Thursday, May 19, 2011

Singapore's New Cabinet - my thoughts

I was asked my opinion on the recent Singapore Elections and Cabinet appointments on the La Salle informal alumni mailing list  and decided my answer might be a good post.

The questions I was answering essentially were whether Lee Kuan Yew engineered the recent upheavals, whether Singapore is now truly on the path to being a true democracy in the internationally accepted definition of that or whether all this is just a face-saving move by the Lees.

My response follows (language censored for this post):


Allow me to paint a backdrop first by waffling for a few paragraphs on some history:


The new cabinet lineup was announced yesterday and threw up a few surprises which indicates the possibility the PAP is finally listening to the public.

Out goes Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development (inc housing) who has defended stoutly his policies which have culminated in housing prices rising meteorically (try 30% in 2 years!) and thereby making a 25-30 year loan inevitable for first-time home buyers. Mind you this means their entire CPF savings go into servicing the loan i.e. when they hit 55-60 and are getting ready for retirement, they have virtually no savings in their CPF accounts.

Housing is a complex thing here, a fact not helped by the lack of transparency in setting HDB home prices. Government claims HDB loses S$2 billion annually due to subsidies etc, but when one component of the price must be the land price which the government sets, the calculation becomes a little murky. HDB is supposed to be subsidised housing but flats are starting at S$280,000+ now so we all understand, painfully, that subsidised ≠ affordable housing.

Out goes Raymond Lim whom I dislike. An arrogant man, his Ministry of Transport completely failed to respond to immigration policy and Singapore's 1 million increase in population in the last 2 years (or roughly 20-25% if I am not mistaken). Public transport is inadequate (ha! never thought Singapore would have inadequate public transport, right?) and Raymond's solution has been to set up more and more Electronic Road Pricing gantries, the most expensive of which deducts about S$4. A trip down the Central Expressway from Ang Mo Kio to the the CBD at the wrong time (namely between 8:30 and 9:00 on a workday morning) can cost you S$8.50.

A couple of years ago, when oil prices had gone up slightly, Raymond Lim announced a rise in public transport fares claiming it impacted public transport operators negatively. When oil prices subsequently fell and he was asked why the fares did not come down in tandem, he claimed that oil prices were but a small component of operational costs. Then a year or so later, when oil prices and fares rose in tandem again, he was asked for clarification and he arrogantly challenged the attendees at the press conference 'You want free public transport? Can! I can give you free public transport! But then I have to raise GST to 10%. You want to pay 10% GST?!' If I was there I would have asked him how he, as Minister of Transport, could single-handedly influence the setting of the GST rate and also might have said 'That's a great idea, Minister! I would pay 10% GST anytime for that!'

He is also my MP and when the residents' committee organised a Raymond Lim Challenge soccer competition, I opined privately that if they painted his face on the footballs, they'd be overwhelmed by the response.

Out goes Wong Kan Seng who refused to accept responsibility for the almost comical escape of possibly the most dangerous terrorist in the region. Instead the supervisor and some guards got the sack while he just simply urged people to move on from this mistake. Not a peep of an apology.



And that is what marked out LKY's and GCT's time - no apology for screw-ups while they paid themselves top-dollar.

Besides the salaries they pay themselves, they also get a bonus tied to the GDP. Last year's GDP rose 14% or some astonishing figure like that which meant they all got about 8 months' bonus...

See this article for a good summary of the problems of incompetence and salaries.



So, in general terms, the public has been suffering and probably would have gone right on suffering quietly if not for a few things:

1.    Decreased accountability.
    The ministers mentioned above fucked up, and some did so big-time. None paid the price. This country got where it was because of the idea of accountability and transparency. Sadly, the former has not been in evidence recently. And people have just gotten fed up. Don't forget the Sovereign Wealth Funds Temasek Holdings and Government Investment Corporation lost a combined total of anything from S$90 billion to S$130 billion. We don't know, but we do know no one's head rolled - least of all Mdm Ho Ching's, the PM's wife who heads Temasek.

2.    Decreased Transparency.
    When former President Ong Teng Cheong, acting in his capacity of President and in charge of the national reserves, asked for a list of the reserves, he was given the runaround. For daring to speak up he was shunned and eventually when this much loved figure died (albeit after his presidency), he was denied a state funeral. Even LKY's wife got a bigger funeral...

3.    Increased arrogance
    LKY's statement that if the opposition won the Aljunied GRC tthey would have '5 years to repent' hit a nerve.
    Raymond's Lim's GST statement.
    and more...
    They all point to an arrogant ruling elite who think they know best and everyone else should just 'sit down and shut up' - if you want to know the origin of that quote, ask me - it's another long story...

Fact is the PAP had lost touch with the public and although they were extremely good to and with corporate citizens, at the end of the day it is Siti Bakar who votes, not Citibank.

