Sunday, February 04, 2007

PAP's Internet Offensive

Saturday February 3, 1:09 PM
S'pore's PAP rebuts online critics anonymously--daily


SINGAPORE, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Members of Singapore's long-ruling People's Action Party (PAP) are posting anonymous messages in Internet forums and blogs to rebut online criticism of the party, a leading daily reported on Saturday.
The postings were an initiative driven by two sub-committees under the PAP's "new media" committee chaired by Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen, the pro-government Straits Times said, citing unnamed sources.

A government spokeswoman contacted on Saturday declined to comment.

The two sub-committees, made up of politicians and some technology-savvy party activists, were formed after the May 2006 general election, the Straits Times said. The PAP's share of the vote slid to 66.6 percent last year, from 75.3 percent at the previous election in 2001.

The panels had been set up to express the PAP's views online where there were few pro-establishment voices, the newspaper said, quoting a member of parliament who heads one sub-committee.

"The identity is not important. It is the message that is important," Baey Yam Keng was quoted as saying.

The Straits Times quoted Baey as saying that the messages were only effective if they were not "too obvious" lest they resemble "propaganda".

A PAP activist involved in posting the anonymous messages was quoted as saying that he tracked popular blogs and forums to "see if there is anything we can clarify" on controversial issues such as the impending hike in the goods and services tax.

The PAP, which has ruled Singapore since independence in 1965, has been criticised by human rights groups such as Amnesty International in the past for its curbs on freedom of expression.

Party leaders say tight regulation of public debate and the media in the city-state is necessary to maintain law and order.


The above Reuters article is derived from Straits Time article below:

Feb 3, 2007
PAP moves to counter criticism of party, Govt in cyberspace

By Li Xueying

THE People's Action Party (PAP) is mounting a quiet counter-insurgency against its online critics.

It has members going into Internet forums and blogs to rebut anti-establishment views and putting up postings anonymously.

Sources told The Straits Times the initiative is driven by two sub-committees of the PAP's 'new media' committee chaired by Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen.

One sub-committee, co-headed by Minister of State (Education) Lui Tuck Yew and Hong Kah GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad, strategises the campaign.

The other is led by Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Baey Yam Keng and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Josephine Teo. Called the 'new media capabilities group', it executes the strategies.

Both were set up after last year's General Election. Aside from politicians, some 20 IT-savvy party activists are also involved.

When contacted, Mr Baey declined to give details of the group's activities, but he outlined the broad principles of the initiative.

It was necessary for the PAP to have a voice in cyberspace as there were few in the online community who were pro-establishment, he said.

As such, the committees aim to 'observe how new media is developing and see how we can use the new media as part of the overall media landscape', he added.

'How do we facilitate views that are pro-party and propagate them through the Internet?'

The approach reflects comments by Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui at the PAP's party conference in December. He called on younger activists to put up views 'to moderate the vitriol and balance the skewed comments' on the Internet.

But this can only work if activists are not 'too obvious' about it, Mr Baey said yesterday. Otherwise it comes across as 'propaganda'.

'The identity is not important. It is the message that is important,' he added.

One activist who is involved said that when posting comments on online forums and the feedback boxes of blogs, he does not identify himself as a PAP member.

He tracks popular blogs and forums to 'see if there is anything we can clarify' on hot-button topics such as the impending hike in the Goods and Services Tax.

But he added: 'We don't rebut everything. Sometimes, what is said is fair enough, and we send the feedback on to the committee.'

This latest initiative comes on top of a blog site with posts by 12 MPs born after Singapore's Independence in 1965.

It recognises that more younger Singaporeans are relying on the new media as a main source of information.

An Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) study conducted last year found that younger and better-educated Singaporeans relied on information from the Internet when shaping their voting choices at the last GE.

Among the opposition parties, members and supporters of the Workers' Party, in particular, post regularly on forums online.

But IPS senior research fellow Tan Tarn How wonders about the effectiveness of the PAP's campaign.

He said Internet users who post on forums such as Sammyboy tend not to be interested in 'intellectual debate' and so will not be persuaded by PAP activists anyway.

As for more serious-minded bloggers, he said the views that the activists may put out are already available in the mainstream media.

xueying@sph.com.sg



You may want to read Mr. Wang Says So and Xeno Boy articles on this topic. There is also a good analysis on why PAP "leaks" the "secret" operations here.

I share similar sentiments with Mr. Wang on this particular report. I am very surprised that the ST article was allowed to published.

First of all, to reveal such "secret strategy" is disastrous to PAP's internet image! Hey, c'mon, as the largest and powerful ruling party that has dominated Singapore's political scene, its members do not dare to identify themselves as PAP members when communicating with other Singaporeans on the internet platform? Are they ashame or too afraid to be identified with PAP or what?

But on second thought, I think PAP has found out that their "secret covert operations" may be too slow and ineffective in covering the whole internet sphere, thus, to "leak" this information in a hopeful bid to create fear in bloggers and internet writers.

Personally, I am proud of my past association with WP even when it was just a political party on the development path. What are the PAP members afraid of by openly declaring their association with PAP? What's the matter with them? Aren't they proud of their own party which has contributed much to Singapore's progress for the last 5 decades?

As all of you could observe from the many "anonymous" comments recorded here on my blog for the past few months, one would now really put serious doubts on whether they are really "PAP's internet fighters"! ;) How many of these comments come from them, I really wonder!

I have hoped that one day, this PAP's secret internet offensive will be revealed to the public and thus, insisted to keep the comment column open to anonymous posters. Interesting enough, after I declare my intention of capturing all those possible agents' vicious attacks on me so that the whole world will know about it, there is a dramatic decrease in such anonymous comments!

