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17-08-2013, 02:10 PM
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
48th National Day – Writing the new Singapore story (http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/08/17/48th-national-day-writing-the-new-singapore-story/)
http://images.dmca.com/Badges/dmca_protected_sml_120n.png?ID=f11d7371-0ef1-483b-888a-04e8d2ba2e94
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostDateIcon.png August 17th, 2013 | http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostAuthorIcon.png Author: Contributions (http://www.tremeritus.com/author/contributor/)
As the island republic celebrates its 48th National Day,
some long-standing principles of governance look set to
change.
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Seah-Chiang-Nee-Insight-Down-South.jpg
Seah Chiang Nee
The call by a former prime minister for ending one of Lee Kuan Yew’s
cornerstone tenets for governing Singapore when he is still alive has got some
questions flying.
Goh Chok Tong, who succeeded Lee in 1990, said Singapore needs to forge a new
social compact between people and government to replace the old one to avoid a
“mid-life crisis”.
In a constituency speech marking the island republic’s 48th National Day,
Goh, long believed to be part of the ruling party’s softer faction, spoke of the
need to write a new chapter of the Singapore Story.
The reason, he said, is that both the external environment and Singaporeans
at home have changed.
His speech came as leaders are getting citizens to prepare for a major policy
change to be announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong when he delivers his
National Day Rally address tomorrow.
Comparable to America’s presidential State of the Union address, this annual
event will be televised in all the four official languages with the English
version expected to last two hours.
“Singapore will have to tread a different path … Our road ahead will be
different from the road we have travelled,” said PM Lee without giving
details.
“So we must reassess our position, review our direction, and refresh our
strategies to thrive in this new world.”
He did not refer to the social compact, but his predecessor did during a
constituency speech.
“Some policies and programmes that had served us well in the past need
updating, or maybe even an overhaul, to ensure that they continue to serve their
intended purposes,” said Goh, who is Emeritus Senior Minister.
“A new social compact between the people and the government will have to be
forged. Otherwise, I fear that Singapore will begin to go downhill.”
This has led to some speculation that Singapore may be on the verge of doing
away with one of the ruling principles created by the founding leader to define
government-people relations since independence.
If it does, it is hardly surprising since the current leadership – now
operating in a globalised economy – has slowly been erasing some of its obsolete
features.
Many economists had been advocating ending it, but none in government had so
far openly talked about it since Lee is still around, possibly for fear of
upsetting him.
His son’s message tomorrow may reflect, but not really mention its
demise.
Instead, PM Lee will likely dwell at length on major problems that embitter
Singaporeans, including public housing, healthcare and education.
It may be one of the most important speeches in modern times to be made by a
PAP leader that will impact his party’s survival.
The PAP’s political fortunes have been falling steadily, mainly over numerous
problems caused by his immigration strategy.
In his surprising address, Goh said: “I dare say that Prime Minister Lee and
his Cabinet are having a tougher time governing Singapore than Lee Kuan Yew and
I had. And it is not going to get easier.”
The social compact was Lee Senior’s basic philosophy of governance that was
befitting of an ill-developed, backward Singapore. The changing world has left
it on the wayside, neither dead nor alive.
What is this principle?
Lee enunciated it when he was expounding Asia values to anyone who would
listen. Smacked of Confucianism, it goes something like this: The government has
a duty to govern well and look after the welfare of its citizens.
If it succeeds, it is the people’s duty to vote for it. If it fails to take
care of them, the citizens have the right to throw it out.
I remember during the 1984 general election when 12.4% of the votes went from
the PAP to the opposition, then PM Lee Kuan Yew was livid.
“The government did so much for them; they are ungrateful,” he told
editors.
In his belief, the people broke the social compact.
This principle was copied from ancient China that described the relationship
between the emperors (who were not elected) and their subjects.
In one briefing, the elder Lee explained to us journalists that – like the
scholar system – it had allowed China to survive a long history of chaos.
The philosophy worked superbly in the early years of independence which
allowed the early leaders to develop Singapore and build up its
infrastructure.
The PAP delivered jobs, housing and prosperity to citizens. The Compact
worked then.
Then came globalisation and trade competition increased.
