Workers Party. The only opposition in the world helping the ruling Party

[alantan27]

I was a bit disturb by what LTK has said during his victory parade on 27 Jan 13.

"We, the Workers' Party, will play our role entrusted by the people to make sure that the government does its work and where the government has shortcomings. We will point it out and where possible, we will assist wherever we can by giving our opinion. But we are not ready to be the next government or alternative government, and we are clear about this and we do not want to give Singaporeans the false expectation of an alternative government."

"You have to look at the Punggol East by-election in perspective. It is a by-election. It is not a general election. So people in Punggol East have no worries about perhaps you know, if I vote some other way, I might accidentally throw out the government. So the message to them is very clear. The role that the Workers' Party wants to play to them is very clear in my message. I said this is the Workers' Party. This is what we propose to play our role in Parliament - to check on the government, and we give them time. We don't agitate. I think the message got through,"

This statement by LTK may have at least shed 2-3 % of the votes away from opposition come 2016.

If JBJ is still the SG of WP, he could have said the following:

" The result of PE BE show that the voters of Singapore want a change in Government and the WP is ready. I challenge PAP to hold a General immediately. The WP will contest all seat. Let the voters decide who to govern Singapore

Sound so confidence!

The statement by LTK show that he is no confidence and also lack the political leadership materials.
Where in the world is there an opposition that is helping the ruling party.to

When you are in politic and you have win enough voters trust, a lot of individual will volunteer to join you when you have won enough support. You dont even have to worry about not enough resources when the times come.

In fact, looking at the facial expression of LTK during the PE BE press conference show that he felt sorry for PAP.

He felt that 'he has hit his friend too hard'. Taking example you are fighting with someone and he is your friend. You just want to win him, but you hit him too hard and he ended is hospital. You feel sorry for him.

I think singapore need a second opposition party in parliament. If not there will be one day when WP has enough seats , they will from a coalition with PAP. This will be back to square one again

 

[brocoli]

I on the other hand think that LTK is really wily old fox...

to got that that extent show how desperate he is and how he can and will say anything to win more seats

I am sure he will go inTO coalition governement becaus this is not the fifities...

being in govt give them respectibiliy among voters and help them buil mopre seats while growing...

on the other hand pap seem clueless how to deal and understand eleotrate

 

[jixiaolan]

What do you expect? WP is not known as Wayang Party for nothing.

 

[minuteman]

LTK has learned hard lessons from the likes of CSJ..and what PAP did to JBJ..confrontational approach is not the way... he is simply doing political doublespeak...

 

[HTOLAS]

Actually, the role of the 'loyal' opposition is to influence the government to the extent that it does a good job. If this loyal opposition can demonstrate that, first, it is its influence that has improved people's lives or second, that the government is impervious to positive influence, it would stand a chance of being elected as the government the next time round.

The obstructionist policies of the last Republican congress in the US (the leader of whom said to the effect that their only job was not jobs for Americans but to make sure Obama didn't have a job) are aberrations, not the norm in multi-party politics.

 

[Fook Seng]

I can envisage a bull fight. Is your party the bull or the toreador? A lot of people want their chosen MPs to be like the bulls.

 

[HTOLAS]

If an opposition member behaved like a bull in parliament, he/she would allow the PAPzis to act like a matador. And who survives a bullfight 99.99% of the time?

I want the opposition MPs to survive and fight another day.

I can envisage a bull fight. Is your party the bull or the toreador? A lot of people want their chosen MPs to be like the bulls.

 

[tanwahp]

This statement by LTK may have at least shed 2-3 % of the votes away from opposition come 2016.

Most of us are not new to what WP stands for since 2006. Yet WP proved this statement of yours wrong in 2011, 2012 Hougang and 2013 Punggol East.

 

[cleareyes]

This is what politics is all about. Not calling for revolution but evolution and eventual handover with as minimum trouble as possible.

It seems TS and many of whom dont understand this and would want sudden change with no thought for the aftermath.

You want to fight PAP? as an ant against an elephant? WP is still consider small and has no reach to all the machibery of goverment. Many must remember that PAP had entrenched itself into the fabric of Singapore like a spiderweb. So what if you could vote out the whole PAP goverment? can you replace everything PAP had build and connected with for the past 50 years? You have the means, the manpower, the solution for that?

Practical politics need lots of logistics as support. Plain talking and dreaming up policies would not get you far. If so, then Ling How Dong would still be MP today.

 

[jixiaolan]

No one is calling for a revolution but those attractive and eye-catching slogan must not remains as words. It seems that WP is only willing to criticise the government during election period. As voters, our patience are limited and we will hold both PAP and WP accountable. Politicians who gave empty promise should be given a kick on their butts regardless of party affiliation. No more empty cheque.

This is what politics is all about. Not calling for revolution but evolution and eventual handover with as minimum trouble as possible.

It seems TS and many of whom dont understand this and would want sudden change with no thought for the aftermath.

 

[cleareyes]

No one is calling for a revolution but those attractive and eye-catching slogan must not remains as words. It seems that WP is only willing to criticise the government during election period. As voters, our patience are limited and we will hold both PAP and WP accountable. Politicians who gave empty promise should be given a kick on their butts regardless of party affiliation. No more empty cheque.

I agree with the notion that there should not be any empty cheques.

But opposition parties must priorties on what could get them in 1st and what could allow them to stay.

You can tell me about patience all you want , but when you cant even get through the door and someone else have to face the bullet, you expect the person to rush just to fulfill your patience? Then you are no better than PAP who care for themselves and own opinion and ignore those who are more concern of the situation.

KNow your enemy and know yourself. That would be the best strategy.

