Read an interesting commentary by ST’s editor Zuraidah Ibrahim published in Sunday Times today. Beyond the obligatory criticism of WP, what caught my eye were her views on why PAP has been throwing everything but the kitchen sink at WP over the hawker centre saga over the past month. To sum it up, she said PAP had to gun for WP because:
1. PAP has to secure and galvanise its own base of supporters who want to see their leaders swinging punches instead of being punching bags. Apparently, some of their supporters were unhappy that their party’s leaders had given its critics too much leeway. (JC- agree with Zuraidah..I think the MIW are very worried as they are losing more of their supporters…though I’d wager it is because of their poor job performance rather than their whacking ability of the oppo.)
2. PAP needs to keep WP on the defensive. And it has to cause disruption and keep WP busy to distract them from doing a good job in their constituencies. (JC- This is a dirty tactic as we all know WP has very limited funds and resources unlike the rich PAP which can tap public-funded resources including the entire People’s Association grassroots network to help them.)
3. PAP needs to plant doubt about up-and-coming WP leaders to weaken their chances when helming teams in GRCs in GE 2016. Noteworthy is Pritam Singh who has been gaining credence and recognition. (JC- explains why PM tried to pin the unproven plagiarism charge on Pritam in his media statement to support Vivian)
Well, now you know. Even though these are supposedly just the views of an editor, it is after all by Zuraidah, a veteran ST political journalist who is very close and familiar with how the PAP works. And as ST is the mouthpiece for PAP, they would not have published this if it were untrue.
The reasons given as to why PAP is whacking WP puts in perspective all that has been said and done, in particular minister Vivian B’s and PM Lee’s public exhortations that their efforts in flagging the hawker centre issue again and again is done in the name of pursuing “INTEGRITY”.
So much for our ministers claiming they want “clean” politics in Singapore. I hope Singaporeans now fully understand what PM Lee meant when he said we have to “get our politics right”.
If you are still not convinced, read what Zuraidah wrote in her closing para of her commentary – that PAP will likely engage in the old-style “hard-knuckled” politics to contain the opposition. She said:”…we can expect to see more such exchanges in and out of Parliament, possibly more bruising ones, in the run-up to the next general election.”
Buckle up Singaporeans. It’s going to be a rough and bumpy ride ahead.
Jentrified Citizen 
PAP can be as “hard-knuckled” as it likes but its effect will be marginal. Look at James Gomez – PAP is extremely hard-knuckled too but the electorate is not stupid and such tactics often backfire.
Whether or not PAP can prevent the natural slide in its %votes will depend entirely on PAP. Very few voted for Ah Lian in Punggol or WP team in Aljunied because they believe that WP can clean hawker centres (hello???). They just want an opposition in Parliament. In other words, its a push factor.
To me, the acid test is this : if the average Singaporean feels confident that his children will have a beter future than him, he will have no hesitation to vote for the PAP. Unfortunately, under LKY, such a feeling is probably wide-spread. But over the last 5-10 years, and especially now, this is no longer so. Heck, the average Singaporean is essentially waiting for himself/herself to be retrenched in their 40’s/50’s (to be replaced by faster, better, cheaper foreigners) and/or for their wage to be cut. Not only can their children not be assured of a better future than themselves, very few of their children can afford a new home without some leg up from their parents.
Clean politics my foot. Since when have they played clean? But there is cause for concern because in their desperation things can turn really ugly. The fact that Balakrishnan can tell Parliament that he took up the issue against the advice of well-meaning friends when in fact the Cabinet had approved it and he had been deputed to raise it, speaks volumes about their intention to inflict damage to the WP regardless of the facts.Balakrishnan should himself come clean and tell us whether the editor was correct that the whole thing was a set-up (which backfired). The two PAP minions claiming to represent phantom Hawker Associations stirred up the controversy.I would not be surprised if they sent or caused to be sen the two so-called petitions to the media, The NEA got into the act and the rest is, as they say, history.(By the way will the Registrar of Societies take action agains the illegal associations?) The fact that the editor is the sister of Yacob Ibrahim and the wife of George Cherian should dispel any doubts about the veracity of her assertions.It is time for patriots to wake up.
How can You call for patriots to wake up when we cant even sleep.
Many have taken many o f the Events and Schemes as ‘wayangs’. We patriots see them as schemes and strategies, mostly vile and shameless.
Look at the Opposition Parties, Socio-political Activists, Bloggers and most folks on the street, they are no more as naive as before. They are not only been awoken, they are being irritated and angry.
The Showdown has yet to begin but the Patriots are already thick into the action. They are the Agents of change; political parties only need to uphold their integrities and competencies. Patriots will be able to discern the evil or the good. Sensibility will ultimately prevail.
patriot
Either the PAP fails to realise or simply refused to admit that more Singaporean are disillusion by their way of governing this nation.
Secondly, any “hard-knuckled” tactic pursued is deem to back fire and PAP would incurs loss of more voters.
Lastly, In this Internet era, people would not be easily be swayed nor influenced by the PAP version of story …. and indeed, the people would not be cowed by any harsh or hard knuckled tactic pursued.
We can summise that they don’t really understand and that LKY is still an active behind-the-scene adviser. But am sure they will factor in possible backlash to hard knuckle politics in today’s situation. I expect they will be even more covet and devious in how they attack the alternative parties’ leaders and in coming up with schemes to discredit their opponents and even leading activists. The people just need to be more aware and discerning when reading about these new attacks launched by PAP.
“Hard-knuckled” politics don’t work anymore lah. They have been taking this approach since the last 2 GEs and see what has happened? Very disappointing that PAP has not moved with the times. It’s like the Republicans in the US who keep harping the same issues to their own base: mainly, white, middle-class and leaving out the growing Hispanic population. PAP needs a reboot.
hard to keep rebooting the same old archaic hard disk.
Zuraidah Ibrahim is the younger sister of MCI Minister Yaacob Ibrahim
Yes we know. This, plus her experience as a political news editor, makes her 3 reasons even more credible …and “worrying”.
Doesn’t show you that ST new ain’t all brainwash too?
Firstly – politics is never clean, hence we call it politics. If a ‘cooperative development’ is clean – no one will use the word ‘politics’. So if a leader wants “Clean Politics”, I really can’t cast my vote for him, because that ‘leader’ lacked credibility. A nation controlled major newspaper’s big shot journalist (what a mouthful) writing about the obvious with obligatory criticisms of an alternative voice that is actually involved in building the nation….pretty much reaffirms my decision to continue ignoring that major newspaper.