Chee Soon Juan – They came to listen to him

 

In the far flung corner of western Singapore the people came, a kilometer from the Yew Tee MRT station, they walked to Chua Chu Kang Stadium to listen to the SDP’s  first rally. The crowd was given a taste of what SDP is about by 4 lecturers including Wong Souk Yee and Paul Tambyah. The mood was serious but cheery, and the crowd listened intently. They were presented with a party that is serious and purposeful in wanting to serve the people.

When Chee Soon Juan’s name was called upon to speak to the crowd they rose spontaneously and welcomed him with a loud applause. They surged forward to have a closer look at this man they have been waiting for,  whom they had not seen or heard for a long time under circumstances beyond his control.

Chee started with a light introduction on how he got to learn Mandarin, not in Singapore, not when he joined politics, but in a little town in the USA called Georgia. He needed to brush up his Mandarin to court a Taiwanese lass. He then went on from Mandarin to Hokien, Teochew and Cantonese to connect with the people. He did not stop there, he added in Malay and even a few quips in Tamil. The crowd warmed up to him before he spoke for the most part of the night in English.

This man has been cast away, thrown into the dungeon but came out more mellowed, like a good aged wine. That may be his destiny, to live among the people to experience their little angst in life, about why they needed to check the price of everything in the supermarkets. He had to think very carefully to want to buy a tub of ice cream for his 3 beautiful and talented children. He gave a miss to Haagen Das and all the branded marks and settled on Walls. His Taiwanese lass, now his wife, would put the ice cream back and told him to wait for a sale.

Both were PhD holders and would even be able to afford a $50k culinary class in Paris if he had not chosen the road to politics. Now any ‘cai tau kueh’ would do as long as the price is right. No need to drive all over the island to hunt for the best XO ‘cai tau kueh’ in the island. I have not tasted any of these XO stuff and not sure if it is XO ‘cai tau kueh’ or ‘char kuay teow’.  The ordinary people would have to think very hard whether to eat in a hawker stall or a food court.

Chee Soon Juan has been cast to live among the people to know what is the meaning of money not enough, what is the price of everything and when to save a few dollars to afford a tub of Walls ice cream for his children.

He has come back. The people in the crowd loved him and connected with him. They made him felt welcome, that his sojourn to live among the average Singaporeans would not go to waste. The crowd did not believe in the controversies and negativities thrown at this man. He has risen to the challenge and is back to do the work he is destined to do.

While in the wilderness, he is blessed with 3 beautiful children and a charming Taiwanese lady, now a Singaporean mother of his children, to stay on his side through good times and bad times.

The crowd at the stadium did not come in vain. They saw hope in him to lead them to better times. They thronged at him to shake his hands after his speech, to take pictures with him. A long queue was formed waiting patiently for him to autograph on the books he wrote that they bought. They have faith in him.

In the crowd were Dr Wong Wee Nam and presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock. They came to see him, to welcome him, to show support to the man that would bring hope to an alienated people looking for a true leader to a better future.

Chee Soon Juan has lived among the people and is back with the people.

Lawrence Wong riding the tiger 骑虎难下

When Lawrence Wong came onto the political scene as a fresh face minister there was so much promise in this young man. After 4 years in the job he is still looking fine until the live debate on TV with leaders of the opposition party. His boyish charm soon disappeared and he revealed a side of him that many viewers were taken aback. He came prepared to dig into Chee Soon Juan’s past and demanding an apology that he thought Chee should make in 1996.

This attempt shows a dark side in him that many have not known. His posture and indignant expression were shocking to the viewers in that what appeared on the TV screen was a totally different man, a man carrying a knuckle duster taking on another man that he hardly knew and a past that had nothing to do with him. The aggressiveness and hostility were abrasive and many viewers took a dislike to them. Their views of this man have changed. Mine too.

The politics of the last few decades must not be allowed to overflow to affect the new generation of leaders and politics of today. We had a rough start when life was nasty and short. Politics then was a different ball game. It was a game of survival of the fitness. In the wrong camp, or ending as losers could be a life and death situation, could be put behind bars for life. Informers that were exposed could be taken down.  Today when the cover was blown, nothing happens. Politics was vicious, rough and not much difference from gangsterism then.

