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| The making of history - election campaign banner in Aljunied GRC, 2011 |
Half Way Bell Check on SG Political Parties - WP Part II
September 13, 2013 at 6:43pm
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| WP MPs C'wealth Parliamentary Conference Johannesburg. |
It
is always difficult for me to write an assessment or critique of
Workers Party not only because it has apparently the largest "Internet
Troopers" on New Media who would readily curse and swear at people who
criticize WP but on top of that, I was once a member of its CEC.It will
be a kind of internal struggle within me but since I have set to be
truthful to myself and to the words I write, what have to be done, will
be done accordingly. It is for the greater good of learning for our
constant evolving and emerging democracy in Singapore.
It was
exciting for anyone who have worked decades for a better development of
democracy in Singapore to know that opposition party WP has finally
"made it" to break through the stranglehold of the GRC system which was
deemed as the "impenetrable fortress" of PAP heavily guarded by its
ministers. I was no exception to such excitement. However, barely six to
eight months right after such historical breakthrough, reality started
to set in for WP.
WP fought GE2011 with a rather "sexy" slogan
"Towards First World Parliament" which actually lacks philosophical and
ideological depth but it works and they won. At first look, it doesn't
really matter as long as they could win seats. However, things to fall
apart when parliamentary sitting starts.
What is WP's Policy Ideological Stance?
First
of all, it seems WP has flip flopped on its stance on Million dollar
Ministerial Salary. It tries to use some technical terms like MX-9
without a full understanding that their approach will end up similar to
PAP. It is a kind of embarrassment for WP trying to show that it has
"alternative" and different from PAP but ended up like a side-kick of
PAP instead. I really wonder whether WP has done a thorough internal
policy exploration and debate or not before it went on to parliament to
present its stance.This is especially important when its new maverick
MPs try to "show off" their "intelligence" by embarking on a path that
result in the upheaval of present policy stance, due diligence must be
made.
All
these could be excused, said WP apologists, because WP MPs are new to
parliamentary culture and policy debates. But I would remind them that
WP SG LTK has over 20 years of parliamentary experience and Sylvia Lim
is not new as well. They should have provided the needed guidance to
their "green colleagues".
It is also important to note that WP
lacks real team building and shared core political values. Well, we
can't expect much from opposition parties at this stage because most of
the time, even for TEAM A of the opposition party, it is only assembled
at the very last minute. Most important of all, for some odd reasons,
you don't really see the WP MPs giving active support to each other in
parliamentary debates. Communication and intense policy discussions
among key members is a very important way to get political stance clear
and everybody stick to it instead of flip flopping during public forums
and parliamentary debates.
The most embarrassing contradiction
and glaring fumble that exposed WP's apparent lack of Democratic
ideology is the Vote Buying Saga in one of its HDB upgrading voting
exercise carried out in its Aljunied Town. Lucky Draw for voting yes.
Isn't this similar to PAP's strategy of vote PAP for HDB upgrading kind
of pork barrel politics? Apparently WP only pays lip service to
Democracy and attack PAP for vote buying just to gain votes. But when it
comes to its own little management of a town, it would even go a step
further by using privileged information of voters' preference (because
it is not a secret ballot) to carry out its vote buying exercise!
Integrity, Transparency, Accountability and Competency
The
unfortunate YSL adultery saga is the first major blow to WP. But
apparently, the impact is very limited as the two by elections in
Hougang and Punggol East have demonstrated that voters are unfazed by
such scandal. But up till now, due to WP's abrupt dismissal of YSL after
keeping totally mum about the rumors, most Singaporeans will not know
the truth at all. The truth may mean little to most people but the way
WP handles this issue gives a glimpse on the opaque way WP deals with
matters. It is unfortunate for an opposition party like WP who fights on
the Democracy principles of Transparency and Accountability would end
up tripping itself all over them. The only face-saving act was to sack
YSL in double quick time when more evidence surfaced on the media to
show that YSL has erred in his personal life.
But
these aren't the greatest evil yet. Town Council management and WP's
managing agent FMSS seems to its biggest problem so far.
Town
Council management used to be WP's Comparative Advantage against all
other opposition parties but apparently it is loosing its plot over this
field. First of all, the initial appointment of FMSS as its MA raise
eyebrows. We have attacked PAP for giving out contracts and goodies to
cronies but in the end, we find WP doing the same in its own backyard.
So it seems that being FIrst World is to learn from PAP's First World
bad practices in dealing with public contracts. But at the very least,
when the Brompton bike saga blew up, PAP took actions against its errant
civil servants.
