YOURSAY | But it is highly unlikely to see a change of government in Singapore.
Will the tsunami cross the Johor strait to sink PAP next?
Quigonbond: Wow, quite a damning article on Singapore considering there's hardly any around.
As a Malaysian, I question Singapore's possible complicity in 1MDB as well as other monies taken out from Malaysia and laundered through their top-tier financial system, painting Singapore as an opportunist. But at the same time, I don't think they have much of a choice.
That said, I've never considered the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) to be in a vulnerable position, at least not for the foreseeable future.
Was I wrong in thinking that this is because of political oppression of the Workers’ Party? This article, quite rare in its critique of PAP, could well be one of the sparks that renew interest in the Workers’ Party as a real alternative.
If they cannot express themselves in Singapore, they can always do so outside Singapore. They should not fear defamation suits so long as it is fair comment, and room for the same publisher to publish the views of PAP government as well.
CQ MUARku: After the dramatic and shocking political upheaval occurring in Malaysia recently, a somewhat similar tsunami expectation in Singapore in the upcoming general election appears to be on the card.
Going by the pulse and "unrest" felt by the ordinary man-in-the-street, many felt uneasy by the island republic's odious and "punishing" policy.
Issues and points between the two nations mentioned by political scientist Bridget Welsh are real and parallel, which could lead to a similar political drama.
Thus, it is anything but surprising should a political tsunami occur in Singapore in the near future.
Anonymous_db56f03b: It’s true Singaporeans, especially the young, are deprived of an outlet to vent their frustrations.
I have many relatives in Singapore who are anti-PAP and who feel their kids are being sidelined by the elitist policies of the ruling party. It creates a mentality of have-nots simply because they cannot aspire to be in the preferred top tier of society.
But these same Singaporeans always end up voting for the ruling party with the thinking that it’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
OMG!: The Singapore political bubble will burst, probably in the next general election.
Malaysia's 14th general election is a wake-up call for Singaporeans in general and the opposition in particular. I bet they are sharpening their knives now and plotting strategies. PAP is ripe for a fall.
Anyway, their elected president has veto powers on state reserves and other core items, so it will lend stability to perceptions of the new incoming party to assume power then.
Proarte: It is the economy and societal well-being which ultimately determine the people's continual support of PAP. If we look at all indices of governance, Singapore is in the upper echelons of rectitude.
If we look at Asia as a whole, Singapore comes out tops in terms of wealth per capita, literacy, educational excellence, health care provision, crime rates and corruption.
How can one compare the track record of PAP and Umno? It's like chalk and cheese. So, it is naive to talk about a Malaysian tsunami reaching across the Straits of Johor.
Lodestar: BN clinging on to power for 61 years in Malaysia is totally different from the way the PAP does so in Singapore.
BN used racial politics, money politics, the gerrymandering of electoral boundaries, restricted media, a lapdog judiciary and biased Election Commission.
The PAP also uses a restricted media and a compliant judiciary to harass and bankrupt opposition politicians but in the main, Singaporeans were happy to trade off the lack of social and political freedom for prosperity, good governance and low corruption.
It still seems to be very much the case so it's hard to believe that the tsunami will cross the Straits of Johor any time soon. Maybe a few weak ripples.
Observer: Yes, it is highly unlikely, for the next generation or so, to see a change of government in Singapore.
The PAP runs a tight ship to chart its course in chaotic waters. It is efficient, corruption-free and very procedural (almost imitating the Germans).
The only problem is that the PAP is overbearing and suffers from a holier-than-thou attitude; there have been spurts of effort to listen more but, on the whole, this is still patchy and inconsistent.
It will take a lot more than aspirational politics to change the government. If anything, Singaporeans despite all their well-founded grouses have no viable alternative government to select from.
Allforit: In the first place, unlike Malaysia, Singapore does not have a credible opposition. Why break the system, when it is working?
What Singaporeans really want is a strong opposition, but they still want PAP to rule. They want their cake and eat it at the same time.
It is true many are not happy with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, but he is not a thief.
Singaporeans will go as far as voting in a stronger opposition. That is about it. We cannot compare apples with oranges.
VIM: Why should Singaporeans bite the hand that has been feeding them well since independence?
In contrast, Malaysians, instead of biting the hand that allegedly steals from them, kept on feeding it, until recently.
We better not be so proud by sneering at Singapore. Malaysia is not out of the intensive care unit yet.
The new Pakatan Harapan government talks a lot but we are still waiting for real changes. If the Harapan government cannot perform, then we are just changing the wine bottle instead of the wine.
But if the Harapan government performs worse than BN, then it's fitting to say we have jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.
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