Remember the 2011 general elections when the National Solidarity Party (NSP) trotted out their political star, Nicole Seah. Just where is Nicole Seah now? Is she just a one-election wonder or someone who just has to fade into the wilderness like how the proverbial Dodo did?
As it now stands, the NSP may also be biting some dust. That is just the problem with the political opposition in Singapore. They think of elections as siestas to partake in every four years. In the interim there is no ground work to sound out to residents, no networking sessions, no brainstorming to flesh out new ideas and cap it all; simply no direction.
In the NSP’s latest post over its Facebook it said there were complaints about the government’s absurd immigration policies and how Singaporeans were still losing jobs to foreigners and immigrants. One resident named Gary recounted how 6 of his friends who worked as forklift Drivers had been laid off to be replaced by workers from China who were obviously cheaper to hire. These are exactly the policies allowed by the PAP which hurt and are unfair to indigenous Singaporeans, and which the NSP oppose vehemently!
The unfairness of the Government’s handling of the CPF issue, withholding monies belonging to Singaporeans, and the constant change of rules, continues to pop up also in almost every conversation with residents. The NSP promises to speak up for Singaporeans on this critical issue. Last, but not least, residents complain about a PAP government that is bent on enriching the government’s coffers even at a time when many are struggling to make ends meet. The latest increases in carpark charges and electricity tariffs were cited by many. The residents’ complaints echo what we have said repeatedly , that the PAP government has never seen a price increase it did not like. A young couple sneered at the government’s attempts
All of these do sound familiar as how a broken tape recorder would be. But just what is the new alternative?
Sometime in 2013, this writer asked the NSP or more specifically the ‘darling’ of their party, Nicole, if having all foreigners as outliers living in an island away from Singapore may seem xenophobic and discriminatory? Another was how to ‘recreate’ Singapore.
A more pertinent poser was of the need to reinvent the economy, or speak about uncovering more technologies such as LNG and clean energy exports to boost GDP as a means to engage the crowd and pose as a serious alternative to the PAP. Or even suggest ways and means to lower the cost of transport and housing and seek the advice of academics to electrify the economy than for it to rely on fuel?
None of these questions were answered and when elections come the NSP along with the rest of the opposition parties will do what they know best – either disappear altogether or simply land another job or get no new answers for the electorate.
That is the mien and bent of the opposition – all hot air and nothing of substance