Even if you give opposition 1 more year and you will probably still not see them mounting any credible challenge except from SDP and WP in my opinion.
The problem with most opposition parties is everybody wants to be chief. Hence, if I can't be the chief, I will form another party and appoint myself as chief.
During the last GE, WP proposed its purpose was to slap the driver --- They cannot be the driver so the stand will always be looking for where and when to slap. Cannot do without but also cannot fully depend.
You are never going to see any major change in the "readiness" of any party to take over from the PAP until and unless there is a fundamental shift in the way that political parties are funded and resourced.
A prime example - over the weekend I saw a facebook post by one of the PAP - taking about a block visit they had done and what actions had been taken. This included a "report" of the problems raised - with comments from the various ministries (i.e - LTA, HDB etc etc). Do you think that these ministries are willing to accompany "opposition" MPs on a block visit? Why or why not?
How about the reserves that are available? Or access to the "planning and forecasting" dept of the various ministry?
Ideology aside - who is going to formulate "better" (i.e better researched and more robust) policy - the one that has access to the full weight of the civil service, or the one that has to do their own research from publicly available information?
Until this changes - the opposition is never going to be ready - you may as well ask me why Dr John is a better doctor than me, while at the same time not allowing me to go to medical school.
The problem with most opposition parties is everybody wants to be chief. Hence, if I can't be the chief, I will form another party and appoint myself as chief.
During the last GE, WP proposed its purpose was to slap the driver --- They cannot be the driver so the stand will always be looking for where and when to slap. Cannot do without but also cannot fully depend.
You are never going to see any major change in the "readiness" of any party to take over from the PAP until and unless there is a fundamental shift in the way that political parties are funded and resourced.
A prime example - over the weekend I saw a facebook post by one of the PAP - taking about a block visit they had done and what actions had been taken. This included a "report" of the problems raised - with comments from the various ministries (i.e - LTA, HDB etc etc). Do you think that these ministries are willing to accompany "opposition" MPs on a block visit? Why or why not?
How about the reserves that are available? Or access to the "planning and forecasting" dept of the various ministry?
Ideology aside - who is going to formulate "better" (i.e better researched and more robust) policy - the one that has access to the full weight of the civil service, or the one that has to do their own research from publicly available information?
Until this changes - the opposition is never going to be ready - you may as well ask me why Dr John is a better doctor than me, while at the same time not allowing me to go to medical school.
