5/08/2007

Tyranny of Majority or Minority?

I have posted several times on the en bloc issue and the tyranny of the majority to force their will on the minority. The law provides for the majority to do what they deem fit in an en bloc sales and this has been taken full advantage of to the detriment of the minority by some unscrupulous majority. The minority are now crying out loud at the abuses of the majority and getting themselves heard in the main stream media. Today there is another letter by a Paul Amstrong in the Today paper trying to get the public and developer to understand the views of the minority. As he explained along the way, I sense that he got himself carried away by making quite ridiculous demands of expecting everything to be what they were before, to the extend of expecting the same view, the same space, design, nooks and corners etc. This is actually what the law makers fear, the tyranny of the minority, the unreasonable minority that will not move for their weird sentimental reasons. The majority may be held captive by the unjustifiable demands of a few crannies and everyone be held at ransom. One must admit that no laws can be crafted to meet all situations. There are limitations and these can only be taken care of by the good sense of reasonableness which is often expressed as the spirit of the law. We do not want people to take advantage of the law to sue someone for a pair of lost pants for US$65 million. When laws are applied strictly to the letters, it makes the people all look so stupid. It reflects on the stupidity of a nation. What is needed in the en bloc dilemma is not more laws but a moderator appointed by the govt to mediate and ensure a reasonable settlement for all parties.

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