If you have not heard of the crab mentality, it comes from the anecdotal claims that when a crab tries to escape from an open bucket, it will be pulled down by other crabs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the uproar over a free shuttle bus in Marine Parade, it is safe to say that the Opposition might just be afflicted with an unfortunate dose of crustacean psychology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forget that Marine Parade is one of Singapore\u2019s oldest housing estates, where many residents are seniors. Old, frail, with trouble walking long distances to do their shopping at the market or attend appointments at the polyclinic. Lots of them are asset rich but cash poor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many can\u2019t afford a private hire car or taxi to take them for medical appointments, or to see their friends. Some of them have children who work and can\u2019t take them around. Others live on their own and have no children at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thankfully, there is an abundance of compassion and ingenuity within our society. Which was how the idea of a free shuttle bus came about. Thanks to the relentless efforts of grassroots leaders and the generosity of donors, the Marine Parade shuttle bus service will help improve the first and last-mile connectivity for tens of thousands of residents, especially seniors. \u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a good programme. I can see how useful it is. And yet, our Opposition does not see it that way. Judging by their vitriol in parliament, they seem hellbent on framing the shuttle buses as a flagrant waste of public money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This, right here, is where the crab mentality rears its ugly head. Rather than recognise how the shuttle buses can help fellow Singaporeans, the Opposition would rather we pour scorn on the project because it happens to be in a PAP ward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What will that achieve? Perhaps a death of ground-up efforts in the future for fear of unleashing a political maelstrom, imaginary or otherwise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for the answer to the (literally) million-dollar question, $800,000 of the funding for the shuttle buses came mainly from donations sourced by the Marine Parade MPs. Less than 1\/5th<\/sup> of the cost came from a CDC seed grant. At this point, one might ask. What is stopping the Opposition from mobilising their resources to do the same? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing, really. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A lack of resourcefulness aside, the hard truth could be that Opposition MPs, for all their bravado, have little intention of doing right by Singaporeans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take the Meet-the-People (MPS) sessions, for instance. Why has the Workers Party (WP) been so adamant about holding their MPS in a makeshift cardboard \u2018office\u2019 at the void deck for the last 20 years since they have held their wards? <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case, they love the optics of the Opposition MP being a victim and denied a space to do their job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Does it matter that residents have to wait in hot, stuffy, uncomfortable surroundings to seek help from their MPs? The answer is no. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The optics of looking like they are being victimised, is the most important thing for the WP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n