Contradictory Circular reasoning by Lim Swee Say
It’s a good thing that Singapore’s Labour movement chief Lim Swee Say is Not an English teacher. Read the many contradictory things he said recently in a speech in which he claims there is a “mistaken perception” that grassroots leaders and organizations exist to help the People’s Association (aka the PAP govt). He then contradicts himself by saying “that is not a core mission”! LOL.
Hello, if it is truly a mistaken perception, then it means it is not true right? But since Swee Say, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, says it is not the “core mission” it means it is indeed true that it is a PA mission to help the PAP!
Next he goes on to erudite “Let’s invert this grassroots triangle. Instead of the Govt on top…your main focus must be resident-centric,” which means the triangle has always been the Govt on top as the main focus! And he is indirectly admitting that for the past 48 years, the Govt and PA has been using taxpayers money and public funds not to focus on helping residents but to help the PAP. What a revelation! Duh. Tell us something we don’t already know.
Swee Say who was speaking in his capacity as Deputy Chairman of the People’s Association at a PA event, also said something mystifying:” PA advisers, we [the govt] are here to support you, not the other way around.” Huh?? But but, PA advisers are drawn from the PAP MPs and the govt! So according to him, it will still be PAP government leaders supporting PAP leaders who are also from the government?
And what’s this bullshit from him that the PA need to focus on serving residents to deepen bonds with them? Shouldn’t that have been the case in the first place based on the PA’s mission for its very existence? Swee Say also instructed the PA to involve more partners such as schools, government agencies and companies. Going by the PAP’s past political patterns, Swee Say’s latest exhortations sound like a self-serving agenda yet again – to use the PA to infiltrate deeper into the community and across the business and school networks to manipulate minds to win votes for the PAP.
We should also take note of the intricate unhealthy web of government-unions-grassroots in his portfolio – he is an adviser to the Prime Minister in the PMO, he is Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress and the deputy chief of the PA.
Lim Swee Say and his “Sayisms”
Although Swee Say really does need lessons in English and straight talking, we have to thank him for illustrating so clearly how the Ministers twist the truth and spin yarns so blatantly to fool the people. And we have to thank the MSM for reporting faithfully what the ministers say for the people to read with their eyes wide open.
BTW, Swee Say also said recently, in his capacity as a labour chief, that, although we do not have the minimum wage here, we have the “minimum wage ladder”! What’s that yarn about? That’s a separate story which you can read online. The Internet is full of his fabulously entertaining and hollow “Sayisms.
Jentrified Citizen 
the PA/RC is alway and defitenitely a lapdog for the rulin party
bout 5 ears ago me upstairs oldest singapooriums citizen attained 100 ear ole
the whole neighbours incl the rc members knows bout it
yet no party was throw or even an invites to the monthly RC gatherin @ the void deck
butt if its the MP’s birthday ley..big big party would hav been thrown to ungkat thatMP
Don’t let bias thoughts cloud your judgement. I first joined RC to see what they’re really up to and to my surprise (or luck) they’re no lapdog for the ruling party. Lap dogs don’t serve in RC for more than 15 years or more, getting chided, berated etc. Lap dogs couldn’t stand to be a ‘Member’ without key appointment or national day awards, after 15 years or more. I can’t say all RCs are like the one I’m in but those with me are certainly no lap dogs because I’ll be the first to leave if they are.
Have a good holiday!
I think “lapdog” may be a bit harsh and I don’t think there is a proper definition for it, but can you really convince us that the RCs are politically neutral even though their core mission is to serve the residents? Are they always tagging along with MPs, taking pictures, urging interaction, distributing flyers and even helping to explain controversial, unpopular policies without any political affiliation? That’s just like telling your spouse that you’re going out with a member of the opposite sex for movies, dinner and it’s strictly platonic.
Hi DN, I can’t convince you all RCs are not political. What I can say is that there are some out there who wants to remain true to the cause of promoting neighbourliness, racial harmony and community service.
I think he does not know what he is saying or he has too many conflicting roles that confuses his mind!
If you cannot convince the people, you confuse yourself !
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Hi JC. A bit of insider info. His statement is meant for PAP die hards and ignoramus. Quite a few RC Chairman I came across are already saying keep the P as in Politics out of PA. PA and PAP are really too different entities, despite what some old chaps may want to say.
I, for one, really wants to see how PA will react, if I invited the MP who is not from PAP to a grassroots event… provided of course, the MP in my area is a non-PAP one.
Haven’t got a chance to meet RC Chairman of Aljunied GRC though.
I find it hard to believe the RC chairpersons say keep politics out of the PA. Politics is the real reason for its existence! I will believe it when the PA returns the sites it hijacked from Aljuneid when the WP won the GRC, and when rheir advisers afe not all from the govt especially the PAP.
‘Politics is the real reason for its existence’
I’d thought otherwise. Internal security is the reason. Grassroots were formed to prevent insurgents. What better way than to keep all community activists under the watchful eye of PA, reporting directly to PMO? I also guess grassroots are an alternative to find leaders not of the scholarly pool… passionate people who are serving the community without huge salary to compensate thier ‘sacrifice’.
On ‘hijacked’ common space in Aljunied-
Remembered how the issue on common space hastily transfered to PA backfired? I guessed that’s one reason why ah lim wanted to ‘keep a distance’ from PA grassroots. Grassroots consists of many common people who stood up out of an intrinsic passion to help their fellow residents (debatable though and I won’t challenge you if you think otherwise). Being volunteers, some like minded ones like yours truly can’t really be bothered with politics. We focus on what’s in the best interests of the residents.
Others, in their misguided perception to please their political masters, or benefit themselves, will be the bane of PAP. With all the social media available, you can run but cannot hide. Naturally, any inappropriate behaviour of any grassroots leader will be attributed to PA and PAP. So now do you see why I guessed ah lim is trying to distance the ‘pristine’ PAP government from the ‘rabble’ grassroots?
I mentioned ‘many Chairman I come across’. I didn’t say most.
Anyway, all that I’ve written is just my opinion based on my subjective observations. I’ll leave it to you and your readers to make your own judgement and observations.
Have a good holiday!
hi Ape, thanks for your feedback. I take your pt there are passionate people like you who join the grassroots orgs to help the community. So I apologise if I had upset you and others like you with my comment which was not intentional. What I was criticising was the way the PA network is set up and used blatantly by the PAP Govt to win votes and to keep their hold on the people. This is wrong as the PA is funded by public funds to help the community. Even if the PA was set up initially to keep an eye on the communists as you say, that era has passed long time ago. Guess what we can agree on is that while the PA helps the community in some ways, it is also a partisan poltical tool used by the PAP. and while there are good hearted community helpers like you, there are also many who join for the purpose of networking and getting favours from their MPs. On the latter, I can vouch for it as I happen to know some of them personally.
Deng xiaoping once said ” “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a white cat or a black, I think; a cat that catches mice is a good cat.”
In the same way, It does not matter to PAP if members of RC genuinely help the community as long as it supports the party indirectly and be spokesperson for it. PAP will be even more happy if those members live in their world of denial, thinking as long as they serve with their heart, politics is irrelevant. The most ignorant pawns are the one PAP loves the most. Why did the old man believe that grassroot support is the most vital for party survival ? your guess is as good as mine
good point. white cat or black cat, what does it matter, so long as it catches the mice for them.
No worries, JC. Don’t need to apologise. We know what we’re in for. Personally, I stay focus on what’s good for my fellow residents. It warms my heart when residents say thank you.
As for the grassroots with ulterior motives, I don’t deny such existed.