2 opposition parties withstood the rout better than the rest ~ 13 Sep 2015
5 reasons for PAP’s landslide victory ~ 13 Sep 2015
What PAP's landslide tells us ~ 13 Sep 2015
Voters hand ruling party fresh mandate ~ 11 Sep 2015
Dr Chee Soon Juan, the biggest loser ~ 10 Sep 2015
Questions on Temasek and GIC ~ 10 Sep 2015
Singapore at 50 ought to loosen up ~ 11 Aug 2015
Singapore's complex political legacy has an uncertain future ~ 7 Aug 2015
Why Singapore is the world's most successful society ~ 4 Aug 2015
Retirees face hardship after savings run out ~ 7 July 2015
GE2015: Live results ~ 12 Sep 2015, 3:10 am
Blue skies darken for Workers' Party ~ 12 Sep 2015
GE2015: Singaporeans have repented13 Sep 2015
The message was so clear on 11th September 2015, that even one of the longest serving opposition MPs, Mr. Low Thia Khiang of the Workers’ Party (WP), was nearly voted out.
My blood went cold in the wee hours of 12th September 2015, waiting for the final results of Aljunied GRC. When I saw Mr. Low fixated on the screen for the final result of Aljunied GRC, tears rolled down my cheeks.
This man who had fought so hard for the common people was fighting for his political life! The longest surviving opposition party leader was like a drowning animal holding on to a very thin blade of grass to stay afloat.
I am not so concerned if the Opposition has gained traction in the other constituencies but I am extremely concerned about Mr. Low and his team in Aljunied GRC. Mr. Low represented the only voice in Parliament for alternative views. In my own words, the little light of democracy in an almost one-party-rule nation. But on 11th September 2015, this little light was nearly extinguished by my fellow countrymen.
I would like Singaporeans to imagine what would had happened if the WP team was voted out of Aljunied GRC on 11th September 2015? There would be no more voices of Mr. Low and his fellow MPs in Parliament. Is this what Singaporeans wanted? Even though we still have an opposition MP, Mr. Png Eng Huat of Hougang in Parliament, what can a lonely voice do in a sea of white? 1 vs 88?
I do not know the reasons for the punitive votes against the Opposition, especially against the WP. Was it that we have finally repented? Was it a punishment for Mr. Low and his fellow MPs for speaking on the issues of immigration, cost of living and transport in Parliament? Or was it because we are happy with one-party rule?
I felt the callousness of the many Singaporeans in Aljunied GRC who wanted to dump Mr. Low into the dust bin – a man who has tried his best to serve the people for 24 years. When they felt that they have achieved their objectives, Mr. Low and his team can be discarded like rubbish since they have outlived their usefulness. I am now afraid to even think of what else my fellow Singaporeans are capable of doing.
The blame game has started. People are now blaming the Opposition. Reasons range from the so-called disunity of the Opposition, that they made few house visits, etc. There are always a thousand and one reasons for Singaporeans to blame. The Opposition had put in money, time and effort so that people could have an alternative, but now, they are getting all the blame. However, whenever there are walkovers, the people would also blame the Opposition. Damn if you do and damn if you don’t!
I think it would be better for the Opposition to contest the next election by letting a majority of the constituencies have walkovers. At least the Opposition won’t have to spend time, money and effort. The Oppositions should sit back and relax and let the people slug it out with their beloved leaders.
New citizens are also blamed for voting for the PAP. This is the most laughable excuse as there are not enough of them to produce this drastic swing of votes! Come on Sinkies, let’s be frank with ourselves that we are the ones who did it. Let’s be honest about the kind of people we really are and the cruel stuff that we are capable of doing to our fellow Singaporeans. Many Singaporeans have turned a blind eye to the bullying and replacement of fellow Singaporeans by foreigners in the work place. Even if the voting pattern of the new citizens is part of the reason for the swing, who are we to blame for this to happen? Who gave the PAP an overwhelming majority so they could bring in new citizens in the first place?
Maybe Singaporeans are so naive that they thought that the Opposition are at their beck and call whenever they are needed. Yes, there will be swarms of Opposition coming to you when the ground looks sweet, but these are like the flies that swarm around rotting meat. These are the opportunistic politicians who are looking for easy pickings. Do you want to vote for these political crooks? Of course you do when you give your votes to charlatans who totally reject dialects in our society but use dialects for political gains in election rallies.
No decent political aspirant will want to be humiliated by voters like we did on 11th September 2015. Take for example Daniel Goh and Prof. Paul Tambyah. They have successful careers and they don’t need the MP’s allowance. They have busy day jobs and can only walk the ground on evenings and weekends, the precious little time that is supposed to be for their families. Unlike the PAP members who are mostly rich, running their own businesses, working in government organisation or GLCs who can easily take one or two months off to prepare for election, these men of the opposition make great sacrifices to run for election. If these men had put their time to doing charity work, at least they would be thanked for it. But what do they gain by joining the Opposition? To receive a slap like that from voters and then be blamed for not doing this and that for their hard work?
People with the calibre of Daniel Goh and Paul Tambyah could have taken the easy way out by joining the PAP. More money, a higher chance of winning, entourage with grassroots swarming around them like nobles during walkabouts, more resources and more prestigious to be in the elitists or aristocrat club. That is not to mention that many PAP MPs skipped parliamentary sessions frequently. So, why did these men of abilities and sincerity joined the opposition in the first place?
Daniel Goh could have got into marital trouble because of the gutter politics of the rumour regarding his so-called extra-marital affair with a student. So, why chose the hard and dangerous way when Singaporeans don’t give a damn? I now understand why Nicole Seah stayed away from Singapore’s politics, maybe she had realised that it is just not worth it.
