SINGAPORE, Oct 5, 2008 (AFP) - The death of revered opposition figure J.B. Jeyaretnam has deprived Singapore's struggling pro-democracy groups of a leader in their lopsided battle against the ruling party, analysts say.
With no other politician on the horizon having Jeyaretnam's stature and charisma, Singapore's divided opposition parties are unlikely to make major inroads on the People's Action Party (PAP)'s uninterrupted dominance, they said.
Jeyaretnam, fondly known by his initials "JBJ", died of a heart attack last Tuesday at the age of 82.
The grand old man of the opposition, Jeyaretnam was one of the rare few to speak out against the PAP and he suffered for it, facing jail and libel suits.
He made political history in 1981 when he became the first opposition politician elected to parliament, which has been dominated by the PAP since 1959. He was declared bankrupt in 2001 after failing to pay libel damages to PAP members.
The British-educated lawyer this year formed his Reform Party after clearing the bankruptcy status that had prevented him from running for political office.
"JBJ would have made a difference as a potential rallying point for the opposition if he had remained alive," said Seah Chiang Nee, who operates the popular political website www.littlespeck.com.
But Seah and other analysts said that even a unified opposition could do little to challenge the PAP, which has all but two of the 84 elected seats in parliament.
This is because "the politics of the day is such that the ruling party is in overwhelming control and I doubt that any one man can make a difference," Seah said.
"The system is weighed heavily in the government's favour."
He added that election results in Singapore depended more on whether voters were happy with the PAP than on what the opposition did.
Alan Chong, assistant professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, agreed that the political opposition had lost a charismatic leader with Jeyaretnam's death.
He said, however, that economic issues had traditionally defined election results in Southeast Asia's wealthiest economy, and the opposition is unlikely to make major gains because Singaporeans are generally satisfied with the government.
"The fortunes of the opposition in Singapore are often directly correlated to the level of economic dissatisfaction with the ruling PAP," Chong said.
"Singaporeans are very pragmatic people. They want opposition only when their wallets are hit very hard," he said, noting that the government has been managing the economy well.
"Human rights issues will matter up to a point, and no more," he added, referring to issues often raised by Jeyaretnam and other opposition figures.
"So I think the future of the opposition after JBJ will remain more or less the same."
Ho Khai Leong, a political scientist at the Nanyang Technological University, said that while Jeyaretnam was a "legend" in the political opposition, his demise would not be a severe blow.
The impact of his death would have been greater if it had happened at the height of his popularity in the 1980s, Ho said.
"We will miss him. He made history. He made his mark on Singapore's democratisation process but I don't think it is a terrible blow to the political opposition," Ho said.
A massive outpouring of support during his wake and on the Internet led some observers to suggest Jeyaretnam's long battle against the government could help raise awareness of his causes -- human rights, a free press and freedom of assembly.
Jeyaretnam had also recently spoken of "a widening gulf between the rich and poor" in Singapore.
While praised for its open economy, tough approach against crime, efficient civil service and corruption-free bureaucracy, Singapore has been criticised for its lack of tolerance toward dissent.
"I'm sure his memory will continue to inspire Singaporeans to leave their fear behind. So in that respect, I think his death will not be a loss," Seah said.
In an online tribute to Jeyaretnam, one writer, Tan Ah Kow, said: "My greatest shame is not having even a minuscule amount of JBJ's courage and conviction."
With no other politician on the horizon having Jeyaretnam's stature and charisma, Singapore's divided opposition parties are unlikely to make major inroads on the People's Action Party (PAP)'s uninterrupted dominance, they said.
Jeyaretnam, fondly known by his initials "JBJ", died of a heart attack last Tuesday at the age of 82.
The grand old man of the opposition, Jeyaretnam was one of the rare few to speak out against the PAP and he suffered for it, facing jail and libel suits.
He made political history in 1981 when he became the first opposition politician elected to parliament, which has been dominated by the PAP since 1959. He was declared bankrupt in 2001 after failing to pay libel damages to PAP members.
The British-educated lawyer this year formed his Reform Party after clearing the bankruptcy status that had prevented him from running for political office.
"JBJ would have made a difference as a potential rallying point for the opposition if he had remained alive," said Seah Chiang Nee, who operates the popular political website www.littlespeck.com.
But Seah and other analysts said that even a unified opposition could do little to challenge the PAP, which has all but two of the 84 elected seats in parliament.
This is because "the politics of the day is such that the ruling party is in overwhelming control and I doubt that any one man can make a difference," Seah said.
"The system is weighed heavily in the government's favour."
He added that election results in Singapore depended more on whether voters were happy with the PAP than on what the opposition did.
Alan Chong, assistant professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, agreed that the political opposition had lost a charismatic leader with Jeyaretnam's death.
He said, however, that economic issues had traditionally defined election results in Southeast Asia's wealthiest economy, and the opposition is unlikely to make major gains because Singaporeans are generally satisfied with the government.
"The fortunes of the opposition in Singapore are often directly correlated to the level of economic dissatisfaction with the ruling PAP," Chong said.
"Singaporeans are very pragmatic people. They want opposition only when their wallets are hit very hard," he said, noting that the government has been managing the economy well.
"Human rights issues will matter up to a point, and no more," he added, referring to issues often raised by Jeyaretnam and other opposition figures.
"So I think the future of the opposition after JBJ will remain more or less the same."
Ho Khai Leong, a political scientist at the Nanyang Technological University, said that while Jeyaretnam was a "legend" in the political opposition, his demise would not be a severe blow.
The impact of his death would have been greater if it had happened at the height of his popularity in the 1980s, Ho said.
"We will miss him. He made history. He made his mark on Singapore's democratisation process but I don't think it is a terrible blow to the political opposition," Ho said.
A massive outpouring of support during his wake and on the Internet led some observers to suggest Jeyaretnam's long battle against the government could help raise awareness of his causes -- human rights, a free press and freedom of assembly.
Jeyaretnam had also recently spoken of "a widening gulf between the rich and poor" in Singapore.
While praised for its open economy, tough approach against crime, efficient civil service and corruption-free bureaucracy, Singapore has been criticised for its lack of tolerance toward dissent.
"I'm sure his memory will continue to inspire Singaporeans to leave their fear behind. So in that respect, I think his death will not be a loss," Seah said.
In an online tribute to Jeyaretnam, one writer, Tan Ah Kow, said: "My greatest shame is not having even a minuscule amount of JBJ's courage and conviction."
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