We
all expect a new political normal after 2011 watershed election, but wait a
minute, we have something more interesting.
Politics is always a ‘slow hot’ item in Singapore, so we better let the human
nature take the first place. Politics
can wait, but human desires can’t wait for too long, especially when comes to
money and women.
However, we don’t see any new changes in
politics, even with the Hougang by-election, the PAP continues running the
country as their wishes as before – no openness and transparency in CPF,
reserve, Temasek and GIC. The ruling
party still has overwhelming majority in the parliament. If they want, they can
pass any bills into law.
We are misled to believe there is a new political
normal. The reality is the new normal comes from non-political
developments. This fits the development
of Singapore – economics comes first, social changes, politics come later.
The
temptation for money and sex is always there; especially it is easy money and
easy sex. Singapore is no
exception. Perhaps, we have hidden our
desires for too long and now out of sudden, the new normal is all these appear
one after the other.
We
are too proud to have economic success for more than 50 years. We are also
proud to have a clean image – less corruption, less paid sex related crimes,
misuses of trusted fund. And in
addition, we consider we are a conservative society for sex, corruption and
crimes. Perhaps, this is why we still maintain the death penalty.
So,
instead of a new political norm – space for political participation and inclusiveness,
we are experiencing an unusual high number of high profile cases of sex for
favour or contract corruption, sex with underage girls, criminal breach of
trust or misuses of fund etc. Strange! Why all these come only after 2011 and replace
the politics as the main leads in our daily life.
The
Singapore society now experiences a new normal, from a clean image to a reality
show in life – corruption, sex, and fund misuses. We are no difference from others. We are
after all human beings. Unfortunately,
we are still at the very low level of Marlow’s hierarchy of needs – just look
for the basic needs, not the spiritual needs.
We
are now down from the high ethical point to a level that is common in other
countries, i.e. what happens to other countries also happen to us despite the
prevention measures like high salary, quick promotion, CPIB, CAD etc. The good, bad and ugly of people’s behavior
and human nature in other countries are also happening here in Singapore.
It
is interesting to note that we are able to maintain a clean image for 50 years
but why we can’t continue to do so for another 50 years. We don’t have so many
scandals before is it because (or maybe) we are too smart to hide our secrets or
we have all the while under report these scandals in the past?
So,
is this is a new normal or an old normal?
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