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[h=2]Lee Kuan Yew could have better mentored his son[/h]
September 5th, 2013 |
Author: Contributions
I must admit I have not read his One Man’s View
of the World but only snippets on the blog sites and newspapers
the pronouncements our ex-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had passed on our neighbor
to the north.
He speaks of race-based policies that place Malaysia at a disadvantage. I ask
him to be honest and critical and to appraise ourselves to see if Singaporeans
are far more disadvantaged from at least these eight policies as practiced by
the PAP Government since 48 years ago:
1. A silent race-biased policy as opposed to a race-based one.
2. Elitism – almost total dominance of the Government, military, civil
service and Government-linked organizations by Government scholars to the total
exclusion of almost all non-scholars.
3. A highly paid civil service corps with iron rice-bowl mentality that
stifle and stymied any creativity in the system. The high salary opiate dulls
the senses of these civil servants.
4. A small clique-based political elite bent on perpetuating its strangle
hold on political power by co-opting and inducting into its ranks technocrats
from the civil service and soldier scholars.
5. The patronizing of the political elite, civil service and military
scholars with shamelessly huge remunerations, perks, awards, decorations and
promotions to prevent dissent.
6. Employment policies that favors foreigners with no minimum wage and a low
wage regime on a ‘cheaper, faster and better’ basis. Citizens perform national
service, a sacrifice that has no real recognition that even MNC employers frown
upon. Older workers are left to drive taxis.
7. Immigration policies that enable subservient and lowly qualified
foreigners to qualify as citizens. Perhaps these ‘new citizens’ form a ready
pool of PAP votes during elections.
8. A lateral thinking Government and civil service maintaining the
‘divide-and-rule’ method.
Where is this PAP brand of politics leading Singapore
to?
To answer the first question we first look around us and we see
dissatisfaction with the high cost of living, housing bubble, immigration woes,
spiraling health costs and transport problems.
Some of our best brains – those we cannot afford to lose – have deserted us.
They left for a myriad of reasons – political, educational policies not suitable
for their children, National Service issues, employment, disenchantment and
seeing no hopes for the future.
The ISA (Internal Security Act) and NPPA (Newspaper and Printing Presses Act
1974) are still in force and now the Government has added new restrictions on
the Internet.
Singapore is experiencing a dearth of sociopolitical thinkers and there is no
encouragement for the intelligentsia amongst its population to engage in
politics. We do not see a quality opposition party on the horizon capable of
providing an alternative Government of quality. There is a brave band of
Singaporeans, however, aspiring and attempting to do just this.
Singaporeans are dead set against race-based politics. But we are also dead
set against the above brand of politics as espoused by the PAP Government.
What about Malaysia?
In just one-and-a-half generation the Malaysian Government has succeeded in
getting its natives – all previously farmers, fishermen and rice-growers out of
their sarongs and into western attire and into the cities to fill clerical,
teaching and other administrative jobs.
Malaysians who previously pedal their bicycles and ride bullock carts are now
owners of their Malaysia-made cars. They have moved from attap hoses to modern
accommodation replete with the latest appliances and conveniences.
Are Malaysian better off than their Singapore
counterparts?
You be the judge.
The majority of Malaysians know they own their country, are proud of this
fact and will not be push around.
Singaporeans on the other hand are nervous about their status. As a matter of
fact many say they want to ‘re-claim their country’ come 2016. They have
rejected the 6.9 million-population proposal.
Lee Hsien Loong has now recognized that for past 47 years PAP policies has
not been fair or just and he is now attempting to correct it. Ex-Prime Minister
Goh Chok Tong says that ‘Singapore must change to avert crisis’.
What have the PAP been doing the past 48 years? It is sad for Lee Kuan Yew
to criticise Malaysia without looking first into his backyard.
Maybe he could have
mentored his son better…
Richard Lu
of the World but only snippets on the blog sites and newspapers
the pronouncements our ex-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had passed on our neighbor
to the north.
He speaks of race-based policies that place Malaysia at a disadvantage. I ask
him to be honest and critical and to appraise ourselves to see if Singaporeans
are far more disadvantaged from at least these eight policies as practiced by
the PAP Government since 48 years ago:
1. A silent race-biased policy as opposed to a race-based one.
2. Elitism – almost total dominance of the Government, military, civil
service and Government-linked organizations by Government scholars to the total
exclusion of almost all non-scholars.
3. A highly paid civil service corps with iron rice-bowl mentality that
stifle and stymied any creativity in the system. The high salary opiate dulls
the senses of these civil servants.
4. A small clique-based political elite bent on perpetuating its strangle
hold on political power by co-opting and inducting into its ranks technocrats
from the civil service and soldier scholars.
5. The patronizing of the political elite, civil service and military
scholars with shamelessly huge remunerations, perks, awards, decorations and
promotions to prevent dissent.
6. Employment policies that favors foreigners with no minimum wage and a low
wage regime on a ‘cheaper, faster and better’ basis. Citizens perform national
service, a sacrifice that has no real recognition that even MNC employers frown
upon. Older workers are left to drive taxis.
7. Immigration policies that enable subservient and lowly qualified
foreigners to qualify as citizens. Perhaps these ‘new citizens’ form a ready
pool of PAP votes during elections.
8. A lateral thinking Government and civil service maintaining the
‘divide-and-rule’ method.
Where is this PAP brand of politics leading Singapore
to?
To answer the first question we first look around us and we see
dissatisfaction with the high cost of living, housing bubble, immigration woes,
spiraling health costs and transport problems.
Some of our best brains – those we cannot afford to lose – have deserted us.
They left for a myriad of reasons – political, educational policies not suitable
for their children, National Service issues, employment, disenchantment and
seeing no hopes for the future.
The ISA (Internal Security Act) and NPPA (Newspaper and Printing Presses Act
1974) are still in force and now the Government has added new restrictions on
the Internet.
Singapore is experiencing a dearth of sociopolitical thinkers and there is no
encouragement for the intelligentsia amongst its population to engage in
politics. We do not see a quality opposition party on the horizon capable of
providing an alternative Government of quality. There is a brave band of
Singaporeans, however, aspiring and attempting to do just this.
Singaporeans are dead set against race-based politics. But we are also dead
set against the above brand of politics as espoused by the PAP Government.
What about Malaysia?
In just one-and-a-half generation the Malaysian Government has succeeded in
getting its natives – all previously farmers, fishermen and rice-growers out of
their sarongs and into western attire and into the cities to fill clerical,
teaching and other administrative jobs.
Malaysians who previously pedal their bicycles and ride bullock carts are now
owners of their Malaysia-made cars. They have moved from attap hoses to modern
accommodation replete with the latest appliances and conveniences.
Are Malaysian better off than their Singapore
counterparts?
You be the judge.
The majority of Malaysians know they own their country, are proud of this
fact and will not be push around.
Singaporeans on the other hand are nervous about their status. As a matter of
fact many say they want to ‘re-claim their country’ come 2016. They have
rejected the 6.9 million-population proposal.
Lee Hsien Loong has now recognized that for past 47 years PAP policies has
not been fair or just and he is now attempting to correct it. Ex-Prime Minister
Goh Chok Tong says that ‘Singapore must change to avert crisis’.
What have the PAP been doing the past 48 years? It is sad for Lee Kuan Yew
to criticise Malaysia without looking first into his backyard.
Maybe he could have
mentored his son better…
Richard Lu
