NSP - Slapping Its Own "Race-Based" Face ...

[Green Light]

by Bryan Ti on Monday, 04 October 2010 at 11:37

Disclaimer: Note that my views expressed here are based on a 3rd party report. I may adjust them accordingly if GMS publishes the actual script of his speech.

Donaldson Tan reported on GMS's (NSP Sec-Gen) points raised at a public workshop on electoral reform organised by Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD).

The first thing that would send one chortling would be GMS's quixotic reply to a question from the floor on Opposition unity.

He said: “A team building process cannot be based on a common enemy. It is not sustainable over the long term. What will happen [to Opposition unity] when LKY dies or when PAP looses half its support?”

I really wonder what Opposition team-building process GMS is referring to. The Opposition has had a so-called “common enemy” since 1959 and we have hardly been able to discern any form of cohesion within the Opposition. Instead, what we have are the oft-repeated observations about the Opposition's infighting and bickering.

If his opinion is that the state of Opposition unity(?) will worsen when LKY dies or when PAP “looses half its support”, one really can't imagine what the Opposition landscape would transform into. A war zone?


Secondly, he says that we must “first believe that the Opposition is part of the government, but plays a different role”.

Is it an issue of his limited English competence or is he playing around with words? Somehow I feel that he is trying to tell us that: The Opposition is part of the government that opposes the government.

Weird.

At least some of the other Opposition parties are a bit clearer – they call themselves potential alternative-governments.

Perhaps GMS is so eager to be co-opted into or recognised as part of the government that he is trying to imagine a “different role” for himself therein. I doubt that many of the other Opposition leaders live under such a grand delusion.


Thirdly, GMS laments that “the elected MPs is not given funds to set up an office in his constituency. He contrasts our with the situation in Hong Kong, where “the elected representatives and town councillors receive state funding to pay for the office rent and staff salaries for the operation of his office.”

I wonder what GMS thinks the monthly MP allowance of $13000 is for...... buy car and pay for HDB flat installments?


Fourthly, GSM alludes that the need for “certification of minority race” prior to a GE is to “inform PAP how many wards the Opposition will be contesting.”

Why does the Opposition need to be shy about revealing how many wards it is contesting?

In fact, the Opposition owes it to the electorate to contest ALL wards, something that it has consistently failed to do over many GEs. If does what Singaporeans want and contests all wards, why is there a need to be so secretive about the number of minority candidates?


Lastly, he also says that the arrangement creates a perception among minority race candidates that “the opposition political parties need them because of their race and not their individual merits such as integrity and political acumen”.

Looks like the cat is out of the bag.

Now we have confirmation why NSP went out of its way to create a Malay Bureau despite the fact that the party membership is relatively low compared to other Opposition parties without such a race-based wing.

It also reveals the reason behind the special treatment it accords its Malay candidates when it promised to give priority for a Malay candidate to be sent into parliament, whether as MP or NCMP.

All these measures confirm that NSP's actions are not based on their “individual merits such as integrity and political acumen”.

NSP slaps its own face...... again.

 

[Hawkeye1819]

Bryan T sounds like an uncultured goon with precious little grey matter between his ears and a puzzling vendetta against NSP.

 

[BusNo64]

dis is not the first time he had slapped his own face liao....KNN cheebye got time to talk cock in some stupid workshop but no time to do outreach in tampines..if NSP is not serious abt tampines...FUCK OFF! DONT TURN TAMPINES INTO ANOTHER GEYLANG SERAI WITH YOUR LONTONG EATING MALAY BUREAU BODOHS!!!:oIo::oIo::oIo::oIo:

 

[Subok]

HHHHHH~~~~

ACTUALLY! GMS is his own doing! sub standard businesman aim for political office for the 13K allowance!

 

[myfoot123]

[COLOR="_______"]All opposition parties should share Singaporeans goal. How this can be achieved depends on methodology used. Different parties can try to win votes by their style and method of governing Singapore.

