NATCON Goes To China and PAP Becomes PTP

I started blogging way back then because, in my perception, a PAP Minister has insulted many male senior citizens of Singapore. [Link] In trying to defend the shifting of the goalposts of CPF (delaying as long as possible the payment due to CPF members), he has added insult to injury!

I understand that in an attempt to scare the shit out of bloggers recently, Ng Eng Hen has engaged the services of a lawyer to demand an apology and retraction of articles in a blog on matter pertaining to NS and disruption of services by NSMen. [Link]

So much has been said by PAP about building a more gracious society in Singapore. If graciousness as encouraged and promoted by none other than PM Lee Hsien Loong is for real, I'm simultaneously amazed and dismayed by the trigger-happy action of Ng Eng Hen.

Graciousness is not about arrogance, pomposity or abuse of wealth and power to extract a pound of flesh as in Shakespeare's Shylock. Being gracious is to be kind and to understand and empathise with the frustrations and possibly the inadequacy of others. Even to better one's ministerial image, I believe it is against commonsense to create fear, bully and make money at the expense of sense!

Does such trigger-happy self-enriching threat to maintain one's reputation and integrity enhance the value of graciousness in Singapore? Or does it demonstrate the depressingly ugly notion that the politically rich, powerful and well-connected can walk all over the less endowed Singaporeans?

With all the apologies (wiping of tears and all), talk on building a gracious society, the hype-up NATCON to listen to people and whathaveyou, this self-serving act to maintain one's integrity is equivalent to throwing a pie onto one's own face!

Alas, why can't political leaders in Singapore realise that dignity, reputation, honour and fame comes not from being demanding and commanding but from being honest, sincere, trustworthy, helpful and forgiving? If they can only

• lead by example and not talk through their bottom hole; 
• if they can walk the talk instead of walking the cock; 
• if they can speak of the real truths instead of the "hard truths", 

then they would not be at a loss now -  embarrassingly flying all the way to China to hold a NATCON (national conversation) !

Isn't it waste of good money and time to send Sim Ann to China to put forth a wayang to show that the government is 'listening'? I fear the day when they start sending other ministers to all corners of Mother Earth to NAT CON! Then again, with PAP and "within the radius of 200 metre is not within the 200 metres" [Link], what else would PAP not do?

If the PAP government that has ruled us for more that 40 years still knows not the problems that we face

• overcrowding due to the senseless import of immigrants
• perception that immigrants are treated better than common locals 
• "affordable" housing that sucks the retirement fund of common Singaporeans (ie. if they can afford to buy the flat in the first place); 
• transportation woes; 
• the great social and economic divide between the PAP Elites and the commoners 

then one wonders why we are paying PAP ministers the obscene millions!

There is no need for the people to TALK  (as in the NATional CONversation)

There is an urgent need for the PAP government to ACT! 

Has PAP become PTP?
Has the People's Action Party become the People's Talking Party?

With the current trend of rich and powerful PAP Ministers engaging lawyers to threaten bloggers to shut the fook up and say they are sorry, who knows who will be next? 

Meanwhile, I recommend that you read this article [Link] from another fogey who has a heart greater than mine. Yes, I have a damaged heart but he has a heart he's not born with . . . and a great writer he is!

feedmetothefish

UPDATE (25 Nov 2012) :

In the Sunday Times of 25 Nov 2012, the PM said, "And it is our responsibility to lead that discussion together with the people in order to persuade people to see things more in the way we do." 

He added, 'If PAP cannot win election, there is a risk that "politics would malfunction because it is not going to be easy to put together another group to make Singapore work". "In Singapore we must not let that happen. That means that PAP must stay strong, must stay vibrant with members who believe in their cause, who are prepared to serve and fight to win"

Seriously, will we be worse off than we are if PAP no longer rules Singapore? Such high-falutin' self-praise! Such sense of self-worth and pomposity is what make Singaporeans (not all though) ashamed of their arrogant leaders. 

Do we see what the National Conversation is all about now? 'Buying and fixing" did not work. The "carrot and the stick of no HDB Upgrading for opposition wards" did not work. Now the cat has come out of the bag of the "charm offensive" - The National Conversation is simply a prelude to the general election of 2016. 

The PAP members and grassroots were not in the know in 2011 and their feedback ended with an erosion of votes to the benefit of the opposition. So feedback must now come from all Singaporeans through NATCON? They 'fight to win!'  And PAP is starting the fight early!

Do you think that National Conversation is for the benefit of the people or a ploy by PAP to win more votes in GE2016? 

So brutha and sista, are we there yet? What do you think?

feedmetothefish