A Petition asking Hsien Loong to resign

A William Lim wrote that he was interviewed by a German media on Hsien Loong’s comment at an India New Year celebration. The controversial statement to those present is here, “Singaporeans, new arrivals, people who are on permanent residence here, people who are on employment pass here, all participating in one big family…So that we feel that this is a place which is special, which belongs to all of us and where we all celebrate one another’s festivals and happy events together.”
 
William Lim is a 37 year old taxi driver with a Bachelor in Business and Finance. He graduated in 2001 but with no ‘experience working in the finance industry he tried applying for a job, ‘I was asking a gross salary of only SGD$2000 per month, willing to learn from the seniors, willing to work long hours and willing to travel if necessary.’ He didn’t get even an interview. So he is now happily self employed as his own boss, as a taxi driver, a job that some people said is an occupation of choice, a preferred job for experienced and highly qualified Sinkie PMETs that no one wants to employ.
 
Below are two of the several questions asked on the PAP govt and its immigration policies.
 
‘1) What was your reaction to Lee Hsien Loong's comment about Singapore belonging to everyone who lives here?
Ans: Disappointed, a leader of a country shouldn't be making this kind of statement. What kind of message is he sending to the citizen of Singapore?
 
Foreigners coming to Singapore to work or tourist, we Singaporean should show them the hospitality as they are our guests in our country. To tell us that Singapore belong to them too, It's telling us foreigners own a part of Singapore too! It's the most absurd statement that I have came across.
 
Being a male citizen of Singapore, we are required serve my national service in the form of joining the Army, Police or Civil Defence Force. We serve the nation is to protect our country, our family. If Singapore do not being to Singaporean only, why should male citizens serve to protect the country while foreigner owning a part of Singapore do not need to protect Singapore as well? What kind of logic is this?
 
2) Why did you decide to start the petition?
Ans: A leader making this kind of statement is not fit to be a Prime Minister of Singapore! Together with a number of miscalculated policies like the 6.9M Population White Paper, the opening of floodgate for foreigners to come to work in Singapore etc.’
 
One blogger by the nick ‘theonion’ in mysingaporenews.blogspot.sg commented that it was an over reaction, that netizens are making a mountain out of a molehill. His explanation, it was just a feeling, and he said one must read the whole sentence in full, ‘we feel that this is a place which is special, which belongs to all of us’. So according to him, Hsien Loong was expressing a feeling and the part about ‘belongs to all of us’ should be read as ‘feel this island belongs to all of us’ and nothing more to it.
 
I think a grammar teacher could cut and split the sentence to make different meanings and interpretations out of it. My reply to him is not so much as what Hsien Loong said, or what theonion chose to interpret, but how the people, the general public read it or interpreted it. Apparently many people chose to read it differently and felt offended by it, rightly or wrongly. And now there is this petition in the air.
 
So how, theonion, what are you going to do about it? Your interpretation may be right, perfectly right to you, but other people don’t care a damn how you read it or explained it. Now, would Hsien Loong or his press secretary issue an explanation to clarify what he said? Or is all the hooha just making a mountain out of a molehill and there is nothing to bother?
 
In politics it is the perception of the people that matters and not what you said or what you think you said. Would this be a flash in the pan? Inadvertently this has become a controversy out of the blue, another unnecessary storm in the teacup perhaps.
For a while I thought this petition thing is so unreal. Could be a hoax?. So I went to this link, https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Singapore_Prime_Minister_Lee_Resign_from_Office, and sure enough there is a petition. The last count, 1658 have signed the petition.

Kopi Level - Green