Punggol East By-Election coming ? MP steps down

[rains]

Just relax:

I think PAP will pick up lessons including making sure their own MPs are on their toes. It must be difficult being a PAP MP as it is part-time since all the PAP MPs hold full-time jobs many of whom are top professionals who must devote substantial energy to their jobs, yet must make time for MPS and weekend grass-roots functions and meetings and also manage family time.


For somebody like Michael Palmer it would have been worse as he was a lawyer, MP, Speaker and husband/father. Something gave way. In his case without prejudging him it appears that family gave way as he was still performing as a lawyer, was well-liked by constituency and did a good job in Parliament as Speaker earning even praise from LTK.

PAP may have to relook at how it's MPs can function and meet residents' expectations. If you are an MP who already works in NTUC or organisation that has relationship or close contact with heartlanders then your job may help u function better as an MP. But if you are a busy lawyer or doctor I wonder how much time can you really give as an MP? Your work still takes priority as you owe a contractual and moral obligation to do your best for your employer, then does the constituency or family suffer?

Ordinary KSPs already complain so little time for meaningful family time because of work commitments or other reasons, then the MPs who spend weekday night at MPS and weekends at constituency functions and meetings must have it harder. And there are MPs who also take on roles as directors of companies or trustees of charities or volunteer organisations.

So I wonder if all this time pressure results in MP losing touch with the constituency. Is it time to consider full-time MPs? what if full-time MPs receive their salaries direct from S&C charges? They are then directly responsible to residents? Then there is no issue of MP having to be fully committed to an employer. The MP becomes fully committed to the constituency. Then the MP works like any other Singaporean and has family time and can devote 8 hours a day to the MP job and not the current ad-hoc timing and appearance and hours.

Just a thought :idea:

What? You're expecting them to draw one salary for being an MP? How unthinkable! Preposterous! No top talent would want to join politics for sure!

[limlim]

SAHM_TAN:

I'm not a 100% supporter of PAP BUT low birth rate is every Singaporean's problem and I agree that we cannot be a welfare state.

Agree that we shd not be a welfare state.

And I believe there are programs to help the needy already. And I support the govt stance to give the needy a push instead of carrying them all the way.

[looking4Tutor]

3Boys:

pirate:

[quote=\"sleepy\"]Like that chicken rice story, PAP probably genuinely do not understand what went wrong with a formula that worked so well the last 50 years. Whatever recent modification they made to that proven recipe still end up rubbing people the wrong way regardless.

It is not about formula. What went wrong is that they allowed trust in the PAP to be eroded. High salaries, and now AIM eroded public trust. Announcing baby bonuses (which must have been planned originally for Budget Day) prematurely just for the BE certainly did not help. You can tweak all the formula you want, but if your customers suspect (rightly or wrongly doesn't matter) that you may not always use real chicken in your chicken rice...

Insufficient affordable childcare facilities + anchor operators + PCF + AIM = dynamite.

\"How many other PAP owned companies are there?\" + \"What happens after LHL?\" + silence = time bomb.

I guess LTK did managed to frighten the voters after all. Until the PAP is able to reassure the voters that there is nothing to be frightened of and win back trust, I predict that PAP will continue to lose votes to the WP no matter what policy initiatives they come up with. Unless WP manage to make the same mistake and allow trust in the WP to be eroded too.

I disagree with your analysis. Although i understand your main concern is in the above, in my view for the majority it IS about the policies, in particular foreign immigration.

I understand you are trying to reconcile to yourself this conundrum, but beware extrapolating your own feelings on this, I doubt it is really the main issue.[/quote]This election represents the middle class and young families, who are out twisting the arms of the garment to give them more.

[looking4Tutor]

limlim:

SAHM_TAN:

I'm not a 100% supporter of PAP BUT low birth rate is every Singaporean's problem and I agree that we cannot be a welfare state.

Agree that we shd not be a welfare state.

And I believe there are programs to help the needy already. And I support the govt stance to give the needy a push instead of carrying them all the way.

why should the garment dish out $$$(singaporean money) for young couples to make babies.

[znzyzyzx]

looking4Tutor:

limlim:

[quote=\"SAHM_TAN\"]
I'm not a 100% supporter of PAP BUT low birth rate is every Singaporean's problem and I agree that we cannot be a welfare state.

