Laser51088, points taken and understood, but I would like to
offer the following for consideration:
The compilation of the hit-list on issues in the various forum
topics certainly confirm the interests shown on subjects on the fun
side to the heavy side of issues discussed.
Was my comment too broad a sweep with my stroke of the
brush?
I dont think so, not from the hit list of the popular issues and
the heavy political topics that seem to carry a loaded gun.
As was posted in my opening topic, the disinterest of political
issues - that affect the manner in which politics are settled in
Singapore (GRC based Election System) - maybe caused by real apathy
towards politics, or simply that the majority forum participants
are not familiar with the significance of this topic meaning not
educated to the GRC process.
How does the Government numb the minds of Singaporeans?
Quote from SM Lee Fill the stomach and numb the mind so that
Singaporeans will not be so easily influenced by Communist
agitators circa 1950s.
This fear of Singaporeans being politically active is pervasive, so
much so that any Student Activities at Secondary or Tertiary
Education Institutions will be and must be closely monitored.
In Singapore, one must obtain a license from the Police for any
public events with social and political overtones; and before the
Police will issue a license, prior approval will be given from the
higher authority within the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Have you not heard of the Fear Factor that numb the Singapore
Mind and prevent people from even making contributions to
Opposition Parties?
Punitive compensations are imposed by the Courts of Law for any
suit brought by the Members of the Ruling Party against any Member
of the Opposition Party, while the opposite holds true if a suit is
leveled in the other direction. The compensation amount is way
beyond the norm of other countries in the Commonwealth which
Singapore is member of; and such punitive amount is to numb the
enthusiasm of any Singaporeans who dare enter the Political
Realm.
The other efforts to numb the Singaporean mind, is the involvement
of Singaporean heartlanders to the mundane issues of their
immediate community, and take his attention from the Main Political
Issues that affect Singapore.
Their active participation in the political process is limited to
voting for the upgrading of your neighborhood, but there will be no
Referendum Voting for the increase of GST which will go up by
33.3333 PERCENT, when it is increased from 3% to 4%. The numbed
Singaporean mind have been persuaded to accept this REASONABLE
increase, and generosity of the Government in making it a 2-step
increase instead of shooting for a GST of 5% - which will be a
shocking 60 percent increase from 3% !!!
A fine political system and Government Rule would be that of Korea
in 2002, where an unknown citizen can be elected to be a President,
and where the ENTIRE Government machinery RESPECT the Peoples
Choice, and obey the command of the ELECTED leader.
In Singapores experience with the Elected Presidency, when the
late Ong Teng Cheong was elected as the Peoples Choice
(actually the entire process was a show, as there were only two
candidates that have been approved and put up by the PAP) and
when he asked for an accounting of the Government Investment
Corporation, and the Singapores Reserve, he was
stone-walled.
He was told that it will be impossible to do so, and that it will
take 52 man-years to prepare this report. The Report was finally
grudglingly produced on the part of the Government.
Yet the Elected Presidency is suppose to hold the Second Key to
protect our Reserves. This authority was 'fine tuned', 'clarified"
and amended to suit the Government's position.
With so many PAP appointed persons holding all the key positions of
Government, what will happen when a popular Opposition Party should
be elected to form the next Government, as had happened in
Taiwan?
Will the entire country be thrown into chaos, with the Government
machinery frozen, as the new Government will NOT be able to use
funds that it has not accumulated to run the new Government? Will
the PAP Political Appointees sitting in all the key positions of
Government and Semi-Government Bodies sabotage the Government
machinery that is now supposedly in the hand of an Elected
Opposition Party?
This had happened in Taiwan, when the Taiwanese Opposition DPP won
the election but was obstructed and prevented from effective rule
by the Kuomintang Political Appointees put in place over the years
by the out-going Kuomintang Government.
Concerning the CPF payout, it was initially planned that the payout
will be in full at the age of 55 years. Then came a host of schemes
to look after the same people, as life expectancy was supposed to
have been prolonged, and the same people could not look after
themselves. Additional funds were then prevented from being drawn
out for the sake of Medisave, Special Accounts, and now you are
AUTOMATICALLY signed up to a CPF Insurance Plan if you do not
object (this is against the guidelines of the Insurance
Act).
There are many Political Thinkers in Singapore. Dr Chee Soon Juan
has good personal intentions for Singapore being a HDB
heartlander himself and reading his books, you can discern his
ideas come from careful thinking. Certainly his inexperience in the
early days of his involvement in politics have cost him dearly. His
efforts have not been helped very much by a system that controls
the media and all information that the public receives. Try meeting
him at his public forum, and listen to some of his speeches, and
question and answers sessions. Give him some credit for effort at
least even J.B.Jeyaratnam has finally won recognition for his
sincerity from DPM, when the SM had accused him as a charlatan,
and had drilled him to the ground.
It is great to know that you are interested in Politics at this
age, but let not the local press mould your own thought process.
Visit all the sites on the Web, both the Government controlled, and
the Opposition controlled, and the International sites, then form
your own thoughts and views. Dont be jingoistic about being a true
Singaporean must be loyal to Government alone.
A true Singaporean is true to Singapore, and for the sake of
Singapore, we should think for the best system for Singapore, not
what the Government think is best for us.
Politics reserve for Politicians only ?
