December 31, 2009
OPINION
2009 is a forgettable year for Singapore as the ruling party
introduces more laws and tricks to curtail the political and civil
rights of Singapore citizens and to further entrench itself in
power for perpetuity.
In other countries like China, North Korea, Iran and Myanmar,
repression takes the form of assassinations, imprisonment and
forced labor. In Singapore, it is institutionalized in the system
to give it a veneer of legitimacy and respectability such that most
Singaporeans are ignorant of its implications.
The Public Order Act (POA) was rushed through in Parliament and
implemented just in time before the APEC Summit in November this
year ostensibly to prevent “social unrest” at the international
meeting.
Under the law, a solo protest anywhere in Singapore (except Hong
Lim Park) is illegal and the police has overriding powers to
ask the protester(s) to “move on” from the scene.
Freedom of speech and assembly is guaranteed under Article 14 of
the Singapore Constitution and it can only be suspended during
times when National Security is being threatened.
It is the innate right of Singaporeans to partake in the
political life of their nation which includes expressing their
displeasure publicly against the ruling party.
The law was introduced not so much for the sake of “public order
and security”, but to deter opposition members and activists from
making use of such “mini-protests” to attract international
attention to the PAP’s repressive rule.
All forms of public dissent are strongly frown upon by the PAP
because it will shatter the myth that it is a popular government
elected by the people.
Rocked by a series of mini-bond protests at Hong Lim Park last
year, the police has now fitted CCTVs at Hong Lim Park to
discourage Singaporeans from participating in the events held there
though the Kreta Ayer Police Station is just a stone-throw
away.
In May this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a
series of “reforms” to further strengthen the PAP’s position ahead
of the next general elections.
Pressurized by rising demands from the ground for more
opposition representation in Parliament, PM Lee had increased the
number of non-PAP seats to 18 with 9 NCMPs and 9 NMPs.
The state media is quick to heap praise on him for
“liberalizing” the political landscape, but don’t be deceived – it
is merely a gimmick to appease Singaporeans and to perpetuate the
PAP’s political hegemony.
Other than to provide new PAP MPs with free training in
debating, the token “opposition” representation will not challenge
the PAP’s stranglehold on Parliament as it still retains its
two-thirds majority.
The MPs can debate till the cows come home and the PAP will just
pass the bills and laws are it sees fit. In short, it is no more
than a “Wayang” – full of sound and fury, but nothing of
substance.
Short of helping the opposition, it may work against them in the
next general election as voters may be less inclined to vote for an
opposition candidate knowing that he/she can still enter parliament
as a “best loser” – a NCMP.
For all their worth, NCMPs and NMPs will never pose a serious
threat to the PAP as they are deprived access to crucial grassroots
resources privy only to an elected MP which will help them build up
the opposition to mount a credible challenge to the PAP in the long
run.
What Singapore truly needs is a genuinely competitive
political system and level playing field for all political parties
so that the best party to lead the nation can emerge and assume
power in a legal and peaceful manner and not a one-party system
where one single political party calls the shots and tweak the
system to ensure that it wins election after election.
Without the prospect of ever losing power, no government of the
day will bother to sit down and listen attentively to the concerns
of the people. Singaporeans can have the best debaters screwing the
asses of the PAP ministers in parliament to create some
entertainment for them, but at the end of day, what will it achieve
with the PAP still firmly in control of every institutions of the
state?
For example, you can have the 18 non-PAP MPs protesting against
another impending hike in the ministers’ pay, but when the time
comes for the vote, who will be having the last laugh?
On the other hand, if the PAP is denied its two thirds majority
in parliament like Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional, then it will have
little choice but to obey the wishes of the people.
We have a glaring example right at our very doorsteps: When the
Barisan Nasional dominated Malaysia before the 2008 elections, it
did not care a hoot about the ethnic minorities. Now that it lost
its two thirds majority in parliament, it is now singing a
different tune altogether out of fear of being booted out of office
in the next general election.
We can have 18, 28 and even 38 NCMPs and NMPs in Parliament, but
so long our political system remains closed, uncompetitive and
repressive as of now, the PAP can expect to win elections after
elections for the next five decades.
If PM Lee is sincere in liberalizing Singapore’s political
landscape, there is really no need for him to increase the number
of non-PAP seats in Parliament. All he needs to do is to level the
playing field to ensure that a credible alternative party can
emerge from the populace to challenge it.
It is an irony that while Singaporeans are always urged by PAP
leaders to stay competitive, they themselves are so afraid of
competition.
Whether a two-party system is suitable for Singapore is for
Singaporeans to decide and not the PAP. This country belongs to
every Singaporean and not the PAP alone.
The PAP is nothing more than a political party which must be
elected by the people to run the country. If it is not performing
up to the expectations of the people, then it should be prepared to
be voted out of office.
Right now, the PAP still thinks it is the only party with the
divine right to govern the nation on behalf of the Singaporeans
regardless of what they think. This is not a democracy but a
tyranny in disguise.
Ultimately, the future of a nation must be determined by the
people themselves and not by a single political party. Until
Singaporeans reclaim their rights to toss out unwanted and
unpopular governments as and when they wish, the degree of
political repression in Singapore will be no different from rogue
states elsewhere.