 

[steffychun]

I was a bit disturb by what LTK has said during his victory parade on 27 Jan 13.

"We, the Workers' Party, will play our role entrusted by the people to make sure that the government does its work and where the government has shortcomings. We will point it out and where possible, we will assist wherever we can by giving our opinion. But we are not ready to be the next government or alternative government, and we are clear about this and we do not want to give Singaporeans the false expectation of an alternative government."

"You have to look at the Punggol East by-election in perspective. It is a by-election. It is not a general election. So people in Punggol East have no worries about perhaps you know, if I vote some other way, I might accidentally throw out the government. So the message to them is very clear. The role that the Workers' Party wants to play to them is very clear in my message. I said this is the Workers' Party. This is what we propose to play our role in Parliament - to check on the government, and we give them time. We don't agitate. I think the message got through,"

This statement by LTK may have at least shed 2-3 % of the votes away from opposition come 2016.

If JBJ is still the SG of WP, he could have said the following:

" The result of PE BE show that the voters of Singapore want a change in Government and the WP is ready. I challenge PAP to hold a General immediately. The WP will contest all seat. Let the voters decide who to govern Singapore

Sound so confidence!

The statement by LTK show that he is no confidence and also lack the political leadership materials.
Where in the world is there an opposition that is helping the ruling party.to

When you are in politic and you have win enough voters trust, a lot of individual will volunteer to join you when you have won enough support. You dont even have to worry about not enough resources when the times come.

In fact, looking at the facial expression of LTK during the PE BE press conference show that he felt sorry for PAP.

He felt that 'he has hit his friend too hard'. Taking example you are fighting with someone and he is your friend. You just want to win him, but you hit him too hard and he ended is hospital. You feel sorry for him.

I think singapore need a second opposition party in parliament. If not there will be one day when WP has enough seats , they will from a coalition with PAP. This will be back to square one again

Labour Party in the UK supports the Tories in Foreign Affairs, Int'l Aid at the very least. You're argument fails.

What is wrong with an opposition supporting some policies? If there's an opposition saying no to everything, then they are just no sayers

 

[wwabbit]

There's a big difference between helping the ruling party to run the country well and helping the ruling party to stay in power.
The Worker's Party is of course trying to do the former, what TS was trying to do is to quote Mr Low Thia Khiang out of context to make it look like the latter.

Worker's Party losing votes to extremist opposition supporters? Looking at the Punggol East By Election results compared to 2011 General Election results, it looks like Worker's Party won more votes from both extremists and even the moderate right.

 

[steffychun]

There's a big difference between helping the ruling party to run the country well and helping the ruling party to stay in power.
The Worker's Party is of course trying to do the former, what TS was trying to do is to quote Mr Low Thia Khiang out of context to make it look like the latter.

Worker's Party losing votes to extremist opposition supporters? Looking at the Punggol East By Election results compared to 2011 General Election results, it looks like Worker's Party won more votes from both extremists and even the moderate right.

Very much agree. Opposition parties fail if they become Tea Party like as in the US and propose extreme views (no abortion, super duper free market, no to any democrat policies) or they can be viable.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

There's a big difference between helping the ruling party to run the country well and helping the ruling party to stay in power.
The Worker's Party is of course trying to do the former, what TS was trying to do is to quote Mr Low Thia Khiang out of context to make it look like the latter.

Spot on, bro.

 

[scroobal]

Have to disagree. Politics is the use of the best possible strategy to capture power and implement ideology that is supposed to help society.

LTK does not have the means to conduct a revolution and there is no need for one. Singaporeans are not exactly dropping like flies due to starvation or locked up by the thousands in some disused stadium. With limited means, LTK has adopted a strategy of being a co-driver. I am sure if he had the means, he would have adopted something much stronger rather than endure the wait.

Evolution is not a strategy in any one's book.

This is what politics is all about. Not calling for revolution but evolution and eventual handover with as minimum trouble as possible.

.

 

[steffychun]

Have to disagree. Politics is the use of the best possible strategy to capture power and implement ideology that is supposed to help society.

LTK does not have the means to conduct a revolution and there is no need for one. Singaporeans are not exactly dropping like flies due to starvation or locked up by the thousands in some disused stadium. With limited means, LTK has adopted a strategy of being a co-driver. I am sure if he had the means, he would have adopted something much stronger rather than endure the weight.

Evolution is not a strategy in any one's book.

He's got the opportunity, well yes not the means, to do something. He can react faster and move beyond co-driver.

 

[scroobal]

Bro, its a strategy that works. You always keep your enemy closer.

Look at CSJ, he has been critical of the govt but nothing to show for it. No plan, no strategy, no idea where he is going but always ready to step up and critcise.

No one is calling for a revolution but those attractive and eye-catching slogan must not remains as words. It seems that WP is only willing to criticise the government during election period. As voters, our patience are limited and we will hold both PAP and WP accountable. Politicians who gave empty promise should be given a kick on their butts regardless of party affiliation. No more empty cheque.

 

[scroobal]

I would not bother. This comment about being PAP Team B, PAP lite, second teams, loyal to PAP, comes from the same, one small segment. Its the same segment that has no idea what it takes to take away seats from the ruling party, no idea how to engage voters, no idea what is going on.

Labour Party in the UK supports the Tories in Foreign Affairs, Int'l Aid at the very least. You're argument fails.

What is wrong with an opposition supporting some policies? If there's an opposition saying no to everything, then they are just no sayers

 

[scroobal]

The centre of gravity for local politics shifted considerably in last 15 mths. I am sure the fox and vixen would have something in mind.

He's got the opportunity, well yes not the means, to do something. He can react faster and move beyond co-driver.