$160m Transform Fund: An Aluminium Rivet or a Stainless Steel Rivet?

After WP candidates and grassroots leaders have been working hard on the ground in Aljunied GRC for almost 4 complete years and not "recent months" as reported in Straits Times on 9 Oct 2005, PAP finally gave way.

It is just like a falling window mounted by an aluminum rivet which was approved by the PAP government. So, in order to secure votes, PAP decided to pump in $160m to transform Aljunied GRC, using taxpayers’ money, by building more recreational facilities and embarking on more upgrading projects.

These are good news for house owners, whether they are staying in HDB flats or landed property. One would even claim that this is a laudable achievement for Workers’ Party.

But this poses a question: is that what political competition should be, pushing for more facilities and upgrading projects and banking on the belief that more votes count?

Property value goes up, really?

"My flat can now fetch a better price!" This is what a typical resident of Aljunied GRC might think, after PAP announced the $160m Transform Fund. It might be true or false, depending on how you vote. If voters choose to "verbally" support the positioning of Workers’ Party in their constituency but ultimately vote for PAP in the hope of seeking more effective and better services and benefits, similar to what they find in Hougang, they are making a grave mistake and would regret their decision a few years later.

Allow me to share a bleak prospect: a team of opposition candidates and their grassroots leaders spent 4-5 years in a constituency to gain support and hopefully to secure a chance to prove that they can manage the town council and constituency as good as the PAP MPs, if not better.

But during polling day, the results showed otherwise. To make things worse, the constituency they targeted has been re-drawn - a "traditional practice" since the 1988 Parliamentary Election after PAP lost a single seat in Anson.

Some candidates realized that despite having secured about 25% of the votes from their hardcore supporters given the disadvantage of boundary changes, a sizeable portion of voters actually was just seeking for better benefits and facilities under the premise of "political competition".

These candidates decided to quit after being active for years as they felt it was not worth fighting for residents who were materialistic.

One might argue that opposition candidates should have stayed longer and be more patient and responsible. But let’s be honest and put yourself in their shoes: are you willing to do that - spend at least one weekend every week doing the groundwork for 4-5 years when you can actually spend more time with your family, friends and loved ones?

If you can’t do it, what makes you think that others should do it for you? Let us not take for granted the opposition’s active work on the ground. The $160 Transform Fund has already proven a fact: even if the opposition has no seats in Parliament, they have already forced/coerced the PAP to serve the people by using political pressure.

So let us change the mindset that the opposition cannot contribute SINCE they are not in Parliament.

This is what the PAP is waiting for – by "investing" $160m Transform Fund in Aljunied GRC to woo materialistic Singaporeans for their votes, demoralize the opposition and finally kick them out of the constituency.

Payback time

Consider this scenario:

Since there won’t be any more opposition teams active in Aljunied GRC and the threat has been removed, to PAP, it’s time to take back the "investment", perhaps in double the amount the PAP had invested. Let me quote Aljunied GRC’s MP, George Yeo, when asked if the Transform Fund has anything to do with the GE. He said, "If you ask me whether this has anything to do with serving residents, winning their support, yes, the whole idea is to serve residents, win over their support and serve them better."

One can interpret: if there is no competition from opposition, WHY SERVE?
Soon after opposition exits, PAP would announce that house owners who live within Aljunied GRC would now need to pay higher conservancy charges compared to residents in other constituencies, citing that "it don’t make sense" that residents still pay the same conservancy charges while enjoying and benefiting from "world class facilities" that are out of reach to other constituents.

Given our small scale of land, it is impossible that the government will continue to spend billions of dollars as in the past 4 decades by reclaiming lands. So the only way is to go inland by exploring the undeveloped open fields. Under these circumstances, the "adventure park with a flying fox station" as promised by PAP in the Aljunied Upgrading Master Plan will be demolished to give way for better purposes.

Therefore I urge residents in Aljunied GRC or other constituencies where the opposition will contest: instead of pushing for Disneyland or adventure park in the air, vote WP into Parliament so as to encourage more credible candidates to step forward to challenge PAP.

Singaporeans need to decide if they want to opt for an aluminum rivet that will be distorted over time, or a stainless steel rivet that will bring long term benefits to this country that we call home.

*他们看到我们来了就怕！

工人党铁锤报
Issue No: 05/01

伍新

一个星期天的早晨，笔者如常地和其他党员一起在某选区售卖工人党的党报 ―― 铁锤报。我们遇到一名老伯，他买了一份铁锤报后，就和我们聊了起来。令我们感到意外的是，他自称是名前行动党基层领袖，但却苦口婆地奉劝我们应该寻找具有高学历的候选人，否则将难以打败行动党。笔者感谢他对工人党的关心，并略带着一点自豪的口吻告诉他，我党其实己成功吸收了好几名具有高学历的专才，准备在来届大选，挑战人民行动党。没想到，他竟然指着我说；"我知道你这个年轻人很骄傲！" 原来，略带着一点自豪的神情在他的眼里竟然变成骄傲。他接着说；"我活跃于政坛己经几十年了，所以我一看你这个年轻人就知道你很骄傲，我不会看走眼的。"笔者还来不及澄清，这名前行动党基层领袖就开始滔滔不绝地讲述他活跃于基层组织时的"风光史"。在结束时，他竟然以"自豪的口吻"对我们说；"我活跃的时候，很多居民，尤其是那些店主看到我们来了就怕！"

我怔住了。和这名前行动党基层领袖告别后，我不断的思索这名前行动党基层领袖所讲的――"他们看到我们来了就怕。" 我感到悲喜交集，喜的是；连第一代行动党的老党员对于现在的行动党都看不顺眼而决定"背叛"他们，转而支持工人党！悲的是，基层领袖不就是要为民服务，向议员反映老百姓的问题吗？既然如此，那为什么要让人害怕呢？我就此事与其他党员讨论。令我感到惊讶的是，原来不少党员都有类似的听闻。

