Do you feel singapore need strong opposition parties?

grandeur SG

Many people said opposition parties are just for show in Singapore and the main politics player is PAP. Do you feel Singapore need strong opposition parties?

FireIce SG

cos they are being suppressed….................

BillyBong SG

It takes a stout heart and strong committment to even step into the shoes of an opposition party. Once in, you will be scrutinised, slimed and attacked from all angles by the ruling party.

Just look at the way Manpower minister Ng Eng Hen openly lambasted Sylvia Chang and for what? Wild claims of inexperience? Failing to retract the WP manifesto based on PAP-claims that it is dangerously incorrect?

Is he saying he is vastly experienced in politics? If his outburst is a measurement of his ability, it merely reflects his INEXPERIENCE by 'bullying' a fellow political adversary (and incidently a woman), showing his deepseated insecurity and the party's unwillingness to let the PEOPLE decide.

To such an extent is his (and the PAP's) arrogance that they presume to dictate how other parties should present their manifesto.

The reserved and measured response from the WP should be applauded, indicatinig their resolve NOT to get into a labelling match with the Ruling party, one which may lead to the cowardly DEFAMATION suits of the past.

An incident such as the above serves to highlight the psychological impact a possibly average-only opposition party could inflict on the fears and insecurity of the Ruling Party.

Imagine if a generation of scholars DEFECTED to opposition parties.

free thinker SG

Rhetorical question!

ShutterBug SG

To begin with, IS/WAS true opposition allowed in the first place?

Look at the way opposition parties in the past edcades, were thumbed down into the ground for every little word they say about the ruling party, and you'll know whether true oppositions were truly allowed.

Devil1976 SG

We’re just a working time-bomb. Unless everybody can be happy being slaves, being thrown backward and forward at ‘will’.

mach10 SG

i like your pink panther avatar Cool

Fatum SG

"true" (read: a real, viable alternative) opposition? yes, please ....

but if they are the sort like so many whiners and gutter snipers that infest this particular forum, no thank you ... I do not wish to see Singapore politics descend to a circle show a la Philipines or Taiwan thank you very much ....

the WP is a good example of a party trying to provide a viable opposition, though i do not agree with their manifesto ... the unfortunate thing about most of the opposition today is that they are reactive, rather than proactive in their actions, remember SPP's manifesto during the last election ? ... that was the time when old Lee responded to a question about Singapore eventually returning to Malaysia ... a short time later the SPP chaps listed this in their manifesto: to seek an eventual reunification with Malaysia ....

such cheap copy-catting does not lend credibility to the opposition ....

tip to the opposition: don't be afraid to agree with goverment policies sometimews ... to bitch about everything and anything the govt does gets tired after a while, show a bit of non-partisanship ... show a bit of thought, don't snipe for the sake of sniping .... perhaps then, you'd get my vote ...

(ps: sorry, me bad, it's not the SPP Embarassed ... it was one of those tiny, unmemorable parties that likes to waste $6000 every elections ... anyone care to refresh my memory ?)

[email protected] SG

do i think so? yes.

do i see that happening? no. PAP goes out of its way to make it extremely unattractive to enter politics against them. Its not encouraged. I don't think its possible to have a strong opposition in the near future. Most of the people smart enough to contribue to a strong opposition are also smart enough to enter politics on PAP's side. The remaining one or 2, just cannot stand against the combined weight of more talents on PAP's side.

ShutterBug SG

Powerful people, will only attract powerful people to join them.

Which inteligent individual will fight a losing battle?

I say, PAP might just as well do away with this Election thing. It's such a ho-hum farce.

Let them be the permanent ruling party. So far, I wouldn't say that they've been doing a poor job, but then again, there are also areas of improvements yet to be fulfilled.

They may say that Singapore will never be a welfare state, but as time goes by, welfare for the people is INEVITABLE!!!!

Call it any fancy names you like, it's still welfare. As a government, you have to CARE for your people.

[email protected] SG

Laughing
so true. might as well. why bother putting on a play when there is no audiance anyway? And if they do away with it, the people can't do much either.

But the bit about welfare, what u supposedly have to do is different from what u actually do. And that is what I see everytime i look at PAP.

cheem-.- SG

Yes. I think in the long-run, Singapore ideally needs an opposition strong enough to balance the political scene. An apathetic Singapore will screw us in the long run.

However, I don't think the ruling party feels that way. Its most senior leaders, with the exception of Rajaratnam because I have read his quote, don't believe in an active vibrant democracy in Singapore. An autocratic state looking after obedient population working for $$$ best suits an Asian state with Asian values.

Many of the core leadership, as we all know, are not really chosen by the people. They are chosen by the Old Guard and of course there will be continuity of policy. I think unless there is a change of leadership or reform within the PAP, I don't think Opposition will gain much ground in Singapore. My only hope is that PAP leaders will one day be enlightened enough to forsee the flaws of lack of political participation and opposition.

cheem-.- SG

Uh... I don't know what you guys think of this. But this idea has been cropping up in my head.

I have observed the political development of many SE and E Asian states. They are all remarkably similar in a way that the ruling party that won the state independence from the colonial rulers often stay in power for very very long. Look at Arroyo, Megawati, Suharto, Chiang Kai Shek and Gandhi families. They eventually fell under political opposition, but not after staying in power for decades.

Indonesia and Taiwan used to be almost one-party states, very much like Singapore now. But as time passed and the older generation of founding fathers passed on, democracy gradually flourished as politicians scrambled to fill in the political vacuum left behind by the titans.

googoomuck SG

[quote]Originally posted by cheem-.-:
[ However, I don't think the ruling party feels that way. Its most senior leaders, with the exception of Rajaratnam because I have read his quote, don't believe in an active vibrant democracy in Singapore. An autocratic state looking after obedient population working for $$$ best suits an Asian state with Asian values.

What the senior leaders have produced are citizens with stomach full but heads empty. However,thanks to LKY, those were good times then.

However, with globalisation, a lot of things have changed. No guarantee that all stomachs will be full.

Singapore need strong opposition parties. Good people with passion should be interested in politics, join the opposition parties and win the hearts and minds of the voters.

The penalty for his refusal to participate in politics is that he'll end up being governed by his inferiors.

grandeur SG

Let says majority Singaporean want a strong oppostition party. What is the first step to build a strong opposition party?

donchoo SG

They are all in gulags on pedra branca.

SGLoyalist SG

Go help build one.

Regards

Yi Peng SG

We are busy making money lah.

Qing^.^ SG

They wun do away with it cos they can earn $$ from the opposition parties. Mr. Green

grandeur SG

Any one know how opposition parties is funded by government or by private sector?