Marginalised Politicians, Wasted Potential?

[TuaGow]

these clowns have zero potentials to begin with.

 

[wwabbit]

Opposition should target non-scholar SAF people. Since the scholars wil definitely enter PAP land, the non-scholars are probable targets.

Are you sure? Last time opposition target a non-scholar SAF, they ended up with Goh Meng Seng....

 

[SockPuppet]

If you look at some of these names, many of them once had potential, but their personalities and egos have left them marginalised and without any proper platform, thereby making it almost impossible to attain any sort of political breakthrough. Wasted potential?

1) Kenneth Jeyaretnam - was once the fresh new face of the political scene. Sterling qualifications, strong career credentials, family pedigree (father was regarded as a freedom fighter). He managed to attract high calibre people like Hazel Poa, Tony Tan (Hazel's husband), Nicole Seah and Jeannette Chong Aruldoss but all resigned from RP and joined NSP. Alec Tok, who is lesser known but who is a good speaker with charisma, resigned from RP to join SDP. Kenneth had a great chance but he blew it, and now no one is willing to associate themselves with him. Yet he stubbornly plods on and continues to bang his head against the wall. How long before he is made irrelevant?


2) Goh Meng Seng - was once a member of the WP's Aljunied team. Had he stuck it out for 5 more years he would be an MP by now. Instead his place was taken by Pritam Singh and Faisal Abdul Manap. He then became the leader of NSP and had a very credible line-up, but poor strategy and tactics led to his failure to win a single seat despite having the star appeal of Nicole Seah and other credible candidates. He had a great chance to defeat Mah Bow Tan in Tampines in 2011, as he was easily the most unpopular minister. But he blew his chance, and now Tampines is helmed by Heng Swee Keat - who most people agree is doing a good job. Suddenly Tampines has become a PAP stronghold when it was once considered to be a marginal seat. Had Goh Meng Seng fielded a strong team in Tampines with Nicole, Jeannette, Hazel and Tony (like WP did in Aljunied), I dare say he would have won. Instead, he spread his resources and spent most of his own time trying to disturb Goh Chok Tong in Marine Parade.


3) Chia Ti Lik - once a member of WP's East Coast team and was a fresh young face, good speaker, decent credentials. Despite rumours of extra-marital affairs he still remains highly electable, unfortunately he now has no platform.

4) Benjamin Pwee - another good speaker, decent credentials, former scholar. He had a credible debut in Bishan-Toa Payoh in 2011 alongside Chiam See Tong. He is now meandering around in the wilderness and recently took over the defunct DPP. He is not going to go anywhere with a platform like that. He should have stayed with Chiam in SPP or tried to broker a merger between SPP and one of the smaller parties (such as RP - perhaps with Chiam as Chairman and Kenneth as Sec-Gen).

5) Desmond Lim - had he remained loyal to Chiam, he might have been fielded in Potong Pasir in 2011 - which would have given him a real shot at being an MP. Instead, he was booted out (due to trying to pull a CSJ on Chiam) and Mrs Lina Chiam was unable to hold the seat. Now Desmond Lim is in the wilderness, he can't even get 5% of the votes despite being a party secretary-general. All he can do is cry about others taking his "turf".

Do not talk about the has beens. its a waste of time. talk about those who are still in the game.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Well, you are right. The only guy that get "marginalized" (actually sacked) and wasted his talent is none other than Yaw SL.

Goh Meng Seng

these clowns have zero potentials to begin with.

 

[cass888]

Well, you are right. The only guy that get "marginalized" (actually sacked) and wasted his talent is none other than Yaw SL.

Goh Meng Seng

He actually won a seat. You? Nothing but bitterness - the A team which went AWOL.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Are you agreeing with me or not? I say he is a wasted talent mah!

Well, on second thought, if you put a donkey in HG under WP, that donkey might well win as well!

Goh Meng Seng

He actually won a seat. You? Nothing but bitterness - the A team which went AWOL.

 

[chilakak]

Are you agreeing with me or not? I say he is a wasted talent mah!

Well, on second thought, if you put a donkey in HG under WP, that donkey might well win as well!

Goh Meng Seng

If you put a donkey like you anywhere, still won't win!

 

[cass888]

Are you agreeing with me or not? I say he is a wasted talent mah!

Well, on second thought, if you put a donkey in HG under WP, that donkey might well win as well!

Goh Meng Seng

Unlike you who only whine for goalposts to be shifted to PR so that you can ride on Nocole's skirt tails.