追根究底，没有足够的反对党议员在国会牵制行动党是导致他们的基层领袖态度傲慢、甚至目中无人的原因。这就如一只猪披着虎皮然后四处张牙舞爪一样，也就难怪老百姓看到他们来了就怕！其实，在大选到来时，一些行动党的基层人员还会在乐龄人士的聚集点，如组屋底层，菜市场和咖啡店等向当地区的选民灌输行动党式的“政治教育”， "教"他们如何"有效"地投票，并恐吓他们若把选票投给反对党，行动党办的幼稚园将关闭，一些巴士的主线和支线，甚至一些福利金将会被一一取消。

相比之下，后港和波东巴西两个反对党选区的选民就聪明多了。这两区的选民由于懂得"如何向行动党说不"，使那里的行动党基层领袖从此乖乖的从身上卸下披上的虎皮，老老实实地为他们服务。因此，一些居民能享用免费早餐。若你的孩子失踪了，行动党的基层组织还会"全星总动员"，到处张挂寻人启事！如寻获了，你还可能接获一个大礼篮！但最重要的是，拥护反对党进入国会才能监督行动党，迫使他们彻底解决民生问题，也避免行动党在踌躇满志下对人民的疾苦置若惘闻。

致行动党青年团的一封公开信

June 2005

伍新

行动党青年团，

写这封信给您别无它意，只是想借此与你们分享本人对于政治的看法。

在内政部长黄根成还没有呼吁年轻一代应积极参政之前，本人己在一年前正式加入工人党而至今还没有后悔过。我与其它成员一样，我们大多都是在上一届的大选过后决定参于政治。

加入党之后，我发现有好些党员跟我一样，入党的原因并不是因为对政治感到兴趣，而是一种社会责任感。但以我国的政治气候来说，这更是一种急迫性。也因为这种共同的信念，工人党和它的支部――工人党青年团，一直互相扶持，互相配合，以达致我党第一介段的目标――建立新加坡人的新加坡。

在上一届的大选过后，行动党不顾的国人的感受和竟见，尤其当还有很多国人仍然处于待业的的状况，行动党却毅然决定提高消费锐、车资、医药费、电费、市镇理事杂费、甚什学校杂费等等。事时上，让我决定加入工人党的主要因素是己卸任的前总理吴作栋在国会里讲的一句话――"let’s move on."

在２００１年的大选不久，国会对于公共巴士理事会（PTC）要求政府批准提高巴士车资，从３分至１０分钱，展开激烈的辫论。结果，吴作栋的一句let’s move on，便草草结束了这场争议。由于强烈不满行动党严重背叛选民对他们的维托，我决定"move on"到工人党。我要提醒大家一点的是；当时巴士公司要求提高车资的原因是他们的盈利从平时的５０００万降到３０００万。

随之过后，政府也不顾民意的批准提高各项收费。由于这原因，当丰加集选区的居民向他们的议员表示行动党政府并没有落实大选前的承诺，并且觉得行动党背叛了老百性对他们的支持时，该集选区的一名女议员于是便把"背叛"向国会反应。不料，这只不过是反应民情民意的举动却遇到刚卸任不久的前总理吴作栋猛烈批抨。吴作栋指出，该女议员作为行动党的一份子不应该与属于我党的后港议员刘程强"同声同气"。由此可见，加入行动党并不见得可以改变什么，更别说会影响什么政策。

不久前，海峡时报报导了一则新闻引起我的关注。它报导行动党的基层组织最近带领来自中等家庭的青少年到一些因贫困而需耍得到政府援助的家庭。其中一名来自富裕家庭的青少年过后表示；"原来我国还有很多非常贫困的国人需耍得到政府的支援"！

我要呼吁那些曾被基层组织邀请"参观"的青少年进一步的深思这邀请计划其背后的政治目地。以我的角度来看，行动党的真正目地是要让我国的青少年"看到"行动党政府的确有帮助贫困的国人，并对于他们伸出援手，并在他们达到２１岁而有机会投票时把他们的选票投给行动党。。但我要呼吁参于这项计划的青少年向这些带领他们的基层领袖发问几个问题：

（一）是什么原因这些需要援助的国人找不到工作？
（二）为何既使给我们的部长每年上百万的薪金而我国依然还有怎么多国人需耍得到援助？
（三）为什么在我国的劳动市场上有２５% 的外国人但却没有这些待业者的容身之处？
（四）我们过去的教育制度是否出现了大问题而造成今天的局面？如果是，行动党是否应该对此负责并且向国人公开道歉？
（五）既然如此，那实行精英教育制度又有何意义？

总而言之，青少年和行动党青年团的成员必需勇于向你们的基层领袖和党领袖，如；林文兴、黄根成、张志贤、黄文宏、甚什新总理李显龙等等发问尖锐的问题。但如果这些领袖无法给于你们答案而甚什叫你们住咀，那我实在不知道你们会从他们身上学到什么"治国之道"，更谈不上什么"为民服务"。

虽然如此，但我深信你们加入行动党青年团的目地是正面的。因此我呼吁行动党青年团向你们的领袖发出你们强大的政治力量和对他们施加压力，把那些不支持新加坡人的新加坡概念的党领袖排挤出党。也只有怎样，行动党和青年团才会得到国人的尊重和肯定。当然，如果你们不支持新加坡人的新加坡概念而同意继续建立行动党的新加坡，那我自然会很非常怀疑你们加入行动党青年团是的真正目地。

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