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11-11-2014, 12:00 AM
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
Source: TR EMERITUS
Rebutting Han that PAP can continue to dominate
November 10th, 2014 | Author: Contributions
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/han-fook-kwang.jpg?7eb7f4
ST Editor-At-Large Han
Fook Kwang
It seems gazing at a crystal ball into Singapore’s political future is a growth industry these days. Mr. Han Fook Kwang, SPH’s Editor-At-Large (whatever that title really means), painted several scenarios of the future in his article “PAP in decline? But what if……” Needless to say Mr Ho is able to look only into a PAP-tinted future. The writer gazes into his own crystal ball to deconstruct Mr. Han’s scenarios.
Scenario 1: All change at the party
In his first scenario, Mr. Han surmised “If it (PAP) is able to make the changes – whatever these might be – and transform itself, who is to say it will not regain its past dominance?” He went on to give the example of Britain’s Labour Party, which had spent almost 20 years in opposition, but which eventually transformed itself into New Labour under Tony Blair. He also mentioned Britain’s Conservative Party which was rejuvenated by Margaret Thatcher in the 70′s.
Mr Han seems think the PAP is like Labour and the Conservatives. No party has been in continuous power for 50 years and no regime in power for that long had been capable of transforming itself. Change by necessity came from the crucible of political battle. The changes Mr Han saw in Labour and the Conservatives came because of endless battles with the other parties and within themselves. Not least with the media relentless snapping at their heels. Competition makes one fit to govern. It is also noteworthy that transformational changes in parties almost never came from being in power but from being cast into the opposition.
Is the PAP capable of change while still in office? Don’t bet on it. When the PAP elites came from a common background of scholarships and connections at the top echelon of the civil service and the government-linked business entities, they can easily indulge themselves in political discourse among the like-minded without the inconvenience of realities faced by the masses. Disparaging social media as their wont and with Mr. Han and his cohorts in the MSM pontificating on every issue only from a PAP perspective, the PAP elites are already deluding themselves that tinkering rather than transformational change is enough. How true can this be? Look no further than the PM’s tinkering of CPF and the clinging on to the long past sell-by date labour and capital intensive growth model of the 1970s.
Scenario 2: Out and back again
This scenario is predicated on an opposition government screwing up badly enough that the PAP return to power in the next election. Rather optimistically, Mr. Han suggest the PAP may possibly rule another 50 years because it is “chastened by its years in opposition, it renews itself in heroic fashion to recapture the people’s trust”.
Not so fast, Mr Han. He has discounted that the electorate, once having tasted the presently forbidden fruit of competitive politics, will ever give the PAP another run of uninterrupted rule especially since the terms of political battles will not stay constant from one election to another, let alone over 50 years.
Given the PAP elites’ self regard borders on narcissism, instead of renewing itself “in heroic fashion”, Mr Han is supremely naive not to consider the PAP may well prefer to tinker and expect to be swept back into power on nothing more than the opposition government’s incompetence. Taking the easy option than making hard choices had been the PAP’s modus operandi in this century. So a return to power is likely to mean more of the same.
Scenario 3: A near-death experience
In the third scenario, in a near-death experience like a long, deep and paralyzing global recession, conflicts in the region or a war between the major powers in Asia, Mr Han postulates; “Faced with impending danger, Singaporeans are more likely to want to unite than divide, possibly behind the party they know”
That may be so. But it is worthwhile to postulate what happen after such an emergency has passed. Since Mr. Han has often cited UK politics, its history has useful lessons. In 1945, despite his stirring wartime leadership, Winston Churchill was defeated by Labour. Undoubtedly grateful to Mr. Churchill, British voters nevertheless felt that it was time to leave the imperial past and move on into the brave new world of social democracy and the welfare state. In 1924, a wholly inexperienced Labour party formed the first Labour government after defeating the coalition that steered Britain through the First World War. Past performance is no guarantee against society changes that forces political transformation.
Scenario X: Power sharing
Ok, Mr. Han did not dream this up. However, the PAP may end up short of a governing majority after an election. PAP will then be forced into a coalition government. Or it can rule as a minority government. Both will mean compromise with the opposition and that means voters get a feel for their own power. The political scene will therefore be transformed and the PAP will need to change with it. The PAP cannot hope the opposition will screw up because any screw-ups reflect back on the PAP and because over time the opposition becomes competent in the exercise of power.
Change can really only be assured by the voters wielding a cattle prod. As for Mr. Han, perhaps he is trying hard but being in the MSM and having the government spread the butter on his bread do have their limitation in trying to be convincing.
