Why the new MDA rules won't hurt the PAP

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

I see people claiming that the new MDA licensing rules will create a furore similar to the Population White Paper.

Here's why it will not happen:

1) The majority of Singaporeans feel that issues like media freedom (especially internet media freedom) has got no direct link with their day-to-day lives. Overpopulation is something you can feel every day when you experience traffic jams, crowded MRTs and jam-packed shopping malls. When you go out for a meal and the service staff is from the Philippines or China, it is something very obvious that you can see. With regards to media freedom, people already more or less know and accept that the Singapore media is censored and government-controlled. It's not an issue they care about, just like they don't care about issues like the death penalty, or gay marriages, or reforming the judicial system.

2) The majority of Singaporeans do not even rely on the internet for news. They are quite happy reading ST and watching CNA.

3) The people who are complaining are the 'civil society activists' group. You will see people like M Ravi, Joshua Chiang, Andrew Loh, Choo Zheng Xi, Rachel Zeng, Kirsten Han etc making a lot of noise. As far as politicians are concerned, only the liberal ideologues like Dr Chee, Dr Wijeysingha, James Gomez and Ravi Philemon will publicly oppose.. and maybe some of the NSP folks like Nicole Seah or Hazel Poa. You will not hear any of the Workers Party MPs raising this issue at all, and even if they do, it will be with the finer technical details of implementation (e.g. asking for clarifications of safeguards) and not with the law itself.

4) Much of the unhappiness on the internet is based on the fact that there was no Parliament debate before introducing this law. However, most Singaporeans do not realise the role of Parliament in the governance of the country, at least not its legislative function. Most people assume that their MP's job is to look after their estate and ensure that their lifts are upgraded and playgrounds are well-maintained. The average Singaporean does not understand the roles and functions of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government.

I am not trying to support the new MDA rules, nor am I saying they are right. I am just saying they don't matter to most people. So this issue is going to die down rather quickly. The liberal intelligentsia community has never really been able to influence the masses, certainly not in the manner that the WP and their 'grassroots' politicians have been able to do.

It does say something about the quality of our voters and our citizens (in terms of their level of awareness and knowledge) -- but then again, a third world electorate deserves a third world government, wouldn't you agree??? Maybe LKY was right when he said that Singaporeans need to be trained like dogs, and have their personal lives scrutinised. Sure, he wanted the PAP to be all-powerful, but perhaps he also felt that the people were too stupid to be governed any other way?


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