Ex SDP member: opposition politics in bad shape

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Jeremy Chen
37 mins · Singapore ·
Opposition politics is in bad shape. This is bad because the PAP's overarching policy imperative of shifting risk from government service-provision operations onto citizens is going strong and the opposition is barking up the wrong trees (还我 CPF!?) and largely ignoring this crucial issue (e.g.: accepting the BTO system, uncapped co-pays in MedishieldLife which defeat the purpose of insurance). How is the opposition in bad shape? It's all about the leadership.
The WP is merely an "opposition" party. In that is seems to be providing only as much "verbal opposition" to not seem to be a PAP subsidiary. I also see it as "corrupt". I do understand that under the Town Council Act, as long as "council members" declare their interest in a tender and abstain from voting, other council members can decide to award the jobs to the council member who declared his/her interest. One can define away corruption, even make it legal, but the truth of the matter is that corruption is still corruption no matter what you call it. US-style political lobbying is corruption.
The SDP is morally bankrupt. Little has to be said on that since a pattern of dishonest behaviour that began in the distant past has persisted into the present. There is no evidence of the SDP sec gen's integrity issues having been resolved. They are presently engaged in a cynical vote getting drive: in the recent past, they condoned public anti-Semitism by a CEC member to "avoid losing the Malay vote" (horribly racist how they seem to think that Malays are anti-Semitic; being supportive of Palestinian self-determination is not the same as anti-Semitism), they tried to suppress conciliatory voices for LGBT rights in order to not alienate "certain voting blocs". The party is rotting from the head down but there is a solid core of people running walkabouts and house visits. That, however, is not enough.
The RP is insane. Their big proposal is a idiotic vote buying scheme to privatize Temasek Holdings and GIC, then give out shares to Singaporeans (according to NS completion status and other yet to be described criteria). The RP is insane. Period. (I accept the contention that "insane" was a typo, and that they are actually "inane".)
SDA/SJP's Desmond Lim seems to have his head screwed on right but is not quite charismatic enough to win votes.
The present NSP is... ("Don't know what to say.")
The SPP, I've always held mixed feelings because of Chiam See Tong. I'm told by way too many people that have worked with him that he was not at all a nice person. But he has consistently demonstrated integrity in his dealings. Even where Town Council "corruption" was legal, he did not condone it. (Though his poor health over the past decade limited his ability to police his subordinates in Potong Pasir pre-2011.) He needs a lot of help. But some of the "transfers" from NSP might help. They are good people.
But damn jialat lar.


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