Why my votes matters - A dialogue with Minister Mentor
-
Q1. Why elections?
MM: coz the govt need a mandate.
Q2. But many of the MP were not given the mandate coz they were workovers
MM: coz the oppositions think they don't stand a chance. -
these questions were far better than "Dare ask the PM"
-
Q3: Why GRC?
MM: coz they take in considerations of minority
Q4. But the minority like Mr Abdullah were voted in without GRC.
MM
? -
Boy. these youngsters were more aggresive than those civil servants asking the PM in "Dare to ask the PM"
-
anybody watching?
-
Q: with the walkover, how can PAP tell that they have the mandate?
MM: the very fact that there is no challenge is the strong mandate -
yeah.. watched it.. thought provoking.. i think some even stumped the mm..
-
if two persons are fighting each other, one pulls out a gun, the other walks away, that doesn't mean i support the one who pulled out a gun, does it?Originally posted by LinYu:Q: with the walkover, how can PAP tell that they have the mandate?
MM: the very fact that there is no challenge is the strong mandate -
somehow.. this question is a bit tricky.. a lot of the issues are intertwined.. as to y no challenge in the first place?Originally posted by LinYu:Q: with the walkover, how can PAP tell that they have the mandate?
MM: the very fact that there is no challenge is the strong mandate
no challenge does not equal strong mandate.. its becos pple are denied the opportunity to exercise their vote..
come on.. we aren't even allowed to speak.. so how can we even say no??
and i notice this.. only he and him alone can say yah we are not giving they (the opposition) a level playing field.. compare that to zaqy's sweepy.. "it depends on how freedom is defined" -
just in thailand.. the thaksin affair..
pple abstain to say no to thaksin.. if we abstain.. would MM still consider that as a mandate? -
you can have minority representation without the GRC. break up the GRC into its constituent single wards, let's say 6 wards. two wards dedicated to minority, the other four wards to the chinese. both the PAP and the opposition can only field minority candidates in the minority wards. do you still need the GRC?Originally posted by LinYu:Q3: Why GRC?
MM: coz they take in considerations of minority
Q4. But the minority like Mr Abdullah were voted in without GRC.
MM? -
and you dun need a super big grc (6 member)? y not have a 84 member grc altogether?Originally posted by snow leopard:you can have minority representation without the GRC. break up the GRC into its constituent single wards, let's say 6 wards. two wards dedicated to minority, the other four wards to the chinese. both the PAP and the opposition can only field minority candidates in the minority wards. do you still need the GRC? -
That man is still very sharp. look how he refute the journalist
J: Voters are afraid to vote
MM: How do you know?
J: Over a 100 being interviewed say so
MM: Can you name them?
J: Yes, but why should I
MM : Who are the 100?
J: Er.. those interviewed by the ST
MM: Did you asked all of them?
J: No. but I interviewed about 40 of them
MM: Did the 40 of them says they are afraid?
J : Some say they don't care, so say the result is certain, so say they are scared...............
MM: So are you all afraid to vote?
J & other j : No...
J: ........without question till dialogues end. -
MM Lee's Q & A session with younger voters (CNA 12.4.2006 at 8.00 pm)
It does not look like he was prepared to answer to most of the questions as can be seen below (a sample)
Q: When are you retiring?
MM: When I am no longer useful.
(Contradicting his self-renewal pledge and policy older MPs must make way for the new blood)
Q: There is a perception that you are pulling strings from behind.
MM: Er, do you think my son has not a mind of his own?
(Forgeting his pulling strings over the SIA pilots union chief's natural union bargaining process and subsequent revocation of his PR status)
Q: Why not let the minority come in as some have come in on their own.
MM: Such minority PAP candidate got voted in at the time when the party was still strong and had full support of the people.
(Admitting that he needed GRC to boost the weakening of PAP at the time when PAP was getting less strong)
Q: Do you get to field the best candidates or only the second best where the best have refused to come in?
MM: Yes, we field in the best we can get, some of the best have declined.
(Admission that he could not get the best candidates)
Q: Do you feel PAP was insecure?
MM: er er
Q: What is the purpose of all these controls when you have all the walkovers created by the GRCs?
MM: Politics is all about life and creating jobs.
