"Barisan Sosialis" returns in Singapore

[uncleyap]

My congratulations to famiLEE LEEgime & old dog thief LKy!

His DEAD enemy returned to live today.

That means his time is up.:p

Bravo Teck Siong & Ti Lik!

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Don't be naive. They never expected the NGO conditions for Gomez's vehicle to be similar to Political Parties. If it is the same, might as start a political party which has a higher profile and a stage to attract foreign NGOs. The end game is not to win a seat in parliament. Its the sense of importance as one gets paid invitations to attend political and human rights conferences and gatherings on the basis they are fighting for Singaporeans.

James Gomez I believe did not do his NGO for glory's sake. He did it because he needs to earn a living and needs to have a certain number of publishable papers, with real life experience to lend credibility to his work. He will do fine.

 

[scroobal]

In Singapore, an opposition party is as good as its leader. The exception is WP because of its history. Not that WP will find support from within as they too have a weak structure and base but because, they will attract someone who should be better than average as the name does it. SDP without Chee will vanish. Everything is built around him.

NSP to be honest is a paper party and I don't think any in that lot can influence anything or do anything meaningful including engaging a housefly. Its more an association of like minded individuals who could not fit anywhere. Steve Chia and you are exceptions. If both of you leave, the party of nice guys will carry on and like a generic drug with no branding or identity of its own. However worse is that it will be a drug with no active ingredients - a placebo.

Dear Perspective,

I cannot speak for other parties but for NSP, I do not think it will collapse just because I am not here anymore. Who knows, tomorrow I may meet a fatal accident or whatever... Life is unpredictable.

NSP has strong individual characters like Steve Chia, Tan Chee Kien, Sebastian Teo, Yip Yew Weng, Christopher Neo, Ken Sun... the list goes on. It is unique in this sense as there are more mix of strong characters in NSP than any other parties. If anything happens to me, anyone of them could possibly take over and shoulder on.

The good news is, in recent days, we have managed to recruit quite a number of people into our rank and file. Most likely, we will be able to form our own Malay Bureau in time to come. NSP will no longer to be viewed as "Chinese Towkay Party" as my direction is to be part of the government in the next 15 years time.

With or without me, NSP will survive and strive on as the foundation that we are strengthening at this moment, will make it survive and grow. There will definitely be MPs from NSP for the next 10 years, this I can guarantee. If I am not confident of achieving that, I would have quit politics altogether since 2006.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[scroobal]

I am aware. He is following his father's model. The father founded a union and lived of it and was charged in court for funding his lifestyle.

James Gomez I believe did not do his NGO for glory's sake. He did it because he needs to earn a living and needs to have a certain number of publishable papers, with real life experience to lend credibility to his work. He will do fine.

 

[Perspective]

WP has two actually, if you include the token seat. Yes, brain drain from WP is embarrassing. But WP has got gerald giam. Pity LTK does not make better use of him. He should have been elected into the CEC and given a good post by now/

GG is already in the CEC but perhaps his post might not be "good post" you refer to. WP lost nearly everyone it had brought in from 2001 to 2006 and while the present post-06 team is more than enough to replace the old, WP under LTK-SL team would lose credibility by 2015, if the present batch did the same and all leave after 2010 GE. The brand name allows an engine of renewal which allows it to replace what it loses, so even if it goes "seatless", it can survive for a while. But too much turnover also means it can really remain "seatless" for a long time because you can gain neither familiarity nor long-term trust fielding 99% new faces every GE.

Actually your guess is wrong.

It is a vehicle to contest SMCs.

All the rest are contesting GRCs in order to achieve the break in PAP's hegemony. If no one contests SMC and raise his own profile, wasted right?

I agree. That's what I was trying to tell Scro. There are parties and groups mingling in the international stage but not SF. CTL might have found an enjoyment in this, however he is no longer in the company as those who would provide him with this, such as SDP and SFD. How to get access to that by himself because building such networks take time.

 

[scroobal]

He obviously has to contest an SMC to be taken seriously by NGOs. Ever heard of MG Guru and a long line of posers. I just pity Ng and the rest in the party who have no idea where this is going.

Actually your guess is wrong.

It is a vehicle to contest SMCs.

All the rest are contesting GRCs in order to achieve the break in PAP's hegemony. If no one contests SMC and raise his own profile, wasted right?

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

NSP needs lots of recruitment as the leaders except yourself, Steve and Elvin Ong, are all around 60. I'm glad to hear that it is in progress.

Neutral political analysis tends to be offensive, but that is not my intention.

I take no offence. Just to clarify that I am not running a party that depends on single individuals like me. Nobody is indispensable in NSP, including me.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Perspective]

In Singapore, an opposition party is as good as its leader. The exception is WP because of its history. Not that WP will find support from within as they too have a weak structure and base but because, they will attract someone who should be better than average as the name does it. SDP without Chee will vanish. Everything is built around him.

NSP to be honest is a paper party and I don't think any in that lot can influence anything or do anything meaningful including engaging a housefly. Its more an association of like minded individuals who could not fit anywhere. Steve Chia and you are exceptions. If both of you leave, the party of nice guys will carry on and like a generic drug with no branding or identity of its own. However worse is that it will be a drug with no active ingredients - a placebo.

Concur with everything absolutely. My points were the same.

 

[Perspective]

By the way, heard anything about James Gomez's vehicle.

