September 17, 2011 at 5:45 am · Filed under General
Channel News Asia reported on a study carried out by the Institute of Political Studies (IPS) which measured the political cynicism among Singaporeans and found that 30% qualify to be cynics.
They then went on to say that “it is believed this cynicism is targeted, to a greater degree, at the ruling party.” Um, seriously, believed? Where did this believe stem from? The believe of the writer or the news agency as a whole? I don’t think publishing make belief is a good idea but then, that’s not my point.
I am doing this limited blog because I find the response from people interviewed interesting.
I think Mr Vikram Nair is not doing very well differentiating cynicism from criticism. He keeps talking about being criticised. We are talking about cynics not critics ya? If I am a cynic, nothing you do is right. Even if you answer to my feedback (which I won’t since I’m cynical), I will still think that it is crap. If I am a critic, you might have a chance to change my view with an intelligent response.
Since he is addressing criticism, I am of the opinion that it not true that more criticism are levelled at the PAP because they have been in government a long time. It is because we have limited opposition in parliament to criticise. As an active citizen, people criticise when there is a lack of it. If you kena criticise until damn jialat, I will not waste my energy to criticise somemore. Where got time? You will probably have less criticism if there were more opposition in parliament but then again, you can’t have the cake and eat it can you?
Mr Baey feels that “that each society needs to be looked at on its own” and the level of cynicism at 30% is not alarming because a similar study in the US found that 47% to 74% of their people are politically cynical. I think 30% is alarming.
Voting is not compulsory in the US. The cynics generally don’t come out and vote because to a cynic, their vote don’t matter. In Singapore, voting is compulsory. So cynics will come out and anyhow vote. I would say that 30% of people coming out to anyhow vote is pretty dangerous.
As for the opposition MPs who decline to comment, well maybe they don’t know the difference between cynicism and criticism so better shaddap. Or maybe they just want to stay below the radar. They are indeed quite stealthy. I’ve not seen a single one of them in Aljuneid since they won the election. Or maybe they are still feeling sore about not being invited to PA events. I don’t know.
I agree that cynicism must be kept in check. The best way to go about this is not to answer to criticisms because good response won’t appease a cynic but a crappy response will contribute to the growth of cynicism.
I think transparency in governance is the way forward. A transparent government will show the electorate that they have nothing to hide, gain their trust and hence, eradicate cynicism. Except for some high level cynics who will just say “Transparent meh? Fake one lah!”
May 9, 2011 at 3:51 am · Filed under General
Firstly, congratulations to the PAP for a landslide victory. The people of Singapore has spoken and once again, given you a strong mandate to govern Singapore for an unprecedented 13th term.
81 to 6 majority in parliament is a figure other governing democracies could only dream about.
MM, we all love you deep deep but please don’t say young people forget how we got to where we are today. We not around to see then how to forget? Not many of us also know that last time policemen wear shorts.
As a country, if we keep looking at past glories, then it is difficult to aim for future success.
Looking at the +41.15 points on the STI as of 11.25am, I’d say the market like the results too!
Congratulations to the WP too for making history as the first opposition party to win a GRC and for being the first opposition party to parachute people we never hear before into parliament.
While the co-driver analogy certainly made some impact, your MP-elect for Hougang having a minor accident while dozing off behind the wheel the following day does not do you any credit. It makes me wonder how you can be a good co-driver when you fall asleep while driving. You can’t slap the driver when you fall asleep first. Please don’t do that in parliament. The 6 of you are all the opposition voice that we have.
Lastly, congratulations to the people of Singapore. Most debate among friends I’ve ever seen during an election. There is indeed hope. This has been the most exciting GE I’ve seen! I even sacrificed F1 just to talk about what happened and things to come in the next 5 years!
Majulah Singapura!
August 15, 2010 at 3:43 pm · Filed under General
Splashed across the papers this morning was the local press praising the orgnisers of the YOG for a job well done on the opening show.
But what does a normal peasant think? Here’s what I think:
A fantastic show. Like National Day Parade without the fly past. The theme of the show seems to have been pulled out of someone’s nightmare. Something that would make Tim Burton jealous.
There was this large hairy blue and red monster that look like a giant spiderman with hair. A giant spider sasquatch perhaps? Then there’s the flooded stage which brings back recent memories of the Orchard Road flooding.
There was also this large golden fish head with a kid in it that was spewing out flames, not much different from a very hot curry fishhead consuming anyone who dares try it.
I love the way the singers on stage spoof the lip synching. It would have made Britney and Ashley wake up in cold sweat.
Okay, that was when I woke up. I mean got up, left the TV and went out for a cup of tea instead. I’m glad the local press enjoyed the show.
Not my cup of tea though. Never did like the horror genre.
August 10, 2010 at 7:00 am · Filed under General
So, I read in the papers today that us, as Singaporeans should get it right. That a parking lot is equivalent to a car park. That those rectangular boxes that tell us where to put our cars are called parking space!
I don’t think there’s anything wrong calling a parking space a parking lot. Not in Singapore. In Singapore, we have Turf City. Is it really a city? Nah! We also have Ching Pang City. Not really a city too!
If we can call housing estates and buildings cities, we sure can call an allocated parking space a parking lot.
It makes the Little Red Dot a little bigger.
Anyway, I think the fella got it all wrong. I think Space is a lot larger than a lot. Inside space, we have the sun, the moon, our planet, the Milky Way etc… So a parking space should be bigger than a parking lot.
February 2, 2010 at 5:21 am · Filed under General
Um… did he really say that? I can’t believe he said that… Well, he did… read this.
Suspect he’s gonna draw shit loads of flak man! We really did spend a lot of tax payers’ money doing up our museums. Now he say nobody will “go to the museum to look at some lifeless pieces of ceramics…”.
Win liao lah!
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