Does this sound like good news to you?

The shock came late last evening. MM Lee and SM Goh have tendered their resignations as Cabinet Ministers. I was in shock as we walked around, watching young people hang out in the neighbourhood.

While MM Lee and SM Goh will still be in Parliament as Members of Parliament, they will no longer be in Cabinet, going through the many policy papers put up by civil servants via the respective ministers with portfolios.

Without such fearsome elders, who's gonna plainly say that this or that policy idea is simply rubbish? Who's gonna tell the male Minister who makes sexist remarks to a female Member of Parliament in Parliament to apologise to her? Who's gonna resolve sticky situations such as a non-Singaporean pilot trying to create trouble for our national airline?

The slow motion crash and burn just sped up overnight.
.........................................................

It is very dicey to hand over the reins completely. Not when the new rein-holders have proven themselves to have had made very bold mistakes.

Some say,"This is an inevitable transition."
I say,"As if that statement in itself in brings any kind of comfort."

I am of the view that this is entirely a knee-jerk reaction to an unexpectedly loud boo from 40% of Singaporeans during GE2011. The keywords here are not even 'knee-jerk reaction'.

The keyword is 'unexpected'.
Why was the loud boo 'unexpected'?
Hang on for a bit... I have some more to say.

I disagree with the statement that it is good that MM Lee and SM Goh have stepped down because their styles do not match the expectations of younger Singaporeans.

This is a frivolous excuse because their stepping down will not enable a clean slate at all.

The root problem has not been eradicated with their exit. In fact, putting forth such excuses simply reinforces the fact that the root problem persists.

So, what is the root problem? Hang on  for a bit more.

Along the same 'match the expectations of younger Singaporeans' vein, I vehemently disagree that the styles of the 'younger' PAP leaders and MPs match the expectations of younger Singaporeans any more than those of SM Lee and MM Goh.
Examples of these 'younger' PAP leaders and MPs who try to connect with younger Singaporeans include:

• PM Lee chatting on Facebook
• Chan Chun Sing's folksy and condescending demeanour and 'kee chiew' speeches
• George Yeo's attempt to reach out via blogs of/with Joanne Peh, Jack Neo, Tracey Phillips, Rui En, Xiaxue, other bloggers who look like Xiaxue etc.
• Clueless and shameless 27- and 43-year old Members of Parliament, Tin Pei Ling and Teo Ser Luck, fielded to connect with youths. 
• Foolish P65 MPs Hip Hop dancing like nerds with cerebral palsy etc

This is all but form from which they really believe can help them to 'connect' with people.

But where is the substance?

It's like a Mediacorp drama. The spoken Mandarin is fake, the acting is poor and robotic, and the story line is uninspiring and predictable. It is an insult to its intended audience as it assumes that this is all the audience requires. And by the way, the audience's eyeballs (votes) are merely a way for the artistes to ask for more money. Their main concern is not to improve their acting as actors, but to gain fame and make money as celebrities.

As such, the root problem is really the lack of sincerity to do good.
And this is caused by a severe and persistent condition of obstinance and hubris. That you know better, because you ARE bigger, better, wiser etc.

Hence, because you are so great, you do not 'expect' so many people to boo at you. You believe that having gone through the motion to 'connect' with people, that it should suffice.

Let me tell you once and for all, it's a bloody vicious cycle.
Insincere people choosing insincere people.

You need external help. Stop looking towards people inside the circle for advice and help.

"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd." 

~ Voltaire (1694 - 1778)