Why everyone still Vote for PAP??

• airgrinder

  28 Nov 02, 15:11

  PAP PAP PAP PAP
• Munster

  5 Dec 02, 03:35

  Well my opinion is that PAP should hold the majority of seats in parliament...like mebbe a 60% majority and the rest being filled up opposition. That way whenever new laws are being made at least there'll be more scrutiny as to why such and such a law has to be passed or if an alternative is better.
  
  With 99% foothold in power it seems that the most comfortable job nowadays would be to be an MP...heh...wonder how I can be one, so I can sleep my ass off in the backbenches and just say "aye" or whatever it is they do when they vote for a new law.
  
  Why do I have this feeling that when the PAP started out into power a few decades ago, one of their primary objective was to eradicate as much opposition as possible by means of financial, political backstabbing and so on until all thats left of the opposition are just some lame guys making lame comments. This however does not include Chiam See Tong though. Although he cant do much at least he's there.
• Atobe

  7 Dec 02, 01:37

  Originally posted by Munster:
  ”Well my opinion is that PAP should hold the majority of seats in parliament...like mebbe a 60% majority and the rest being filled up opposition. That way whenever new laws are being made at least there'll be more scrutiny as to why such and such a law has to be passed or if an alternative is better.”
  
  This is the wrong perception which Singaporeans continue to hold, that there will be serious debate, and that the PAP will sit up to listen to the Opposition if the Opposition hold only 40% of the seats in Parliament.
  
  The PAP will never graciously accept nor admit any Opposition ideas or suggestions to be good, and will find any means to deride and discredit the Opposition.
  
  However, they will then quietly study those same ideas, modify it, and repackage the same ideas with a new catch phrase to make the ideas in its own PAP image.
  
  Originally posted by Munster:
  “With 99% foothold in power it seems that the most comfortable job nowadays would be to be an MP...heh...wonder how I can be one, so I can sleep my ass off in the backbenches and just say "aye" or whatever it is they do when they vote for a new law.”
  
  That is the problem with the existing Parliament, until the big guns show up, most of the seats on the PAP side seems empty, despite the fact that they have almost 98% of the seats.
  
  Matters are not impressive on the Opposition side either, with only 2 seats held by them, and with both Members having to look after their own career and constituency matters to attend to.
  
  Do the MPs actually represent the People’s interests in Parliament, especially when the PAP Whip is seldom lifted when voting takes place – even on matters of conscience ?
  
  Originally posted by Munster:
  “Why do I have this feeling that when the PAP started out into power a few decades ago, one of their primary objective was to eradicate as much opposition as possible by means of financial, political backstabbing and so on until all thats left of the opposition are just some lame guys making lame comments."
  
  Have you not read the book “Animal Farm” by George Orwell?
  
  This innocuous book was banned in Singapore during the early years of PAP rule, and was only lifted when the standards of living has “markedly improve” (don’t mix up with the Cost of Living which has gone up by similar geometric increments and the actual net improvement to the lives of Singaporeans is debatable).
  
  If you understand the underlying ideas of the “Animal Farm” you will see the characters that closely resemble the human behavior in the Politics of Singapore.
  
  While Singaporeans seemingly own Singapore, we are but the economic tool to enrich the coffers of the Singapore Government, who then legally give themselves hefty salaries when compared to the standards and costs of living of the general populace of Singapore.
  
  When we look at the Singapore economy, we have no major export items to speak proudly of; export items that can generate the revenue that the Government has been enjoying in surpluses each year – when we compare our export items with Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea – all of which are multi-products oriented.
  
  SingaporeÂ’s major items that generate export revenue are basically from petroleum and electronics.
  
  The Government revenue and surpluses that build up the National Reserves come largely from all kinds of service taxes – direct and indirect (PARF, ERP, COE, GST, Income Tax etc), and revenues generated from GLCs that earn from services to Singaporeans (SBS, TIBS, COMFORT, WELCOM, INCOME, etc)..
  
  Singaporeans are feeding into the Treasury of Singapore, while the Singapore Government claim credit for their good management of the economy and financial health of Singapore.
  
  Yet the PAP Government treat the Treasury as their own personal property – refusing even to account even to the elected President (Ong Teng Cheong).
  
  The GIC remains under the control of SM – (who is the Chairman since when he was a PM) – and while the DPM is on the Board of Directors of the GIC, it is surprising that the current PM is not on the Board and has no control over the performance of the GIC.
  
  It remains to be seen if the next PM will take over the reins of the GIC, or will the control pass on to the NEXT SM - (if the current SM will retire at all?).
  
  Originally posted by Munster:
  “This however does not include Chiam See Tong though. Although he cant do much at least he's there.”
  
  Even with Chiam See Tong in Parliament, has he made any significant impact to arouse the passion of Singaporeans in Politics?
  
  Has he awaken or educate the Singaporeans to their Political Rights?
  
  Has he made any significant impact in the political landscape of Singapore?
  