PAP has been using iron-hand, arrogant style and self-centered method which is out of tune with the people thus they must be voted out soonest possible before Singapore fall deeper into the hands of foreigners.

There is no such thing called common enemy after PAP is toppled. Opposition parties can continue to adopt racial, religious harmony society and bring Singapore forward to a new plateau but method used must be very different from PAP arrogant style. It has to be carried out with a lighter touch, putting social fabric above economy and happiness above wealth. ONly then we can truly achieve swiss standard of livings but also old folks can aged gracefully in their golden years.

Give NS men more recognition and women more incentives for pregnancy treatment. Incalcate to our younger generations that they can work hard and play hard too, there is no need to slog until aged 85.

Tell younger generations the goal of life and work is not about cheaper, better and faster. Opposition should give the impression that Singapore must adopt a work ethic of keeping healthy, happy and productive. That is the way to bring our labour union forward.

If we can achieve all of the above without changing too much to what Singaporeans have already built by our ancestor, Singapore is truly a place we call home.

Opposition must have confident to form a new government, there are many professionals and talented outcasted by society problems. They have been unemployed and underemployed without given the chance to display their talent. For a small fraction of the "elite" pay, these group of people will be most willng to lend opposition parties a strong hand and in unity with them, their strength can bring many PAP's scholars to shame.

Let's look far and wide beyond just winning, we need a strong team once opposition win and we need a new govnement to clean up the systems - slowly and surely - we will bring a more accountability and transparency sysems to the people. No greed, no corruption and no obscene salaries.
[/COLOR]

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

This is the whole report. I stand by what I say and will defend it as rigorously as I would to my life.

“A team building process cannot be based on a common enemy. It is not sustainable over the long term, ” Mr Goh Meng Seng told participants at a public workshop on electoral reform organised by Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD). “What will happen [to Opposition unity] when LKY dies or when PAP looses half its support?” This reply was a response to a question from the floor on Opposition unity. Mr Goh is the Secretary-General of the National Solidarity Party (NSP) and a panelist at the workshop. The 40-year-old politician was elected to the top post at NSP this February.

He told participants that PAP practises confrontational politics because of its historical baggage with colonialism and communism. As such, it is not unusual for PAP to treat Opposition politicians as troublemakers. This mindset is not sustainable. “You must first believe that the Opposition is part of the government, but plays a different role,” Mr Goh told the participants.

The ‘troublemaker’ mindset is evident in the Political Donation Act. Total anonymous donation to political parties cannot exceed S$5,000 a year. This limit is hardly enough to cover a year’s rent of office space for the political party. To make matters worse, the Singapore Land Authority does not permit residential spaces (e.g. HDB flat) to be used for conducting political activities. Yet, MPs can rent void deck space of HDB flats for political outreach. Moreover, PAP MPs enjoy a discount when they rent the HDB void deck space through the People’s Association.

This constraints political competition in Singapore. Mr Goh pointed out that political competition is good for the state. This is why political parties in Hong Kong and Taiwan enjoy state funding as long as the parties can win votes above a particular threshold. Perhaps Singapore should do the same to allow the current political system to be more balanced. Political parties are agent of change, but change still must come from the electorate. The electorate has to believe in fairness in the political system.

In Singapore, the elected MP is not given funds to set up an office in his constituency. In Hong Kong, the elected representatives and town councillors receive state funding to pay for the office rent and staff salaries for the operation of his office. In comparison, Singapore is very primitive. Opposition MPs have to meet their constituents in the HDB void deck. Certain constituents require privacy when meeting their MP but this is not possible if the Opposition MP has no office space.

Mr Goh also shared his concern that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had refused to call for by-election in response to the news that Dr Balaji Sadasivan, a MP of the Ang Mo Kio GRC, had passed away from Colon Cancer. The Prime Minister’s rationale is that the remaining MPs in the same GRC can take on his roles and responsibilities. Mr Goh pointed out that a MP has 2 roles: (1) serve the constituents; and (2) debate in parliament. “How can anyone simply replaces another MP to debate in parliament?” he said.

