In 2004, about 4 years ago, PM Lee and Minister Vivian Balakrishnan
announced that pap would change its past policies of scouting only for
those with their own mindset and welcome non-conformist critics who
could offer alternative policies and solutions to join the party.
Not that I have had any intention of joining the party, I actually
posed myself as a potential interested non-conformist critic with lots
of queries to ask and wrote to young pap's secretary asking to take
part in its internal policy debates (not the same as joining young pap)
You know what, I was told I needed to join the pap as a member before I
could take part in such debates. I was given some contact in pap hq and
referred to the MP in my constituency to sort be put under some
observation or understudy in order to be admitted as a member. Of
course one could guess my response. I did not bother with such an
invitation to join the party.
If Raymond Lim this time is serious about inviting people to join some
pap forum to give them ideas on alternative policies or solutions to
put them out of mischief he could try again. Rest assure there will be
a wall of obstacles to make people think twice about offering any
solutions.
PAP is not interested in genuine feedbacks; all the talks about
welcoming people to offer feedbacks and alternative solutions are only
for shows.
That is the way pap solves problems. It is too proud to admit its
policies are less than right or perfect. It is only putting up a facade
or charade to appease the critics because the critics will and are
becoming an intellectually better lot than many of the ministers put
together even in the way of solving education and transport problems.
Look at some solutions already suggested as posted in this forum and
many others. There are no lack of good ideas and solutions. It is just
that the leaders are too proud and too arrogant to listen especially
with regard to giving up revenues to hoard monies from citizens and
profiteering from the people.
So the way I look at it there will be only lip service. Show us Raymond
Lim you are prepared to give up the ERP revenues from the estates
residents like Toa Payoh by removing the Toa Payoh gantry and put such
gantry elsewhere along only fast moving expressways like PIE or CTE
leading to major CBD or concentration of business or industrial
districts by creating the three tiers of road networks of expressways,
major roads and local roads allowing a combination of local roads and
major alternative roads to be alternative ERP-free roads to provide
alternatives to ERP instead of indiscriminately putting up ERPs
everywhere.
Set up an indepth study panel to discover our innate and practical
local talents who can be found in large numbers instead of rushing to
the conclusion that we need to open the floodgates to all foreign
workers to create jobs.
A bit of hand holding is essential before any local talents can match
different needs in different vocations. Many older people are learning
computers so there is no reason why there should be a lack of talents
if employers are given incentives to employ potentially good people and
retrain them with a certain flexible definitions to jobs. Create longer
probation period to entice certain changes to the job markets.
It is immoral to charge the HDB low cost housing at full market prices
when lands are already paid for partly or fully by citizens through
their own monies and taxes. A high level panel needs to be set up to
consider more creative ways to lessen the impact of citizens'
livelihood due to high housing costs especially when government is
encouraging people to get married and produce more children.
As for education policies, just go back to the old posts given to
feedback unit and many like the forumsoneasia or youngpap or sgforums
to read the many good ideas and solutions already posted. We need all
the ministers and senior civil servants to come down from their high
horse and begin to encourage all to apply practical talents in every
field and not just narrowly concentrating on the regular curriculum in
schools. Be more open to practical applications in ideas outside the
classrooms. Read www.sgforums.com to get some good and practical ideas how to set up tasks and duties in
simple doable daily work routines to encourage every one to grow in
their jobs or professions.
Just let the civil service be manned by people with really good
experiences from the middle-career administrative and technical
employees from the private sector who are becoming security guards or
taxi-drivers.
Many local talents are being excluded because of lack of holding hands
or probationary incentives to attracts our own talents to take up
available jobs and increase diversification of the whole government and
civil service.
It is all a man-made illusion that the leaders or party knows best. If
they know best Mas Selamat will not escape that easily through the
toilet bowl and Temasek will not lose billions in Shin Corp.
With such wild cards ideas will the executive committees of pap or
youngpap still welcome people to debate their internal policies? Let's
get real for once Mr. Raymond Lim.