GE 2011
It's exciting isn't it? You have a vote to decide things. Power to democracy! With a very good and prominent government, it can be a tad boring. Sometimes we have it too good, we take things for granted like thinking we should just go for the opposition or just leave it to the ruling party. Are we simply complacent or apathetic lacking interest in politics? If it is, why is it so?
Usually being a Saturday, you get to get a day off in lieu so that we do not suffer too much losses if everyone stops work for the day. We go and choose our leaders. Choose your Members of Parliament or a group of MPs in a group of five in case of a GRC. Margaret Thatcher once observed that if you have to tell people you are powerful you aren't. Similarly, I think if you have to tell people you are very smart, you aren't. Truly great leaders gained the respect of others by the way they carry and conduct themselves and not by barking out loud orders. It also always about the Golden Rule isn't it? You pretend and you think that people do not know it.
When you treat people using the Golden Rule, you will probably win over their loyalty. You can even make that undying loyalty. If you want authority over other people, you first have to prove yourself and win them over to show that you are worthy. You will also have to have their best interest at heart and show it. You take care of others first and then look at your own needs. How many people in this world still have this and has this simple lesson been lost among people? If you can do that then there are no worries whatsoever. No amount of rhetoric is needed.
GRC
Touted to protect the interest of minorities as Group Representation, it seemed to have grown into other purposes such as inducting new leaders through a back door thus denying them the necessary exposure to be true leaders. All leaders should be put through a baptism of fire. Gold and silver comes out of a furnace of intense heat to become things of beauty and substance. In all of our lives, in our careers, businesses, work - we all go through hell before too. Put a tea bag in a cup, add hot water then you will see the true colour and quality of the tea.
Therefore, I feel sad for the Aljunied GRC face off. George Yeo is a good minister locally and at the international stage. He is also an officer and a gentlemen, an intellect and a thinker. He said he welcome the worthy opponents and they will just have to work harder. Few people can say humble things like that. On the other side, we may lose three capable people in Low Thia Khiang, Sylvia Lim and Chen Show Mao. These three could be more capable and passionate servants than some others in the other parties but they may not have a chance. In fact, in this election we could see a GRC lost to an opposition which is a psychological barrier or we may end up with no opposition at all.
Ah Khiang has no choice but to up the stakes because if he does not do something, one day Hougang could be further carved out into other GRC leaving him with two blocks of slum without lifts. Do we really need to keep changing election boundaries? And I thought lifts and estate upgrading were passe. Shouldn't lifts be given to the places with the most old folks? We conveniently forgotten after talking so much about Confucianism. Children learn things from what parents do, not what they say and citizens behave like what their governments do. Using upgrading is to promote materialism and greed above others. Maybe they should throw in some green fees for golf or give away some drivers and putters and many golfers would take the bait. So the people of Hougang and Potong Pasir are the greatest and most respected as they remained unmoved. When there is a crisis in Singapore, come to Hougang and Potong Pasir as they stood their moral ground.
We lament the lack of talents and leaders. Why are people not taking an interest? The best way is to join the ruling party as they have people to carry tables and chairs. Nobody in the right sense of mind would join an opposition. It takes courage and conviction. You will need some money, even good money to keep you going and attract people. So you dangle millions to prevent corruption but corruption doesn't work this way. A man may earn $2k but being poor does not mean that he would be corrupt while some one worth millions may have a tendency for greed.
Great leaders emerged like Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Deng Xiao Ping and Lee Kuan Yew and they were all probably opposition and were labelled as rebels at the time. If not for him Singapore may not be the same today. They were not hand-picked. If you want to choose the best and most talented soccer players, build the pitches and allow them to come out to play then you can see the difference between the great and the good.
In fact, start them young in developing interests and passion. There will never be another Pele but we had George Best. We will never have another Best but we had Cruyff, ditto Maradona and now Messi. Singaporeans are not stupid. Above all, learn to be like Madonna. She has not got the greatest voice but she kept reinventing herself staying relevant. Make the people your fans.
In fact, start them young in developing interests and passion. There will never be another Pele but we had George Best. We will never have another Best but we had Cruyff, ditto Maradona and now Messi. Singaporeans are not stupid. Above all, learn to be like Madonna. She has not got the greatest voice but she kept reinventing herself staying relevant. Make the people your fans.
Here is Messi's goal against Real Madrid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26VpWAAjPZ0
To me Messi is a much better player than Ronaldo. Ronaldo is very good but his skills are manufactured meaning that he had a move in mind and he practised it well. Messi is instinctive. Whatever moves comes to him naturally and instinctively. With 50 goals and 25 assists so far, he could be the greatest ever.
It is hard to find Cinderella to fit a shoe from house to house. It may be better to throw a ball and Singa-rella may just appear.
When we were faced with daunting challenges like lack of water, we developed Newater. We had Religious Harmony, a good housing programme such that the UN and some other countries wish to learn from us. We are unique, remember? So I think Singapore is capable of having a Parliamentary system that can evolved into one that is greatly admired by the rest of the world such that they want to learn from us too. Why not?
Interests
When I spoke to people I find that they are now more interested in politics even those who are younger. This is good for Singapore. The life guards are in place but it is good if you learn how to swim. The more the people who could swim the less troubles for the life guards. Those who saw Singapore grew from slumps and swamps to where we are today are almost eternally grateful. Those of or around my age would probably have seen part of that. It is important to keep Singapore stable and steady - not easy for a tiny island state. Don't shake the status quo they say. Agreed.
The younger generation is a different kettle of fish. They will have to be engaged differently. They never saw what we saw. What Minister George Yeo said is correct. With the advent of the Internet age, there is no more top-down leadership. Last time you went to school and got slapped by a teacher. You come home told your mother and you got slapped another time. Last time the police wore shorts.
Most acknowledged our government is good but leaders from the old guards were different. People have fears that the ruling party may have become complacent, fat, lazy and arrogant. I detected that there is some social disconnect. Sitting in Ivory Towers, planning from a desk with no feel for the people, that seems to be the feeling on the ground. Meantime, Singaporeans are so geared up at work they have no time to date or get married. Those that do have no time or are stressed to have sex so we have less babies. When we grew we need to import foreign labour real quick and we have congestion and housing problems. Everything is linked and it became very complex.
Ask not what the country can do for you but what you can do for the country.
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