PM Lee: “Adapt yourself or perish”
From our Correspondent
In a recent party’s convention, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that People’s Action Party should learn from Japan Liberal Democratic Party’s failure. According to him, the party failed because they did not renew itself. In order to avoid the same mistake, PAP should renew itself.
“It is not easy for a party in power to celebrate 50 years in government. You look at the parties in Asia — several of them have been in power for a considerable time, but all of them are soul-searching, thinking (about) what must they change, how must they adapt to the future,” Lee said.Lee is secretary general of the PAP, which has been in power since 1959.
His speech to about 1,000 party cadres mentioned the recent troubles faced by Japan’s LDP and Malaysia’s ruling Barisan National coalition.
He said the PAP’s commitment to self-renewal has been a key factor preventing it from decaying or stagnating, and allowing it to stay relevant and in power for so long.
“For the LDP, things began to take a turn for the worse in the 1990s when the Japanese economic bubble burst. The electorate started to blame every bad thing that happened — from unemployment to the loss of its self-confidence — on the party,” he said.
“This August, it lost at the polls. It had ruled Japan for almost 55 years, save for a break in 1993. But it isn’t just that the economy went up and went down. It’s more than that. The LDP didn’t renew themselves,” he said.
Lee said the Japanese system that allowed legislators’ children to practically inherit Diet seats from their parents and the long waiting time period before legislators could become ministers made it hard for the LDP to retain and attract talent.
“Now the LDP has lost power but is still finding it difficult to break the old mold,” he said, adding that the party needs to “take time to reorganize itself and find new ways to appeal to voters.”
Lee said his own party has identified some younger candidates in their 30s and 40s to join his party’s slate for the next general election, which is due by February 2012.
The PAP has dominated Singapore’s legislature since independence after separation with Malaysia in 1965. It won 82 out of 84 parliamentary seats in the 2006 general elections, or 67 percent of the votes cast.
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UD on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 12:00 pm
Enough talk. So what are you going to do about it?
Old Guy on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 12:15 pm
adapt to become the opposition party instead ??
diedie on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 12:15 pm
He talks like woody. It nearly impossible to effect change in the PAP. Look at the sph, enuf said. For real change to take place, it has to be prodded from external factors. The Jews are really good in finance and banking as they have always been discriminated. Israel is good at fighting as they are surrounded by enemies. Even if you look at the gaming world, the brotherhood are top of the heap gamers as since the beginning of time, everyone has been trying to wipe them out and so they have to develop a culture where if you fail, the tribe will chase you out, thus leaving the strongest to lead.
PAP on the other hand is full of air bags, safety nets and cushy stuff.
Opposition voter on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 12:19 pm
All indications seem to point to the fact that the MIW will not be playing a role in the future of Singapore.
Don’t think they will be missed though.
ErniesUrn on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 12:29 pm
Nothing to do with renewal of candidates that will save his party.
If the PAP does not change its self-serving philosophy, mentality and change their ‘amakudari’ aka ‘meritocractic’ ways, then it’s bound for the same fate as the former party of Japan.
The people will see to it that change prevails. It is the only constant.
fair and square on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 12:44 pm
One humble sinagporean suggestion to he PAP.
please do not simple neglect the people-local sinagporeans since independence-who have contributed enormously if not wholly to the SINAGPORE SUCCESS STORY!
less greed and more compassion should be the true globalisation
dictum!
PS: BY THE WAY I WORKED HARD TOO AND PAID MY DUE TAXES JUST LIKE MANY OTHER “SIDE-LINEED” singa-POOR-eans!
PM and PAP should ALSO... on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:02 pm
Adapt themselves OR PERISH in UTTER DISGRACE after their BIG TALK-the-walks!!!
Apocalypse on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:12 pm
I thought I might say something different here – I was speculating why old man went up north recently to visit and spoke to so many people, especially that Nik something (opposition PAS I believe); and why his son went up to eat sushi with Mr Hatoyama so quickly when even Hatoyama had not warmed up his PM seat as yet.
This is what I humbly learned – if one were to study carefully our officals trips, as reported or go unreported, there are many things one can take a cue from. Of course some conclusions may not surface quickly, conspicuously to see – like eg. why old man go Armenia, SM go to Fujien (of course we all now know tht its a message to those anti immigrants).
There you have it – I guessed young dragon go and find out from Hatoyama what luck he has got, and old man wanted to learn from Nik what makes him stayed so long, and from Najib, why keep on loosing so many by-lections.
