It would seem that National Day do
not belong to the Alternative Parties, as the Member of Parliament
from the Opposition Party cannot even get a permit to conduct an
OUTDOOR Constituency National Day Celeberation Dinner - on the same
scale as the Ruling Party - even if the budget is available.
The Member of Parliament from the Alternative Parties are not
allowed to address the schools in their Constituencies nor
participate in the National Day celebrations conducted by those
schools.
National Day is certainly a Propaganda Day for the Ruling Political
Party.
Somehow the emphasis on such a grand occassion seems to have
forgotten the sacrifices, pain, sufferings and personal
contributions of the various generations of COMMON SINGAPOREANS -
who have given their support to the Government - not to the
Political Party - despite their personal political
preferences.
After the
1959 Election - that allowed the PAP to step into the
seat of Government for the first time - and with a 54.1% of the
votes, controlling 43 parliamentary seats out of 51 - Singaporeans
closed ranks again almost three years later, when Singaporeans gave
their support to LKY and his team again in a Referendum
to join Malaysia.
Most lowly educated and uneducated Singaporeans of the early 1960s
were swayed by LKY eloquence, and did not discern the narrow
differences in the choices available - without any choice to object
- in a shrewdly designed Referendum; and 70% of Singaporeans gave
support to LKY's call to merger, despite the alarm bells sounded by
the Alternative Political Parties.
Almost two years after merger with Malaysia, and after two racial
riots, Singapore was bitterly kicked out of Malaysia on 9 August
1965; the date which Singaporeans again rallied to give support to
the PAP despite all their political leanings.
Singaporeans had only one goal, and that was to prove to Malaysia
that we will outlast and outperform the racial politics practised
in Malaysia.
After almost FORTY YEARS, what is the achievements and rewards for
those who gave their support to LKY and his PAP ?
The generations that saw or participated in the politics of the
1950s till this day, are now in their 70s and 80s.
Many are languishing in Old Folks' Homes that are run by PRIVATE
Charities, Churches, Temples and Religious Councils.
After all those years of loyal support, what has LKY and the PAP
done that alleviate the ever increasing medical costs to these
elderly generations - most of whom have hardly any CPF, Medisave or
Medishield to cover their multiple deteriorating physical and
health problems ?
LKY and his team will fade away with an accumulation of A MILLION
DOLLARS A YEAR, while these eldersly generations have to depend on
their hard pressed children to find money to pay for all the
medical bills generated by the PRIVATISED Government Owned
Hospitals.
Singapore's National Day should belong to all generations
of Singaporeans.
National Day should serve as a reminder to the sacrifices,
struggles, pain, and contributions made by the earlier generations,
as well as those on-going from ourselves.
National Day should allow us the opportunity to pledge ourselves to
do better and more for this country, and REMIND OURSELVES that this
Country RIGHTFULLY BELONG TO US, and which WE should have A BIGGER
SAY than the POLITICIANS.