I urged fellow Singaporeans to stop blaming. We have spoken and given a strong mandate to the Prime Minister to pursue his policies. So, at least have the decency to stop blaming the oppositions for not speaking up for us, or the government, because we have just informed PAP that we fully agreed with their policies.
After this miserable defeat, I think the opposition will lose traction in their renewal with people of abilities and sincerity. Good and decent people may shun oppositions as they find it an unthankful job since the ruling party can parachute any Tom, Dick and Harry in parliament which Singaporeans readily accept. Some opposition parties may eventually be filled with charlatans, mediocre or political opportunists. With opposition leaders like Low Thia Khiang getting older, I am afraid that the oppositions will slide down to become weaker.
I know most Singaporeans don’t give a damn about what I have said and I take this as the final rant of an old man.
PAP did not have to fix the oppositions, because we did it ourselves on 11th September 2015.
Personally, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Low Thia Khiang for giving people like me some hope. He had been at the receiving end of blames from the people and the insults and ridicule from the PAP for a long time. He had clearly show signs of aging with his long struggle, and it pains me to see him so stressed in the wee hours of 12th September 2015 waiting for the Aljunied GRC’s voting result. I would also like to thank the other opposition candidates and supporters who sincerely believed in giving people like me an alternative choice.
Finally, I wish all Singaporeans to be happy with their political awakening towards the adoption of a one-party rule.
A repentant SingaporeanSDP's rally in Commonwealth, GE2015
Workers' Party rally in Simei for East Coast GRC, GE2015
Workers’ Party at Hougang, GE 2011
GE2015 - Singapore GE2015 Hitler Parody ~ 11 Sep 2015
GST hike after GE? No basis for such claims, says Gov’t ~ 8 Aug 2015
PM Lee: Good things need to be paid for ~ 22 Aug 2013
GST hike ‘more likely’ if Govt needs to raise revenue for new initiativesBy Wong Wei Han
23 Aug 2013
SINGAPORE — The Government is unlikely to raise income tax to pay for the slew of healthcare, housing and infrastructure initiatives announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the National Day Rally as doing so could risk damaging Singapore’s appeal for businesses and investors.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) might instead be the first in line for an increase should the Government need to raise revenue to help build a stronger social safety net, economists have told TODAY.
“Raising income tax is not very possible if Singapore wants to remain relevant for multinational corporations and high-income global talents,” UOB economist Francis Tan said.
“A more probable venue for change is the consumption tax bracket, and I do not think it’s impossible for us to increase GST from the current 7 per cent to 10 per cent. For years we’ve been cutting income-related taxes to move towards a more consumption-based system. This is to make Singapore more attractive than other developed countries where income tax rates are much higher. I don’t see us reversing this trend.”
Barclays economist Joey Chew pointed out that in Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s Budget 2012 speech, he compared the Republic’s income tax levels with those of Hong Kong. Mr Tharman had said that income taxes are significantly higher at the top end of incomes compared with Hong Kong and, as result, there is a limit to how high taxes can go at the top end without hurting competitiveness.
Hence, a GST hike is more likely, said Ms Chew, adding that the Government is well-prepared should such a move prove necessary.
“GST is regressive, but the government would provide offsets to lower-middle income households, as they have done so in previous rounds of GST hikes,” she said. “Now that we have the permanent GST Voucher Scheme, the offsets are even easier to implement. The groundwork has already been laid for an eventual increase in GST.”
On Sunday, Mr Lee cautioned that “all good things must be paid for”, either by raising taxes or cutting other spending so that future generations will not be laden with debt. This follows previous statements made by Mr Lee and other ministers suggesting that higher taxes are on the cards in Singapore after years of relatively low rates.
Regardless of how the government plans to fund the higher social spending, Singapore will not feel the pinch in the near future as it has ample financial resources to support the measures, said CIMB economist Song Seng Wun.
“Take the last fiscal year ending March 2013 as an example. Singapore’s operating revenue — mainly from collection of taxes, including GST — was S$55.8 billion. Including other revenue such as land sales, the gross earning was S$80.4 billion,” Mr Song said. “Of that, we spent a total of S$46.2 billion. So, we have some S$34.1 billion in surplus.”
He added: “Over the longer run, as our population ages, Singapore’s operating revenue might shrink, and spending rise — only then would we need to increase tax, in which case I think the government will more likely focus on GST ... Overall, I don’t see our business attractiveness or growth potential getting diminished (by the new measures).”
Ultimately, tax rates are just one of the determinants of Singapore’s business potential, said Mr Tay Hong Beng, KPMG’s head of tax in Singapore. “Investors also look at other factors such as political stability, business infrastructure and the ease of doing business,” Mr Tay said.
It is also possible for the Government to increase revenue without raising tax rates, he added, by improving Singapore’s competitiveness in the global marketplace. “(This will) lead to rising incomes, and hence tax collections.”
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新加坡国小力大，令世人羡慕，新加坡人是幸福的！ ~ 8 Sep 2015
新加坡篇 - 快乐代价 ~ 31 May 2015
Fascinating Singapore 50 years ago ~ 14 Aug 2014
Adam Khoo on why expats will rule Singapore... and Singapore agrees ~ 5 Jan 2010
Adam Khoo: The expats will rule Singapore ~ 16 Dec 2009
Top girl barely spoke English 3 years ago ~ 29 Nov 2009
李敖有话说：李光耀谈新加坡人 A ~ 9 Sep 2010
李敖有话说：李光耀谈新加坡人 B ~ 9 Sep 2010
