PAP incapable of reinventing itself: Catherine Lim

PAP incapable of reinventing itself: Catherine Lim

<cite class="byline vcard" style="font-style: normal; color: rgb(125, 125, 125); font-size: 13px; display: inline-block !important; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 2.2em; ">By Fann Sim | Yahoo! Newsroom – <abbr title="2012-01-14T07:29:22+00:00" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; ">Sat, Jan 14, 2012

Catherine Lim receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from Chiam See Tong and his wife, Lina Chiam. (Yahoo! photo)

One of Singapore's best-known authors Catherine Lim said on Friday that the People's Action Party (PAP) is incapable of reinventing itself.

Her view was in response to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech at a PAP convention last November where he said that the party has to reinvent itself to "build a new PAP for a new era".

The 70-year-old was speaking at socio-political blog The Online Citizen's (TOC) Awards Night where she was conferred theLifetime Achievement Award by Singapore People's Partysecretary-general Chiam See Tong.

Lim, who is a frequent critic of the government, is best known for her social commentary story in 1994, titled The PAP and the People - A Great Affective Divide, which sparked controversy with the ruling party. Since then, she has published numerous novels and political commentaries.

In her acceptance speech, Lim said that even if the party can achieve reinvention, what “watershed action of reinvention” is the party prepared to undertake.

"Reinvention would require the opening up of one crucial area that the government is determined to have tight control over. This is the area of political liberties -- open debate, criticism, independence of the media, public assembly, street demonstrations for the cause, all of which are taken for granted in practising democracies.

"Over the years, the government had rather reluctantly made some concessions -- allowing the speaker's corner, relaxing some censorship laws, tweaking a rule here, tinkling with another law there, but never going beyond these small legal offerings. Singaporeans have no choice but to accept because there was nothing better," she added.

Pointing out the case of the 16 political detainees who called upon the government in September last year to set up a commission of inquiry to look into the allegations said against them, Lim noted that the petition was promptly dismissed and no further action was taken.

Lim was referring to the allegations made against the 16 Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees who were detained for their involvement in "subversive activities which posed a threat to national security".

Among the detainees were Barisan MP Chia Thye Poh who spent 26 years in detention and was one of the world's longest-held political prisoners. Chia was a 1960s socialist intellectual and opposition MP who was accused of being a communist subversive, a charge he firmly denied.

"I thought that the government had missed a fantastic opportunity to show Singaporeans that it had the honesty and courage to face up its past excesses or to take responsibility for them. Or as the case might be, ... stand by the principles on which it had acted," said Lim.

"They've missed the opportunity to show Singaporeans what to me is the noblest quality that can come out of a conflict and that is the grace and the magnanimity to reach out to former folks in a spirit of reconciliation and amity," she added.

Lim also added that there is a “PAP fatigue” among Singaporeans that is a result of PAP's lack of nurturing Singaporeans politically, and failing to provide the proper environment for political education and growth.

"Ideally, as long as they don't open up, and as long as political dissidents feel like they can be punished some other way. ... then the so called transformation from the GE will be at best a partial one," said Lim.

TOC also presented awards to:

- TOC Article of the Year - "The GRC system - I don't know what to say" by Elliot Aruldoss

- Contributors of the Year - Howard Lee, Leong Sze Hian, Terry Xu, Grace Hui

- Friends of TOC - Viswa Sadasivan, Shelley Thio, Post Museum

- Cyber-campaign of the Year - "Save the World's Saddest Dolphins" by ACRES

- Social Worker of the Year - Jolovan Wham from HOME

- Blogger of the Year - Ng E-Jay

- Activist of the Year - Rachel Zeng

- Lifetime Achievement Award - Catherine Lim</abbr></cite>

Hi Frens,

from the article, what it says is true,,the PAP still sticks to its old ways as if they have a God given right to do what it wants for themselves..this will never change..and to be honest after the last GE, they still control a huge majority of the seats..what do they have to fear? 60% still supports them..and the PAP is controlled by the oligarchs..these oligarchs will never change and nor do they want change as the current system benefits them the most...
http://www.singapore-window.org//sw12/120114yn.html

Yahoo News
January 14, 2012

By Fann Sim
ONE of Singapore's best-known authors Catherine Lim said on Friday, Jan 13, that the
People's Action Party (PAP) is incapable of reinventing itself.

Her view was in response to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech at a PAP
convention last November where he said that the party has to reinvent itself to "build
a new PAP for a new era".

The 70-year-old was speaking at socio-political blog The Online Citizen's (TOC) Awards Night where she was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by Singapore People's Party secretary-general Chiam See Tong.