He opined that the problem of by-election can be circumvented by proportional representation. In proportional representation, by-election can be circumvented more fairly as it allows the party to internally select a new representative to take over the vacated MP post. While it may not be fair to aspiring MPs who are alive, proportional representation is more inclusive. For example, proportional representation allows LGBT interest to become an election agenda, unlike the current situation, whereby first-past-the-post system restricts General Election candidates to campaign along mainstream issues. After all, LGBT members are still members of society.

Mr Goh also raised another concern relating to the GRC – race politics. The Election Department requires the certification of race of General Election candidates of minority race. This certification is not permanent. It is only valid for one General Election, so candidates have to be re-certified at every General Election. “Does your race change over time” asked Mr Goh. According to Mr Goh, the reason for the certification of minority race is to inform PAP how many wards the Opposition will be contesting. The Election Department reports to the Prime Minister’s Office. Moreover, it creates the perception among minority race candidates that the opposition political parties need them because of their race and not their individual merits such as integrity and political acumen.

Last but not least, Mr Goh touched on the conduct of General Election by the Elections Department. He noted that Singapore does not have a fixed date for General Election, thus there is no incentive for the Elections Department to release periodically a report on electoral boundaries. The Elections Department does not brief partisan players on electoral procedures. This includes issues such as what counts as a voided vote and how votes are counted. The Elections Department needs to beef up in this aspect.

The Elections Department is also in charge of venue booking during General Election campaign period. Rallies are important for opposition parties as they are the only means for an Opposition political party to access masses during the campaign period. “Singapore has a very primitive way for the Opposition to book rally venues. People has to start queuing up the night before [outside the Elections Department],” said Mr Goh. Online booking of venues is so prevalent today. Mr Goh noted that the ruling party benefits from the current set-up as it can easily mobilise a lot of people to queue, unlike any of the Opposition political parties.

There were 2 other panelists – Mr Chia Li Tik (Secretary-General of the Socialist Front) and Dr James Gomez (Executive Director of SFD). Film maker Martyn See was the workshop moderator. The workshop, titled SFD Election Consultation, was held at Post Museum on 2 Oct 2010 (Saturday) from 1500 to 1800. There were 50 participants in total. The 3 panelists had campaigned together as candidates under the Workers’ Party in the 2001 General Election.

 

[Ramseth]

An opposition party is part of the political process.

It's not part of Parliament unless it wins at least one seat.

It's not part of Government unless it wins enough seats to be invited into coalition.

It becomes Government and not Opposition anymore if it wins majority of the seats.

 

[cleareyes]

Where is this report taken from?

Please dont tell me its from TR?

by Bryan Ti on Monday, 04 October 2010 at 11:37

Disclaimer: Note that my views expressed here are based on a 3rd party report. I may adjust them accordingly if GMS publishes the actual script of his speech.

Donaldson Tan reported on GMS's (NSP Sec-Gen) points raised at a public workshop on electoral reform organised by Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD).

The first thing that would send one chortling would be GMS's quixotic reply to a question from the floor on Opposition unity.

He said: “A team building process cannot be based on a common enemy. It is not sustainable over the long term. What will happen [to Opposition unity] when LKY dies or when PAP looses half its support?”

I really wonder what Opposition team-building process GMS is referring to. The Opposition has had a so-called “common enemy” since 1959 and we have hardly been able to discern any form of cohesion within the Opposition. Instead, what we have are the oft-repeated observations about the Opposition's infighting and bickering.

If his opinion is that the state of Opposition unity(?) will worsen when LKY dies or when PAP “looses half its support”, one really can't imagine what the Opposition landscape would transform into. A war zone?


Secondly, he says that we must “first believe that the Opposition is part of the government, but plays a different role”.

Is it an issue of his limited English competence or is he playing around with words? Somehow I feel that he is trying to tell us that: The Opposition is part of the government that opposes the government.

Weird.

At least some of the other Opposition parties are a bit clearer – they call themselves potential alternative-governments.

