20150505 MDA’s shutdown of TRS reflects PAP’s desperation, fear of impending fall from power

On 3 May 2015, the MDA ordered the shutdown of The Real Singapore (TRS).

Understandably, PAP will attempt to control online media to prevent its incompetence from being constantly exposed before the next GE.

Due to its past success in muzzling dissent, it is applying the same brute force ie through arbitrary legislations. But it will soon meet the fate of the dinosaur because of its refusal to embrace change. To the silly PAP, online engagement means only one thing – setting up FB and Twitter accounts. Period.

Post GE 2011 has seen PAP’s credibility going downhill and out of desperation, it has been forced to take a series of actions which will be politically costly at the next election.

In trying to fix the WP, PAP shot itself in the foot with the revelation of a $2 PAP company set up in 1991 with 3 ex PAP MPs as directors. Public property was sold at a ‘Singapore sale’ price to this $2 private company which would have been able to recoup its $140,000 investments after only 13 months. This is the only kind of ‘pow chiak’ business PAP knows. The majority of citizens reckon there will be a blowback caused by PAP’s misAIMing.

MND’s (TCs under MND) blunder was followed by ICA’s 2 breaches at the Woodlands Checkpoint within months. 9 months later, the SPF was caught with its pants down during the Little India riot. The latest disgrace is of course the IDA which has mindlessly defended its shoddy HR practice in hiring an employee with a fake degree.

PAP MPs and ministers seem to want out of politics by committing hara kiri one after another. MPs Intan (PR cheat fame), Alvin Yeo (overbilling $1m in an overcharging case) and Hri Kumar (mishandling CPF and RC issues) have taken the heat off Tin Pei Ling. MOS Lam Pin Min mediated against Fernvale residents on the columbarium issue but was done in by another story-telling minister who will be another liability to the PAP.

Besides the above self-inflicted damage, PAP has also taken legal action against ordinary citizens which has further eroded whatever little trust there was. PAP now fears losing at the upcoming election.

PAP heavyweights do not even have the courage to contest in Aljuneid GRC and the least they could do is lend some support to its suicide squad, a group of nobodies, by fixing the WP. In the latest round of politicking, MND has attempted to strike fear into the hearts of Aljuneid GRC residents by announcing “AHPETC only has funds to last until June”.

But how does PAP ever hope to win back lost votes by withholding government grants to disable WP town council from discharging their municipal responsibilities?

Being a bully is going to cost PAP votes but it has been driven to desperation. Citizens supported Roy after he was sued by PM Lee and Aljuneid residents will do likewise for the WP. PAP will not be allowed to use the threat of withholding tax dollars against the people.

It should be obvious the WP must have gotten many things right or three PAP ministers would not have been thrown out of Aljuneid GRC. For the PAP to devote so much limited public resources to fix the WP must mean only one thing – their threat level has increased.

With the passing of LKY, PAP has to worry on many fronts, including a grassroots revolt. But the real vote swing will come from the least expected Tanjong Pagar GRC with about 140,000 voters. If it had been contested, the total percentage of PAP’s votes would have been below 60%.

A lot of PAP weaklings breezed into parliament in walkovers since 1991 – Lim Hng Kiang (1991), Lim Swee Say (1997), Khaw Boon Wan (2001), Lui Tuck Yew (2006) and Chan Chun Sing in 2011. All these SAF scholars, except Khaw, who grew their ministerial wings to enable them to helm other GRCs had nothing to show for except their willingness to toe the line and educational qualifications. Without the GRC system, all these scholars would have been history in an SMC. I mean, who will vote for an ex military man who only knows how to issue orders?

Lee Kuan Yew’s death spells trouble for Tanjong Pagar GRC because, judging from the performance of PAP MPs, votes could go either way. When you have MPs like Chia Shi Lu, member of the GPC for Health, trying to help PAP wriggle out of bad planning of hospitals, PAP’s credibility goes down the drain.

The PAP should check itself into the IMH if it still believes sympathy votes can turn the tide. People vote for the future, not the past. LKY is history and he stepped down as PM 25 years ago. Are voters expected to believe LKY played a more critical role than Goh Chok Tong and PM Lee during the last 25 years?

Whatever had worked for LKY will not work for the present/future as the political landscape has changed beyond recognition. Singaporeans vote against the PAP because of its flawed policies, non transparency and unaccountability. If one is screwed by PAP’s pro foreigner/flawed policies, why would he vote for PAP simply because of the death of ex leader who had contributed 25 years ago and earlier? Perhaps only the PAP believes in its own ‘sympathy votes’ propaganda.

LKY was a statesman on the world stage but PM Lee is an entirely different story. He’s a unique Singaporean leader with an ability to crack reverse jokes about getting a free smoke or some pork soup by turning on the tap. When his voice is needed back home, what we hear is a deafening silence.

PM Lee is simply following in his daddy’s footsteps and using the same old knuckle-duster approach to suppress issues instead of resolving them. Why would the most powerful man take legal action against an ordinary citizen, knowing full well that his victim will be made a bankrupt? With this kind of leadership, no wonder more citizens have grown increasingly impatient to remove the PAP from power.

At every opportunity, PAP has tried to squeeze a profit from citizens eg CPF Life, Medishield Life, ERP, COE, petrol duty, etc. How does increasing our cost of living improve our lives? If the economy is as great as data suggest, why are citizens made to pay and pay? Where are the budget surpluses to pay for all the increased costs?

A government which has served its people doesn’t need to engage in propaganda; its good work would have done the talking. PAP’s use of propaganda is to conceal its self-serving nature.

Online media such as TRS, TOC and TR Emeritus are actually providing a free service to the PAP – the highlighted issues are unfiltered/unedited. By shutting down TRS, PAP is confirming it will continue to ignore our issues.

When Singaporeans voted for the PAP in the past, it was against a backdrop of affordable housing and job security. Citizens will never vote for a government which imports foreigners to lower business costs. Nor will we vote for an incompetent government which has overlooked our basic needs.

Despite the brave front put up by the mainstream media, PAP is actually frantically trying to save its own hide. It should have realised by now that no GRC is safe. GE 2015 is about Singaporeans’ well being and our children’s future; it is not about past glory.

Any government which has been opaque and unaccountable for 5 decades has clearly overstayed its welcome. PAP’s actions, especially TRS shutdown, have confirmed its desperation to maintain control and the fear of its impending fall from power.