5/07/2014

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

16 comments:

  1. Rb, not that I wanted to discourage this brave guy but he will not get more than 3000 signatures lar knowing sinkies

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  2. Please lah.Dun be shallow minded
    and get so disturb over such honest and harmless remark.
    If I tell my guest that my home belong to them ,its just a kind of courtesy gesture to tell my guest to feel at home.
    It doesn't mean I allow them to panjio everywhere they like.
    The message is just to tell Sinkies to be more gracious to our guests.
    His policies may not be perfect,yes ,even I was a victim of injustice and suffer till today,pokkai,nearly chowlor, but that is because its his Khakia that never do the job properly .Even though,I blame on fate and not on anyone.Do you have anyone better to replace or dare to replace him.

    At least be grateful to have a license to drive a taxi.
    Dun let ourselves feel miserable over others remarks and learn to be a happy citizen.

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  3. Your house, your wife you want to share with everyone who cares?

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  4. Please lah. LHL is actually not a bad PM, and not a bad guy either -- much more pleasant than his old man. I'll trade him anyday for every Aussie PM for the last 40 years -- which essentially has been one asshole after another -- thanks to the sheeple over here!

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  5. I just glanced through the petition and the number is 1837. Pretty low. If this William Lim can get 10% of taxi drivers to sign up he will get 10,000 signatures immediately.

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  6. RB, why would other taxi drivers support him where this profession is protected by the government other than the political office and ns? They are very grateful lar

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  7. Singaporeans should not ask PM Lee Hsien Loong to resign.

    The PM and his PAP Cabinet Members must be kicked out in the Next General Election.
    And
    ALL Cabinet Members of Sin should be barred from migrating oversea. They should be made to live and face the consequences of the policies they had implemented.

    patriot

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  8. I think PM Lee should resign and become the PM of this world - planet earth. Everyone participating in one big family - no passport or visas needed to go from one country to another, no boundaries, no first or third world, no discrimination, no rich or poor, everyone equal, everyone is brothers and sisters, no wars and only peace and harmony etc.

    Dream On. This world as we know is never fair, equal or ideal. We have to constantly fight for survival, territory, security, resources. He is really very detached from the real world. Perhaps it has something to do with the old man turning into a vampire.

    (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/vampire-therapy-young-blood-may-reverse-ageing-9323042.html)

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  9. 2:33 pm>>

    dream on. most of them have dual residents rights or families residing outside the country.

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  10. Can become taxi driver also complain. Sinkies have not seen the worst.

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  11. Smtg seems to be fishy with the vote counter, at one point the petitions tally froze at 1,879.. and then suddenly DECREASED to 1,843..

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  12. On further thought, all Parliamentarians should also discourage their offsprings from migrating to other countries.
    They should do National Service if it is not removed, to prove their loyalty to Sin.

    patriot

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  13. Does this guy seriously think his idea will work or is it just a ploy? What if he does get his 100K signatures? Will Hsien Loong resign just because 100K Sinkies think so?

    We have a 'quai' justice system, unlike Thailand, we also have a 'quai' police and army. Just makes me wonder.....

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  14. He is only letting the people register their disapproval. Nothing else will happen.

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  15. I also signed because it is too unfair for him to be a PM of such a small island. With such an elevated vision, he should head the UN, NATO, WTO etc. I hope USA, Canada, Oz and all other first world countries can learn from him and give us free access (aka PR) to their countries.

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  16. i agree with you.

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