Anger Brewing With Ruling Party's Extensive Role & Influence

Yxxxone SG

http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=insightdownsouth&file=/2009/5/23/columnists/insightdownsouth/3957792&sec=Insight%20Down%20South

The Star Online, 23 May 2009. Seah Chiang Nee

Irked by ping-pong controversy

As recession spreads hardship, more MPs are on the receiving end of public wrath.

SINGAPOREANS who want to see a quicker reduction of government influence in society now have another reason to do so in the wake of the ping-pong controversy.

It was sparked off by the way the Table Tennis Association (STTA) had acted over a dispute that led to the loss of its talented Chinese trainer.

One of the most successful sports trainers here, Liu Guodong, had helped Singapore to win its first Olympic medal in 48 years. He had shaped the women’s paddlers to rank among the world’s best, as well as win the silver medal in last year’s Beijing Olympics, losing to China in the final.

Instead of receiving state accolade, Liu left for Beijing in a huff on Sunday after his second run-in with Lee Bee Wah, the STTA President, who is also MP in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s group constituency.

To Singaporeans, that connection spells political backing. Liu’s exit followed an accusation from the free-talking politician that the Chinese coach lacked “professionalism and integrity”, without giving any clarification.

Her organisation had earlier refused to nominate the popular Liu for the National Coach of the Year award as widely expected and supported by the National Sports Council.

This infuriated the Chinese trainer, the brother of China’s national table tennis coach. Liu felt humiliated, saying that it had impugned his integrity.

He asked her to justify the charge or apologise, failing which he may return to seek legal recourse to clear his name.

The way that Lee, a Malaysian-born politician, had handled — or mishandled — a talented table tennis coach caused resentment among Singaporeans and some mainland Chinese netizens.

It has led to Singapore being accused — rather unfairly — of ungratefulness, implying that his importance was downgraded after the Olympics feat. Some Singaporeans questioned the need to have a government person manage a sports body — as well as numerous others — instead of people with long relevant experience.

Lee is the latest of a number of MPs who have been on the receiving end of public wrath.

As the recession spreads hardship, the number of people who seek help from their MPs has sharply increased, some of them desperately.

Threats against MPs have been on the rise. In a recent case a woman MP was threatened by a rag-and-bone man.

Then an angry youth slammed a chair on a glass door when he felt another MP had talked down to his mother.

The worst case happened in January when MP Seng Han Tong was set on fire by an attacker, sending him to hospital with severe burns. He has just resumed duty.

Although this violence has raised public concern, one blogger said, “I am not sure whether the constituents are solely to be blamed.”

Many of the MPs hail from rich homes with little understanding of how the deprived class suffers, he added. “Until they join politics, some have never stepped into a public flat in their lives.”

The ping-pong flap has highlighted a growing unhappiness with the ruling party’s extensive role — and influence — in matters that have nothing to do with government.

“The government should just stick to running the country and keep its nose away from private business, running the media or sports,” said a returning graduate from Australia.

“Why is a PAP MP managing the game of ping-pong when there are more experienced people around?” he asked.

Scholars: how effective?

One of the pillars of this generally well-run city is its scholar system.

Over the decades, thousands of the brightest students have been given university scholarships and slotted back into society to run the country. This was expanded to include bright foreigners.

This was believed to have been adopted by Lee Kuan Yew from 1,300 years of Chinese Imperial exams, from which the emperors picked out the best to help them run China.

For Singapore, this had largely worked well in producing efficient civil servants and managers at a time when the world was a lot less complex.

Going forward, however, they face two problems.

The first is that while they are good at implementing policies, few actually shine at anticipating problems and creativity.

Visionary abilities often come from ordinary people, even drop-outs — not just scholars.

Secondly, too many “scholar” politicians lack the human touch or a social skill to connect with the masses. Today, Singaporeans want to see leaders and MPs who can relate with them.

Online writer, Robert Teh said the Singapore system that is based on assembling of a few scholars to come up with ideas, schemes and policies for the whole country would no longer work.

The conceptual assumptions about leadership and talents have failed to work for modern Singapore since 1970s and should be revised, he said, noting that “A leader is chosen because, among other reasons, he or she has shared certain common objectives with the people.”

When Singapore does well, the scholars were given the bulk of the credits, but when things go so badly as now, the big blame, too, goes to them.

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Ah Chia SG

4sg SG

PAP must stop the ‘nannying’ of us now.

PAP must understand that too much politicking of everyday life, even as far as the mundane or the non critical spheres, is bad for the long term growth, maturity, health of this nation.

4sg SG

Translated from Lianhe Wanbao

Liu Guodong said he hasn’t decided if he will take legal action against STTA now that there is a middleman mediating the matter between them.

Upon arrival in Beijing, he told the Chinese reporters that he will surely bring the matter to the court the next time he visits Singapore. However, he sounds more conciliatory now.

“During the last two days, there were some changes to the situation which I am unable to elaborate more,” Liu said, without revealing the identity of the mediator. He is currently focusing on a national tournament in China and will deliberate on sending the lawyer’s letter at the end of the month.

STTA President Lee Bee Wah told reporters this morning that she will not comment further on the matter.

Liu Guodong said that many Chinese lawyers are willing to fight the case for him as the chances of winning is very high. He told the Chinese media that he is not afraid of the lawsuit as he has done nothing wrong.

EDITORS’ NOTE:

Who did STTA send as a mediator to resolve the issue with Liu Guodong? Obviously Lee Bee Wah is not prepared to retract her statements and issue a public apology which would have solved the problem immediately.

According to unconfirmed sources, Lee Bee Wah has consulted a lawyer and the draft document which she asked her subordinates to pass to Liu to sign was drafted by her lawyer. That’s why she has now refrained from commenting further on the matter.

Will Liu be offered attractive “terms” to dissuade him from suing Lee Bee Wah? Surely that is the result which both Lee Bee Wah and PAP do not want to see.

Dragging the matter to the court will open a can of worms and cause irreversible damage to Lee Bee Wah’s reputation thereby sounding the death knell to her fledging political career.

The ideal solution will be to gag Liu Guodong’s mouth while saving the “face” of Lee Bee Wah at the same time.

Regardless of whether Liu decides to sue Lee Bee Wah in the end, we will persist in our efforts to force Lee Bee Wah to resign as STTA President. Enough is enough! It is time she learnt her lesson!

If you haven’t signed the online petition to remove Lee Bee Wah as STTA President, please click on the link below and forward it to everybody you know:

http://www.petitiononline.com/lbh/petition.html

http://sgblogs.com/entry/will-comment-further-matter/342746

Man!x SG

I bet she doesnt even know anything about table tennis. And by the looks of her the only exercise she gets is the walk from the living room to the toilet. And she's Malaysian-born!

likedatosocan SG

There is completely nothing wrong to raise our expectations . It actually keeps everyone on their toes to serve better. The only problem is are people able to raise their expectations. Maybe raise their salaries further so that we can expect more? hahahahahaha

just my 2 cents.

pearlie27 SG

I think to say anger is brewing with PAP extensive role is a an overstatement. I would think people are sick of the leaders’ high-handedness, ineptitude and insensitivity.

zenden9 SG

Stuff 1 million dollar into Liu Guodong pocket and case closed.

Chew Bakar SG

Stuff 1 million dollar into Liu Guodong pocket and case closed.

One million suffice?