Over the weekend, Singapore’s Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong made a call to the PAP (People’s Action Party) to take back the opposite ward of Hougang.
Now there’s nothing special on that, politicians do it all the time all over the world. What had me wondering was the reason behind this call. The incumbent, Mr Low Thia Khiang, is the head of the Worker’s Party and had scored a crushing win in the last election. In fact I believed he beat Mr Eric Low of the PAP by a record margin for an opposition win. So this call by the Senior Minister surprised me a little because I wondered what has changed.
Eric Low seems that he will be the PAP’s man again in the next elections, so what make Mr Goh Chok Tong think he will do any better this time. After all the problems the Singapore government had this year (the escape of Mas Selamat Kastari, the bad investments by GIC and Temasek, the decline of the Singapore economy, rising prices etc), I would think that the PAP would and should be more worried about keeping their seats than taking over other people’s.
So what has changed since the last election? A hell of a lot; and the PAP should worry less about Hougang or Potong Pasir, and a lot more about their own seats.
3 comments:
I agree with you, and think that PAP should heed your advice. They blamed the Mas Selamat case not on their incompetency but on the people's complacency. Are they not showing the same complacent attitude now, thinking their positions are unshakable?
The ground sentiment for the past months are definitely not looking good for the ruling party. And if SM remembers well, in the first GE (1991) during his term as PM, he said the ground was sweet based on feedback from the grassroot leaders (yes men) and ended up with an embarrassing 61% victory.
Will history repeat itself again?
Hopefully the SM made the call as a way to boost the morale of the PAP rank and file. With all the problems they have this year, they need it.
I hope History Wont Repeat itself but be Re-Written with a resounding loss for PAP in many wards. They need a dose of failure at the polls to cure their arrogance and smugness.
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