Here are some of the many promises that the PAP broke upon coming to power.

Caution: Viewed them according to your own discretion.


Shared prosperity a cornerstone of the PAP's economic policy?

During elections:

"Shared prosperity will remain a cornerstone of our New Singapore."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Oct 20, 2001

After elections:

"A Department of Statistics (DOS) report last year showed income inequality has crept up over the years. Overall, average monthly incomes have risen: from $3,076 in 1990 to $4,943 in 2000. But incomes at the top rose, while incomes at the bottom declined. In 2000, incomes for the top 10 per cent of resident households grew 8.8 per cent, while incomes for the bottom 10 per cent of wage-earning households shrank 13.6 per cent. This shrinkage would have been even greater - 54.1 per cent - if households with no wage earners had been included. The Gini coefficient - which measures income disparity in a society - hovered around 0.44 in the 1990s, but expanded to 0.481 in 2000, showing a rising income gap."
- Chua Mui Hoong, political columnist, Straits Times, Aug 4, 2003

"If we want to have successful entrepreneurs, Singaporeans have to accept a greater income disparity between the successful and the not so successful."
- SM Lee Kuan Yew, Ho Rih Hwa public lecture, Feb 5, 2002





Choose PAP and Singapore will grow, prosper and becomes stronger?

During elections:

"Choose wrongly, and Singapore will be weaker. People will start writing new reports about us, about how, after all, we are just a flash in the pan."
- DPM Lee Hsien Loong, Straits Times, Oct 22, 2001

After elections:

"Singapore is Asia's weakest economy: Barclays." - AFP, Jun 18, 2002

"Singapore among Asia's laggards as recession deepens." - Bloomberg, Jan 2 ,2002

"Glory of Singapore fades into the past." - Age, Melbourne, Jan 24 ,2002

"Singapore is trying to halt slippage." - New York Times, Apr 30, 2002

"In Singapore: Government squanders savings." - New Zealand Herald, May 18, 2002

"Economic doubts dog Singapore." - Financial Times, Aug 27, 2002

"Singapore faces jobless surge." - BBC, Sept 13, 2002

"Singapore concedes economy weakening, delays pension repairs." - AFP, Nov 17, 2002

"Whither Singapore Inc?" - Economist, Nov 28, 2002

"Singapore economy to remain sluggish" - Financial Times, Jan 3, 2003

"Singapore economy stagnates, recession risks loom." - Reuters, Apr 10, 2003

"Bad debts up as Singapore falters." - Reuters, Jul 31, 2003





The PAP is a government that leads?

During elections:

"You look at all the countries around us...Currencies collapsed, property prices ces collapsed, unemployment, economies slowing down, riots, clashes between people. Singapore did not go through that mangle. Why? Because in Singapore, we had a competent government in charge, anticipating events."
- SM Lee Kuan Yew on the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, Straits Times, Nov 1 2003

After elections:

"In a global economy, we are not trendsetters. We follow what others do."
- Minister and labour chief Lim Boon Heng, Straits Times, Jul 2003

"Data released by the Ministry of Manpower last week was by far the bleakest to date. Eight straight quarters of job losses and a staggering 24,800 jobs wiped out over the April to June period - more in a single quarter than in all of 1998, the peak of Asia's infamous financial crisis."
- The Edge, Aug 4, 2003

"Singaporeans are also the most pessimistic about their future income. In the Asia-Pacific region, only the Japanese are less confident than Singaporeans about the outlook for regular income. These are among the findings of MasterCard International's latest biannual survey of consumer confidence in 13 markets around the region."
- The Edge, Aug 4, 2003





Unite behind PAP for a secure future and a better life?

During elections:

"A people united - Secure Future, Better Life."
- PAP election manifesto

"Vote for my PAP team. a people united behind a good government is your best guarantee of a secure future and a better life."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Oct 28, 2001

After elections:

"Bankruptcy cases at 17 year high."
- Straits Times, Jan 8, 2003

"Family violence on the rise, and counselors attribute it to the stress of job losses due to the economic downturn."
- Straits Times, Jan 28, 2002

"During the Asian Financial Crisis, 27,000 jobs were lost. That year the number of marital splits jumped by 16 per cent to 5,651. Last year a record number of 5,825 marriages ended in divorces and annulments - up sharply from 2,111 cases in 1982."
- Straits Times, Jun 8, 2003

"Hit by slowdown, young working adults are vulnerable to suicidal thoughts. More are calling SOS hotline for help...there were 361 suicides last year, nearly 17% more than 1999."
- Straits Times, June 15, 2003





PM Goh shows more understanding towards our concerns?

During elections:

"Will you keep your job? Can your families cope with school expenses, medical bills, rent and utilities charges? I understand your worries."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Oct 28, 2001 (A week earlier, Goh had said he understood our “concerns.” See posting on 19 Jul 2005 below. Concerns and worries come thick and fast before elections to the PAP; what happens after elections is another matter.)