I think there was no real tipping point here, just a confluence of a few things including the rise of alternative media, how close the average Singaporean is to the edge, clearly flawed government policies, and the very real pain felt by many in Singapore. Think of this: households in the lowest 10% of economy earn S$1400 per month. Households in the upper 10% average $23,700. If that's not an income gap problem I don't know what is.


There were many instances in the recent GE where it was clear the PAP's strategy and philosophy was flawed.

Vivian Balakrishnan, the Minister for Community Youth and Sports attacked an opposition member, suggesting he was a homosexual. This lost him the pink vote and amazingly, a lot of other voters as well who thought it was none of his business. He also trained his sights on an opposition politician's S$60 billion dollar Singapore Makeover plan, saying it was no small change, would take years to accumulate that amount etc. This coming from the guy who blew the S$104 million Youth Olympics budget by almost S$300 million. Yes, you read that right - it finally cost almost S$400 million. And he kept his job...

The PAP, in an attempt to appear young, put forward a 27-year old candidate, Tin Pei Ling who made waves for having a cutesy picture of herself with a Kate Spade shopping bag - instantly injecting Kate Spade into everyone's consciousness. And Pei Ling into everyone's vitriol-loaded sights. Her cutesy looks, foot-stamping antics and substanceless motherhood and apple-pie statements made her few friends and many dislikers. Did I just coin a new word there? Hey, this woman, in an interview, declared her greatest regret in life is not taking her parents to Universal Studios on Sentosa Island. Errr her parents are still alive... and did someone mention the poor and starving in Singapore? Or that Marital Rape is still not outlawed?

The opposition National Solidarity Party put forward an even younger candidate who blew everyone away. Nicole Seah belied her 24 years by speaking confidently, sensibly, visionarily and with great empathy and became second most popular politician in cyberspace after LKY.

See a comparison between the two.


Unfortunately, Pei Ling, contesting in a Group Representative Constituency, rode into Parliament on Goh Chok Tong's coattails and now earns S$15000 a month as an MP, while holding on to the Ernst & Young job. The team with Nicole Seah fought against the incumbent, GCT, and cut his margin to 50-something%. Remarkable.


This GE, the opposition fielded very capable candidates which seriously dented the PAP's claim to having an exhaustive, comprehensive, detailed recruitment and assessment process. The PAP also shot itself in the foot when one of their candidates withdrew at the last minute and was replaced by a virtual unknown who waltzed into parliament a day later as he stood in the only GRC that was uncontested. So much for careful, considered choosing.


On the other hand, some candidates from the opposition were high calibre (and in some instances, with proven track records) individuals - one even served as GCT's perm secretary for some years!



OK enough waffling....

Did LKY engineer this? Honestly, I can't see that. I think the old man is so full of himself he really can't accept that things have moved on. His speeches were a liability right through the hustings. Honestly, GCT's speeches were not much better either...

I suspect this is PM asserting himself finally. He has seen the mood on the ground and has been shocked by it. True the next elections is 5 years away and Singaporeans being Singaporeans, if times are OK by then, they will feel very little inclination to rock the boat.

Having said that, 60% is a very low approval rating. If not for pork-barrel politics (much of which didn't work this time around) and gerrymandering, the PAP would have lost more seats. Two constituencies were lost by a handful of votes and there were even rumblings of discontent with the apparent different standards of elections officers at different polling stations and so on.

For all his visionless steering, Lee Hsien Loong is not stupid. I think he senses this is the time to make his mark. And he has a good case - the old methods are clearly not working. If ever there was a chance for him to state his case, this was it.

Yesterday's cabinet appointments indicate that PM is willing to make sweeping and daring changes. Although they've spun it in a predictable way (3 of them wanted to resign before elections, my foot!) let's not take anything away from PM's appointments. There are a couple of questionable appointments, but on the whole we all hope this is an indication that the PAP is finally listening to the people.

Whether the new ministers will implement new policies which drive at solving some of the problems that have cropped up is something else.

Is this a face-saving move? I don't think so - I think it is indeed a calculated drive forward.

And is this a sign of a real democracy? Well, besides pork-barrels and gerrymandering, the media has been much more liberal, and the opposition has been able to get to the people in a way they couldn't previously, so yes, broadly speaking it bodes well. There's some way to go yet, but it seems there has been progress and we should be grateful for that.

At least for the immediate future.

Thoughts on Singapore Elections Compilation 2

OK a fair few days late, but here's the second of two compilations of status updates - most of these on the night of the elections as votes were being counted and results announced.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #13:
The problem with Goh Chok Tong is that his acronymed name is too hard to say. 'LKY' seems lubricated to roll right off the tongue. 'LHL' for some reason makes me almost laugh. 'WKS' is harmonically disjointed but expectorate well. 'MBT' - I think of cycling backwards for some reason. 'GCT'? My tongue gets twisted around each letter, much like his mind around each concept I think.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #14:
Just what exactly is Cooling Off Day and who is affected? I think it's a load of rubbish as the democratic process is an ongoing one. If, as it's intentioned, we are to make an informed decision, surely we need to continue to access information and opinion?