Chris K
* Chris K holds a senior position in a global financial centre bigger than Singapore. He writes mostly on economic and financial matters to highlight misconceptions of economic policy in Singapore.
End Of Article
Readers' comments:
Crystal Balls:
November 10, 2014 at 7:35 pm (Quote)
Scenario 2 will never happen – you know why? Because as soon as someone else comes into power, they will dig out all the buried skeletons from decades of PAP abuse. All the backhanded deals, all the illegal payments, everything will start to surface. With any luck, people will be arrested and held accountable for what they did. It will be the end of PAP in Singapore.
opposition dude:
November 10, 2014 at 7:49 pm (Quote)
Han is actually the Dreaming Editor At Large, he enjoys writing these sorts of pieces a lot more since his precious PAP lost Aljunied and Punggol East. Why, he even dared to have some balls and publicly complained about his CPF not enough for his retirement not so long ago ok!
Of course he has to sell his snake oil to the voters, what else can he do? Even he has to admit that less and less voters fear or are enamoured with PAP these days so all he can do is the same old shit trick his party loves to do, scare voters.
You can tell from the way he writes that not only is it pretty ordinary, it borders on a primary school composition level. For an editor with so much experience he sure comes across as a massive clutching at straws loser.
Look forward to more from him as the next GE draws nearer. I’m waiting to see what other nonsense he can write when his party loses more seats in parliament.
Really:
November 10, 2014 at 8:02 pm (Quote)
Good rebuttal. It just reviewed the shallowness of thoughts from Singapore’s controlled MSM editors. It seems that their brains are sheared by PAP’s lightning, restricted into a small box, unable to do an objective and comprehensive analysis. Chris K is any time a better thinker than Han.
Sharon Ann Gabriel:
November 10, 2014 at 8:03 pm (Quote)
The PAP will fight tooth and nail to retain power. It cannot afford to lose as too much is at stake. Any new government that comes into power will do a thorough house cleaning. Every thing which the PAP government does in the past will come under scrutiny. Chen Shui Bian of Taiwan is one good example of what can happen.
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?193761-Rebutting-Han-That-PAP-Can-Continue-To-Dominate&goto=newpost).
Source: TR EMERITUS
Rebutting Han that PAP can continue to dominate
November 10th, 2014 | Author: Contributions
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/han-fook-kwang.jpg?7eb7f4
ST Editor-At-Large Han
Fook Kwang
It seems gazing at a crystal ball into Singapore’s political future is a growth industry these days. Mr. Han Fook Kwang, SPH’s Editor-At-Large (whatever that title really means), painted several scenarios of the future in his article “PAP in decline? But what if……” Needless to say Mr Ho is able to look only into a PAP-tinted future. The writer gazes into his own crystal ball to deconstruct Mr. Han’s scenarios.
Scenario 1: All change at the party
In his first scenario, Mr. Han surmised “If it (PAP) is able to make the changes – whatever these might be – and transform itself, who is to say it will not regain its past dominance?” He went on to give the example of Britain’s Labour Party, which had spent almost 20 years in opposition, but which eventually transformed itself into New Labour under Tony Blair. He also mentioned Britain’s Conservative Party which was rejuvenated by Margaret Thatcher in the 70′s.
Mr Han seems think the PAP is like Labour and the Conservatives. No party has been in continuous power for 50 years and no regime in power for that long had been capable of transforming itself. Change by necessity came from the crucible of political battle. The changes Mr Han saw in Labour and the Conservatives came because of endless battles with the other parties and within themselves. Not least with the media relentless snapping at their heels. Competition makes one fit to govern. It is also noteworthy that transformational changes in parties almost never came from being in power but from being cast into the opposition.
Is the PAP capable of change while still in office? Don’t bet on it. When the PAP elites came from a common background of scholarships and connections at the top echelon of the civil service and the government-linked business entities, they can easily indulge themselves in political discourse among the like-minded without the inconvenience of realities faced by the masses. Disparaging social media as their wont and with Mr. Han and his cohorts in the MSM pontificating on every issue only from a PAP perspective, the PAP elites are already deluding themselves that tinkering rather than transformational change is enough. How true can this be? Look no further than the PM’s tinkering of CPF and the clinging on to the long past sell-by date labour and capital intensive growth model of the 1970s.
