The recent By-election was required because a
member of the ruling PAP, the Speaker of the Parliament in fact, was caught
with his pants down. Married man, younger woman; usual story. Earlier last year
a prequel was acted out in the Opposition Workers Party ranks. Even with the
wife standing by her miscreant, no room for such behaviour in this clean-skin
polity. The extensive trade in the many thousands of trafficked working girls
shipped to Singapore caters strictly for the foreign workforce, the tourists and
high-rollers at the gaming tables. Standards for MP's of course set higher.
One of the first things an outsider notices in the democratic form in Sin'pore is the Cricketer whites donned by the ruling MP's and candidates on the hustings during the meet-and-greet, the door-knocking in the HDB's and the rest. Striking in the news pictures. Cricketers, choir-boys, celestial angel-saviors brought down from the penthouses among the hoi polloi in order to redeem their world of suffering. In the file photographs one sees occasionally in the newspapers and elsewhere a host of these radiant beings are shown swooping through a street or mall sometimes in-line formation, like cricketers passing through the gate, or the principal dancer leading out his troop.
The foreigner has nothing to compare, certainly not in the political realm. Nearly fifty years of tradition is maintained into the present time. Ads for washing powder come to mind. Devising a campy spoof would not prove taxing.
All whites. Slacks, short-sleeved shirt, possibly the footwear. (Photographs rarely reveal the shoes; it would not surprise if tennis sandshoes from the Hoad/Rosewall era completed the package.) Given the standing of the British in the collective consciousness, certainly among the Ox-Bridge educated in the government and business ranks, one cannot doubt that the English summer game stands at back of the inspiration; school choir perhaps bundled up in the associations. Sensibly ties are dispensed with; rolled sleeves, let's-get-on-with-it, Hurry, hurry, Chop, chop. Extremely difficult to equate million dollar salaries with this carnival. (The highest in the world even now with the down-scaling of recent years.)
The ruling party here has had an unbroken run of forty-nine years. Since the formation of the Republic, the break from Malaya, it has been PAP and nothing but PAP all the way. The first strike in twenty years muddied the water only a month or two ago (instigated by trouble-makers from the Mainland, foreign Chinese bus-drivers). A contented populace. And why not with the standard of living achieved. Fifty thousand the mean annual income; more billionaires per capita than anywhere on the planet; from Third World coolies to First World lords in thirty years. Politicians and statesmen of every stripe beat a path to the Republic here to lean how it's done. A tiny Little Red Dot (fond self-description), packing a punch well above its weight. Contemporary Venice in the dreamy minds of some of the local commentariat.
Presiding over thirty-one years of the miracle, the PAP term, has of course been perhaps the single most successful leader the world has seen in the last century — Mr. Lee Kwan Yew. Some argue thus; fans, beneficiaries. Others return fire with surprising vigour and passion, outright vitriol sometimes. The son has since had a run of seven years. Some months past the man was quoted speculating on another ten years of the Prime-ministership. The journalist concerned understandably quizzed the second generation whether any of the third had shown an interest in politics. The chap who punctuated the dynastic run of the Lees is held in similarly high regard. Both he, Mr. Goh Chock Tong, and the elder statesman, Lee pere, hold senior, accredited and well-remunerated Mentoring positions at the elbow of government.
The Cricketers, choir-boys, angelic host.... one remarkable further addition. For emblems on these sparkling breasts one might guess a Metro-Goldwyn Mayer lion, roaring or otherwise, for this famous Lion-city state. (Tigers did indeed inhabit the former forest.) Perhaps triangles or Olympic-like circle; an orchid of the region. It is common practice in Singapore to name new species in this endless local fecundity after visiting dignitaries, especially those with whom large commercial or defense contracts are in the offing. In fact No. On the right side of the shirt, above the heart on the Cricketer's white, stands a circle of fork lightning. An Action-hero insignia donned by these multi-millionaires and aspirants: a few years ago, before a modest decrease, the PM's salary here was $S2.2m.
..... Harsh critics contend Lee was a creature of the Anglo-Americans pure and simple. The context the Malaya Emergency, Maoist China, Korean War: a reliable bulwark against the communists. After extensive negotiations in London, in1965 the green-light was given; an economist by the name of Albert Winsemius parachuted in to set-up the corporations, the military bases and allied industries. Bye-bye dangerous communal-based kampungs; Hello towering birdcages. Thereafter the advantages of strategic location parlayed into a logistical hub, refineries, financial centres, military and pharmaceutical production.
Harsher still come accusations of enormous wealth garnered by the Chief family and its associates. A spectacularly thriving legal practice run by LKY's wife did all the conveyancing for the government-built housing. (Such were suspicions and whisperings, there famously came a day when the firm published a front page notice in the Straits Times explicitly advising the populace that it was not required that Lee & Lee, and only Lee & Lee, handle such routine transfers. Without a Register of Assets and Pecuniary Interests a great deal of speculation persists. Some voices can reach particularly shrill tones. Temasek is a huge government treasury, a National Sovereign Wealth repository. Recently the current PM's wife was chosen as best qualified on the island to assume a vacated seat on the board. Billions involved. Letting others snoop judged not to be wise. Enemies created over the journey have been many; many jailed without trial; others forced to exile.
