So you think your MP can't dance / blog?
In line with PM Lee's request for the younger MPs to 'recommend ways to better connect with the young and to make fresh proposals for a more hip and happening PAP' (see ST, 27 July 2006), the post-65ers - 12 MPs born after 1965 and called collectively the P65 Team - have come together to rehearse for a one-minute long performance at next year's Chingay Parade AND set up a blog site.
First, the Chingay performance -
Guess what? These guys are going to do hip-hop. Yes, they will not be wearing white (for once) and instead donning t-shirts and cargo pants complete with dangling chains.
As written in the ST, 4th Oct:
Mr Michael Palmer, also a Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP, said: 'Hip hop is popular with the young now, and learning it has allowed us to connect and identify with the younger generation.'
Are they worried about being seen to be trying too hard to connect with the young?
Mr Teo and Mr Palmer are upbeat. As Mr Palmer put it: 'We are not doing this to make ourselves look like idiots. Rather, we want to show the people that we know how to have fun - do silly things and laugh at ourselves.'
When I read that in the papers yesterday (4th oct), I was honestly, not highly impressed. While there are youngsters who are interested in hip hop, the logic is lost when you believe you're connecting with them just because you start learning the dance - and unless you come up with some impressive, 'wow' type of performance, you are not going to get their attention anyway. C'mon, some of these kids spend most of their free time practising along Citylink towards Esplanade, so did anyone really believe that they would suddenly develop an interest in current affairs and/or the PAP after realising that, hey, my MP can dance too?
I guess my idea of hoping for a greater degree of engagement between the govt and the youth did not include having my MPs perform breakdance or attempt not to break their bones while doing those pivot-head-on-floor kinda spins. It's one thing to 'play' and 'have fun' and 'do silly things', but quite another to get the young crowd involved - developing a sense of ownership and responsibility, being opinionated and passionate about govenance, and perhaps most importantly, learning to speak up while knowing that you would not be penalised (though of course one must be responsible for his words and deeds) and appreciating that your views would be listened to and acted upon.
Next, the blog site -
So the P65 Team has a new blog site http://www.P65.sg, where the MPs could blog there. While there are no set rules about what they can blog about, 3 of the MPs interviewed indicated that this blog would be a reflection of their personal lives. (ST, 5th Oct)
Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang) : "it is really to show our more personal, non-political side, so they can get to know us."
Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol) : "We may share our views on policies, but not to the extent where we edbate whether a policy is right or wrong... There are other platforms for doing that, such as Parliament and formal dialogues."
Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah) : "I see this as a reflection of what MPs achieve on a weekly basis. Youngsters can see this without having to come to dialogues, or Meet-the People Sessions."
I'm still rather intrigued by our country's policy that politics must be discussed on the 'right platforms' - like dialogues, meet the people sessions, parliament.. under the parliamentary system, we elect representatives to parliament who would formulate policies, pass laws, run the country. But this doesn't mean we've given up our rights to comment. IMHO, there's really nothing wrong in encouraging people to discuss about policies; in fact, this would prompt us to think about the issues in a deeper manner.
It's rather disappointing that this blog site would be like a celebrity blog - 'oh look what i did this weekend!' - I'd have imagined that these post-65ers would appreciate that youngsters like to heard, want to be heard, and seriously, should be heard. And if they honestly want to connect with the youth AND engage them on important topics concerning the country at large, then they could start by de-formalising the entire process - remove the need for your 'right platform', and loosen up on those OB markers!
It's been quite a number of years since Catherine Lim got chastised for discussing politics - 'run for Parliament and debate there' kinda reply - and surely one day, we have to reach a point where we can finally all talk about politics freely with each other?
My take on all these stunts? I hope there are better ideas in store for the P65 Team - set the trend, folks! And educate the young in the meantime; no one should be encouraged to 'love' a political party without understanding the party's beliefs and policies. This would only bode well for the future generations of Singaporeans.
By Hui Yi (who goes by Booze Queen normally but couldn't log in to post this one!)
First, the Chingay performance -
Guess what? These guys are going to do hip-hop. Yes, they will not be wearing white (for once) and instead donning t-shirts and cargo pants complete with dangling chains.
As written in the ST, 4th Oct:
Mr Michael Palmer, also a Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP, said: 'Hip hop is popular with the young now, and learning it has allowed us to connect and identify with the younger generation.'
Are they worried about being seen to be trying too hard to connect with the young?
Mr Teo and Mr Palmer are upbeat. As Mr Palmer put it: 'We are not doing this to make ourselves look like idiots. Rather, we want to show the people that we know how to have fun - do silly things and laugh at ourselves.'
When I read that in the papers yesterday (4th oct), I was honestly, not highly impressed. While there are youngsters who are interested in hip hop, the logic is lost when you believe you're connecting with them just because you start learning the dance - and unless you come up with some impressive, 'wow' type of performance, you are not going to get their attention anyway. C'mon, some of these kids spend most of their free time practising along Citylink towards Esplanade, so did anyone really believe that they would suddenly develop an interest in current affairs and/or the PAP after realising that, hey, my MP can dance too?
I guess my idea of hoping for a greater degree of engagement between the govt and the youth did not include having my MPs perform breakdance or attempt not to break their bones while doing those pivot-head-on-floor kinda spins. It's one thing to 'play' and 'have fun' and 'do silly things', but quite another to get the young crowd involved - developing a sense of ownership and responsibility, being opinionated and passionate about govenance, and perhaps most importantly, learning to speak up while knowing that you would not be penalised (though of course one must be responsible for his words and deeds) and appreciating that your views would be listened to and acted upon.
Next, the blog site -
So the P65 Team has a new blog site http://www.P65.sg, where the MPs could blog there. While there are no set rules about what they can blog about, 3 of the MPs interviewed indicated that this blog would be a reflection of their personal lives. (ST, 5th Oct)
Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang) : "it is really to show our more personal, non-political side, so they can get to know us."
Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol) : "We may share our views on policies, but not to the extent where we edbate whether a policy is right or wrong... There are other platforms for doing that, such as Parliament and formal dialogues."
Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah) : "I see this as a reflection of what MPs achieve on a weekly basis. Youngsters can see this without having to come to dialogues, or Meet-the People Sessions."
I'm still rather intrigued by our country's policy that politics must be discussed on the 'right platforms' - like dialogues, meet the people sessions, parliament.. under the parliamentary system, we elect representatives to parliament who would formulate policies, pass laws, run the country. But this doesn't mean we've given up our rights to comment. IMHO, there's really nothing wrong in encouraging people to discuss about policies; in fact, this would prompt us to think about the issues in a deeper manner.
It's rather disappointing that this blog site would be like a celebrity blog - 'oh look what i did this weekend!' - I'd have imagined that these post-65ers would appreciate that youngsters like to heard, want to be heard, and seriously, should be heard. And if they honestly want to connect with the youth AND engage them on important topics concerning the country at large, then they could start by de-formalising the entire process - remove the need for your 'right platform', and loosen up on those OB markers!
It's been quite a number of years since Catherine Lim got chastised for discussing politics - 'run for Parliament and debate there' kinda reply - and surely one day, we have to reach a point where we can finally all talk about politics freely with each other?
My take on all these stunts? I hope there are better ideas in store for the P65 Team - set the trend, folks! And educate the young in the meantime; no one should be encouraged to 'love' a political party without understanding the party's beliefs and policies. This would only bode well for the future generations of Singaporeans.
By Hui Yi (who goes by Booze Queen normally but couldn't log in to post this one!)
posted by gary at 6:04 AM
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