(Meaning that the end justifies the means no matter how unfair and unlevel is the playing field)
Many other Questions have been avoided by his interjections of the questioners by throwing back the same questions when the questions seem too tough. -
J did pop another question towards the end. when you have a 'giant' grilling you, a giant you know who has no qualms locking people up for their entire lives or destroying them with expensive lawsuits, it would take a lot of courage to continue to answer back. but i do agwee that being our founding father, he should've been accorded with a bit more respect.Originally posted by LinYu:That man is still very sharp. look how he refute the journalist
J: Voters are afraid to vote
MM: How do you know?
J: Over a 100 being interviewed say so
MM: Can you name them?
J: Yes, but why should I
MM : Who are the 100?
J: Er.. those interviewed by the ST
MM: Did you asked all of them?
J: No. but I interviewed about 40 of them
MM: Did the 40 of them says they are afraid?
J : Some say they don't care, so say the result is certain, so say they are scared...............
MM: So are you all afraid to vote?
J & other j : No...
J: ........without question till dialogues end.
we know that many of the people we know are afraid to vote against the PAP for fear of repurcussions in any way. if they are afraid in the first place, how would they have the guts to come forward and admit that they are afraid?
Minister Wong Kan Seng said registration number is a must on ballot papers to prevent phanthom votes. but wouldn't a watermark or some machine verifiable imprint on the ballot paper suffice? what a lame duck excuse! makes us even more pissed ... -
that idiot no brain lah. if they can print money that "cannot" be forged why they cannot do the same for the ballots..........Originally posted by snow leopard:J did pop another question towards the end. when you have a 'giant' grilling you, a giant you know who has no qualms locking people up for their entire lives or destroying them with expensive lawsuits, it would take a lot of courage to continue to answer back. but i do agwee that being our founding father, he should've been accorded with a bit more respect.
we know that many of the people we know are afraid to vote against the PAP for fear of repurcussions in any way. if they are afraid in the first place, how would they have the guts to come forward and admit that they are afraid?
Minister Wong Kan Seng said registration number is a must on ballot papers to prevent phanthom votes. but wouldn't a watermark or some machine verifiable imprint on the ballot paper suffice? what a lame duck excuse! makes us even more pissed ... -
LKY keep repeating his famous same old scare tactics, Singaporeans Lives will be difficult and National Reserves will be finish.Originally posted by LinYu:That man is still very sharp. look how he refute the journalist
J: Voters are afraid to vote
MM: How do you know?
J: Over a 100 being interviewed say so
MM: Can you name them?
J: Yes, but why should I
MM : Who are the 100?
J: Er.. those interviewed by the ST
MM: Did you asked all of them?
J: No. but I interviewed about 40 of them
MM: Did the 40 of them says they are afraid?
J : Some say they don't care, so say the result is certain, so say they are scared...............
MM: So are you all afraid to vote?
J & other j : No...
J: ........without question till dialogues end.
I think only the Aunties and Ah So's will buy his threat's.
How come nobody ask him about politics in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong & Taiwan leadership renewal without LKY & PAP ?
Did their country and economy went down so badly after changing leaders ?
I'm confident this 2006 GE, the PAP will loose 2 GRC's beside Potong Pasir / Hougang to Oppositions because I can read both Father and Son is showing some signs of worries. -
its never easy in politics.the suggestion of MM lee to the opposition seem to be quite valid though. However he might have an ulterior motive by suggesting that. By making the opposition stand for GRC the tendency of opposition land falingl is very high.
-
the group of youngsters are much better than the usual rigged interviews...now we know who's never going to be an editor with the straits times....
some earlier questions did stump lky, some replies were lame while those he couldn't get away, he tried to do technicals like how many? you spoke to all? and scare tactics. when asked why need 5 or 6 man grc, i didn't understand what he was mumbling about populations shifts...shift so what, you can still have 3 man grc....
at the end, the programme tried to show the softer side of things...typical..
given the aggression level, i think that's why no other pap folks dared to come out and face the real singaporeans.. -
The PAP worries signs that I've noticed are as follows ;Originally posted by SG,LauBaiXing:LKY keep repeating his famous same old scare tactics, Singaporeans Lives will be difficult and National Reserves will be finish.