They made it difficult for Lee – or indeed any leader – to promise jobs and
the good life to his people.
Added to it was the weakening of the current leadership’s vision or
capability to manage a modern-day complex Singapore, as PM Lee himself
admitted.
=> But no shame in demanding multi-million-dollar pay packages!
These factors contributed to the inability of the PAP to fulfil its social
compact duty to citizens, and as a result more and more voters went to the
opposition.
Singapore’s most prominent author, Catherine Lim said it was the PAP
government that has failed to deliver its part of the social compact.
Now with all its vast resources, the PAP has the responsibility to mend that
weakened bond and restore Singaporeans’ trust, she said.
However, not everyone blames the social compact as much as government
non-performance for its failure.
In the broadest sense, the principle is actually being practised by all
democratic countries.
“It defines the responsibilities and roles of an elected government and the
electorate towards one another.
“Nothing wrong in that,” said a retired secondary school teacher.
Seah Chiang Nee
Chiang Nee has been a journalist for 40 years. He is a true-blooded
Singaporean, born, bred and says that he hopes to die in Singapore. He worked as
a Reuters corespondent between 1960-70, based in Singapore but with various
assignments in Southeast Asia, including a total of about 40 months in (then
South) Vietnam between 1966-1970. In 1970, he left to work for Singapore Herald,
first as Malaysia Bureau Chief and later as News Editor before it was forced to
close after a run-in with the Singapore Government. He then left Singapore to
work for The Asian, the world’s first regional weekly newspaper, based in
Bangkok to cover Thailand and Indochina for two years between 1972-73. Other
jobs: News Editor of Hong Kong Standard (1973-74), Foreign Editor of Straits
Times with reporting assignments to Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and
The United States (1974-82) and Editor of Singapore Monitor (1982-85). Since
1986, he has been a columnist for the Malaysia’s The Star newspaper. Article
first appeared in his blog, http://www.littlespeck.com.
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?160190-Seah-FAP-Por-Lumpar-Traitors-Afraid-of-Upsetting-Old-Fart-(aka-EMPEROR-LIABILITY)&goto=newpost).
48th National Day – Writing the new Singapore story (http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/08/17/48th-national-day-writing-the-new-singapore-story/)
http://images.dmca.com/Badges/dmca_protected_sml_120n.png?ID=f11d7371-0ef1-483b-888a-04e8d2ba2e94
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostDateIcon.png August 17th, 2013 | http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostAuthorIcon.png Author: Contributions (http://www.tremeritus.com/author/contributor/)
As the island republic celebrates its 48th National Day,
some long-standing principles of governance look set to
change.
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Seah-Chiang-Nee-Insight-Down-South.jpg
Seah Chiang Nee
The call by a former prime minister for ending one of Lee Kuan Yew’s
cornerstone tenets for governing Singapore when he is still alive has got some
questions flying.
Goh Chok Tong, who succeeded Lee in 1990, said Singapore needs to forge a new
social compact between people and government to replace the old one to avoid a
“mid-life crisis”.
In a constituency speech marking the island republic’s 48th National Day,
Goh, long believed to be part of the ruling party’s softer faction, spoke of the
need to write a new chapter of the Singapore Story.
The reason, he said, is that both the external environment and Singaporeans
at home have changed.
His speech came as leaders are getting citizens to prepare for a major policy
change to be announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong when he delivers his
National Day Rally address tomorrow.
Comparable to America’s presidential State of the Union address, this annual
event will be televised in all the four official languages with the English
version expected to last two hours.
“Singapore will have to tread a different path … Our road ahead will be
different from the road we have travelled,” said PM Lee without giving
details.
“So we must reassess our position, review our direction, and refresh our
strategies to thrive in this new world.”
He did not refer to the social compact, but his predecessor did during a
constituency speech.
“Some policies and programmes that had served us well in the past need
updating, or maybe even an overhaul, to ensure that they continue to serve their
intended purposes,” said Goh, who is Emeritus Senior Minister.
“A new social compact between the people and the government will have to be
forged. Otherwise, I fear that Singapore will begin to go downhill.”
