Tan Cheng Bock and the birth of Singapore Harapan

This is the biggest piece of political news that surfaced over the weekend. SDP's Chee Soon Juan had rounded up the opposition parties to a meeting that sowed the seed of a united front against the PAP in the shades of Pakatan Harapan. For decades the Singapore opposition parties have been divided and factionalised into different tiny ineffective parties fighting hopelessly against the mammoth PAP machine. The quest was quite hopeless and very amusing if not silly to see them banging their heads against the wall. It was foolish and futile but they kept going at it as if a miracle will happen to change their fate.

The trumping of UMNO in Malaysia led by a 92 year old ex PM has been an eye opener to the conceited and hopeless party leaders of Singapore, like a mirror being held right in their faces to show their folly. It took Chee Soon Juan, the man that has been demolished and character assassinated as a lone ranger, fighting just for his own personal cause, to step up to dispel this myth. No other opposition party leaders was selfless enough to make this move, to bring in a third party in the name of Tan Cheng Bock, to unite the frail and fractured opposition parties together for a common cause, to bring down the PAP.  This move alone tells a lot about Chee Soon Juan, the man that they did not know or told to believe as otherwise. The real spoilt sport, those that would not want to be a team player, those who have selfish agenda, would not think of coming together in an alliance to be a real political force to be reckon with.

Tan Cheng Bock may not be a Mahathir, but he has enough respect from the people, conviction and commitment to do the necessary for the good of Singapore and the future of Singaporeans. It takes a lot of guts and conviction to want to do something like this, to bring down the ruling party, a once mighty political party that had done good for the country and people in the first few decades of its exixtencwe. Things must have gone very badly wrong for  an ex PAP stalwart to want to stand up to his old party that he once believed was the force of goodness.

The fear is gone. Tan Cheng Bock has taken a bold step that no ex PAP MPs or ministers dare to tread. The line is broken and hopefully this would encourage more ex PAP members to join the queue in this Harapan to do what is right. Many must have seen the rot and are fuming but for one reason or another, chose to remain in the dark corners of anonymity wallowing in self pity. The robbing of the people must be stopped. The selling out of Singaporeans to foreigners must be stopped. PRs are just passing by and will go when the time is right. Cheng Bock has lighted a match to show the way. It is time to make a difference, to do what they believe is right and good for Singapore and Singaporeans, not for locals and foreigners that are not Singaporeans.

Now where is that Chok Tong and his gang? Would he think or deem that it is time to join forces with Cheng Bock and the opposition before it is too late, before it is all over? All the ex MPs and current MPs that can sense a sinking boat should decide to abandon ship before it is too late like in Malaysia.

The seed for an uprising in the politics of Singapore has been planted on 28 Jul 18. It needs to be watered and nurtured to be kept alive and live another day. This is the hope, the day that all Singaporeans are quietly waiting for. Let not the light be snuffed out before it lives to see another day.

Singaporeans need a Singapore Harapan, not a local or foreigner infested Harapan to lead Singapore and Singaporeans to a better tomorrow.

PS. The parties that were present were Singapore Democratic Party, the People’s Power Party, the Democratic Progressive Party, the Reform Party, the National Solidarity Party, the Singaporeans First Party and the  People’s Voice Party. All the major opposition parties were invited.