A Different Side of Singapore

Today while sitting on a bus on my way to school, I saw an old lady rummaging through a dustbin for discarded cans in a bus-stop. Because she wasn't shabbily dressed, I couldn't decide whether she had to do that for a living or simply did that out of habit. Nevertheless the scene left an impression on me: The poor do exist in Singapore.

Later while I was having lunch at hawker center, a disshevelled man in his 50s suddenly sat down on the same table as me and wolfed down the leftover noodles left among the uncollected bowls and plates. To say that I was astonished would be an understatement. I had to pretend that everything was normal and tried to avoid looking at the guy. After finishing the noodles, he went to the public toilet without paying ten cents. I deduced that the people in charge of the public toilet at that hawker center should be familiar with him and hence the free entry. After using the toilet he went around selling tissue papers to other people on other tables.

Before I finished my meal, there was another old lady walking around hawking tissue paper as well as a beggar with a missing left hand asking for alms. All these happened within the short 20 minutes I was at the hawker center. Is it restricted to my particular neighborhood or these sights are more common around Singapore nowadays? Beneath our prosperous veneer, many Singaporeans are actually struggling to make ends meet. And these people are also the least likely to know about any assistance available.

How can we help these people? I believe that there are some who prefer working to receiving any aid. Beside this, many Singaporeans have lost faith in charity organizations since the sagas concerning NKF and Ren Ci. The people who require most assistance are the worst afflicted from the reduced generosity of the public. Is the state doing enough then? Probably not enough in my opinion.

Two-party system better?

Nov 19, 2008

GOVERNING SINGAPORE

Two-party system better

I REFER to Monday's report, (''Change must come' to PAP') in which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong advocated that a single party should dominate governance in Singapore.

PM Lee also raised the issue of countries like Taiwan, which practised the Western definition of democracy but suffered from its ill effects.

He suggested that two-party or multi-party democracy seldom works in Asia. However, a single-party government is also unhealthy as it is susceptible to a group-think mentality. Elected politicians from the same party will not want to raise different viewpoints, especially if he is in the minority, for fear of being branded.

As power is focused on only a few good men at the top, having a single-party government heightens this risk of group-think mentality. This will not benefit the country in the long run.

A two-party system, despite its inherent difficulties, has several advantages. One important fundamental rule within a democratic system is that it has adequate checks and balances within the governance.

This is not to say that the current government is not trustworthy. But to prevent possible abuses, a two-party system will do the job better than a self-checking arrangement.

The public is also reassured, as a two-party system ensures counter-checking measures for the betterment of the country. There is also the issue of transparency, which is lacking now. A two-party political system will plug this loophole.

Singapore has enjoyed the fruits of the ruling party's successes. There are grave challenges ahead during this financial crisis.

A two-party system can only benefit Singapore as there will be variegated exchanges of ideas, however divergent.

A one-party political power also has the disadvantage of answering to no one at the top and this can be dangerous.

The United States political system has a good check in Congress, whose endorsement is required before the president can act.

As Singapore progresses, we must implement changes over how we are governed.

Controlled democracy, which we have had all along, may not be enough to propel us forward.

Gilbert Goh

Source: The Straits Times

I was quite surprised that this letter was even published in the Straits Times. The writer's arguments are quite sound (compared to PM Lee's a few days back) and I wonder what PAP's response will be like.

Hmmm... The next GE will be very interesting...

Column from a Malaysian Newspaper

The Star

Saturday September 27, 2008

Lost flock seeking to have a proper say

Insight Down South
By SEAH CHIANG NEE

Restive, sophisticated and cynical, the post-65 tech-savvy generation are a sub-culture unto themselves, preferring to engage each other than the government of the day.

YEARS of top-down government has produced a sub-culture among people who interact mostly with each other and pay little interest to what the government says.

It is part of Singapore’s new diverse world, but to the ruling party, which is used to getting things its way, they are like the proverbial lost flock that has wandered afield.

The sub-community, however, doesn’t see itself as society’s outsider, but as part of a new force working with the Internet for social and political change.

It is relatively small, but its influence extends far beyond its numbers, and it is expanding.

Concerned political leaders have been striving “ without much success “ to bring them back to the mainstream by gradually relaxing controls on social life and public expression.

These young Singaporeans “ restive, sophisticated and cynical “ feel disenchanted about the current political system and of being left out of nation-building decisions.

“They feel they don’t have a say; the press has no space for them, and the government often talks down to them, so they work with the only channel available to them “ the Internet “ and among each other,” explained a media consultant.

This sub-community meets on the Net, paying little attention to the government’s exhortations.

And as more unpopular policies come into force, their postings attract more people into their fold.

However, it lacks the power to change the system since it doesn’t reach the non-English speaking heartland masses.

The success of the digital activists lies in their ability to draw in “ albeit slowly “ apathetic professionals and students, who now begin to talk the same language.

Over time, they have switched off on government statements, and don’t care much about Cabinet changes and Parliament proceedings “ unless these impact on their personal lives.