If you read those comments in my blog, you will know why PAP wanted their internet fighters to stay anonymous. Many of the remarks are even defamatory in nature!

As a matter of fact, I have long suspected that PAP has started to carry out its "internet management" plan as far back as July 2006 when I had a meeting with a few WP members and associates. The successful application of internet by WP back in GE 2006 as well as the active engagement of WP members 2 years prior to GE 2006 has made PAP rethink about the possible impact of the new media. Prior to GE 2006, PAP has taken the view that the new media, internet, will have little impact on the political front even though that it has been dominated by anti-PAP sentiments for a almost a decade. But apparently GE 2006 has changed their mind.

The sudden increase of aggressive comments posted on my blog as well as forums right after GE 2006 is an interesting indicator of how PAP's internet fighters work. They may be very clumsy but they may be effective in a sense that I might have possibly become one of their trophy!

Well, life still goes on in the internet sphere with or without PAP internet fighters. But I guess now most people will be more skeptical when they see "Pro-PAP" or "Anti-Opposition" postings on the net... the question will always be on our mind "Hey, is this from the PAP internet fighters?" ;)

Goh Meng Seng

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

The PAP is indeed much smarter than a certain fat ass by the name of Goh Meng Seng who posts inflammatory remarks on internet forums using his real name, shamed in public and was sacked from WP as a result!

Anonymous said...

Why are the anonymous PAP posters always first to comment..?

Maybe you should publish his IP address here for all to see, Mr Goh.. you've got statcounter, don't you?

Anonymous said...

Always knew that the PAP have been using their brain-dead, asshole licking dogs to do their 'dirty' work in the internet.

Anonymous said...

this pap clown is in a mental institution that is why got so much free time to watch this blog 24 hours a day.... without going to toilet or bathe or eat

Anonymous said...

as if opposition did not attend PAP forums/rallies.

Anonymous said...

PAP dogs, PAP dogs, when the hell are you going to wake up.

Around the world, throughout history, in every authocratic parties/administrations there will always be goons who will (anonymously) do their masters every bidding to oppress the general population to maintain their despotic power.

Anonymous said...

the above is referring to Wp lackeys

Anonymous said...

hahahah finally cos GMS has to attack PAP he credit them. he says "why r u ashmaed to identify urself with a party tht has governed spore well for the past 5 decades". Mr Goh hv I misquoted u? This really shows what kind of an low hell skunk u r, cos u hv to attack the PAP hence no choice but to admit they hv done a gd job for the past 5 decades, real oppotunist but unwittingly u admit they r the ones who brought abt peace, progress, wealth to the country. Slap urself before spouting nonsense here hhahahaha

Anonymous said...

The above another prime example of PAP slave dogs licking their despotic PAP master's asshole and kissing it.

May you get a good bonus for your efforts. You do. You really deserve it. Bravo.

Anonymous said...

Mr goh is taking aim @ Baey, I hv analysed both their academic records, suprisingly both attended HCJC roughly at the same time, r they already opponents during sch days nw yuan jia lu zai met on the political arena again.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:02 pm comments
Is another attempt to make something out off nothing. What do you mean by "....both attended HCJC ROUGHLY at the same time..." Is it a difference of 1 year, 3 years or 5 years. What is "roughly at the same time".

THe luxury of working for the PAP where you can have all access to a citizen's private life at your finger tips and in your case hurl blatant allegations.

Anonymous said...

1st and foremost its not tht difficult to check if GMS was indeed a contemporary of Baey, whats so hard?

secondly if it is then what i said must be true then and finally I can only draw a logical conclusion tht it jus a matter of soor grapes cos Baey is nw a PAP MP whereas GMS suffered a hunmilating defeat at the hands of george yeo causing him to leave WP.

Last but not least as we all know HCJC is a premier JC in spore hence who would expect GMS to end up as a PC repairman hahahahahaha yet he claimed to be an honours economics grad from NUS (one really wonder has he lied abt his academic qualifications, looks like his team consisted of 2 not 1 liar)

Anonymous said...

Yeah sure, of course it's easy for PAP spy to get info on any citizens.

As for your logic. It's sooo brilliant! Baey and GMS should be against each other 'cos they're former schoolmates. Base on this ...what's YOUR grape against GMS... former primary schoolmates?

Also you didn't answer the question ..you said Baey and GMS went to HCJC roughly the same time...WHAT's roughly the same time? Same year. Different year? What?

Anonymous said...

GMS only know how to talk cock here, what is he capable of?

Bullshit at internet forum and disgrace his party in public. Got sacked from WP and turned around immediately to backstab his former comrades.

Only morons will associate themselves with him.

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:58PM

And what are you capable of to talk ill of others?

Anonymous said...

Annoymous commentators doesn't mean they are from PAP.

So what if the PAP wants to be annoymous? It is their choice and internet is freedom, you can't stop them from doing so.

Sigh, GMS is intolerant. GMS, let me remind you, if you can't accept constructive annoymous comments, why bother to attack them?

Anonymous said...

At least PAP doesn't resort to making silly police reports to fix their detractors, like what WP does.

Talk so much anti-govt stuff here, but run straight to the police for some trivial matters, there is no greater hypocrite than the wayang party!

Anonymous said...

Nope. PAP sure doesn't resort to making silly police reports to fix their detractors.

Why make police reports when they have the ISD!?! Chia Thye Poh, the "Marxist Conspiracies". Or sent to Woodbridge for "observations".

Anonymous said...

Attnn: to pappy defender,

Actually no need to post here to create trouble, if you go to most of the local forums , you'll be swarmed by local forumers who are disatified with our gahment , you are scare to confront them and rather to cowardly post here . Why not go out and confront the locals now who feel that the sense of home had being taken away?