This article is written in response to Goh Meng Seng's relevation when he was in WP and his take on why Low Thia Khiang is not privy to opposition unity and solidarity....
I empathise with GMS sentiments, but let me put it to any political party, (WP included). It is natural and a prerogative that any one party that has a potential of growth and dominance in opposition politics will not want any merger or unity of sort. Furthermore WP have 6 MPs and 2 NCMPs in parliament. With that, it is unofficially the leader of opposition. And one more will be voted in this Saturday 26th Jan. 2013. Hence, WP goes its own way. Any other opposition party will do the same. Why should it benefit others when it have the strength to go it alone. So, let us reflect on such scenario.
The only disagreement I have with Low Thia Khiang (LTK) is, when facing with the obvious, it is better left unsaid than said. WP had all along gone its own way and direction in politics..All would have felt that and have eyes to see. Need not to be a politician to realize that. But in argument, we would question is it the right place and time to announce it in a by-election rally??
Having it announced in a rally, it makes PAP's day. In all probability PAP has always look down on opposition parties, unable to stand on 'even grounds' with them. Now with LTK's confirmation of such, it put a smile on PAP, but created ripples in the opposition arena.
Opposition politics have come a long way since the watershed GE 2011, breaking the invincible GRC of PAP's..And it was not an ordinary GRC..Three cabinet ministers fell in one scoop..PAP was never prepared for such embarrassment of defeat and to them it was a big lost..The rest is history!
In-so-far as the political culture in S'pore is under the prolong and protracted dominance of PAP, with no opposition parties able to stage a strong upheaval, only WP is that far to do it, not instantly, but with the march of time...And time is of essence!!
And on that note, why should WP waste their time thinking and discussing unity with any other parties when each party will always harbour certain agendas in a merger. The infamous RP merging into SDA before GE 2011 and RP KJ's 11 points of merger showed the darker sides of an otherwise good intention. The rest all knew the outcome.
Let opposition politics build its own potential with that ability to attract creditable and better qualified candidates to expand their member base and in the process counter PAP on fair terms of political supremacy.
WP has secretly done that. Introducing their new members to speak at their rally.
So, it is the party and the SG of a party that will make or break a party.
Chiam See Tong and Kenneth Jeyaretnam had definitely dissipated their own party into a pathetic state of selfish power control and mass exodus of members...A sad and sorry foregoing.
Nevertheless, WP is making headway and inroad and to a lesser degree SDP, with NSP cautiously behind. The other parties have a long way to surface from the deep blue ocean.
patrick lee song juan
Totally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI can never quite understand why some (including well-known bloggers like Andrew Loh) harp on "opposition unity" as though it is an end to itself. Some are super-egalitarian, as in, please give SDA the space to compete, or please give so-and-so, he "chop" first. Why should that be so? What I'm pissed off is to find perpetual candidates, who have zero chance of winning, like Harbans Singh, Sim Kek Tong, the slipper-wearing "sheik" guy coming in, election after election. Does opposition unity then mean that better organised parties like WP, SDP should back-off and create space for them too? Any loonie can come in and say he's interested, or else he will go for a 3-corner fight. What then? Back off for the sake of "opposition unity"?
WP is embarking on a long, difficult journey of "brand building". This way, any new candidate hoping onto the slate benefits from that same brand. Brand building takes time, requires candidates be vetted and takes discipline. Thats the only way for a party to grow.
GMS has never built a party. He's a good solo operator. He can be as egalitarian as he wants but he should not lambast LTK for saying the obvious. When you're building a brand, you do not, for the sake of "unity", then go for the lowest common denominator.
"Unity" for the sake of unity has its downside too. Some loose cannon in some party makes stupid comments, and you're then forced to answer - do you agree with him? Or, that loose cannon says "I strongly support Shariah law", then you're yoked and have to answer to the press day in, day out.
Singaporeans want viable opposition parties, they want a viable alternative, whether (for some) in a majority or (for some) in a minority representation. That's the objective. Unity per se is never on the cards for Singaporeans.
Well said and your understanding of how difficult it is for a political party to surge inroad against PAP..branding is utmost important...Your perspective is encouraging and exhilarating,in-tuned to the nuance of political happening in S'pore..
DeleteGoh Meng Seng has too much baggage in him which he cannot let go..which is his suffering....
good day!
Yes he is and he carries a baggage with him!
ReplyDelete