WP's TC management was put in doubt for various issues:
1)
For some reasons, the Independent Auditors didn't want to sign or
comment on AHTC's account. This is rather unusual and we don't know why
up till now. WP didn't offer any explanation at all and such opaque
management style is really worrying.
2) WP blames some of its TC
management problems to PAP's AIM. Although PAP's AIM saga involved
politically motivated transactions, but apparently, from published
documented emails, WP is supposed to have a smooth hand over since 2011.
This was reiterated by WP's Sylvia Lim that there was a smooth
transition. So it is quite puzzling to hear WP back tracking and blame
on PAP for its own incompetency.
4) Dubious sacking of TWO
pregnant women by FMSS within a year has put serious doubts on WP's
political standing. Some have argued that FMSS is not WP but we must
always remember that FMSS only serves WP's AHTC and WP is the boss that
employed this management agent. If the MA it employs has bad management
practices that contradicts the party's political philosophy or ideology
like eradicating discrimination of women, single women, pregnant women
etc, then it has the political moral authority to correct FMSS. But so
far, nothing heard from WP on such standing.
Despite of all these
failings hitting hard at the basic fundamental core values of WP's
Integrity, Transparency, Accountability and Competency, I guess most
die-hard opposition supporters and WP people would still pledge their
support for WP. This is a big silver lining for WP. However, there might
be a small group of well educated middle ground voters who will have
their confidence shaken by all these happenings. But I guess this group
will be quite insignificant, taking the two by-elections into account.
Political Ground Movement & Engagement
WP
remains as the only opposition party which has the most consistent
political ground engagement on the front. It is a strong tradition that
keeps the party moving, consolidate and provide ground activities for
their activists. At the same same, it also provides an important revenue
source to pay rent for the party HQ.
These are
tested and proven to be effective political work that will help to
fortified their gains as well as opening up new frontiers.
Intra-party Dynamics
On the surface, Mr. Low TK seems to hold a tight ship. However there are signs that all are not well.
First
of all, it is the matter of ethnic balance. The departure of Sajeev and
Fazli, both candidates of WP in GE2011, has shed some light of the
perceived "Chinese" image of WP. Some may argue that these are just
exceptional cases but that is not all. WP tried to woo "minority
members" by holding some talks specially for Malays but the attendance
by non-party members was pathetic. It has tried to appease the Malay
community and its members by promoting some of them to cadre members. It
has also "elected" more Malays and Indians into its Youth Wing CEC. But
the fact still remains, its recent "helicopter co-option" of three
"elite" members into its CEC has further tilted the racial balance
within its top leadership.
The situation may aggravate if these
members have seldom participated in any Hammer sales or door knocking.
It is quite unusual for WP do a "helicopter co-option" of CEC members
more than 1 year after its OPC. I remember back in the early days, they
tried to co-opt a Malay lecturer but failed because the reason given
was, WP should respect the will and votes of the cadres... well even
when it is a good potential Malay candidate. Of course, the Malay
lecturer left the party thereafter.
Many view the
co-option of the three CEC members as "good development" but I would see
it as a signal that there is intense tension within the CEC so much so
that LTK has to use co-option as a means to tilt the balance to ensure
stability within. But such co-option will create more quiet discontent
among cadres and party activists especially so when it is perceived as
"elitist" without considering the party's culture of "merits" based on
participation of ground work like Hammer Sales and Door Knocking. It
will disillusioned them that WP is becoming too similar to PAP's
management. It is not a good sign at all.
There has been long
standing rumors about factional friction and even "fight" within WP but I
would say that it would be foolish for anyone to rock the boat when all
of them are sitting on its tip.
How is WP Performance so far?
Very disappointing. This is not just my assessment but some WP ardent supporters and even members who have put it plainly to me.
Chen
Shao Mao has been "over-sold". He is the only one with "International
Perspective" but he lacks depth in understanding issues in Singapore.
This is why he could only go on lofty ideas but hardly any beef or
insights on specific local issues. He may have well prepared speech
delivered in parliament but as a lawyer, his debating skills is really
agonizing. Although I don't like LKY at all but I have to agree with his
observation of CSM, he is disappointing and cannot debate properly. It
is a necessary but insufficient strength to recite a prepared speech
properly in parliament. You need to be able to debate about it as well.
