When the PAP leaders unleashed the mainstream media to attack Yaw of the Worker's Party over his extra-marital affair, they made a bad judgment that would come back to haunt them for a long time with its unintended consequences.
Why do I say this?
They could have asked the mainstream media, which is under their control, to downplay the episode, and said that it is a personal matter that should only concern Yaw's family.
Instead, they held the moral high ground and said that the lawmaker should be whiter than blue. Maybe, they did not realize that playing politics is never a good strategy for the long term.
They did not foresee that the same pressure and temptation would hit their own lawmakers. First, it was Palmer, now, it is Ong.
Why can't the lawmakers resist the temptation of the extra-marital affairs? Perhaps, it is the pressures that they have to face. It is quite demanding to be working day and night, to hold the job of a lawmaker and another full-time job, to be expected to be an angel as well, and be under public scrutiny all the time.
It is no fun to be a "yes-man" and not to have personal views except to parrot the official party line, whether you are blue or white. So, when a sympathetic and attractive member of the opposite sex paid some attention and lent a listening ear, it is easy to give way and have some enjoyment.
Looking at the ratio of white and blue in our Parliament, and the pressures and opportunities available to the lawmakers, there may be more to come. Who knows?
Not easy to be a whiter than white PAP lawmaker. You have to be more than white, pristine white. This is no Victorian era, temptations abound and a politician and a teacher here in Singapore share same problem - job stress, need some release, the lawmaker cheating on his wife, the teacher abusing the student sexually.
ReplyDeleteWhat's piquing our interest is PAP quickly covering their own kind with "personal indiscretion" as reason to resign.
If it's the case of an opposition MP, some big shot Minister will stand on the stage and shout all over the mouthpiece Press - infidelity, marital affairs, cheating on wife, immoral,etc.
I am sure there are many unreported cases amongst our politicians. In most corporations including GLCs, statutory boards and government ministries, extra-marital affairs are usually kept under wraps. They are not publicized or made known to employees.
ReplyDelete