A CRYING SHAME

Lim Boon Heng maintained that he was no ‘groupthinker’. Let’s face it, it’s getting crowded in the PMO with the prospect of more of the new faces ‘moving in’. Some culling is necessary  to make room. IMO he was asked to leave. After all, he is not in LHL’s clique and the other Lim (SS) has already effectively taken over his NTUC portfolio. While ‘Zorro’ Lim is definitely a follower in the PM’s camp, LBH himself is more of an artefact of GCT’s PMship.

I am trying to understand his public tearing.

He claimed to have asked to step down from the 2006 GE but was asked to  stay on by the PM. That being the case, then ought he not be happy this time round for being ‘allowed’ to leave? So why the tears? Why the apparent regrets?

If for the sake of discussion we assumed that there were such independent minded people anywhere within the ruling party, then we should be alarmed that they are leaving or being asked to leave, or perhaps even given unmistakable hints to make themselves scarce.

Yet another way to look at it is that the mass departure of PAP MPs is a prelude to the exit of the ‘Grand Old Man’ himself, post-GE 2011. When he leaves, GCT has no reasons to be around. This would explain the abandoning of ship by people like Jayakumar, Khoo Sai Kee and the other ‘old timers’. The father obviously cannot leave ship at this point as this would practically scuttle the PAP GE ship, turning it into a sinking Titanic. Wong KS cannot leave at this point too for it may be construed as he being sacked for his failure to keep Mas Selamat under lock and key and allowing him to run off across the causeway after his escape.

Maybe too, it is LHL’s plan to cosmetically refurbish the party to spruce up its quite sullied image by getting rid of the deadwood along with his dad (later). However, apart from arming himself with even more of his civil service yes-people, a lot of the current failed, failing and ‘money-faced’ policies originated from his current crop of ‘appointees’. This spells danger for the rest of us. Afterall, if you checked carefully what he said on TV to those people, he DID NOT promise them no GST after the GE, but, no GST provided…

Therefore, Singaporeans should be careful to exercise their power of the vote wisely as much is at stake if his plan is allowed to come to fruition. We may end up with even worse days ahead post-GE 2011 if a substantial number of his new candidates managed to make it to the chambers of parliament under the protective cover of the GRC.

Singaporeans in fact can and should take the ‘PAP bull’ by the horns. Be bold, throw out whoever they already know are ‘dysfunctional’.  After all, the past few years have all but showed up the mediocrity of the ministerial material in the present cabinet. How many ministers can you for instance point to with a decent track record? Who, deserved his million dollar salary for looking after you and your family’s general welfare and interest? It’s all there for us to see. If need be, treat GRCs like SMCs when you cast your sacred vote.  It would not make much difference in terms of getting or retaining talent in the cabinet since there isn’t much to begin with.

N.B. The author has no affiliation with any political party. He was an admirer of the PAP until it became evident that it has changed beyond recognition and no longer bear any semblance to the party that he had originally once admired. He feels it his duty to point out that the country is going down the drain if current trends continue unarrested.