Many don’t know the names of their constituency Members of Parliament or even Cabinet ministers. Instead, they hanker after the unreported news about opposition figures and activities.

Singapore is beginning to look like two distinct communities.

One is the large mainstream, which relies on the government and the traditional media to provide them the news and direction, and a small virtual sub-group of unhappy Singaporeans who get their information through interaction with each other.

The perception that Singapore’s newspapers are too controlled to be credible may have driven more young Singaporeans towards the Web.

Other democratic countries, too, are experiencing this division but less severely than here because of the perception that there is too much “government propaganda” in the Singapore media.

Unlike governments that crack down on Internet dissidents or close down websites, the PAP government is “as it usually does” adopting a middle line.

It’s a policy of joining what one cannot beat.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently took steps to “give Singa-poreans space to let off steam”, in-cluding lifting a ban on public demonstrations.

“Our old rules are way, way out of date. It means we have to change to new rules, liberalise to allow people to participate more actively and flexibly,” Lee said.

Speakers Corner at Hong Lim Park, an ineffective critics’ area for speech-making (loudspeakers not allowed), could now be used to hold protests. Only race and religion are forbidden.

Since Sept 1, it has been the scene of half a dozen small and well managed protests, including one organised by Singapore’s known bloggers.

Participants need not apply for a permit from the police, only from the National Parks Board, to indicate its non-controlled nature.

The Prime Minister also lifted some restrictions on political dissent in cyberspace.

Several banned political films have been released; in future such films will not be automatically banned but subject to general censorship, where the criteria are easier.

In addition, a ban on political blogging during the nine-day election campaign period has been lifted.

These signal the ruling People’s Action Party’s intention to move into multimedia “ including use of weblogs, podcasts and vodcasts “ to fight its battles and, if possible, to win back some of the disenchanted Netizens.

The survival of the PAP, which has ruled Singapore since independence 49 years ago, depends on its winning the hearts and minds of the post-65 tech-savvy generation, which can’t be done with arrests and censorship.

Singapore’s renowned author Catherine Lim appears doubtful it will truly open up the country.

“Such a unique development, as close to a political renaissance as is possible in Singapore, should have elicited no less a response than jubilation from the people,” she commented.

“But so far, oddly, there is none. So far, there is no enthusiastic welcoming of the winds of change, no eager looking forward to a new political future.”

Penang-born Lim sees it as a shrewd balancing act, both to reassure the people and to warn off the critics who stray beyond the boundaries set.

Her views find ready support in blogosphere. The SS wrote: “This ‘lightening up’ is nothing more than throwing scraps to the citizenry to nibble upon.

“They will not change their model of governance, if at all, at least until after the grand old man (Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew) is gone.”

wayangparty said: “The PAP is definitely smarter. Instead of arresting bloggers under the Internal Security Act, it plants moles in cyberspace to have a voice there.”

The general consensus: It’s a positive move but it doesn’t signify any change in the PAP mindset, which can only come after Lee Senior has made his exit.

That could mean Singapore’s sub-community of young dissenters will remain - and grow.

http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=insightdownsouth&file=/2008/9/27/columnists/insightdownsouth/2123237&sec=Insight%20Down%20South

Interesting view from up north... I feel that it's not only restricted to the more cosmopolitan Singaporeans; many heartlanders, while not net-savvy, felt disenfranchised as well. Try chatting up with any taxi drivers or listening to coffee shop banters, especially since the electriciy bill is going to rise by a fifth soon...

The Greatest Race Ever?

According to the Straits Times, many people who attended the inaugural night race in Singapore praised that it was the best race which they had been to.

Well I take this report with a pinch of salt but I'm still glad that I'm part of this historic race as a flag marshall.

The Singapore skyline looks very impressive on the screen and no doubt more Europeans will know more about Singapore after the race.

My position at Turn 8 was quite good; there was a giant screen right in front of us (albeit a bit blocked by trees and fence) and we could follow the action easily.

The marshalls at my sector are quite nice as well; there were always food and wet tissues passing around. My sector marshall is Tony, a motorsports veteran from Australia. I found that Australians are really serious on their jobs as marshalls but they don't take themselves seriously off-work. Tony is really nice; he tried to lift up the sector's morale by giving encouragement and distributed gifts for our efforts.

Koo the deputy sector marshall is equally committed to the job and provided welfare for us out of his own pocket ie ice-box, oreo cookies (untainted I hope), canvas sheet for roof etc. Last but not least, he brought two champagnes so that we could mimic the podium after the race. Cool stuff.

Turn 8 was quite lucky as we had no accidents there; the closest was during qualifying when Fisichella ran off the racing line towards us but he managed to steer back in the end. Nelson Piquet Jr whacked his car during practice 2 but it was further up away from us.

Volunteer next year again? Perhaps...

Turn 8!

2 More Days...

...to Singapore GP, the first ever F1 night race!!