Scenario 2: Out and back again
This scenario is predicated on an opposition government screwing up badly enough that the PAP return to power in the next election. Rather optimistically, Mr. Han suggest the PAP may possibly rule another 50 years because it is “chastened by its years in opposition, it renews itself in heroic fashion to recapture the people’s trust”.
Not so fast, Mr Han. He has discounted that the electorate, once having tasted the presently forbidden fruit of competitive politics, will ever give the PAP another run of uninterrupted rule especially since the terms of political battles will not stay constant from one election to another, let alone over 50 years.
Given the PAP elites’ self regard borders on narcissism, instead of renewing itself “in heroic fashion”, Mr Han is supremely naive not to consider the PAP may well prefer to tinker and expect to be swept back into power on nothing more than the opposition government’s incompetence. Taking the easy option than making hard choices had been the PAP’s modus operandi in this century. So a return to power is likely to mean more of the same.
Scenario 3: A near-death experience
In the third scenario, in a near-death experience like a long, deep and paralyzing global recession, conflicts in the region or a war between the major powers in Asia, Mr Han postulates; “Faced with impending danger, Singaporeans are more likely to want to unite than divide, possibly behind the party they know”
That may be so. But it is worthwhile to postulate what happen after such an emergency has passed. Since Mr. Han has often cited UK politics, its history has useful lessons. In 1945, despite his stirring wartime leadership, Winston Churchill was defeated by Labour. Undoubtedly grateful to Mr. Churchill, British voters nevertheless felt that it was time to leave the imperial past and move on into the brave new world of social democracy and the welfare state. In 1924, a wholly inexperienced Labour party formed the first Labour government after defeating the coalition that steered Britain through the First World War. Past performance is no guarantee against society changes that forces political transformation.
Scenario X: Power sharing
Ok, Mr. Han did not dream this up. However, the PAP may end up short of a governing majority after an election. PAP will then be forced into a coalition government. Or it can rule as a minority government. Both will mean compromise with the opposition and that means voters get a feel for their own power. The political scene will therefore be transformed and the PAP will need to change with it. The PAP cannot hope the opposition will screw up because any screw-ups reflect back on the PAP and because over time the opposition becomes competent in the exercise of power.
Change can really only be assured by the voters wielding a cattle prod. As for Mr. Han, perhaps he is trying hard but being in the MSM and having the government spread the butter on his bread do have their limitation in trying to be convincing.
Chris K
* Chris K holds a senior position in a global financial centre bigger than Singapore. He writes mostly on economic and financial matters to highlight misconceptions of economic policy in Singapore.
End Of Article
Readers' comments:
Crystal Balls:
November 10, 2014 at 7:35 pm (Quote)
Scenario 2 will never happen – you know why? Because as soon as someone else comes into power, they will dig out all the buried skeletons from decades of PAP abuse. All the backhanded deals, all the illegal payments, everything will start to surface. With any luck, people will be arrested and held accountable for what they did. It will be the end of PAP in Singapore.
opposition dude:
November 10, 2014 at 7:49 pm (Quote)
Han is actually the Dreaming Editor At Large, he enjoys writing these sorts of pieces a lot more since his precious PAP lost Aljunied and Punggol East. Why, he even dared to have some balls and publicly complained about his CPF not enough for his retirement not so long ago ok!
Of course he has to sell his snake oil to the voters, what else can he do? Even he has to admit that less and less voters fear or are enamoured with PAP these days so all he can do is the same old shit trick his party loves to do, scare voters.
You can tell from the way he writes that not only is it pretty ordinary, it borders on a primary school composition level. For an editor with so much experience he sure comes across as a massive clutching at straws loser.
Look forward to more from him as the next GE draws nearer. I’m waiting to see what other nonsense he can write when his party loses more seats in parliament.
Really:
November 10, 2014 at 8:02 pm (Quote)
Good rebuttal. It just reviewed the shallowness of thoughts from Singapore’s controlled MSM editors. It seems that their brains are sheared by PAP’s lightning, restricted into a small box, unable to do an objective and comprehensive analysis. Chris K is any time a better thinker than Han.
Sharon Ann Gabriel:
November 10, 2014 at 8:03 pm (Quote)
The PAP will fight tooth and nail to retain power. It cannot afford to lose as too much is at stake. Any new government that comes into power will do a thorough house cleaning. Every thing which the PAP government does in the past will come under scrutiny. Chen Shui Bian of Taiwan is one good example of what can happen.
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?193761-Rebutting-Han-That-PAP-Can-Continue-To-Dominate&goto=newpost).