  It is little wonder that his cosy relationship with the PAP has resulted in his continued existence in his Potong Pasir Constituency.
  
  This cosy relationship has resulted in the PAP avoiding putting strong candidates to challenge Chiam in Potong Pasir; as Chiam serves a purpose in the PAPÂ’s political agenda for Singapore.
  
  
• Atobe

  7 Dec 02, 02:15

  
  

  Originally posted by airgrinder:

  PAP PAP PAP PAP

  Is this the cry of a child that has been spanked, or the sound of PAPA spanking the child?
  
  Difficult to make out the difference?
  
  
• Atobe

  7 Dec 02, 11:18

  Singaporeans are basically “kia su” and also “kia see” - and this largely explains for the continued existence of the PAP to be in power, and for the manner in which the PAP can ride rough shod over Singaporean rights to be politically heard.
  
  Looking at the results of the PAP rule since the last election, matters did not turn out as the PAP has promised.
  
  The return of the PAP to Government has not resulted in an improved economy – (this was blamed on the September 11 incident), and also to the dismal performance of the US economy, as well as the Japanese economy, and also to the international scene with terrorism that has come closer to home) – it seems that with or without the PAP, and similarly, with or without the Oppositions - these external crisis will occur to affect Singapore and Singaporeans.
  
  So what is the big deal of voting in PAP or not?
  
  Since the last election, with the PAP in control of the Government, the number of jobless has increased – (as reported in November 2002, the jobless rate has reached 85,000 which is about 0.5% more); and the Secretary-General of NTUC has warned that more Singaporeans will likely loose their jobs in 2003.
  
  The present jobless situation is contrary to the PAP's election slogan which declared "job security with PAP" - and as events had happened, there was a flurry of "enforced" bank mergers that resulted in retrenchments to avoid duplication, and the number of jobless in Singapore has never been higher throughout the history of Singapore.
  
  Despite the dampen economic situation, the soon-to-be New PM (now only a DPM and FM) has ignored public sentiments – (so as to prove his strong mettle to execute an unpleasant task) – and decided to increase GST by 33.33% - increasing GST by ONE percentage point, from 3% to 4%
  
  This is done despite the good counsel from an old hand in the mould of PM Goh.
  
  When the situation get worse, it will not be a result of the bad or poor policies of the PAP Government, but the blame will be placed on the policies of the Governments of the USA, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, and European Community which will affect Singapore as we are plugged into the World Economy.
  
  The present damp economic situation in Singapore – both in the manufacturing sector, as well as in the retail sector – can only be made worse with the GST increase.
  
  Any other country on this Globe will be vocal in opposing such an increase during this poor economic period – with the prospect of further joblessness.
  
  The compensation handed out –(to make-up for GST implementation and increases)- to each household of four working adults can amount to only $900 per household.
  
  Yet by the end of the first year of GST3% implementation, the previous Finance Minister Richard Hu was able to report a huge surplus in tax collections – despite the widely announced “large subsidy” that the Government had boasted will cost the Government dearly.
  
  The current proposed Singapore Shares to be paid out again to compensate for the 33% increase to the GST, raising it by 1%, bringing it from 3% to 4% is supposed to help Singaporeans again.
  
  This is just a lollipop to sweeten the bitter medicine that the “kia su and kia see” Singaporeans have again been hoodwinked to swallow.
  
  To review the claim that the PAP Government stand to lose more by paying out a compensatory sum to soften the blow in implementing an increase GST, let us do some simple calculations.
  
  The average Singaporean household of four persons will spend monthly about $1,500 on essentials, another $1,500 on transport, and about $1000 on non-essentials – which will total about $4,000 monthly, or $48,000 annually.
  
  At 4% GST, the Government will collect $1,920 per household.
  
  From a population of 4,000,000 (average of 4 per household), 1,000,000 households will pay the Government $1,920,000,000 or $1.92 Billion Dollars.
  
  Watch what will be the total payout compensation package to be announced, it will be only a fraction of this sum.
  
  Here again, the poor Singaporeans will miserably complain about being made poorer, but when election period comes around - they will again have the "kia see" attitude to vote in the PAP.
  
  
• Atobe

  12 Dec 02, 01:34

  Still vote the PAP again when an increase of the GST by 33.33% is considered reasonable ?
  
  Increasing the GST from 3% to 4% is not an increase of a simple and itsy bitsy ONE PERCENT (1%).
  
  The ONE percent increase represent 33.33% out of the original GST of 3%.
  
  At the end of the First Financial Year when the 3% GST was first introduced, the previous Finance Minister Richard Hu had announced a SURPRISED Revenue Increase of over SGD One Billion Dollars (I stand to be corrected).
  
  Imagine an increase of 33.33% of this amount, when GST is adjusted by 1% upwards so as to bring it from 3% to 4%.
  
  For those with poor aptitude in mental sums, take out your calculator and divide 1 by 3, and you will get 0.3333333; then multiply this by 100, and you will get 33.3333