Are the Taiwanese politically mature compared to Singaporeans ?
Do they know their rights and practise democracy better than
Singaporeans ?
Compared to the Singaporeans, the Taiwanese are more fiery, more
emotional, and more loudly vocal in their politics than
Singaporeans - perhaps one may attribute these to the
characterisitcs of their "Fu-ching" or "Hokkien" ethnic
lineage.
For 51 years, Singaporeans have been - and continue to be
- subjected to the strong arm ONE Man rule even as this is
thinly hidden behind a thin veneer of western style democracy.
The Taiwanese has been more fortunate in that the strong arm ONE
Man rule of Generalisimo Chiang Kai-shek began to crumble with his
death in 1978, and with his son Chiang Ching-kuo continuing the
father's authoritarian rule even as he projected a more
benevolent face.
With the death of Chiang Ching-kuo in 1988, his own appointed
successor in Lee Teng Hui began the process of political
liberalisation - as Chiang Ching-kuo failed to see the treachery of
Lee's well hidden agenda as a Taiwanese Nationalist, and had
believed that Lee Teng Hui will continue with Chiang Kai-shek's
agenda of regaining Kuomintangs return to power on Mainland
China.
With Lee Teng Hui's taking control of all political power as the
annointed successor to the Chiang's legacy, and with his firm grip
on the Kuomintang - Lee began to dismantle the authoritarian rule
of the Chiang's legacy and to give his own Taiwanese people the
political freedom after decades of political subjugation by those
whom he sees as Mainland Chinese.
The Taiwanese have found political freedom, and the rejuvenation
of new found personal liberties that have long been suppressed, and
we see their full expression in all the different forms - both
exuberant and destructive.
Lee Teng Hui practically engineered the defeat of the Kuomintang
in favor of Chen Shui-bian Democratic Party, which continued Lee
Teng Hui's agenda to push for Taiwan's independence.
Lee Teng Hui was subsequently thrown out of the Kuomintang.
Are Singaporeans politically less mature, or are the
Singaporeans not a subjugated lot like the Taiwanese before
the end of the Chiang's legacy ?
Will the entrenched political institutions of the PAP - in
all spheres of the Civil Service, in all the Government Linked
Corporations, and all grass-root organisations - result in
political chaos if ever an Alternative Political Party should take
over the seat of the Government ?
It seems that LKY has designed a system of self-destruct
mechanism to sabotage any other incoming Political Party that
succeed to take over political power.
Is this the legacy that LKY will leave behind for Singaporeans
?
It seems that LKY has designed a
system of self-destruct mechanism to sabotage any other incoming
Political Party that succeed to take over political
power.
Is this the legacy that LKY will
leave behind for Singaporeans ?
If the oppositions were to take over, there is no guarantee that
the PAP will do a good job in handing over. I guess they
will be overwhelmed by their bitterness.