After elections:

"A growing number of Singapore children are not being sent to school because their cash-strapped parents claim they cannot afford to pay for education. Ministry figures show 1921 children did not register for Primary 1 classes in 1999, up 244 on 1997 figures. "
- Reuters, Mar 3, 2002

"More parents seeking help to pay school fees."
- Straits Times Jun 17, 2002

"About 10,000 students received financial help from the Ministry of Education in the first six months of this year, almost three times that for the whole of 1999. The Starits Times School Pocket Money Fund, which gives students $30 or $50 a month, is also helping 2,000 more students this year, nearly 40 per cent more than last year's 5,500."
- Straits Times, Aug 11, 2003

"Thousands can't pay utility bills, many face power cut."
- Straits Times, Apr 12, 2003

"Desperation is forcing some people to ask for personal loans on the internet ... they are asking strangers for anything between $500 and $30,000."
- Straits Times, Apr 14, 2002





Jobs, Jobs, Jobs?

During elections:

"SDP's plan 'causes higher unemployment.'"
- George Yeo in Straits Times, Oct 29, 2001

"Top task for PM - to save and create jobs. There is one thing on Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's mind these days : jobs, jobs, jobs."
- Straits Times, Oct 26, 2001

After elections:

"Numbers for the first three months indicate that unemployment - now at a 15 year high - will get worse before it improves."
- Straits Times, May 1 2002

"Gone forever: 42,000 jobs in Singapore. Why: high costs here; the recession; business restructuring."
- Straits Times, June 17 2002

"The proportion of Singaporeans who are unemployed for at least 6 months is the worst in 10 years."
- Straits Times, Sept 15 2002

"Fewer jobs as gloom hits economy. 84,300 people could not find jobs last month."
- Straits Times, Nov 1 2002

"By year end, unemployment should rise to 5.5 per cent ... a recent MOM survey says that three in 10 of the jobless are sole breadwinners which means more than 30,000 families could be living off retrenchment benefits, savings and any odd jobs they can snag."
- Straits Times, Nov 23, 2002



Compassion government?

During elections:

"Build compassionate meritocracy : PM"
- Straits Times, Oct 27 2001

After elections:

"CDCs are not welfare agencies: PM"
- Straits Times, Jan 6, 2002

"If these patients want to treat hospitals like a hotel, then they'll have to be charged hotel rates."
- Minister Lim Hng Kiang, Straits Times, March 1,2002, on cutting off subsidies for hospital overstayers who "are likely to be older than 60, with no income, or are from families with incomes below $1000."

"I regret making the decision because, in the end, the baby continued to be in intensive care, and KKH now runs a bill of more than $300,000."
- Lim Hng Kiang on how he regretted intervening to admit a premature baby into KKH, Straits Times, May 21, 2002

"Family bathes in public toilet because the water supply has been reduced to a trickle and the electricity disconnected. 'I have no money even to buy candles.'"
- Retrenched worker Mdm Dilaram, Straits Times, Apr 12, 2003

"Power supply is not a welfare organisation."
- DPM Lee Hsien Loong, Straits Times, Mar 13, 2003

"More than 3000 Singaporeans have applied for a government assistance scheme in the first two weeks of the year ...but no one has qualified."
- Straits Times, Jan 26, 2003





PM Goh understands our concerns?

During elections:

"I know you are worried about your job and your family's future. I understand your concerns.”
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Oct 20, 2001

After Elections:

“Layoffs not all bad. If there are no retrenchments at all, then I worry for Singapore.”
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Mar 22, 2003





PAP=Pay and Pay?

During elections:

"What it means is that government will have to tax and tax and you will have to pay and pay. If you don't want a Pay and Pay government, better don't vote for the opposition. Vote for the PAP."
- DPM Lee Hsien Loong rebutting opposition's economic proposals, Straits Times, Oct 29 2001

After elections:

"This is the medicine, take it."
- DPM Lee Hsien Loong on the GST hike, CNA, May 15, 2002





PM Goh wanted alternatives?

During elections:

“I would want to form an alternative policies group in Parliament, comprising 20 PAP MPs. These 20 PAP MPs will be free to vote in accordance with what they think of a particular policy.

After elections:

In other words, the whip for them will be lifted. This is not playing politics, this is something which I think is worthwhile doing."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Nov 3, 2001

"If you sing Jailhouse Rock with your electric guitar when others are playing Beethoven, you are out of order. The whip must be used on you."
- PM Goh Chok Tong in report "Not in people's interest to lift whip", Straits Times, Apr 6, 2002

As it can be seen from the various broke promises above, it is clearly evident that the PAP is not as credible as they say they are. Contrary to media reports in the Straits Times, where the PAP is being potrayed as the most effective, efficient and accountable government, the broken promises that you have just read only serves to illustrate the point that the Singapore system desperately needs someone to check on the government. Furthermore, one should read the Straits Times with a certain skepticism with regard to political reporting and analysis. The best alternative to solve the above predicament is to vote in opposition parties into parliament so as to serve as checks and balances to the ruling party and to expose the faults of the government to the people who voted them into office in the first place, so as to enable these voters to make an informed decision in the next elections.