I’ve always been a fan of ex-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. He is a decent man. A good man. He is an old-fashioned conservative in the Platonic mould– believing in the establishment of a group of wise men to lead the rest. People should know their place, that is, don’t be boh tua, boh suay. So I wasn’t surprised when he worried about bonds between the government and the governed being loosened; he’s always been big on social cohesion. But his use of the family as an analogy bugged me. Here’s what ST reported: “Speaking at length on people-government ties in family terms, he said that just as parents do for their children, the Government imparts values and sets norms for society through its policies and creates opportunities for people. People cannot choose their parents but they can choose their government - a privilege they do not always value and sometimes decide with less care than we should. Singaporeans also demand much more from the Government than their parents, accepting their familys situation but not the constraints faced by the Government. And while they do not criticise their parents imperfections, (“We love them.. Warts and all.’’) when it comes to the Government, they see only warts... and freely criticise it for its slightest mistakes or when we disagree with it. This bit is from The Online Citizen: “This state of relationship between the people and the government is part of the so-called New Normal,” he said. “But if this New Normal leads to fractiousness, divisiveness and estrangement in the Singapore Family, then we will be undoing what the Pioneer Generation had painfully and diligently built over many decades,” added Mr Goh. He said that unlike in the past where Singaporeans were clear about where they were headed, “now people are pulling in different directions.” “We still discuss and debate, consult and engage’’, Mr Goh said. “But each group is now more assertive than before in pushing its point of view and vested interests. Each side does not want to give an inch without taking a quarter. The common space for Singaporeans is getting smaller instead of bigger.” Why am I bugged? Because I can see that his comments will create even more fractiousness. Already wags are pointing out that he is harking back to a paternalistic government. Stretch the family analogy further and you get this: “Daddy and Mommy know what’s good for you. So shut up and just do as you’re told.’’ (Ah...got to go now to church. To be continued later in Bertha Harian)
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 00:21:40 +0000
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