Perhaps GMS is so eager to be co-opted into or recognised as part of the government that he is trying to imagine a “different role” for himself therein. I doubt that many of the other Opposition leaders live under such a grand delusion.


Thirdly, GMS laments that “the elected MPs is not given funds to set up an office in his constituency. He contrasts our with the situation in Hong Kong, where “the elected representatives and town councillors receive state funding to pay for the office rent and staff salaries for the operation of his office.”

I wonder what GMS thinks the monthly MP allowance of $13000 is for...... buy car and pay for HDB flat installments?


Fourthly, GSM alludes that the need for “certification of minority race” prior to a GE is to “inform PAP how many wards the Opposition will be contesting.”

Why does the Opposition need to be shy about revealing how many wards it is contesting?

In fact, the Opposition owes it to the electorate to contest ALL wards, something that it has consistently failed to do over many GEs. If does what Singaporeans want and contests all wards, why is there a need to be so secretive about the number of minority candidates?


Lastly, he also says that the arrangement creates a perception among minority race candidates that “the opposition political parties need them because of their race and not their individual merits such as integrity and political acumen”.

Looks like the cat is out of the bag.

Now we have confirmation why NSP went out of its way to create a Malay Bureau despite the fact that the party membership is relatively low compared to other Opposition parties without such a race-based wing.

It also reveals the reason behind the special treatment it accords its Malay candidates when it promised to give priority for a Malay candidate to be sent into parliament, whether as MP or NCMP.

All these measures confirm that NSP's actions are not based on their “individual merits such as integrity and political acumen”.

NSP slaps its own face...... again.

 

[Hazama]

The funny thing about Opposition, they simply cannot unite or even agree with each other. PAP is now at its weakest with many screw-ups, but they are too divided to even take advantage of it. I think there is a higher chance of the Mafia families uniting in New York than getting the Opposition to even see eye-to-eye with each other in Singapore.

 

[sinren67]

How come all the speakers are ex-WP members?

 

[Hawkeye1819]

Where is this report taken from?

Please dont tell me its from TR?

It's Bryan T's facebook posting. That guy developed a hatred for NSP after falling out with Goh Meng Seng.

 

[cleareyes]

It's Bryan T's facebook posting. That guy developed a hatred for NSP after falling out with Goh Meng Seng.

OOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I see..................................................

Think TR might wnat to recruit him since they all think the same manner.

 

[Sideswipe]

He opined that the problem of by-election can be circumvented by proportional representation. In proportional representation, by-election can be circumvented more fairly as it allows the party to internally select a new representative to take over the vacated MP post. While it may not be fair to aspiring MPs who are alive, proportional representation is more inclusive. For example, proportional representation allows LGBT interest to become an election agenda, unlike the current situation, whereby first-past-the-post system restricts General Election candidates to campaign along mainstream issues. After all, LGBT members are still members of society.

the problem of by-election can be circumvented by proportional representation? what that supposed to mean?
if a constituency mp vacated his seat, that constituency will have a by-election. It has nothing to do with PR.

IMO, small parties that campaign solely along LGBT issues are unlikely to win any seats in a PR system. For example - PR Additional Member System benefits solely the major parties.

one wrong fact about PR ( often used by critics against PR ) is that PR would enable every Tom to Harry political party to enter parliament. That is not the case.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

the problem of by-election can be circumvented by proportional representation? what that supposed to mean?
if a constituency mp vacated his seat, that constituency will have a by-election. It has nothing to do with PR.

In GRC system, by elections will mean all the living MPs will have to go through the by elections. But in PR, the elections is only for that one single seat, all the other living MPs will not go through.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Sideswipe]

In GRC system, by elections will mean all the living MPs will have to go through the by elections. But in PR, the elections is only for that one single seat, all the other living MPs will not go through.

don't complicate or mix GRC, SMC, FPTP, PR all together.
it's fine if anyone want to invent a system of a by-election in a GRC but it has nothing to do with PR.

anyway voters give mandate to whole team in a GRC so if one mp is gone, the whole team should be invalid.