Singapore Elections Thoughts #15:
This GE has shown that political awareness is everybody's right and responsibility, and that the future can indeed be determined by individuals.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #16:
If ever there was an argument against the concept of GRCs, it is Tin Pei Ling's win.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #17:
The highest majority for a PAP GRC win so far is 66.5%. As expected, not a large margin. The days of dominance by one party seem definitely over.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #18:
The CNA coverage is atrocious with the hosts talking over each other often or having nothing very substantial to say when they're not.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #19:
Chiam out. End of an era. One warrior bows out. Wish 'the other one' would too.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #20:
Not only that Wong Can't Sing, he can't give a good victory speech either.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #21:
Oh, why not interview Tin Pei Ling, CNA? I would lurvvvvvvveeee to see her figure out what to say.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #22:
Hmmm Raymond Lim (the transport one) back in... OK the next time you have a football competition, please do print your face on the footballs - I will definitely take part. And I won't be sorry.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #23:
Wah, now Lim Swee Say's turn to say 'sorry'. How many more tonight? And will they even remember the word tomorrow?

Singapore Elections Thoughts #24:
Oh wow, Viv wins too. sigh...

Singapore Elections Thoughts #25:
Well done WP in Aljunied! Booo to CNA for showing George Yeo's speech first.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #26:
Can George Yeo can be a NCMP?

Singapore Elections Thoughts #27:
CNA, please tell your presenter that she's using the word 'contestation' wrongly. No one's disputing the result - they were just 'contesting' the seat.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #28:
Viv is thanking the volunteers. I wonder if they were fed better than the YOG volunteers.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #29:
A fresh-faced team from NSP still got 43% of the vote when up against the former Primer Minister's team. Well done!

Singapore Elections Thoughts #30:
That was close in Potong Pasir. Kinda wish it had been the other way. Rejected votes might have swung it.

Singapore Elections Thoughts #31:
I don't agree with the online petition to remove Tin Pei Ling. If you'd felt strongly enough you should have voted against her. If you were not in Marine Parade GRC, you should have persuaded voters not to vote her in. This is how democracy works.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Singapore Elections Thoughts Compilation 1


Been silent on both blogs for the longest time but slowly getting off my butt and inspired to write again.
Will start here by compiling some of my recent Facebook status comments on the Singapore Elections.

Singapore Election Thoughts #1.
Sometime ago my RC organised a Raymond Lim football competition. I think they would have gotten more participation if they'd had his face printed on every football.


Singapore Elections Thoughts #2:
I find it so strange that it's Vivian Balakrishnan who's making a homophobic fuss as when he first came on the scene (no pun intended!) I thought he was gay.


Singapore Elections Thoughts #3:
The Elections are bang in the middle of school exams. Seems the PAP is going to face a stern test too. What will be their grade I wonder?


Singapore Elections Thoughts #4:
Seeing as we're all expecting (even hoping for) many of the opposition to win seats, would a large PAP win therefore become the 'freak election result'?


Singapore Elections Thoughts #5:
wah, these buggers also got 'talent' what...
SDP Loves Singapore


Singapore Elections Thoughts #6:
Saw a PAP truck going around with speakers blaring and I was tempted to drive alongside sounding my car horn to drown out the cackle from their loudhailers. hmmmmm


Singapore Elections Thoughts #7:
The Worker's Party should design posters with their logo right on the bottom then place these posters just above the PAP ones so it looks like the hammer is hammering the PAP fellas... heh heh


Singapore Elections Thoughts #8:
So what the heck are you afraid of even if somehow your vote isn't secret and you vote for the opposition? It's your darn right to vote for whomever you please for goodness' sake. What could possibly happen to you? You pay higher GST? Already gonna happen, mate...


Singapore Elections Thoughts #9:
Gotta hand it to the PAP - they've done a great job screwing with everyone's minds and equating PAP = Government = Executive (Administrative) = Singapore. So many people I've heard/read confuse the roles of the Legislative and Executive branches of government and actually believe water will stop flowing from the tap if they vote in an Opposition MP. OK I exaggerate slightly...


Singapore Elections Thoughts #10:
Although not a big fan of using 'National Service' as the excuse or reason for all sorts of things, I do agree wholeheartedly that if you are old enough to serve the country, you would, by implication, be old enough to think about who you would like to lead your country.


Singapore Elections Thoughts #11:
A friend thought I am Singaporean what with my interest in the GE. Politics affects everyone personally and we have no choice but to be interested and involved. It is no different from studying for an exam, or doing research for a project, or even looking for the best Mee Siam stall - it affects you, it is your life, so find out more, get interested, and make an informed decision.


Singapore Elections Thoughts #12:
Thinking about the two incidents at PAP meet-the-people sessions. Wonder why the opposition MPs never had such incidents, especially since these opposition-held wards are supposed to be near-slums. Could it be perhaps these MPs are more engaging with their constituents? Just wondering...