I think only the Aunties and Ah So's will buy his threat's.
How come nobody ask him about politics in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong & Taiwan leadership renewal without LKY & PAP ?
Did their country and economy went down so badly after changing leaders ?
I'm confident this 2006 GE, the PAP will loose 2 GRC's beside Potong Pasir / Hougang to Oppositions because I can read both Father and Son is showing some signs of worries.
1) Not announcing PAP manisfeto and GE day !
2) Tasking SM.GCT to PP & Hougang !
3) Giving huge sum's of Progress Package to the voters !
4) Planned progressive pay-out's in May and some in June !
5) Sending Khaw Boon Wan and the other MP lawyer whom tackle NKF scandal to Sembawang GRC !
6) Wong Kan Seng said that this GE is water shed issues !
7) Not dare to underestimating Worker Party Chairperson Mdm.Lim capabilities !
Both Father and Son airing inaguration speeches in TV for answering the peoples this time round !
This are some new signs that is unusual compare with previous GE's. and I hope I'm right this time. -
If we vote others, Then fail.. We can always vote PAP back next 4 years or better still.. If democracy was installed right, If the power check is installed right.. We can always have the PM of the winning party other than PAP impeached
-
this show comes back to what i asked last night, http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=185915
-
(as posted in reply to Lee Dynasty at Feedback Unit on 12.4.2006)
I think MM Lee did achieve great deeds for Singapore up to the 1970s.
After 1970s, he had tried to improve and upgrade the economy and did not quite make it.
Today, due to his persistent autocratic rule, he was not able to motivate and mobilise the masses or create social or economic vibrancy to take Singapore higher to reach the Swiss standards which was promised.
The costs of living went up but the wages of masses dropped since the 1980s. If not for the fact that the world finally recovered strongly in 2005. MM Lee today would not even be able to claim anything.
Now he is essentially relying on external circumstances to reassert some old shine which was already diminishing as compared with other Asian tigers.
On his lecturing the young voters in the TV forum over CNA tonight, he had failed to answer many questions such as why was the costs of living going up while the wages of masses are dropping and why is the government still double-charging and triple-charging on fees and expenses which were already paid by the people by taxation.
No matter how MM Lee explains it, his GRC gerrymandering is most undesirable and will not benefit Singapore or lead to its ongoing progress.
One-man-one-vote system allows the best individuals to come forward to stand for election with no hindrance whatsoever.
Racial balance could easily be conceived through party manifesto, leadership ability and a host of other measures including good incentive scheme such as reserving of certain top ministerial posts for such minority candidates.
With GRC, the individual best candidates will be decimated and checked as many of them will be hindered by the obstacle of having to convince fellow minority candidates to stand together with him which reduces our chance of finding or empowering the best candidates to serve.
MM Lee was stumped when asked why he must increase the size of GRC which clearly showed that he was unable to justify it except for perpetuating his party's interest at the expense of one-man-one-vote which serves the best interest of the nation.
MM Lee also did not explain well why he needs so much controls since PAP was not in danger of losing. He was not convincing in trying to say that he needs to consider the interest of the minority who will have problem in getting voted in by the majority-Chinese voters.
When he was told that in earlier elections, a number of minority PAP candidates did get in, he said that that was when PAP was still strongly supported by the people.
Therefore MM Lee by his own admission has revealed that GRC has been conceived to boost the PAP at that time when PAP was losing support.
Conclusion: MM Lee could not answer the problems created by his past policies which were not working.
He could not answer to the journalists' question on why he needs GRC which was not good for the country but only for PAP's own interest.
Singaporeans will have to rethink the GRC and seek their own answers to all these unanswered questions avoided in this forum.
Singaporeans should not be led by rhetorics or argumentations but should ceaselessly seek objective and original answers to issues of life and jobs which is what politics is all about (MM Lee parting shot). To do so, they must return to the one-man-one-vote election system and rebut the one-man-one-block group voting which prevents best people from coming forward to serve. -
These questions were certainly better than those cats questions to the PM
-
when asked about the GRC from 3 to 5 or 6, he talked about runing Town council. couldn't quite comprehend the link between the questions and answer.
