Dont equate lack of strident views with political apathy

snow leopard SG

Mr Ng Eng Heng made those famous remarks at Confluence 2007 as reported by Cassandra Chew (ST, 22 Jul 2007). He gave the example of a grassroots leader who devotes three nights a week for the past 30 years to community service as being more politically involved than someone who writes a letter to voice out issues. The question is, how can one dedicated community leader represent political involvement by the community? How many examples of such dedicated people can we find and what fraction of our population do they represent?

Secondly, how much do we know of their purpose for volunteering at grassroots activities? So that their kids can have priority for enrolment in famous schools? So that they can rub shoulders with the influential? Why dont they volunteer at the school for the handicapped or the old folks homes for example? Volunteerism with welfare groups cannot possibly come with any perks so we cannot doubt the sincerity of those volunteers. The same cannot be said of political volunteers with the PAP. On the other hand, when someone writes to question the decisions and choices made by the government, he does so at great risks to himself with no associated benefits whatsoever. As such, we cannot doubt the true concern he has for the issues that he is writing about.

Thirdly, even if we manage to cultivate the entire population to become like the exemplary community leader to serve a single party much like the whole of Nazi Germany serving Hitler for example, what does that prove? We would have proven to have become mindless subjects serving the whims and fancies of a self serving leader. That would indeed be the ultimate demise for Singapore. For the difference between some grassroots leaders and writers debating on issues is that the former gladly accepts everything as good and right without question whereas the latter actually thinks for himself and does not take anything at face value, which is the difference between blind political allegiance and political awareness.

Lastly, Mr Ng pointed out that there are many Singaporeans in top universities as proof that we are not politically apathetic. But which country has the most number of students in top foreign universities? Wouldnt that be China? So what have we proven again? That were as politically apathetic as communist China?

robertteh SG

Another one-sided minister who comes across as giving only view that suit his convenience e.g. giving only lump-up employment figures without differentiating how many jobs were actually created for the locals.

In a recent speech, he said Singapore cannot use its reserve for helping out citizens as reserve is meant for certain purpose.

I posted at youngpap website asking him to tell citizens how much reserve is enough to avoid over-taxing or over-collecting all the fees and charges as the GLCs are doing.

Apparently like Durai he would collect all the taxes (donations in the case of durai) and keep them as reserves resulting in citizens struggling against high costs of living and doing business.

So we have the number one problem with his system of only telling half truth or half the picture in whatever he may be doing.

Now he is again uttering only half truth again by only saying that citizens like his grassroot leaders are contributing to nation building without mentioning that his closed door system of recruiting grassroot leaders in the first place is where the root of the problem is. How many citizens who are willing to contribute who have written to mps and cccs have been turned down.

I am willing to show him facts and figures on this closed door system which only serve his own connections. So how could he say that citizens do not have to be strident on forum posting or elsewhere to serve the nation like his own grassroot who of course are given all the golden opportunities because of connections to him or his kakis.

googoomuck SG

It is unusual to have a lot of political people with scholastic achievements vote or tow along the party line in so many of its policies. How can so many people, each with a mind of his own, think the same?
There is a saying that goes like this: If everyone is thinking alike, then someone is not thinking.
They are towing the party line to stay out of trouble. Notice how those who refused are swiftly got rid of.

LazerLordz SG

And when they realise that being gotten rid off isn’t as bad as thought out to be…..

walesa SG

Seriously, is the line of the argument any new in propaganda mouthpieces serving the interests of despotic regimes?

Anyone with half a mind with sufficient capacity to reason and bothers to absorb the diverse views from various sources available out there (well, any media bar the one that is ranked 154th in the world for press freedom) would have little trouble coming to terms with the fact that logic is pretty much absent from such propaganda mouthpiece to begin with - and such drivel should very much be regarded with such utter disdain as much as its dearth of logic would warrant.