Lim, who is a frequent critic of the government, is best known for her social commentary story in 1994, titled The PAP and the People - A Great Affective Divide, which sparked controversy with the ruling party. Since then, she has published numerous novels and political commentaries.

In her acceptance speech, Lim said that even if the party can achieve reinvention, what “watershed action of reinvention” is the party prepared to undertake.

"Reinvention would require the opening up of one crucial area that the government is
determined to have tight control over. This is the area of political liberties -- open debate, criticism, independence of the media, public assembly, street demonstrations for the cause, all of which are taken for granted in practising democracies.

"Over the years, the government had rather reluctantly made some concessions --
allowing the speaker's corner, relaxing some censorship laws, tweaking a rule here, tinkling with another law there, but never going beyond these small legal offerings.

Singaporeans have no choice but to accept because there was nothing better," she added.

Pointing out the case of the 16 political detainees who called upon the government in
September last year to set up a commission of inquiry to look into the allegations said against them, Lim noted that the petition was promptly dismissed and no further action was taken.

Lim was referring to the allegations made against the 16 Internal Security Act (ISA)
detainees who were detained for their involvement in "subversive activities which
posed a threat to national security".

Among the detainees were Barisan MP Chia Thye Poh who spent 26 years in detention and
was one of the world's longest-held political prisoners. Chia was a 1960s socialist intellectual and opposition MP who was accused of being a communist subversive, a
charge he firmly denied.

"I thought that the government had missed a fantastic opportunity to show Singaporeans
that it had the honesty and courage to face up its past excesses or to take responsibility for them. Or as the case might be, ... stand by the principles on which it had acted," said Lim.

"They've missed the opportunity to show Singaporeans what to me is the noblest quality
that can come out of a conflict and that is the grace and the magnanimity to reach out to former folks in a spirit of reconciliation and amity," she added.

Lim also added that there is a “PAP fatigue” among Singaporeans that is a result of PAP's lack of nurturing Singaporeans politically, and failing to provide the proper environment for political education and growth.

"Ideally, as long as they don't open up, and as long as political dissidents feel like they can be punished some other way. ... then the so called transformation from the GE will be at best a partial one," said Lim.

The_Hypocrite said:

Hi Frens,

from the article, what it says is true,,the PAP still sticks to its old ways as if they have a God given right to do what it wants for themselves.....

Click to expand...

Why would they feel the need to "re-invent" themselves when they keep winning the mandate time after time

When you look at the PAP gang, they have grown fat & sloppy from pilfering $$$ from Sporeans LKY must be worth billion$$$. However like all corrupt gov'ts they will eventually fall. When they do, the country will find out just how much the PAP regime has cost Sporeans

johnny333 said:

Why would they feel the need to "re-invent" themselves when they keep winning the mandate time after time ...

Click to expand...

ya, man! ...

y shud u re-invent a $-printing machine? ...

all u nid 2 do is 2 fix prob ... ur prob is ur peasants lor! ... :o

When the time comes dun let them get away like Marco or Suharto can liao.
Make sure there is payback.

Narong Wongwan said:

When the time comes dun let them get away like Marco or Suharto can liao.
Make sure there is payback.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately the more likely outcome will be like what happened in Indonesia. Many people knew that Suharto was corrupt, he & his children had all the property, Malls, etc but he & his family are too powerful to be touched

Even in the Philippines, Imelda Marcos still claims that she is innocent One of the children is even a senator

Seal all exit points. No one shall escape.

johnny333 said:

Why would they feel the need to "re-invent" themselves when they keep winning the mandate time after time

When you look at the PAP gang, they have grown fat & sloppy from pilfering $$$ from Sporeans LKY must be worth billion$$$. However like all corrupt gov'ts they will eventually fall. When they do, the country will find out just how much the PAP regime has cost Sporeans

Click to expand...

In many other countries, politicians are corrupted and even though they earn a relatively low salary, they enriched themselves by taking bribes, through cronyism and taking government properties and etc. There is no guarantee however, that the head of government will get the lion's share.

By giving a generous salary, it will ensure there will be no or least amount of corruption and an equal distribution to all. How much the puppeteer who controls the puppets gets is anybody's guess.:(

The Lightning That Kills A Merlion

johnny333 said:

Why would they feel the need to "re-invent" themselves when they keep winning the mandate time after time

When you look at the PAP gang, they have grown fat & sloppy from pilfering $$$ from Sporeans LKY must be worth billion$$$. However like all corrupt gov'ts they will eventually fall. When they do, the country will find out just how much the PAP regime has cost Sporeans

Click to expand...