And today we read – HDB arrears down, CDC see less help-seekers, and more job advertisements (’ST dont mentioned directly, as in they quoted someone’). This signal voting is coming – reports on HDB buy-backs, Tharman said we are resilient, dragon said ministers identified etc.
So if one is to just spend a little bit more time, and use a bit of grey matter – one can safely interpret official actions.
And what do you think of young dragon eating sushi with Hatoyama – I think one more thing more to it, he probably convey China’s message to Hatoyama not to push Asia union (to exclude China)
Anyone? on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:15 pm
One question that I’ve been asking myself has been:
PAP has been in power for 50 years exactly this year. Why hasn’t there not been any big fanfare or hoohaa parade and fireworks and what-not to celebrate that??
hmmmmm……
Terrified on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:16 pm
His messages seemed to miss the point. People want change has nothing to do with pap internal renwal process, people are just fed up with the whole pap team and their self-serving policies. He sounded so complicated and yet ignoring the root of the problems people are facing.
cat on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:19 pm
LHL loves to use cliche words.
No original ideas.
Band of Brothers on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:24 pm
Enough empty words, every time election comes, always same old trick “party renewal”, what happen since LHL became prime minister, has it become better? Obviously not, its the PAP policies that are affecting ordinary citizens. We need renewal of political landscape in Singapore, no more single party monopoly system, vote the Alternative parties.
3rd Class citizen on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:48 pm
中國唐朝盛世兩百多年,到頭來還不是滅亡!
套用佛家一句話!”無常”!
天下沒有永恒的東西!
就讓時間來證明吧!
fair and square on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:53 pm
As local singaporeans,we are being compared and contrasted to
FTs,sometimes rather myopically and oftentimes unfairly.
Do we singaporeans think it is time to put some OPPOSTIONmembers into parliamnet or even cabinet office so that
we can compare and contrat fr ourselves who can serve our needs better?
Like they cliched:” FAIR COMPETITION!”???
cy on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 1:58 pm
“invert, always invert”
the party that calls for “Adapt yourself or perish” is not doing a good job of adapting, thus the call. you never heard opposition party crying “Adapt yourself or perish” because they have been adapting.
abc on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 2:05 pm
Got renewal meh?
Look around. The power is all held by the same people who has been around forever. What renewal.
Renewal mean the old guys go away and let the guys take over. Look at the inner circle, most are still the old guys. In fact there is one that has already gone past the expiry date for 2 decades and still there! Amazing but true…
Time for Change on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 2:20 pm
Right now the greatest nightmare that I can have is that I wake up after election day and I find that the MIW are still in power. Eeeeeee!!!!
My generation and myself have taken all this BS for all this years, however, I would sincerely hope that the younger generation would not have to go through it themselves.
Enough is enough. We, the good people of Singapore have to put a stop to it. If we don’t then we will probably live to regret it when the grandson takes over.
Peace brothers and sisters.
Chris on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 2:32 pm
PAP will PERISH
then after MM LKY die, SINGAPORE will PERISH
ghosts of all his political enemies he killed in the name of singapore will come and drag him to hell and singapore along with it because singaporeans continued to vote for him and his cronies after operation coldstore and spectrum
the land calls out for blood … leave the place while you still can!!!
Opposition voter on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 2:40 pm
Well, one thing I won’t miss is how they get RC members, YPAP, civil servants or PAP activists to write in to the forum pages pretending to be ordinary citizens supporting government policies. He is one stooge who wrote in to support government plans to abolish wet markets.
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_448535.html
Because of one incident with a fishmonger, she wants all wet markets to be closed. Isn’t this plain stupid? The mutton seller and the old lady selling vegetables are probably very nice people. Does she even care?
“MY MOTHER-IN-LAW constantly exalts the variety and freshness of seafood and vegetables in wet markets.”
You can she that she is a member of the elite because this is the first time she is going to a wet markets. I guess she must be in her 30s and this is the first time she has been to a wet market!!! She didn’t know that the produce in a wet market are fresh.
Once the opposition takes over, it will be the end of such dirty tricks.
Fujienese on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 3:24 pm
Just an example, its the truth, happened couple of years back. My elder brother now late 50’s, has 2 kids, both in 20’s – both did not return after their overseas studies – MIGRATED !!
In terms of percentage numbers – this is SIMPLY 100%, folks !!!
