9/28/2006

second guessing lky

Why did LKY made such a sensitive comment that he knew would invite reactions from all quarters? Let me try to guess, ok? I do not profess to know his thoughts. One possibility is to clear the deck before he quit the scene. Hsien Loong is now in charge. And all these bickerings and cross borders accusations to score political points is unhealthy. Hsien Loong can do without, so that he can spend his time with more important things. And who is best to clean up this old rivalry once and for all except LKY? What LKY is saying is that we should stop all this bitching. But if one party thinks that they can keep bringing it up to stir shit, lets do it now. Talk about it openly, have an open discussion to see who have more shit to spread. You want to thump table or chest, go ahead. He will do it with them. It is going to be rough. But he is prepared to rough it out, take all the blows, but hopefully he can put an end to all the nonsense that one is whiter than the other. No other Singapore leaders will be in a better position to take this headon than he himself. The other objective is to tell the other countries that they cannot keep on oppressing and discriminating against their chinese citizens. This could be something that he felt was wrong and he wanted to say it out. Not that it will make a difference if both Indonesia and Malaysia insist to continue with their victimisation of their Chinese minorities. But saying it out is to tell them that it is not a decent thing to do and as a statesman, he cannot turn a blind eye to it and pretend that he did not know. If the Malaysian and Indonesian leaders are offended by it, so be it. He is retiring from the scene soon and either he says it now or he would not have a chance to do so later. Better to go down in history as someone to call a spade a spade than to be seen as hypocritical. At least he could be remembered for telling the ugly truth that no one dares to say. Would the two countries severe relations with Singapore because of this remark? Unlikely. There could be some strains and posturing. But there are too many things that all can work together for mutual benefits to be ruined by his telling the truth. Would Malaysia go ahead like some kampong headmen in Johore suggested, developed the SJER without Singapore? Or would Jakarta drop all economic projects with Singapore in Batam and Bintang just because of this? Even if they do, Singapore is not going to lose anything. Our economy is now dependent on the world than just Johore and the islands in the Riau archipelago.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

LKY's remark on Chinese in Malaysia and Indonesia is both irresponsible and very ungracious. If someone across the causeway were to have made the same remark about the Singaporean Malays, what do you think LKY and LHL would do? They would most probably do what they do best - sue.

In my opinion he is a very sad person who thinks too much of his own ability and thinks he is untouchable. He has had his own way for too long. People say that a person matures with age and gets wiser with age. In his case this is not true. He has become more authoritarian and would use all the govt apparatus and legal system in Singapore to suppress and bully all who disagree with him and whoever gets in his way.

There was a time when I admired him for what he has done for Singapore. Now he has become a very sad old man. Hign time he get off his high horse and shut up. I guess he will never be able to do that.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

come on, they have been saying it all the time and they will do it again and again. that is why, maybe, lky is putting all these on the table and said let's all come to the table and settle this once for all.

all face the problem squarely instead of being hypocrits and decides once and for all not to raise the issue again.

Anonymous said...

Redbean, I have returned to most of your previous posts and have noticed a difference on what you write and how you put forward your views.

I can see now that threats and intimidations have changed you. So much for sticking to ones principles.

Anonymous said...

Agree with first anon that the MM is a sad, old man. He is probably still bitter that he was booted out of the Federation together with Singapore and hence had to make do with being the PM of a tiny island rather than possibly a much larger country. It's probably his last potshot before he is called home to the Lord. The sooner that happens, the better it will be for everyone.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi anonymous,

when i post something, my conscience is clear. i may post things that are controversial or cynical, but they are meant to provoke people to look at them and not to provoke people to look at me. that is why i avoided personal attacks but only talk about issues.

Anonymous said...

You assume there is method in his madness. Maybe there is only madness...

In any case, the pot shouldn't call the kettle black.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

in the case of lky, everything he does or says is calculated and carefully thought over. he would not make such a sensitve statement for no reasons or out of the cuff.

right to say that the pot shall not call the kettle black. it is either both sides stop such nonsense once and for all or might as well trash it out now.

but everyone, including me, is trying to second guess what is his intention for saying this.

Anonymous said...

There is nothing to thrash out. Whatever LKY says, he has no business poking into the affairs of other people. Neither will his words have any effect. Malaysia and Indonesia are not going to start treating their Chinese citizens better because of what LKY said. Instead, it might make things worse for them.

Anonymous said...

shouldn't China be the one to voice out their concerns if they felt that other chinese in the regions are being marginalised....:) , rather than LKY

Anonymous said...

Is lky's comment true?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

if everyone is behaving honourably and like adults, we can stay out of each other's business and let their own marginalised people take care of their own problems. but...

is lky telling the truth? some will say that the truth is crystal clear. some will say there is no such things and demand that you prove to them. now that is how distorted truth can be when human beings are concerned. and it will be stretched further with people trying to use different meanings to tell a different story.

Anonymous said...

I hardly believe the Lees will sue in anywhere other than the singapore courts

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

there is no need for lky to sue. it is for those who challenged his statements to want to sue him.

but then we will have a nice court drama for the world to see.