Do we want that kind of politics to continue today and into the future? Our young politicians have no reason to adopt that kind of politics and style. And they must not forget that this is a democracy, not a monarchy or dictatorship. Today one is in office, in power, with all the trappings of power and calling the shot. Tomorrow one may have to come down to earth and walk the streets like any ordinary people.  Politicians should not think they will be there forever and could act and behave like they are nobles and aristocrats, 公子 or皇亲, above the common people.  To behave as thus is like riding the proverbial tiger and dismounting means to be eaten by the tiger, 骑虎难下.  Not many politicians could survive under the protection of power and depart in one piece. Many politicians, dictators, would have to face their abuses of position and power when they fell from grace. It is good to behave a bit normal, to give one a way out when one is no longer in power.

The days of knuckle duster politics, of putting political enemies in the dungeon are over, or should be over. The politics of today must be given a fresh start, be cleaner and less vicious, less personal and less vindictive. A politician that thinks it is ok to continue with the knuckle duster style must be up to it, believing that he can be in power till death do us part, and better be that way. The knuckle duster way can lead to a very unpleasant and humiliating end if one cannot stay in power all his life.

Young politicians are well advised to take note that this is a democracy, a republic and political power can change hand like the weather, and every 4 or 5 years one can be brought down to earth to face the harsh reality of being an ordinary person.

Fear is dead and should be consigned to history. We need a more congenial political climate, more human and humane, for the good of everyone. This is the way forward.  Live by the sword die by the sword. There are very few exceptions. A little humility is good for the soul. What is past is past. Leave the past to the past. We have to progress and be more civilized.

PS. Do not underestimate the power of social media. No one is infallible or flawless.

GE2015 – Tanjong Pagar

This PAP stronghold is suddenly open for grabs in the absence of LKY. PAP is likely to live on its past glories and the LKY hangovers among the oldies and the old faithful.  How strong would this group be is untested as the GRC did not have a contest for the last 2 decades. There are many unknown forces in this GRC and many things would be left to the candidates defending the ward and the challengers.

The PAP is led by a PM potential in Chan Chun Sing. After his move to the NTUC, people are seeing this as an unfavourable move and his PM potential may be called into question. This would be made known in the hustings and voters may hear a confirmation either way. Would Hsien Loong still endorse him as a PM in waiting?  The other members of the team are Indranee Rajah,  Chia Shi Lu, Joan Pereira and Melvin Yong. This is an untested team and in a way all are newbies. The main vote puller in Lily Neo has been sent to Jalan Besar and this may prove very costly to the team. Who would be the one to pull the votes for the team? Chan Chun Sing or Indranee or one of the newer newbies?

Facing them is a completely new team from SingFirst led by Presidential candidate Tan Jee Say and supported by a recognizable face in Ang Yong Guan. The other members are Muhamad Fahmi Rais, Melwyn Chiu and Chirag Desai, all new faces. It is difficult to know the strength of the newbies in both teams at this moment.

The contest in Tanjong Pagar is likely to be between Jee Say and Ang Yong Guan against Chan Chun Sing, Indranee and legacy. Putting aside history, the oratory skills of the pair of combatants would be put to test and be the deciding factor. By the look of things, Tanjong Pagar is not very safe for the PAP as the strongest candidate is Chan Chun Sing whose oratory style was cooked in the military camps.

Who would the voters go for, a PM in waiting or an ex Presidential candidate? The chances for both parties are likely to be 50:50.

911 - Independence Day for Singaporeans

The aliens have landed, more than 2m of them, in this little island Singaporeans called home. And more will be coming according to the govt’s immigration and growth policies. Singapore has no other means to generate economic growth, productivity is at abysmally low, non existence. Its economic numbers are propped up by the influx of foreigners that are hardly enlightening as a factor for economic growth strategy.

Other than the elite, the natural aristocrats and nobles, many Singaporeans are struggling from hands to mouths and depending on govt subsidies in many things to get by, from housing, medical, hospitalization, education, bringing up children etc etc, Singaporeans are now so dependable on the subsidy crutch that removing it will shatter the lifestyle of many. No subsidies many Singaporeans will be in trouble.

Many have lost their good jobs to foreigners and many are waiting to lose theirs with the impending expansion of the terms in the CECA, TPP and Asean Economic Community. More than 50% of the population is foreigners. Many are hidden under the category called locals, ie citizens, new citizens and PRs. How many are the original Singaporeans?

The threat against the existence of the original Singaporeans is reaching breaking point and Singaporeans are voicing their anger and frustration. The govt is responding with some lip service and vague comments to assuage the people that their interest will be taken care of first as Singaporeans. But the influx of foreigners continues though at a slightly slower pace in view of the GE. How would the flow be like after the GE given that the one trick pony cannot think of anything else better than adding more heads into the island?