This has led to some speculation that Singapore may be on the verge of doing
away with one of the ruling principles created by the founding leader to define
government-people relations since independence.
If it does, it is hardly surprising since the current leadership – now
operating in a globalised economy – has slowly been erasing some of its obsolete
features.
Many economists had been advocating ending it, but none in government had so
far openly talked about it since Lee is still around, possibly for fear of
upsetting him.
His son’s message tomorrow may reflect, but not really mention its
demise.
Instead, PM Lee will likely dwell at length on major problems that embitter
Singaporeans, including public housing, healthcare and education.
It may be one of the most important speeches in modern times to be made by a
PAP leader that will impact his party’s survival.
The PAP’s political fortunes have been falling steadily, mainly over numerous
problems caused by his immigration strategy.
In his surprising address, Goh said: “I dare say that Prime Minister Lee and
his Cabinet are having a tougher time governing Singapore than Lee Kuan Yew and
I had. And it is not going to get easier.”
The social compact was Lee Senior’s basic philosophy of governance that was
befitting of an ill-developed, backward Singapore. The changing world has left
it on the wayside, neither dead nor alive.
What is this principle?
Lee enunciated it when he was expounding Asia values to anyone who would
listen. Smacked of Confucianism, it goes something like this: The government has
a duty to govern well and look after the welfare of its citizens.
If it succeeds, it is the people’s duty to vote for it. If it fails to take
care of them, the citizens have the right to throw it out.
I remember during the 1984 general election when 12.4% of the votes went from
the PAP to the opposition, then PM Lee Kuan Yew was livid.
“The government did so much for them; they are ungrateful,” he told
editors.
In his belief, the people broke the social compact.
This principle was copied from ancient China that described the relationship
between the emperors (who were not elected) and their subjects.
In one briefing, the elder Lee explained to us journalists that – like the
scholar system – it had allowed China to survive a long history of chaos.
The philosophy worked superbly in the early years of independence which
allowed the early leaders to develop Singapore and build up its
infrastructure.
The PAP delivered jobs, housing and prosperity to citizens. The Compact
worked then.
Then came globalisation and trade competition increased.
They made it difficult for Lee – or indeed any leader – to promise jobs and
the good life to his people.
Added to it was the weakening of the current leadership’s vision or
capability to manage a modern-day complex Singapore, as PM Lee himself
admitted.
=> But no shame in demanding multi-million-dollar pay packages!
These factors contributed to the inability of the PAP to fulfil its social
compact duty to citizens, and as a result more and more voters went to the
opposition.
Singapore’s most prominent author, Catherine Lim said it was the PAP
government that has failed to deliver its part of the social compact.
Now with all its vast resources, the PAP has the responsibility to mend that
weakened bond and restore Singaporeans’ trust, she said.
However, not everyone blames the social compact as much as government
non-performance for its failure.
In the broadest sense, the principle is actually being practised by all
democratic countries.
“It defines the responsibilities and roles of an elected government and the
electorate towards one another.
“Nothing wrong in that,” said a retired secondary school teacher.
Seah Chiang Nee
Chiang Nee has been a journalist for 40 years. He is a true-blooded
Singaporean, born, bred and says that he hopes to die in Singapore. He worked as
a Reuters corespondent between 1960-70, based in Singapore but with various
assignments in Southeast Asia, including a total of about 40 months in (then
South) Vietnam between 1966-1970. In 1970, he left to work for Singapore Herald,
first as Malaysia Bureau Chief and later as News Editor before it was forced to
close after a run-in with the Singapore Government. He then left Singapore to
work for The Asian, the world’s first regional weekly newspaper, based in
Bangkok to cover Thailand and Indochina for two years between 1972-73. Other
jobs: News Editor of Hong Kong Standard (1973-74), Foreign Editor of Straits
Times with reporting assignments to Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and
The United States (1974-82) and Editor of Singapore Monitor (1982-85). Since
1986, he has been a columnist for the Malaysia’s The Star newspaper. Article
first appeared in his blog, http://www.littlespeck.com.
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?160190-Seah-FAP-Por-Lumpar-Traitors-Afraid-of-Upsetting-Old-Fart-(aka-EMPEROR-LIABILITY)&goto=newpost).