Nope. Actually I don't even know why they got SFD. Martyn See is more interested in filmmaking and the Seelan-Rachel are sporadic human right cause-based. The rest who are significant all left. Gomez already has his international network and SFD doesn't strength it. For now, foreign funding makes no difference since SFD cannot receive it (though I still think it wasn't his intention).

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

I believe even RP stands a risk of going to the showers in 2 elections time. They have healthy recruitment for now, but have raised their morale and expectation too high and people would start leaving if it doesn't win even one seat. Like WP which had a bout of recruitment but only a few stay (but they still have a seat).

I believe RP will win an NCMP seat.

 

[Robert Half]

I believe RP will win an NCMP seat.

Hope not in this coming election...

 

[Perspective]

I believe RP will win an NCMP seat.

The issue is that might not help it survive. Other parties are fighting to win but prepared to lose. For RP, you get the impression they are expecting to win every seat they will be contesting -looking at the way its members are talking on FB. Once it doesn't happen and they get only 1 NCMP, many will say "bye".

I think KJ's weakness was not managing expectations.

Others will survive with 1 NCMP. NSP will grow instead with 1 good NCMP.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

GG is already in the CEC but perhaps his post might not be "good post" you refer to.

I stand corrected then. Good to know.

 

[popdod]

Sho many opposition parties.
Gonna hab 3 corner fights soon.

:o :( :o

 

[Perspective]

Its more an association of like minded individuals who could not fit anywhere.

A political party would have a disadvantage if it's known to be a place for "Indian Chiefs" like you described. It'll become a known "retirement home" in the circles.

I was curious and went to look at the party websites. Most opposition parties have about 2 CEC members who were former members of another party. When it came to RP, this went up to 5. NSP has 8! So you are quite right and the focus should be new blood and recruitment.

 

[ChaoPappyPoodle]

I believe RP will win an NCMP seat.

Spoken like a true PAPy dog.

 

[ChaoPappyPoodle]

In Singapore, an opposition party is as good as its leader. The exception is WP because of its history. Not that WP will find support from within as they too have a weak structure and base but because, they will attract someone who should be better than average as the name does it. SDP without Chee will vanish. Everything is built around him.

NSP to be honest is a paper party and I don't think any in that lot can influence anything or do anything meaningful including engaging a housefly. Its more an association of like minded individuals who could not fit anywhere. Steve Chia and you are exceptions. If both of you leave, the party of nice guys will carry on and like a generic drug with no branding or identity of its own. However worse is that it will be a drug with no active ingredients - a placebo.

In Singapore, we have the most pathetic group of politicians in the PAP and also the highest paid in the world to govern one of the smallest countries in the world.

Which ONE PAP minister can you account for in times of need?

Without Tharman, there are no economist on the PAP wild wagon. The PAP isn't designed to govern an economy. It is designed to govern a populace that has been fraught with fascist teachings from kindergarten.

Stop you cock talk about the APs. Let's hear what you have to say about your beloved PAP!

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Spoken like a true PAPy dog.

Please, I like dogs.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

NSP needs lots of recruitment as the leaders except yourself, Steve and Elvin Ong, are all around 60. I'm glad to hear that it is in progress.

Neutral political analysis tends to be offensive, but that is not my intention.

There are many reasons people join or do not join opposition parties even when they are dissatisfied with the current status quo.

I only know that those sitting on the fence now will only join any opposition parties when there is successful examples. Just like WP back in post-GE2006 situation. Even though WP did not manage to win any additional seats in Aljunied GRC, but people see hope and potential success. That is why there is a sudden surge in membership. It is up to the leadership to manage this membership to grow the party further.

Similarly, I believe that the only way for NSP to recruit more people, be it Chinese, Malay or Indian, we need to showcase a successful model of campaigning and electoral victories. Thus, the key lies in winning seats in the coming elections.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[jw5]

There are many reasons people join or do not join opposition parties even when they are dissatisfied with the current status quo.

I only know that those sitting on the fence now will only join any opposition parties when there is successful examples. Just like WP back in post-GE2006 situation. Even though WP did not manage to win any additional seats in Aljunied GRC, but people see hope and potential success. That is why there is a sudden surge in membership. It is up to the leadership to manage this membership to grow the party further.

Similarly, I believe that the only way for NSP to recruit more people, be it Chinese, Malay or Indian, we need to showcase a successful model of campaigning and electoral victories. Thus, the key lies in winning seats in the coming elections.

Goh Meng Seng

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Do you get good people to join opposition parties in order to win elections? Or do you win elections in order to get good people to join opposition parties?
The key question is actually how to win elections and here, I believe the issue lies with the voting population.

The following people will vote pap:
1. pap members, family and close friends
2. most civil servants
3. rich businessmen and corporate people who are not concerned about the plight of their less fortunate or capable countrymen
4. grassroots leaders
5. people who for some reason or other get a benefit or think they get a benefit votin pap
6. newly minted "grateful" citizens
7. people who vote pap despite neither leading good lives nor benefitting from a pap government

My concern is that if you include all those from points 1 to 7, they already have enough to secure a winning % of the valid votes, no matter how hard you campaign or how badly the policies turn out. The "swing vote or middle ground" in SG is a very small %.

A greater concern and a question to all is why does group #7 continue to vote for pap despite all the problems, which look to be getting worse? Is it due to brainwashing, media influence or fear? Is it really possible to convince this group? I'm pessimistic.