Skip to main content

The Coming of Humble, HDB-type Prime Minister in Singapore?


Despite high economic growth in the past 50 years, the PAP has yet to find solutions for housing and inequality problems#1.  In future, when our economy enters sustainable growth,  it will be even more difficult to solve these problems, especially from the past record of the PAP. Not only that, it seems that they are either not willing or unable to solve these hot election topics.

Perhaps, the PAP intentionally does not want to solve the problems because problems like these are to their advantages.  They say they give housing grants, income vouchers, subsidies, and benefits to lower income and HDB residents.  They even give out more when election is near.     
   
However, past record shows that the PAP’s high growth is through inflated housing prices and enlarged rich-poor gap. Without these inflation and enlargement, the PAP will not be able to achieve and sustain high economic growth.  

Mr. Ho Kwon Ping’s proposal to solve these two problems will limit  the economic growth in Singapore as housing price cannot be inflated  by market force and Gini Coefficient will have to go down to a level, perhaps, like the welfare states in Europe.  Maybe no political parties in Singapore will buy his ideas as it seems too radical.  Nevertheless, these are alternative solutions and stand at a higher moral point.

The high point, here is, Mr. Ho brings out the key election question and the hot political potatoes.

In future, the potential prime minister and candidates must look humble and show compassion to HDB residents on their housing and income needs.  To project an elite image and showing off their high salaries is a political suicide. 2011 Presidential  Election and Punggol East by-election are two good examples.

On the other hand, in the coming general election, Mr Eugene Tan even predicts that ‘ It will almost certainly be a straight fight between the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) and the Workers' Party (WP). #2 And the government mainstream paper, the Straits Times calls it ‘ On the road to watershed hustings’. It seems to be the upgraded version of 2011 watershed election. Has this got to do with the outstanding and never ending housing and inequality issues? and/or the humble candidates?

The past 50 years of development has moved the PAP leadership away from the HDB and become self-centred.  They are no more humble about their background and seem to be anti-85% HDB population. If the current leadership work like their pioneers, housing and inequality will be less of the problems for the PAP now.

Therefore, humble and HDB-type prime minister and candidates will have competitive advantages.  When we look at Indonesian President Jokowi, Indian Prime Minister Modi, and even US President Obama, all have humble background and are closer to the people when they got elected.  Even in Hong Kong, the Chief Executive C Y Leung was seen less ‘elite’ than Henry Tang - his main opponent in 2012 CE election. In Taiwan, KMT candidates, like the PAP, are considered elites and face huge challenges in the coming mayorship elections, especially in Taipei and Taichung.  

When Goh Chok Tong became  prime minister in 1990,  he had an image of  humble and HDB-type background.  However, when the PAP made Lee Hsien Loong the third prime minister of Singapore, do you think he carries a HDB-type of image?   

The PAP under Lee Hsien Loong never promises Singaporeans a Swiss standard of living. In fact, PM Lee wants higher economic growth by inflating the housing price and enlarging the rich-poor gap.  Some may argue high economic growth is a good justification for high salaries. Rich becomes richer and rich can afford bigger and expensive houses and other luxuries.  This is good for high growth.

More and more Singaporeans realise the story behind the high growth.  It is built on the inflated housing prices and rich-poor gap. They doubt the PAP is willing to solve these problems.

The PAP not only created the rich-poor gap, it also created a situation of rich against poor. Way back in 2000 in Goh Chok Tong’s National Day Rally speech, he said, ‘We must not envy those who have made it rich. Rather, we must provide the opportunities for more to be like them. It means operating on the basis of meritocracy.’

The PAP’s meritocracy principle cannot solve  housing and inequality problems. They can only urge Singaporeans not to ‘red-eye’ the rich, the talents and the foreigners.  Without these people, including PAP leaders,  Singapore will have no growth and no visitors.

However, if you are one of the 85% HDB residents, your feeling and analysis will be very different. You want humble and pro-HDB candidates, not to mention a pro-HDB prime minister.

Has the third prime minister of Singapore given you the pro-HDB image and confidence? Will you want the fourth to be the same or let the current third to continued his (self -defined) meritocracy principle?

#1
http://www.singapolitics.sg/news/singapore-must-get-creative-housing-income-inequality-ho-kwon-ping

#2
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/opinion/more-opinion-stories/story/the-road-watershed-hustings-20141112

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sub-standard PAP and the Singapore education system

I make a 'policy shift' when I hear the debate of right politics, constructive politics and sub-standard opposition. My original aim is to discuss about “Su Dongbo, Zhang Juzheng and Singapore education system”. The discussion will end with a sub-standard PAP, in particular from the assessment of the quality of PAP potential candidates. Another policy shift is to discuss it like a play, a drama and make it more entertainment rather than a sub-standard political discussion. Act 1 Gangster’s demand Imagine a sense in the Hong Kong's gangster movie (or a godfather movie), the gangsters' master is shouting at his poor opponent and demand him to give a price for his wrong act. The poor guy without any resources can only offer his body or his service to work for the master. Back in his own chamber, the master is still not satisfied and continues to shout 'don't play, play, you think you are hero, you think you are tiger, or superstar or acting

因为有比较, 才知道做得不够, 才明白什么叫做易通。

  因为有比较, 才知道做得不够, 才明白什么叫做易通。 如果只有一套解决方法,很难看出好坏,方便还是不方便,易通还是不容易通。用新方法代替旧的系统,人们当然会做比较,尤其是科技产品,使用的人很多,一用就马上看到结果。 这是一个竞争的世界,即使一党独大,也要考虑到便民。当人民觉得不方便,不好用,不易通,就会反映,发声,不满。为什么没有预先想到,最可怕的是测试时,已经接到反应,还是不加改善。或许,行动党还抱着“令伯”最大,用者自行解决问题。 易通公交收费系统的整合,似乎缺少一种人文,沟通,反而更加多表现出政府的独断独行。尤其重要的是,如果只有一套系统,我们是看不出问题,做不出好坏的评价。 这其实证明国会里不可以只有一把声音,没有比较,没有进步。

After 60 years, after 3 failed political imaginations, the PAP is deteriorating...