06 June 2006

Goh Chok Tong speech decoded

3 May 2006 - Washington, speech to reporters

"The PAP is not out to have a clean sweep. What we are trying to offer is certainty of good government and good people in charge. So my message is this: Have your desire for opposition fulfilled, but never to the extent of changing the government."

--- Peanut Goh

Get your decoding rings ready!

1. "I do not have the calibre to function in a true democracy."
2. "In Singapore, the PAP decides how many opposition MPs Singaporeans are allowed."

Peanut Goh should grow up and accept the challenge of governing in a democratic country, where the voters decide how much of an opposition they want in Parliament. If he's unable to deal with the decision of the voters, he should either step down or work for peanuts.

My question to Peanut Goh: Let's cut to the chase and forget about elections, in this case. How many opposition MPs do you allow us to have, at maximum? Please, I want some more.

3. "We will do what we can to prevent Singaporeans from voting in more opposition MPs."

Peanut Goh admits he wants to control how Singaporeans vote! We need a clarification on what legal or extra-legal means he is contemplating. Does this include fixing opposition candidates? Or finding more ways to buy his supporters votes?

4. "The PAP will never allow voters to change ruling parties."

But Peanut Goh, you have no right to make this kind of statement. It is not your place to dictate to voters who they can and cannot vote for; how many seats the opposition is allowed and not allowed to win. It is not your place to tell voters they can vote in opposition politicians, but not too many.

Need I say that this is scandalous? Peanut Goh should withdraw from Marine Parade GRC for the insult to Singaporean voters he has made. The PAP should take clear, unambiguous steps to do the right thing, to sack Peanut Goh from the party before he damages their credibility any further.

"We can't fight the next battle using today's strategies," says Peanut Goh. But it is clear that the objectives of the Whiteshirt battle still remains the same as yesterday's battle. It is clear that the Whiteshirts still view voters as frightened children who must be told who they can vote for, and how many sweets they're allowed. It is clear that the Whiteshirts continue to be wildly out of touch with reality.

1 comment:

edmund said...

Hi, I am one of the members of the young Republic, like you. I consider myself a Realpolitikal Idealist, if there ever was such a term.

But anyway, all I can say is I personally like the idea of retirement villages, and that Minister Khaw may be lying, he could be doing so to protect another greater truth. Give him credit for that at least. Along with the Special Economic Zones in the paper today, any visionary enough man can see that our future can lie in colonizing parts of Indonesia with willing cooperation from the ruling elites of Indonesia, a land that has so many islands it cannot even govern. Remember, any form of Imperialism is a two-way venture.

In addition, the remaining YOUNG population of Singapore will make life on the island itself easier and possibly more liberal, given the repatriation of the stodgy conservative elder generation that were the PAP's backbone. The geographical basis for Singaporean conservatism would have to erode.

Even Venice could rake a few colonies, and noticeably subsequently the power of the Doge declined afterward...the same ruse could be done to Singapore. It may be our unexpected portal to greater reform.

This is meant to be thoughtful discussion, so tell me what you think.