3/12/2010

Looking at Parliament

Yesterday's In Parliament was showing quite a full house, maybe 50 MPs were present. Not bad attendance when they are only paid an allowance. Over the last few sessions what impresses me most is the slate of our Malay MPs. I think there are a few doctors and several doctorates. Impressive. But what is more impressive is the way they present themselves, very professional, articulate and cool. The Malays need not look any further to find the role model for modern and sophisticated and well educated Malays. Just look at the who's who in Parliament. No need to wear head gears of robes to look like Arabs. The Singaporean Malays have progressed in leaps and bounds and they look very very different from our neighbouring Malays. They are world's apart. They don't remind you of village chiefs and the days of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat anymore. So too are our Indian and Chinese descendants of indentured labours and coolies. They all, including the Malays, look more like the English aristocrats and gentries, and a bit of American Hollywood. Suave and very international. But once in a while, when irritated, a little of the crudeness of their forefathers still resurfaced. Maybe in another generation all the traits of humble origins would no longer be there. CNA should have longer takes of In Parliament and beamed it across Asia. Maybe the Arabs, the Indians and the Chinese will all look towards their Singaporean counterparts as the role model of the future, successful and smart looking. And so will the rest of Asia. The Singaporeans will set the trend for others to follow instead of following and imitating others. The Singaporean Style!

3 comments:

Wally Buffet said...

Hehe,

Our law makers may not have much of substance to say but you can't fault them for decorum. The speaker's job is the easiest in the whole wide world for parliamentary debate.

Contrast this with the clowns in other countries. Fighting, shouting obscenities, throwing "missiles" at each other and........haha fighting with each other like juveniles. These are really monkeys masquerading as parliamentarians.

Put our malay parliamentarians alongside those from our neighbouring countries and you can immediately see the class of ours. For one thing, ours speak better english. Theirs speak rubblish.

Anonymous said...

You write this piece in the mould of the Chua sisters.

If you had been a SPH journalist, your piece will surely find pride of place in their publication.

As for beaming our Parliament sittings across Asia, it may invite a sneer from Dr Mahathir and laughter from Taiwan's Li Ao.

Just kidding lah!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi jerry, welcome to the blog.

I think the layout of blogs under google is fairly standard. The comments are below each article. I must admit that some articles can be grouped under the same headings but the blog format does not provide for this and articles will be lost down the line over time.

And anonymous, I hope they will reprint my piece in the media and pay me a stipend: )