Unlike President S R Nathan, there was no state funeral and no tributes in Parliament for a lifetime of service to Singapore.
His was a life of dedication and above all, conscience. He did what he deemed was the right and ethical thing to do.
The interests of Singaporeans were at the heart of all that he says and does. His conscience informs him no other.
Twenty years ago, we disenfranchised his death and the collective grief of Singaporeans. Grief remains a verb twenty years on.
Today,
he is greatly forgotten by the generations after him. Only his children
are left to restore his dignity through an obit notice in our
newspapers annually.
There appears to be a deliberate amnesia about Singapore’s first elected President, Mr Ong Teng Cheong.
The
media is silent. The community is silent. Our politicians are silent.
Our political parties are silent. The institutions he helped build are
silent.
Between Yusof Ishak and Halimah Yaccob lies an awkward silence.
This is a tragedy to our nation and may this be rectified someday.
Today,
on the anniversary of his passing, many children today will look at him
and see only a bespectacled middle-aged man and never know his
contributions to Singapore.
Yet he was also Deputy Prime Minister
of a young nation. He sanctioned the Hydril strike and ensure that
workers received their 13th-month bonuses even during the 1985 – 1986
recession.
Written by Alvin Tan
First posted at TRE on 8 Feb 2022.
Reposted by A-Non-Yes-Mouse
2/12/2022
Remembering Our First Elected President Ong Teng Cheong, who passed away on 8 February 2002
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5 comments:
Now they are going to get rid of the WP by advocating criminal charges against the WP leaders. The fines imposed, if criminal action is successful, will disqualify them effectively from standing for future elections. This is a serious matter going forward with disastrous consequences.
If the WP is totally wiped out, and other opposition parties are unable to get a foothold into Parliament, that spells the end of the opposition story. Then Singaporeans will know the taste of one party rule, and can argue no more, and the powers that be can tighten the noose as they like. More foreigners, bigger population, higher taxes, more changes to rules and regulations will follow. kpkb also cannot shed any more tears.
Now at least, even though the WP is thought to be shackled, the ruling Party is still wary of the threat of losing more GRCs evident in slim margin victories during the last GE. Do not take away this 'Sword of Damocles' hanging over the ruling party's head and let them run riot without consequences. Whether WP or any alternative party as opposition is important. What they are doing with the vaccination and punishment of those unvaccinated is a clear and apparent message of what they are capable of.
The day the opposition failed to have any representation in Parliament, that day will be a black day for Singaporeans, if they just ignore the message on the wall and the agenda hatched by the ruling party to get rid of the opposition for good, ever since Chiam and Low were elected to represent the opposition.
This is a step by the ruling party, slow and discreet, to get rid of the opposition. That Trojan Horse aka Raeesah Khan has done the WP in this time. It was a backstabbing attack that the WP did not foresee.
They say that this pandemic has given those in power, all over the world, the godsend opportunity to tighten their control of their citizens. The people of the West have been given that freedom of choice and are protesting against infringement of their rights by the authorities. Let us see.
The only President who has balls.
But he paid the price.
Salute!
Hope someone like OTC will be our next truy Elected President.
Singapore urgently and badly needs an Independent Authority to counter-check the PAP's "ownself checks ownself" absurd system of checks without balance.
Fat hope that there will be any more elected President like Ong Teng Cheong. Ong Teng Cheong was the unintended test balloon and they used him to sort out the problems in practice, in order to seal all the loopholes.
Any would be President must now go through the sieve, qualified according to their terms of reference, totally obedient, cannot ask pertinent questions, guard the reserves (don't know what that means) and just perform the deity duties inside the Istana.
Like the election rules, CPF rules etc they slowly and discreetly move the goalpost, so only their chosen candidates are eligible. They even change their candidate's racial identity to disqualify potential opponents.
Keep hoping and tang ku ku for another Ong Teng Cheong.
Everyone already forgotten OTC. See how many here even bother to comment? More here prefer to talk cock about China, Russia, USA, Oz.
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