WP should offer an assessment of its track record « Yours Truly Singapore

Dear Straits Times,

I refer to the 30 Apr 2011 letter by Ms Chen Lee Lee.

Ms Chen wants the WP to assess its own record as a parliamentary voice over the past 20 years. Ms Chen should recognise that there is very little that one, two voices can do in parliament and that this unhealthy state of affairs is due to the unfair political climate imposed by the PAP. Ms Chen should instead examine her own record at helping to uphold political justice in Singapore through her vote.

Ms Chen laments that the WP didn't address the flipside of pro-foreigner policies which is to enlarge our economy. Ms Chen should go deeper into that policy and ask why didn't the PAP enlarge our economy through productivity gains instead of constantly relying on foreigners even after so many decades?

Ms Chen claims that inflation is a global issue. But property prices have sky rocketed and so have rents. A significant part of inflation comes from sky rocketing rents which is a predominantly local, not global issue.

Ms Chen laments that the WP didn't address the root of the problem. But Ms Chen couldn't even see the root of the problem which is the sheer dominance of the PAP in parliament.

Ms Chen says that including Mr Chen Show Mao in the WP team is an expedient way of boosting the WP academic credential. Can't Ms Chen see the flipside of her own argument which is PAP's equally expedient way of maintaining high academic credentials through the inclusion of many scholars in its lineup?

Ms Chen laments that including Mr Chen in the WP team comes at the expense of a native Singaporean. If that is what Ms Chen laments, she should similarly lament on the parliamentary seats taken by Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Dr Amy Khor, Dr Lily Neo and Ms Irene Ng which came at the expense of native Singaporeans too. Ms Chen should recognise that Mr Chen is Singaporean for more years than he is not.

Ms Chen laments that it will take longer for Mr Chen to understand us. Ms Chen should refocus her lament on the PAP instead. Even after so many years, the PAP still doesn't understand us and continues to implement policies that infuriate Singaporeans.

Ms Chen claims that Mr Chen is aiming to serve the WP's cause rather than the causes of her ward. But the cause of serving her ward is also a part of the WP's cause and hence a part of Mr Chen's cause.

Ms Chen regurgitates government propaganda about lapses of some First World parliaments. The key, Ms Chen should recognise is some, not all. Many of the First World like Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and the UK have no lapsed. We too have had lapses such as the Mas Selamat escape and the Orchard Road floods. Would Ms Chen similarly focus on our few lapses and conclude that our PAP government is nothing but lapses?

Ms Chen asks if our parliament too will similarly fall into lapses. In the first place, there are more First World governments that have not lapsed than lapsed. Also, there are currently two miserable opposition members in parliament, far from the number found in other First World nations to have any effect on the balance of power.

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