Alas ! The heaven had said so herself.

Re: The Lightning That Kills A Merlion

This no nonsense madam is so wrong in saying that the PAP couldn't reinvent themselves! These bastards overpaid motherfucking whore pariahs couldn't even restructure themselves to stay in tune, let alone reinvent themselves! The only thing that they can reinvent themselves is when they turn into actual civil servants & not the current "ASS-U-ME" leaders & masters of the country!

hi there


1. aiyoh!
2. where is the running dog award leh?
3. where is the crying sheep too?

what the fark is this over-rated Catherine Lim talking about ?



the PAP has always been and always be...................a Lee Family Soap Opera..................

The PAP believes in if it is working why change it? So they will never re-invent.

we all know pappies are complacent so they won't bother to re-invent themselves.

bullfrog said:

The PAP believes in if it is working why change it? So they will never re-invent.

Click to expand...

Wrong reason. The PAP - and by extension - the government has always try to fix something even though it is not broken; it is well-known for pre-empting a serious problem before it comes to our shore (MRT delays, localised pondings and insufficient quality housing are NOT challenges of epic dimension that some people would like to imagine. Dr Balakrishnan said the ponding problem is over in 15 minutes!). Some S'poreans just don't or refuse to see the big picture, or long term concerns.

The government is forward-looking and always cautious of the turbulent world that Singapore exists in and thrives. It set up the Scenario Planning Office in PSD chaired by the DPM. The government under the PAP is sound, practical and dynamic. I don't see why the PAP should re-invent itself - and by extension the government - just to pander to the short term greed of the 40% of the voting population, which keep on harping on our vast reserves and are ever eager for the government to dip into our reserves to solve short-term challenges. They have conveniently forgotten that this reserve is built up by the very government that they accused is uncaring, incompetent or even greedy.

Catherine Lim is just an armed-chair critic who excelled in writing short stories. Her romantic ideals cannot stand the robustness of politics and the art of governance. She will easily be consumed by the likeness of Chee Soon Juan, or led astray by other even lesser politicians. The fact that she can speak freely without being thrown into a dungeon speaks well of the change the PAP is willing to accommodate citizens like her. If you believe her, you would think that Pearl S Buck should be the President of China.

myo539,

well done! sam will award you 100 pts for balls licking.

Unfortunately, the PAP will not even accept you as one of them, bcs they have been like you and lived to regret it now. But it's too late.

You are also better off casting off yr false pretences come clean and confess you were in it for the points.

Aiyoh, myo539, por PAP lumpar por until so thickskin.

At least show some subtlety in your pro-establishment propaganda.

So tell me what exactly has the PAP pre-empted or is it just empty boast?

The PAP couldn't see that the mass influx of immigrants is going to cause a tremendous strain on housing, medical services and public transportation, among others.

The PAP couldn't see a few months down the road that their investment in Shin Corp was going to be in great peril, the PAP couldn't see a few days ahead that share prices were going to shoot up and went ahead to sell off at a great loss, the PAP couldn't see the legalistic environment in Indonesia and ended up being fined heftily, the PAP couldn't see what was brewing in Suzhou and has to give up Singapore's share to the Chinese.

So tell me, what exactly has the PAP fixed before the problem arises?

In the first place, there is no need to reinvent themselves.

kingrant said:

myo539,

well done! sam will award you 100 pts for balls licking.
Unfortunately, the PAP will not even accept you as one of them, bcs they have been like you and lived to regret it now. But it's too late..... confess you were in it for the points.

Click to expand...

Hypocrites like you can thank your mother and father only once - when you are dependent on them. I would have earned many more points like you writing anti-PAP, anti-Singapore and anti-establishment nonsense than writing sense. And we know the more anti-establishment you are, the more like-minded fellows will up you. You already confessed that you are in it for points - whatever for!

Understandably Sam can't - or won't - do much about it because he is mindful of readership - the more anti-establishment, the higher the readership. He knows that any sensible, reasonable opinions or facts that are fairly attributed to the PAP or Singapore government will unfailingly be bait for responses - starting with that fake Doberman who will be hooked and become rabid; he is impotent to run amok just now but you are hooked instead. That's why Sam is scheming to reward more pro-establishment contributors.

Anyway, like the PAP MPs and WP MPs, they are not there for the money. Ask Sylvia Lim; she earned much less as a Poly-lecturer than as an MP - Was she there for the money?

If you are honest and sincere, you should have asked your boss to reduce your salary by 30 per cent. Afterall you are serving the company what. Did you?