- Joined
- Nov 24, 2008
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- 23,857
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I have been telling my Singapore friends and relatives for years now. If you think you can effect change in Singapore through the ballot box and the polls, you are delusional.
The PAP will never, ever give up power. They can’t. They have so many skeletons in the closets, they have so many mouths on the public trough, they and their friends have been making big money off govt. contracts and over charging the public, they cannot possibly allow any news of this to go into the public domain, news which a new govt will expose for sure. So many hangers on rely on the PAP to stay in power. Where will all the scholars in the PSC, SAF and SPF go, if a new govt takes over? Right now, every single ministry in the govt is bloated by 20%. If a new govt took over and started paring down the fat and the deadwood, these people who are PAP porlumpars are all gone. The stake is huge for the PAP to remain in power.
This is why they currently use every dirty trick in the book. From gerrymandering, to lawsuits, to intimidations, threats, and bankruptcy, jail, and the ISA………………. Just to suppress the opposition. They need and want business to continue as usual for them.
Now In the unlikely event that they actually lose an election and an opposition party or coalition came into power, anyone who thinks they will meekly walk away and hand the power over is a fool. You can bet your last dollar they will also pull every dirty trick in the book to annul and void the election. This could be in the form of a fraudulent recount, making their obedient dog of a President not recognize and swear in the new govt., or imposing martial law on the whole island and rolling the tanks out to enforce it. Whatever method they use, make no mistake about and form no illusions about this, THE PAP WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT. To do so will mean jail time for FamiLee, revenge against them from their enemies and confiscation of their ill-gotten wealth by the new govt.
You want a change in govt., you are going to have to take lessons from the HKG mass demonstrations. With the exception of Malaysia where true political change was actually made through elections, and a long standing govt voted out, countries in SE Asia and in Asia as a whole have a poor record of democratically elected changes. Govt changes in places like South Korea (from a military junta to democratic parties) was brought on largely by mass demonstrations from students and labour unions such as in the Gwangju Uprising and the June Democracy Movement. Govt change in Taiwan was done the same way with the KMT trying and failing to hold onto power in the face of mass street demonstrations under the Sunflower student movement. Ditto in Thailand when Thaksin was throw out. Same in the Philippines with the Yellow Revolution aka People Power revolution against Marcos. In Indonesia, riots finally forced Suharto to step down. Even in the sole case of Malaysia’s democratically won election by the opposition, many mass demonstrations were held in the months and weeks before the election against Najib.
Given this overwhelming evidence that Asian countries and societies do not have entrenched a western style transition when an incumbent party loses, why do people think that Singapore will have one? The evidence points to the contrary. This country has been governed by a strongman for many years, and then by his son in the tradition of nepotism. And lately, the country looks very much like a military junta, what with ex SAF generals running all manner of Ministries, GLCs and stat boards. Singaporeans, you want a change in govt.? Well, you will have to walk the streets and earn it. The PAP is not going to give it to you. You are going to have to get dirty and participate and organize mass demonstrations and social disobedience when the PAP does not hand over power. It does not mean that there has to be blood spilt. Nor does it mean that violence must be involved. But some strong message must be send to the govt., and mass demonstration is the way to do it. Whether you have the balls or not, is another matter.
The PAP will never, ever give up power. They can’t. They have so many skeletons in the closets, they have so many mouths on the public trough, they and their friends have been making big money off govt. contracts and over charging the public, they cannot possibly allow any news of this to go into the public domain, news which a new govt will expose for sure. So many hangers on rely on the PAP to stay in power. Where will all the scholars in the PSC, SAF and SPF go, if a new govt takes over? Right now, every single ministry in the govt is bloated by 20%. If a new govt took over and started paring down the fat and the deadwood, these people who are PAP porlumpars are all gone. The stake is huge for the PAP to remain in power.
This is why they currently use every dirty trick in the book. From gerrymandering, to lawsuits, to intimidations, threats, and bankruptcy, jail, and the ISA………………. Just to suppress the opposition. They need and want business to continue as usual for them.
Now In the unlikely event that they actually lose an election and an opposition party or coalition came into power, anyone who thinks they will meekly walk away and hand the power over is a fool. You can bet your last dollar they will also pull every dirty trick in the book to annul and void the election. This could be in the form of a fraudulent recount, making their obedient dog of a President not recognize and swear in the new govt., or imposing martial law on the whole island and rolling the tanks out to enforce it. Whatever method they use, make no mistake about and form no illusions about this, THE PAP WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT. To do so will mean jail time for FamiLee, revenge against them from their enemies and confiscation of their ill-gotten wealth by the new govt.
You want a change in govt., you are going to have to take lessons from the HKG mass demonstrations. With the exception of Malaysia where true political change was actually made through elections, and a long standing govt voted out, countries in SE Asia and in Asia as a whole have a poor record of democratically elected changes. Govt changes in places like South Korea (from a military junta to democratic parties) was brought on largely by mass demonstrations from students and labour unions such as in the Gwangju Uprising and the June Democracy Movement. Govt change in Taiwan was done the same way with the KMT trying and failing to hold onto power in the face of mass street demonstrations under the Sunflower student movement. Ditto in Thailand when Thaksin was throw out. Same in the Philippines with the Yellow Revolution aka People Power revolution against Marcos. In Indonesia, riots finally forced Suharto to step down. Even in the sole case of Malaysia’s democratically won election by the opposition, many mass demonstrations were held in the months and weeks before the election against Najib.
Given this overwhelming evidence that Asian countries and societies do not have entrenched a western style transition when an incumbent party loses, why do people think that Singapore will have one? The evidence points to the contrary. This country has been governed by a strongman for many years, and then by his son in the tradition of nepotism. And lately, the country looks very much like a military junta, what with ex SAF generals running all manner of Ministries, GLCs and stat boards. Singaporeans, you want a change in govt.? Well, you will have to walk the streets and earn it. The PAP is not going to give it to you. You are going to have to get dirty and participate and organize mass demonstrations and social disobedience when the PAP does not hand over power. It does not mean that there has to be blood spilt. Nor does it mean that violence must be involved. But some strong message must be send to the govt., and mass demonstration is the way to do it. Whether you have the balls or not, is another matter.
