The Politics of Bus Tours - Singapore style

[scroobal]

I have always been intrigued by these bus tours organised by nearly all parties who have seats in Parliament. SDP, PAP, PA and WP are all engaged in this and what started out covering Malaysia has now extended to flights to neighbouring countries and even China. Spoke to couple of people in recent times and have been told that it was Chiam that used it to bring the residents together and build ground level support. Is that true? Also told that it was not politics 101 at grassroots level.

Also it seems unique to Singapore. Have not heard our neighbours or anyone else doing it.

 

[leetahbah]

Anwar will tell you Najib bring in voters by the bus load. Some got free tour to Sabah by air.

 

[tanwahp]

Also it seems unique to Singapore. Have not heard our neighbours or anyone else doing it.

In China, CCP also have such bus tours by bringing members from one province to another for holiday.

 

[po2wq]

clans n associations got organise such tours ... oso got in msia ...

 

[neddy]

I have always been intrigued by these bus tours organised by nearly all parties who have seats in Parliament. SDP, PAP, PA and WP are all engaged in this and what started out covering Malaysia has now extended to flights to neighbouring countries and even China. Spoke to couple of people in recent times and have been told that it was Chiam that used it to bring the residents together and build ground level support. Is that true? Also told that it was not politics 101 at grassroots level.

Also it seems unique to Singapore. Have not heard our neighbours or anyone else doing it.

China does it best.
Looks at the colored-coded caps of the bus load.

 

[3_M]

All politics is local. Like it or not, grassroots politics is the foundation of all politics here.

 

[scroobal]

Thanks, was not aware. In the 80s, PAP sent a team to meets its brethren in CCCP, I wonder if they picked this from there. I am trying to trace the origins in Singapore.

I use to treat it as best marginal but I have to understand that it is an effective method in grassroots politics. Apparently PA got full time travel coordinator and team.

In China, CCP also have such bus tours by bringing members from one province to another for holiday.

 

[metalmickey]

Look at people like Poh Lee Guan who have left the WP and are slagging it off.

The perennial problem for any party, especially PAP and WP, is that you're going to have plenty of people who have put in the blood and sweat for you in the early years, and you have to keep them happy. That's the problem with political parties. First stage is the revolutionary stage, where you have a lot of enthusiastic people taking bullets for you. Second stage is the payback stage, where you have to give privileges to the old timers of the party so that they don't start an insurrection against the party leadership. Third stage is when people no longer join the party for revolutionary reasons, but rather because of these privileges. Then this leads to the fourth stage where the party becomes more morally corrupt, which has already happened to the PAP, may be happening to the WP, and will also happen to any political party in Singapore which becomes successful.

This is the economics of karma.

 

[mei mei]

Bus tours = paybacks for the people?

 

[wendychan]

I have always been intrigued by these bus tours organised by nearly all parties who have seats in Parliament. SDP, PAP, PA and WP are all engaged in this and what started out covering Malaysia has now extended to flights to neighbouring countries and even China. Spoke to couple of people in recent times and have been told that it was Chiam that used it to bring the residents together and build ground level support. Is that true? Also told that it was not politics 101 at grassroots level.

Also it seems unique to Singapore. Have not heard our neighbours or anyone else doing it.

u mean you cant andwer the question or questions yourself?

what you trying to fish?