in Parliament, and has a realistic shot at forming the government? The process will take another 15, 20 years. By then, LTK will be approaching his 70s. Surely too old to be Prime Minister.

I am also thinking of that. GE2016 should give some indication of who that person and his ministers would be. If not then by GE2021, we should know and one of the present characters would fit in as a caretaker PM for one term before giving way to the true leader of government.

 

[Kinana]

I also thought at his rally speech, his do it themselves and only two credible parties (which although referring to the original older parties, could easily be mistaken for the present lot) would irk SDP and NSP supporters and would backfire. As it turned out, there was no backfire. I can only conclude that in the electorate at large, there was no such thing (very small numbers only) as WP supporters or SDP supporters but just opposition supporters and at the moment, the WP brand of politics appeals more to them because it is closer to what they immediately need and that is why WP contested wards drew more votes for opposition.

Its all stupid. What are the people anti about exactly? They also don't know, just like WP. They are just emo without brain.

 

[palden]

LKY used to have the same support like the WP. What went wrong. He had contributed to the building and at the same time the country goes down the drain under his son's watch. They did not lose just an election. They lost touch and passion.

 

[KuanTi01]

LTK is not a reckless man by nature and he certainly thinks and strategises before he opens his mouth to the media.He is not known to shoot from the hip. Being the shrewd and seasoned politician that he is, he is entitled to throw some smoke so that when the right time comes along, the WP will be ready to form the government but he knows very well it will not be so soon! In the meantime, he is content to sit back and see PAP self-destruct!

 

[steffychun]

I beg to differ. I consider LTK to be one of the shrewdest politicians around. He is a true-blue POLITICIAN unlike all the PAP leaders who are really bureaucrats, technocrats, civil servants -- none of them are proper politicians. This is the result of selecting candidates from the ranks of the scholars and the civil service elite. They have forgotten that the primary purpose of a party is to WIN ELECTIONS, not come up with policies laden with administrative jargon like MX9 or CEES or MAP or AEP or other stuff that no laymen understand.

The PAP's sole remaining politician is currently weak and infirm and has one foot in the grave.

LTK and Sylvia are both shrewd politicians. However, the question really is -- who will succeed them when the day finally comes when WP has 25-30 seats in Parliament, and has a realistic shot at forming the government? The process will take another 15, 20 years. By then, LTK will be approaching his 70s. Surely too old to be Prime Minister.

Best description of Low I've heard. Yes still cant envision a post Low WP.

 

[winnipegjets]

The PAP is killing itself with its open door policy on immigration, its money-making housing scheme and hoard your money CPF and healthcare plan. The PAP knows what to do but can't do it. Why? Maybe it is because there isn't enough money in the reserves to pay the bills?

 

[CPT (NS) BRANDON]

Best description of Low I've heard. Yes still cant envision a post Low WP.

The PAP leaders need to differentiate between party and state.

First of all, as a party, your main job must be to win elections. You are politicians. Without winning elections, you can forget about forming the government. Without forming the government, you can forget about making policy.

As the Singapore government, you need to make policy that can best serve the interests of the country.

But to get there, you have to win elections first.

The PAP has for too long taken for granted that they will naturally win every election. They have filled their ranks with administrative types, with technocrats and bureaucrats. I remember Teo Ser Luck admitting that he was not a politician. He is not the only one who has made such an admission. I think Khaw Boon Wan also said something similar. As such, they have neglected to hone their political skills, their campaign skills. No wonder every campaign is such an epic failure. The messages they send out are all disjointed and uninspiring. The WP has, despite its limited resources and much smaller size, managed to capture the imagination of the public like the PAP itself was able to do in the 1960s (under LKY).

That spells danger for the PAP. Only a fool would not realise that.

Trouble is, how can the PAP now frame national issues in such a way as to galvanise the public's support? Can they even do so anymore? If not, they could lose their grip very fast. The older generation will die out within 5-10 years and alot of current uni and poly students will be able to vote. And these idealistic youths -- who do you think they will vote for?

A party of "department store dummies" and "waxworks" who only know how to talk in terms of their civil service jargon? People are entrenched in their ivory towers, and totally out of touch with day-to-day life? People who were awarded scholarships at 18 and packed off to overseas universities only to be fast-tracked to the position of PPS, PS, DS, COA, CDF, COMD TRADOC, DIR JOPD, etc (how many normal folks even know what these mean??)

Or a party of real life human beings who can empathise with the issues and aspirations of the citizens, and who can articulate a vision for a better Singapore?

Seriously, the only reason why the PAP won 60.1% of the vote in 2011 was because the opposition fielded alot of duds. The RP team in AMK for instance, or the SDA team in Pasir-Ris Punggol. If you look at the WP, NSP and SDP alone, the PAP's vote share was more like 56%.

If this vote share falls by a further 5%, you are looking at potential losses in Joo Chiat, East Coast, Moulmein-Kallang, Potong Pasir, Mountbatten, Tampines and (GASP!) Marine Parade.

All the WP needs is to expand its ranks, attract more members, and field something like 40 to 50 candidates. It does not need to care about multi-cornered fights anymore. As the Punggol East by-election has shown, the WP can walk its own path. If the WP can field 40-50 candidates it can realistically win anywhere between 15-22 seats.

And I dare say the results of the Punggol East by-election will embolden many more professionals, ex-scholars, ex-civil servants and entrepreneurs to join the WP's ranks. For starters, the 4 new faces look promising. And I am sure there will be more that will come forward in the next 3 years leading up to 2016.