Is Cheng Bock, like the PAP Old Guard, a believer in Mao’s continuous revolution

When I recently read that Francis Yuen Kin Pheng was taking over from Leong Mun Wai as Assistant Secretary General. Last month it was announced that Mr Leong Mun Wai and Ms Hazel Poa from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), who are set to become Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP), relinquished their leadership posts in the party.

From the very beginning of the party (the party was officially registered on 28 March 2019) last year, Dr Tan Cheng Bock has been chopping and changing his team.

At first, I was happy with the changes. When he announced his first team, I was distinctly unimpressed. A bunch of retreads or nobodies. I asked myself, “Why bother setting up a new party with these guys in leadership posts?” Another one man-show party like Chiam See Tong, and Mad Dog (until Dr Paul came along).

Then when he brought in Leong Mun Wai and Ong Seow Yong as part of a reshuffle in January this year, I was impressed. In the early 80s, I had dealings with them and was impressed. Their subsequent careers double confirmed my initial impressions of them. They could get things done.

I was also happy that he reshaped his team in the light of feed-back from new members.

When Michelle Lee quit as chairman, I was even happier as I tot she’s a waste of time. Her new party double confirmed that view.

But with the latest changes, I’m left wondering why the latest changes? It’s not as though being NCMPs is a full time job. Btw, I’m impressed with Francis Yuen, and happy that Ong Seow Yong has is in charge of communications.

Fyi, Mao’s theory of continuous revolution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_revolution_theory

Actually the Old Guard of the PAP believed in it. In the 70s and 80s, Dr Goh Keng Swee went around restructuring Mindef, MoE and the central bank (I was there then and worked directly under the chief operating executor)). The Old Guard tot that these institutions had become lazy and complacent. They all went thru bloodless Cultural Revolutions that were traumatic on those leaving and the survivors.

The 2G team led by GCT and Lee Jnr were kinder to bureaucrats, a practice that the £G and 4G followed. Good for the bureaucrats, but detrimental to S’pore?

What do u think?