3rd Proposal

As promised, I will continue on this original post, albeit in stages. Here’s the latest……


How to maintain Singapore’s high economic growth and keep on improving our standard of living?
See earlier post "2 Proposals"

How to satisfy transport demands of the next generation?
See earlier post "2 Proposals"


How to convince Singaporeans their lives will get better?
I do not agree with the Senior Minister on this. Why is convincing Singaporeans a big challenge? This “challenge” does not really concern Singaporeans in general. It merely applies to the ruling class, the incumbent government. Most Singaporeans like me are concerned about improving their lives, materially and otherwise. I do not care about “thinking and believing” that my life is going to get better. Self-deception and media-brainwashing are cannot substitute for an actual real improvement in quality of life.

It sounds to me that the Senior Minister is concerned about the effectiveness of its propaganda machine. The government is effectively in full control of the media. Through our local newspapers, TV etc, the ruling party speaks directly to the conscious of the nation. Much of its political hegemony is perpetuated through this mechanism. My case in point? Just talk to any individual, who is not privy to the widespread discussion of the fallacies of the existing government on the blogosphere but instead receives most of his/her information through the mainstream media, and I am quite certain that they can only see the positives of the existing administration.

But with a population that is increasingly sophisticated, knowledgeable and inquisitive, the media savvy-ness of our government needs to move to another level. I cannot speak for all Singaporeans but I cringe whenever I see on our Straits Times things like “Alice Wong, 35, housewife and mother of 2, also agrees that the recent increase in electricity tariffs is reasonable and fair……” and the likes. This is blatant propaganda done in the most crude and vulgar fashion, a major turnoff for many people. To encourage people to sincerely root for the government, I advise a media stance in the spirit of freedom of speech instead of the vulgar and oppressive media brain-washing. At least the government will begin to connect more to the informed and convince them that their leaders are reasonable, intelligent individuals that deserves respect.