Here To Stay

With the Singapore Parliament reopening, word is that the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) intend to change things up. President Tony Tan almost admitted as much by "suggesting" that changes to Singapore’s political system might be "needed". 

One of these changes most likely be to in the works is that of the elected presidency. Already, it seems the PAP has been laying the groundwork to do away with the elected presidency. Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and former Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh has both publicly said that a “wrong person” could be elected by the Singapore public and that Singapore need to have a President elected by the Singapore Parliament instead.

In short, they (and the PAP) want to turn back time. 

Not going to happen. 

It’s seems that the political elite of Singapore thinks they know all, and the Singapore public knows nothing. I mean a “wrong person”  elected by the Singapore public? If this person is elected by the Singapore public in a free and fair election; how can he be wrong? I mean if Donald Trump wins his long-shot bid to become the U.S President, is the PAP going to tell the American public they had just picked the “wrong person” to become their President. No? Then why the hell would you say the same to the Singapore public? 

Let's not kid ourselves here. The only reason why the PAP want to do away with an elected presidency is due to the fact their man almost lost the election in 2011. Current President Tony Tan only won the election in 2011 with less than a percentage point, and the PAP has never been a party that takes losing very well. 

Doesn't change the fact that the boat called "the elected presidency" is here to stay. The PAP created the boat as a means to maintain power in case they ever lost a General Election (GE), They now have to get used to the boat they created. If they do away with it, their victory last year in the GE will become a distant memory.