LTK is right that at present, WP is not
ready to be the government yet. You may not need "elites", top lawyers
or top scholars to form government but at the very least, you need
people with REAL International Perspective and REAL Understanding of
policy issues with indisputable integrity first before you can move
forward to become ruling party. Apparently WP is very weak in this
aspect. Sylvia Lim may be proficient in Legal issues while YJJ has good
points in education policy, but that are about all they have. It would
be very dangerous for WP to become ruling party with more of the likes
of Lian and Huat. Nothing personal and nothing to do with "paper
qualifications" but running ministries will need people with better
ideas in policy matters. Learning from other countries is not a sin, but
not knowing the issues and where to find solutions, will be
devastating.
Conclusions
WP will definitely
continue to win popular votes and more seats in the coming elections.
Their ground political activities and engagement is superb and will
allow them to gain more seats. However, that is purely not enough for a
political party to win seats but unable to deliver in parliamentary
debates or proper running of TC. It is just not enough to become a
"social club" kind of political party where the party focus more on
social gatherings and activities rather than serious policy discussions
and deliberations.
Although it claims that it is not ready to be
government, but it has to start somewhere, to groom itself to be a real
alternative to PAP. It has to get its acts together, be it
administrative running of its TC, policy debates in parliament,
strengthening of their core values or just plain common sense.
Even
if WP is really like what Pritam said, wanting to be a coalition
partner of PAP, it will have to make sure that it has the people with
necessary learning and exposures to become ministers.
What WP needs to do at the moment are:
1)
Strengthen its internal political education process. It is just not
enough to fill up members' time with Hammer Sales, Door Knocking and
various social gatherings (temper dinners, Christmas party and such). A
political party like WP will have to start political education to keep
its members and activists deeply rooted in policy stance, political
ideology and beliefs.
2) It must start to set its standards of
good governance starting from TC management. It is totally unacceptable
to allow its MA to create unnecessary political embarrassment and
incidents that contradicts the party's political standing. WP must be
the one which lead and guide the MA in management principles and not the
other way round. It has to act as the boss of FMSS instead of allowing
it to pull its nose around. Keep it under control.
3) It has to
change its cultural mindset and change the perception of Malay and
Indian communities if it wants to stay relevant to National political
platform. Sense of Fairness and Justice is human inborn nature and you
couldn't fool people all the time.
4) Integrity, Transparency,
Accountability and Competency are easy slogans to shout about but
definitely a heavy burden to practice. As an opposition, WP cannot lose
the "Moral High Ground" by using the argument "PAP also like that" to
justify its shortcomings. Worse still, learning those "legalized" but
marred with all sorts of "conflict of interests" methods to run its
daily business will definitely not give us any confidence at all. It has
to set it straight and enforce a mechanism to get things right. Shying
away from potential scandals and embarrassment by sweeping inconvenient
truths under the carpet isn't going to help them grow. We are not asking
WP to be filled with saints but basic integrity is a necessary
ingredient to survive in Singapore politics. Just admit there is wrong
if things really went wrong and promised to correct the situation.
Supporters will understand and forgive people who are ready to learn the
better ways but will not tolerate the lack of integrity. It is how you
manage scandals and crisis that matters, not merely why they happen
matters.
5) WP will have to keep its unity intact. Any signs of
infighting or power struggles will definitely reduce voters' confidence
tremendously. The lesson of SDP's internal struggle way back in 1990s is
an important lesson for WP. While unity is important, WP cannot be run
like a machine under dictatorial rule. It must learn to respect
diversity of views and ideas, allowing its members, including future
potential candidates to learn how to deal with public space and
messaging. Curbing members' meaningful participation in internet forums,
blogs and new media to express themselves of their various political
and policy views will do more harm in their grooming. Instead, WP should
ban or discouraged its members from involving "Internet Brigade" which
aims to flame, troll or suppress critiques from commenting on its
shortcomings. A political party that truly believe in Democracy and
Freedom of Speech would encourage RESPONSIBLE SPEECH, discussions and
discourses instead of encouraging or set up Internet Brigades to flame,
troll, disrupt and suppress other people's freedom of speech.
The
next step of democratic development for Singapore is to deprive PAP
ABSOLUTE POWER in parliament, to cut its seats to less than two third of
parliamentary seats. Thus, last but not least I hope that WP could work
with all other opposition parties to achieve this aim instead of
embarking on its predatory path of "I walk my own path" kind of
mentality and start to prey on smaller parties by going all out for
multi-corners fights to wipe them out.
WP has to realize that it
has many shortcomings and it alone, may not achieve "greatness" in any
sense. It will still need cooperation with other opposition parties to
push on meaningful political, democratic development for Singapore.
Goh Meng Seng
[Originally published by Goh Meng Seng and reproduced here with his kind written permission.]
Sylvia Lim is a PAP mole.
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