This time round Citizens definitely will want to ask a lot more
questions and not be pushed to go to the poll or referendum to vote
yes or no with all the propaganda like the way MM Lee got to set up
the IR or pass the compulsory annuities for citizens or HOTA and at
the end of it we citizens have no choice but just accept the fate
of being merged with UNMO Malaysia as MM Lee has done it
before.
There should be thorough reviews of all the good and bad, problems
and potential troubles with UNMO or Ultra Malays or Muslim who
might not be bound for laws even if well passed in
parliament.
Let us consider the totality of merger from a larger
perspectives:-
Benefits to both countries:
(1) Bigger countries allow intra-regional trades cooperations and
specialization to make both countries survive better - this is
probably the stand or model behind the EU unions.
(2) Synergy which can be released from the people in both countries
can be tremendous - no more holding back by laws in economic
activities due to a divided and separated system.
Disadvantages to both countries:
(1) UNMO and PAP each has its own different agendas, racial,
social, cultural, political differences to resolve - too many and
too complex.
(2) Jobs, economic opportunities may be affected at different
levels among different races if the countries unite and change laws
to suit the union.
The above-stated disadvantages which are what you have referred to
may be beyond the solutions of the ablest leaders or individuals
especially if they are to forge an union on hope, slogans without
doing their respective in-depth ground work.
If ground works are to be laid, what should they be and how to go
about them.
To begin, both countries will have to lay down in details (devil is
in the details) a program as EU probably has done before such
as:
Phase I
Benefits and disadvantages in totality and details.
Measures to be incorporated into the union and local constitutions
of of each country necessary to balance the interests of component
races at two level, union and local which gives right of precedence
of union matter over the local.
Parliamentary, legislative and executive policies and decision
processes to be modeled by each country at the local government
level so as to avoid conflicts at the higher union level.
Tax contributions to the union government (Union Parliament)
Union structure and respective boundaries of rights and privileges
for both Union parliament and local parliament.
Tax contributions by each country to the Union parliament.
Phase II
Submit all the Phase I recommendations to a parliamentary committee
to incorporate them into a the respective local and union
constitution.
Phase III
Appoint committees to undertake studies of detailed provisions to
ensure all the objectives and measures to overcome different
interests at racial, social and cultural levels are
fulfilled.
Citizens must be involved to comb through all the provisions to see
how the benefits will be brought about and how constraints and
problems as listed can be overcome with strategies aimed at
"turning adversities into win-win advantages and benefits for all
irrespective of race culture or religions.
If any of the detailed provisions are not satisfactorily resolved
based on the principles adopted, then leaders of both countries
should not proceed to calling of referendum or passing of proposals
through parliaments of both countries to avoid the mistakes
previously made in the original fated union.
