In 2004, about 4 years ago, PM Lee and Minister Vivian
Balakrishnan announced that pap would change its past policies of
scouting only for those with their own mindset and welcome
non-conformist critics who could offer alternative policies and
solutions to join the party.
Not that I have had any intention of joining the party, I actually
posed myself as a potential interested non-conformist critic with
lots of queries to ask and wrote to young pap's secretary asking to
take part in its internal policy debates (not the same as joining
young pap)
You know what, I was told I needed to join the pap as a member
before I could take part in such debates. I was given some contact
in pap hq and referred to the MP in my constituency to sort be put
under some observation or understudy in order to be admitted as a
member. Of course one could guess my response. I did not bother
with such an invitation to join the party.
If Raymond Lim this time is serious about inviting people to join
some pap forum to give them ideas on alternative policies or
solutions to put them out of mischief he could try again. Rest
assure there will be a wall of obstacles to make people think twice
about offering any solutions.
PAP is not interested in genuine feedbacks; all the talks about
welcoming people to offer feedbacks and alternative solutions are
only for shows.
That is the way pap solves problems. It is too proud to admit its
policies are less than right or perfect. It is only putting up a
facade or charade to appease the critics because the critics will
and are becoming an intellectually better lot than many of the
ministers put together even in the way of solving education and
transport problems.
Look at some solutions already suggested as posted in this forum
and many others. There are no lack of good ideas and solutions. It
is just that the leaders are too proud and too arrogant to listen
especially with regard to giving up revenues to hoard monies from
citizens and profiteering from the people.
So the way I look at it there will be only lip service. Show us
Raymond Lim you are prepared to give up the ERP revenues from the
estates residents like Toa Payoh by removing the Toa Payoh gantry
and put such gantry elsewhere along only fast moving expressways
like PIE or CTE leading to major CBD or concentration of business
or industrial districts by creating the three tiers of road
networks of expressways, major roads and local roads allowing a
combination of local roads and major alternative roads to be
alternative ERP-free roads to provide alternatives to ERP instead
of indiscriminately putting up ERPs everywhere.
Set up an indepth study panel to discover our innate and practical
local talents who can be found in large numbers instead of rushing
to the conclusion that we need to open the floodgates to all
foreign workers to create jobs.
A bit of hand holding is essential before any local talents can
match different needs in different vocations. Many older people are
learning computers so there is no reason why there should be a lack
of talents if employers are given incentives to employ potentially
good people and retrain them with a certain flexible definitions to
jobs. Create longer probation period to entice certain changes to
the job markets.
It is immoral to charge the HDB low cost housing at full market
prices when lands are already paid for partly or fully by citizens
through their own monies and taxes. A high level panel needs to be
set up to consider more creative ways to lessen the impact of
citizens' livelihood due to high housing costs especially when
government is encouraging people to get married and produce more
children.
As for education policies, just go back to the old posts given to
feedback unit and many like the forumsoneasia or youngpap or
sgforums to read the many good ideas and solutions already posted.
We need all the ministers and senior civil servants to come down
from their high horse and begin to encourage all to apply practical
talents in every field and not just narrowly concentrating on the
regular curriculum in schools. Be more open to practical
applications in ideas outside the classrooms. Read www.sgforums.com
to get some good and practical ideas how to set up tasks and duties
in simple doable daily work routines to encourage every one to grow
in their jobs or professions.
Just let the civil service be manned by people with really good
experiences from the middle-career administrative and technical
employees from the private sector who are becoming security guards
or taxi-drivers.
Many local talents are being excluded because of lack of holding
hands or probationary incentives to attracts our own talents to
take up available jobs and increase diversification of the whole
government and civil service.
It is all a man-made illusion that the leaders or party knows best.
If they know best Mas Selamat will not escape that easily through
the toilet bowl and Temasek will not lose billions in Shin
Corp.
With such wild cards ideas will the executive committees of pap or
youngpap still welcome people to debate their internal policies?
Let's get real for once Mr. Raymond Lim.