It has been suggested a Wen-like investigation is needed to get to the truth; to full public disclosure. Certainly the taint of dynastic manipulation seems difficult to avoid in this region. Singapore is not alone in generational succession. And Singapore is possibly not the only case world-wide where the young heir to the throne carries the braid of a Brigadier General.
One of the first things an outsider notices in the democratic form in Sin'pore is the Cricketer whites donned by the ruling MP's and candidates on the hustings during the meet-and-greet, the door-knocking in the HDB's and the rest. Striking in the news pictures. Cricketers, choir-boys, celestial angel-saviors brought down from the penthouses among the hoi polloi in order to redeem their world of suffering. In the file photographs one sees occasionally in the newspapers and elsewhere a host of these radiant beings are shown swooping through a street or mall sometimes in-line formation, like cricketers passing through the gate, or the principal dancer leading out his troop.
The foreigner has nothing to compare, certainly not in the political realm. Nearly fifty years of tradition is maintained into the present time. Ads for washing powder come to mind. Devising a campy spoof would not prove taxing.
All whites. Slacks, short-sleeved shirt, possibly the footwear. (Photographs rarely reveal the shoes; it would not surprise if tennis sandshoes from the Hoad/Rosewall era completed the package.) Given the standing of the British in the collective consciousness, certainly among the Ox-Bridge educated in the government and business ranks, one cannot doubt that the English summer game stands at back of the inspiration; school choir perhaps bundled up in the associations. Sensibly ties are dispensed with; rolled sleeves, let's-get-on-with-it, Hurry, hurry, Chop, chop. Extremely difficult to equate million dollar salaries with this carnival. (The highest in the world even now with the down-scaling of recent years.)
The ruling party here has had an unbroken run of forty-nine years. Since the formation of the Republic, the break from Malaya, it has been PAP and nothing but PAP all the way. The first strike in twenty years muddied the water only a month or two ago (instigated by trouble-makers from the Mainland, foreign Chinese bus-drivers). A contented populace. And why not with the standard of living achieved. Fifty thousand the mean annual income; more billionaires per capita than anywhere on the planet; from Third World coolies to First World lords in thirty years. Politicians and statesmen of every stripe beat a path to the Republic here to lean how it's done. A tiny Little Red Dot (fond self-description), packing a punch well above its weight. Contemporary Venice in the dreamy minds of some of the local commentariat.
Presiding over thirty-one years of the miracle, the PAP term, has of course been perhaps the single most successful leader the world has seen in the last century — Mr. Lee Kwan Yew. Some argue thus; fans, beneficiaries. Others return fire with surprising vigour and passion, outright vitriol sometimes. The son has since had a run of seven years. Some months past the man was quoted speculating on another ten years of the Prime-ministership. The journalist concerned understandably quizzed the second generation whether any of the third had shown an interest in politics. The chap who punctuated the dynastic run of the Lees is held in similarly high regard. Both he, Mr. Goh Chock Tong, and the elder statesman, Lee pere, hold senior, accredited and well-remunerated Mentoring positions at the elbow of government.
The Cricketers, choir-boys, angelic host.... one remarkable further addition. For emblems on these sparkling breasts one might guess a Metro-Goldwyn Mayer lion, roaring or otherwise, for this famous Lion-city state. (Tigers did indeed inhabit the former forest.) Perhaps triangles or Olympic-like circle; an orchid of the region. It is common practice in Singapore to name new species in this endless local fecundity after visiting dignitaries, especially those with whom large commercial or defense contracts are in the offing. In fact No. On the right side of the shirt, above the heart on the Cricketer's white, stands a circle of fork lightning. An Action-hero insignia donned by these multi-millionaires and aspirants: a few years ago, before a modest decrease, the PM's salary here was $S2.2m.
..... Harsh critics contend Lee was a creature of the Anglo-Americans pure and simple. The context the Malaya Emergency, Maoist China, Korean War: a reliable bulwark against the communists. After extensive negotiations in London, in1965 the green-light was given; an economist by the name of Albert Winsemius parachuted in to set-up the corporations, the military bases and allied industries. Bye-bye dangerous communal-based kampungs; Hello towering birdcages. Thereafter the advantages of strategic location parlayed into a logistical hub, refineries, financial centres, military and pharmaceutical production.
Harsher still come accusations of enormous wealth garnered by the Chief family and its associates. A spectacularly thriving legal practice run by LKY's wife did all the conveyancing for the government-built housing. (Such were suspicions and whisperings, there famously came a day when the firm published a front page notice in the Straits Times explicitly advising the populace that it was not required that Lee & Lee, and only Lee & Lee, handle such routine transfers. Without a Register of Assets and Pecuniary Interests a great deal of speculation persists. Some voices can reach particularly shrill tones. Temasek is a huge government treasury, a National Sovereign Wealth repository. Recently the current PM's wife was chosen as best qualified on the island to assume a vacated seat on the board. Billions involved. Letting others snoop judged not to be wise. Enemies created over the journey have been many; many jailed without trial; others forced to exile.
It has been suggested a Wen-like investigation is needed to get to the truth; to full public disclosure. Certainly the taint of dynastic manipulation seems difficult to avoid in this region. Singapore is not alone in generational succession. And Singapore is possibly not the only case world-wide where the young heir to the throne carries the braid of a Brigadier General.
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