ANOTHER READER DEFENDS SHIRWIN EU AGAINST CRITICISMS THAT HE WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

I refer to the reply by Mr Sagar Gandhi to Mr ShirwinEu’s wife’s comments.

High election costs isn’t the only way to exclude candidates looking for wealth. Lowering the MP allowance is another way. If the MP allowance is only $3,000 a month which is close to median income, then no one can blame election candidates for going after wealth.

There are so many ways to become famous. Most famous of which is the Famous Amos way. It is far cheaper and more effective too. So it’s hardly convincing for Mr Sagar to say that someone is going after fame by contesting in elections when there are so many other easier and more effective ways to become famous.

It is unfair for Mr Sagar to say that one who is truly worthy and deserving can easily obtain $13,500 a month because it implies that anyone who cannot obtain $13,500 a month is unworthy and undeserving. But $13,500 is way above Singapore median income. Mr Sagar is essentially saying that only the rich in Singapore are worthy and deserving enough to contest in elections. Ordinary folks earning less than $13,500 are unworthy. That is a terrible attitude to have. There are so many worthy individuals who are earning so much less than $13,500. We have a phD blogger who now drives a taxi. Dr Chee is a phD too but is reduced to doing odd jobs here and there.

Mr Sagar cannot compare the networking in Singapore with the networking in America. America is a free country. If there is a giant you want to fight against, there will be another giant who is willing to back you. Here in Singapore, all the networking eventually traces to PAP. If you’re against the PAP, then sadly, the network will be against you, not for you.

Mr Sagar should not blame Uber for high COEs. COEs have been high for many years already whereas Uber is only a recent phenomenon in Singapore. In fact, COEs have come down a bit from the highs a few years ago. Wouldn’t it be the other way around instead? That with Uber’s entrance comes lower COEs? I’m not suggesting anything but it shows how silly it can be to associate COEs with Uber when there are so many other factors to consider.

Instead of eagerly asking Shirwin for solutions, Mr Sagar should pause for a while and ask himself instead, for a relative unknown like Shirwin, even if his solution is gold or platinum standard, would Mr Sagar or the elites governing this country be able to recognise it?

By his statement “Would that not have been a better response than the desire to achieve wealth and fame when requesting to be voted into public office?”, Mr Sagar has already falsely accused Mr Shirwin of seeking wealth and fame. Mr Sagar urges Shirwin to improve his arguments when in fact it is Mr Sagar who should improve his. Mr Sagar should not be so silly as to think that making false accusations is the same as making an argument.

Lin