Agree that we shd not be a welfare state.

And I believe there are programs to help the needy already. And I support the govt stance to give the needy a push instead of carrying them all the way.

why should the garment dish out $$$(singaporean money) for young couples to make babies.[/quote]Actually for quite many of them, you give I also dont want ah. (dont want to have babies)

[3Boys]

looking4Tutor:

This election represents the middle class and young families, who are out twisting the arms of the garment to give them more.

You've not posted much on this, which side of the fence do you find yourself on?

[Harlequin]

Different people with different concerns mah.

Maybe IRAS should come out with a formula to ask individual tax payer for directives as how they want their tax money being spent? LOL. Gov always kena oh bak kak left right center. Give also wrong, don't give also wrong. Give to this group, don't give the other group, also wrong. Give too little, give too early; give too much, give too late; all wrong!! :imdrowning:

[BeContented]

Harlequin:

Different people with different concerns mah.

Maybe IRAS should come out with a formula to ask individual tax payer for directives as how they want their tax money being spent? LOL. Gov always kena oh bak kak left right center. Give also wrong, don't give also wrong. Give to this group, don't give the other group, also wrong. Give too little, give too early; give too much, give too late; all wrong!! :imdrowning:

Arhhhh. You noticed.

[Strparent]

3Boys:

pirate:

[quote=\"sleepy\"]Like that chicken rice story, PAP probably genuinely do not understand what went wrong with a formula that worked so well the last 50 years. Whatever recent modification they made to that proven recipe still end up rubbing people the wrong way regardless.

It is not about formula. What went wrong is that they allowed trust in the PAP to be eroded. High salaries, and now AIM eroded public trust. Announcing baby bonuses (which must have been planned originally for Budget Day) prematurely just for the BE certainly did not help. You can tweak all the formula you want, but if your customers suspect (rightly or wrongly doesn't matter) that you may not always use real chicken in your chicken rice...

Insufficient affordable childcare facilities + anchor operators + PCF + AIM = dynamite.

\"How many other PAP owned companies are there?\" + \"What happens after LHL?\" + silence = time bomb.

I guess LTK did managed to frighten the voters after all. Until the PAP is able to reassure the voters that there is nothing to be frightened of and win back trust, I predict that PAP will continue to lose votes to the WP no matter what policy initiatives they come up with. Unless WP manage to make the same mistake and allow trust in the WP to be eroded too.

I disagree with your analysis. Although i understand your main concern is in the above, in my view for the majority it IS about the policies, in particular foreign immigration.

I understand you are trying to reconcile to yourself this conundrum, but beware extrapolating your own feelings on this, I doubt it is really the main issue.[/quote]3B, I could say the same about u :oops:

paiseh.

in my layman humble view, the MIW basically lost connectivity with the people.

They are great with the businesses, the growth, the first world status, etc... but they have fundamentally lost touch with the people of the country. They live in their own perception, understanding and knowing the people from statistics and data conducted by grassroots and various agencies. WP get down to the streets, the hawker centres, the shopping centres, PEOPLE MEET PEOPLE. They have real MTP sessions, not treating them like routine duties or tasks ( much like the foreign polyclinic doctors or hospital nurses ).

Superb governance, great for business ( my SG based foreign clients loves them ), and I do too, in a sense. But the people in the streets have been forgotten as real people, only statistics. They are as human as the Ministers, they do NOT demand handouts like what many think. But they are forgotten to a certain extent. And yes, the huge foreign influx enforces this conclusion very much.

So, who gets to vote in GE - the businesses ? or the people ?
those thriving in businesses and doing well, will not rock the boat and opt for stability, but there are many who have been left far behind... and there are many many who are doing okay, but are upset to see fellow struggling Singaporeans not being looked after or at least assisted more so. Have you seen the long Qs at MTP sessions ?

I have a friend who was telling me a story during the Hougang by election. He has a business, doing well, and always a MIW voter. When he was at coffeeshop having coffee with someone, a bigshot MIW walk pat, shake his hand, big smile asked how is the coffee, etc . When the MIW asked if he is a resident here, he said No, I am from Sengkang. The MIW grin was gone instantaneously, looked away and go on to the next table.

well, PE by-election just over, guess which party he DID not vote for ? Strange how things happen......

[Harlequin]

Strange indeed