Of course MIW can sweep aside tons of reasons – for us its simply grass greener over the other side – and if MIW still refuse to accept, it means SOUR GRAPES !!!
suk hoi on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 4:22 pm
We sent our troops to Africa and other underdeveloped countries as UN peacekeeping force. As UN observer, we monitor that theres no govt intimidation, no manipulation or money politic and that its a fair, open and equal rights for their people to vote in a GE. Do they have GRC like ours? Can UN instead learn and look into our GE system?
from HK on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 4:39 pm
If FT policy still goes on and creat more hardship for local , I am sure PAP will goes down the same path of troubles faced by Japan’s LDP and Malaysia’s ruling Barisan National coalition.
btan on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 4:46 pm
My message to PAP and LHL is : take care of the people, allow 2-party system democracy or prepare to perish yourself.
Muppet on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 5:03 pm
Ya … I adapt myself in Bangkok … or I will perish in Spore.
SingaBelang on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 5:07 pm
What does he mean “adapt” ?
Do what PAP wants you to do or go to jail?
Neil Bishop on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 6:08 pm
Seriously, Dear Leader is full of sh-t. He is making vague motherhood statements because he and Great Leader are passing time while they try and figure out how much longer they can hide the truth about how much money GIC and Temasek have really lost. If that figure was revealed they know they would both perish, electorally at least. This accursed family really cannot see that they are driving Singapore in the wrong direction and there is a massive groundswell of resentment that has built toward them simply because people resent being lied to time and time again: to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
BuiTaHan on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 7:51 pm
With LHL as PM, PAP will perish faster!!!
Dirty Old Man on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 8:04 pm
MM Lee, PM Lee and SM Goh can say what they want… but it dosen’t look too good for the MIWs this coming GE.
A lot of contentious and sensitive isues to answer for in the next GE:
1. Million $$$$ Ministers.
2. FTs / PRs influx.
3. Housing squeeze. Bubble prices.
4. COVs for HDB resale.
5. “Affordable” + “Subsidized new HDB apartments ??
6. Swiss standard of living ??
7. Rising Cost Of Living.
8. GIC losses of S$ 50 billion
9. Temasek losses of S$ 40 billion.
10. Town Council losses of S$ 10 mil.
11. Ho Ching at Temasek.
These are just some of the issues…
The PAP Government have taken voters support for granted and implemented policies that made life miserable for most Singaporeans… especially in the last 4 – 5 years.
Voters should not be taken in by their empty promises and should vote wisely in the next GE.
Giselle on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 9:50 pm
I quite agree with btan. I think the one to perish should be the PAP. In fact nothing that they do can change my mind against them. They’ve broken the straw on the camel’s back. No turning back.
Giselle on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 10:13 pm
In fact, I pray everyday that they perish. Imagine the cost savings! Straight away we save 40 million a year in pay to these useless fat cats… next we’ll unlock and get back our CPF… man, the fantasies are endless.
TL on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 11:15 pm
I hope LHL will be voted out for the good of Singaporeans!!! He has harmed Singapore greatly in the past few years!!!
Time for Change on Wed, 4th Nov 2009 9:39 am
TL on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 11:15 pm
I hope LHL will be voted out for the good of Singaporeans!!! He has harmed Singapore greatly in the past few years!!!
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It is certainly true that LHL has made a mess of things. It started with his visit to Taiwan which angered China very much.
But the fact is that LHL is very much divorced from reality. Being the PM’s son, he must have lead a very sheltered like. I bet he doesn’t have a clue as to how the lower income Singaporeans live. His recent remarks that most poor people in Singapore have air-conditioning indicates how out of touch he is.
His past gaffe included saying “mee siam mai hum” in a national day rally. He was groomed to be PM. He is so out of touch with the average Singaporeans that an alien from Mars probably knows more about us than him.
Now is the time for Change. Use your votes wisely or it is Singaporeans and not PAP that will perish.
I love my country on Wed, 4th Nov 2009 10:29 am
This guy is a total block head, go to pple’s country and say pple loser cos never renew themselves like PAP.
If were LDP I would tell him to F – Back to Singapore
btan on Wed, 4th Nov 2009 6:00 pm
@Giselle on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 10:13 pm
[[In fact, I pray everyday that they perish. Imagine the cost savings! Straight away we save 40 million a year in pay to these useless fat cats… next we’ll unlock and get back our CPF… man, the fantasies are endless.]]
I long for the day I can take out my own CPF money as well. Although like you said, they are just fantasies. At least I am more confident of growing it then the million dollar fat cats ministers.
Apologies to all the cats out there.