 

[godiva]

If you put a donkey like you anywhere, still won't win!

Correction : If you put a donkey against Goh Meng Seng, the donkey will win.

 

[SockPuppet]

Talk about the current players... why waste bandwith on the goners?

 

[Fook Seng]

Well, you are right. The only guy that get "marginalized" (actually sacked) and wasted his talent is none other than Yaw SL.

Goh Meng Seng

Not to forget GMS. He has no more role to play except now and then he keeps reminding us of his bitterness.

 

[6000kmApart]

1) SDP should convert itself into a think thank

2) NSP should convert itself into a grassroots activism organisation

3) RP, SDA and SPP should all shut down

4) WP should recruit some policy experts and loosen up its own stance on conformity and discipline. While potential mavericks (and power-grabbers) should not be entertained, WP should be careful not to close the door to Type A personalities and charismatic personalities who might be willing to be team players. Chen Show Mao is a rarity. You are not going to find many people with his type of profile willing to slog it out from the bottom, doing menial grassroots work.

You forgot GCT said if you want to talk policies and politics, join a political party, or else shut up and sit down...

 

[6000kmApart]

Are you agreeing with me or not? I say he is a wasted talent mah!

Well, on second thought, if you put a donkey in HG under WP, that donkey might well win as well!

Goh Meng Seng

How true, Mah Bow Tan with 4 chimpanzees prolly beat you pants down in Tampines...

 

[wwabbit]

Well, on second thought, if you put a donkey in HG under WP, that donkey might well win as well!

Just goes to show that the voters approve of the WP, despite your feelings about them.

 

[metalmickey]

Well, you are right. The only guy that get "marginalized" (actually sacked) and wasted his talent is none other than Yaw SL.

Goh Meng Seng

Seriously, how talented was he? I guess we'll never know the real story. Only have to say that it's a shame because there are talented people in other countries like Bill Clinton who screwed around with everybody but still managed to survive.

And as for you, when people make a lot of comments about you you shouldn't feel angry about being insulted but instead you should feel angry that there is such a gap between what you have achieved and what you could have gone on to achieved. It's well and good for you to put up signatures like "We have lost sight of the joy and excitement of public service", blah blah blah but why did you burn your bridges just like that?

Or put it in another way, if you joined politics in order to "help the people" in the first place why did you get out of it?

 

[metalmickey]

Or put it in another way, if you joined politics in order to "help the people" in the first place why did you get out of it?

Never mind, I just read all the shit that other people are writing to you. You don't have to answer that one.

 

[ray_of_hope]

Kenneth Jeyaretnam would have been a good guy to have any any CEC. He has a lot of understanding of finance, he is a big name. He would have contributed greatly to - say - the CEC of NSP. But he was saddled with the stewardship of RP, which would have been JBJ's party if he were still alive. If he can eat humble pie and join another opposition party, he would still be a valuable member.
.

Is this your impression or you are basing on some evidence?

 

[metalmickey]

Is this your impression or you are basing on some evidence?

He made an issue about the loan to IMF and also to Christopher Balding's critique of how much we truly know about GIC and Temasek's finances. People talk about these all the time but it seems like he actually has a real in depth understanding of the issues.

Yes he's a poor public speaker but I give him credit for speaking up on issues that are actually important. He knows something about hitting the govt where it really hurts, so he should team up with people who know what to do with his message.

People will talk about substandard MRT service, hidden taxes everywhere, not willing to give public assistance to the less privileged in society. But what is the deeper underlying causes behind these bread and butter issues? It is how our finances are managed. Not enough people see the connection between the two.

 

[ray_of_hope]

He made an issue about the loan to IMF and also to Christopher Balding's critique of how much we truly know about GIC and Temasek's finances.

Let me make this contention to you: people heard about the IMF loan constitutional challenge because it was reported in the MSM, but perhaps between 95% and 98% of educated Singaporeans simply do not care about this issue. Is my characterisation incorrect? If so, pray tell, what percentage of educated Singaporeans do you believe care about this issue?

 

[cass888]

General Goh Meng Seng went up against the Managing Director of MAS, a Managing Director at Microsoft and a Managing Director at Hill & Knowton.

I don't even recognise any of the other names in Goh Meng Seng's team, so everybody please blame the other candidates. It is never never never Field Marshall Goh Meng Seng's fault.

How true, Mah Bow Tan with 4 chimpanzees prolly beat you pants down in Tampines...