Chief of Defence Force. Chief of Navy. Chief of Guards. Director of Temasek Holdings. Director of Keppel. Chief Executive of Changi Airport. Police Commissioner. Director of People’s Association. Permanent Secretary.
Like in all elections, the ruling PAP is drawing its candidates from the army, civil service and its government-linked companies to contest. Unfortunately this time, Singaporeans are starting to feel distanced from these elites whose predecessors have created serious problems in government policies.
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Photo of Surgeon Koh Poon Poh from straitstimes
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Photo of Ng Chee Meng from straitstimes
Take the current Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew for example, the former Navy chief worsened Singapore’s public transport system and caused costs to spiral out of control while private operators raked in tens of millions. Minister Lui Tuck Yew is the textbook example of how his years of working experience prior to politics have nothing to do with the ability to govern.
The other two elites who failed in their portfolio are Chan Chun Sing and Tan Chuan Jin. Being in office for less than 2 years, the two failed in their respective Social Development and Manpower ministries and have to be re-deployed in a cabinet shuffle as Ministers in other profiles. History is bound to repeat itself for these elites who will prove to be expensive experiment costing not only millions in salaries but also contributing to further hardships for Singaporeans,
Government elites are out of touch. They rub shoulders with their fellow high ranking elites everyday and know nothing about the daily lives of Singaporeans. They do not take public transport, eat hawker food (Prime Minister Lee himself doesn’t know there is no hum in mee siam) and live in public housing. While some may not necessarily be pencil-pushers, they formulate their policies on rosy feedback from their grassroots leaders who are known for their vested interests and resident committee-related corruptions.
Singaporeans have better start asking themselves what exactly are they voting for and the kind of lives they expect to lead after the coming GE.
