I REFER to the Review article, 'A dash of tolerance and a big
helping of smart power' (ST, Dec 7), by Dr Catherine Lim.
It was frustrating reading her oft-repeated thesis of an imagined
'Great Divide', first mooted in 1994, or 'disconnect' between the
PAP Government and the people that therefore necessitates the
Government to impose 'tight (political) control' in order to remain
in power. Frustrating, because she offered no new evidence to
support her arguments.
With the General Election in May this year giving a decisive 67 per
cent victory to the PAP Government, the people of Singapore had
categorically disagreed, again, with Dr Lim's understanding of
their true feelings towards the Government.
Even Dr Lim admitted that Singaporeans have 'an unquestioning trust
in and total dependence on the Government to continue to give them
a good life'. She resented this by branding as 'politically naïve'
the vast number of Singaporeans who provided tremendous political
support to the PAP Government by returning it to power repeatedly
over the last 40 years.
Prior to the May election, the economy grew by 8.4 per cent and 6.4
per cent in 2004 and 2005 respectively, while unemployment dropped
to 2.5 per cent last December.
I am therefore baffled by her logic that Singaporeans should have a
distrusting, more critical and sceptical attitude towards an
incorruptible government whose policies have created jobs and
provided affordable housing, education and medical services as well
as social peace and stability.
The PAP-people relationship has a solid, unbreakable unity of
purpose and commitment to the national interests of survival and
sustainable economic prosperity.
I would like to suggest that the relative absence of open and
widespread political dissent in Singapore is the result of good
government, instead of some sinister covert network of political
controls.
More young people stood as candidates in the 2006 General Election,
and also joined various political parties since.
The Straits Times Forum page, its Review section, and the many blog
sites also reflect a great diversity of views from
Singaporeans.
It is difficult to reconcile Dr Lim's lamentation about the lack of
political freedom with her two-page article appearing in the main
pages of our major English newspaper, after her speech to a
government-linked think-tank!
Dr Lim's numerous speeches provide the most conclusive rebuttal of
her thesis on the lack of tolerance of political dissent in
Singapore.
Michael Heng Swee Hai
(Forum Page, Straits Times, 13 Dec)