Singaporeans must prepare for more influx of immigrants once the GE is over and to fight for their life, their existence in the island they called home. The fear of losing their jobs, their homes and their country is more real than in the movie Independence Day.

Come 11 Sep, Singaporeans will be voting for their Independence once again, after 50 years, from being marginalized and booted from their country. It is a fight for life, for the right to be the citizens of their country, to live the way they want it. The GE is a fight to be Singaporeans, to have more rights than foreigners, to keep the foreigners out from their home country, to be proud and take back their self esteem instead of being bullied and pushed aside by foreigners.

Would Singaporeans be united to stand together to fight this last fight before they go down to the foreigners, their country overrun by foreigners? Some are still sleeping and think it is a little discomfort to be squeezing with the foreigners in the train. There is clear and present danger that they will lose their country if they continue to be apathetic and ignore the changes taking place. There is a real risk of becoming a minority to the foreigners.

The aliens are here. What are Singaporeans going to do about it? Fight or flight? Some ministers have encouraged the Singaporeans to flee, go overseas and leave their homes and jobs to the foreigners. Go and give away your homes and your country to the foreigners..

This is a fight not only for all Singaporeans but also for their children and future generations. This is a fight for independence and self determination, not to be swallowed by the hordes of foreigners. It is a fight for freedom, to breathe easier and not to be ruled and controlled by a regime that arrogantly decided everything for the people, including keeping their life savings and forcing the people to pay for a medical insurance scheme they cannot say no, and will wipe out all that is left of their life savings and…only allowed to read and see what the regime approved.

Now you hear the good news. Wait for the bad news after GE if Singaporeans failed to make Independence Day happen. Would there be cries of Merdeka again after 50 years of enslavement? Would there be any original Singaporeans left to do the fighting?

Listening to the ministers is so frightening

With the GE fever on, I watch both sessions of the live debates on Ch 5 and 8 on the GE. I heard Chan Chun Sing and Lawrence Wong and their strong beliefs on the right things that the PAP had done in the past. I have no doubt about the strength of their faith. They truly and sincerely believe in what they were believing in with all honesty and conviction. And it is so scary

Chan Chun Sing spent a big deal of time stressing on the importance of trust and claiming that the PAP had the full trust of the people and that it was this trust by the people that had brought us here today. Lawrence was saying that he was so proud of what the PAP had done to prove how good the PAP was.

I wish I was present to ask them a few questions but since that was not possible maybe I shall pose the questions here and hopefully they could read it and give me an answer.

 

1. The PAP had legislated away the people’s life savings, including mine, without the people’s consent or my consent. Does Chan Chun Sing think the people still trust the PAP? I for one would not trust the PAP with my life savings. I want my money back, every cent of it. Is there a breach of trust? And to Lawrence, is he proud of what the PAP has done about the people’s CPF savings? The PAP brought in 2m foreigners and turned many of them into citizens without seeking the consent of the people. Many people, including me, would not consent to it.  Does Chan Chun Sing think the people still trust the PAP? And to Lawrence, is this something he is proud of?
2. The PAP is forcing the people to pay for the Medishield Life Insurance, compulsory, without asking the people for their permission. And the people would have to pay for this for the rest of their life, emptying every single cent they have in their Medisave Minimum Sum accounts in a matter of time. The Medisave grants and the premiums in the future are not fixed. I can imagine that after all my Medisave Minimum Sum has been ‘gasak’, and if I live long enough, I would risk to go behind bars for not able to pay the premiums. Is this about trust or is this daylight robbery? Is Lawrence also proud of this?
3. The govt signed the CECA with India allowing unrestrained entry of millions of Indians to work here and causing many Singaporeans to lose their jobs. Is this an issue of trust? Does Chan Chun Sing think the people still trust the PAP to sign more of such agreements? Is Lawrence proud of the PAP signing such agreements?

Has the PAP breached the trust of the people and losing the trust of the people?  If yes, is Lawrence still proud of the PAP?

If no, I think both would answer no and are still very proud of what the PAP had done, in particular to the above policies, and this is the frightening part. They cannot see anything wrong in what the PAP had done and going to do if re elected for another term. They are such staunch and unquestioning believers.

The only glitch in the debate was when Lawrence tried to dig out Chee Soon Juan’s past for an airing. This is what he is capable of doing. And while on Chee Soon Juan, it reminds me of another unflattering record of the PAP in its treatment of political rivals like Chee Soon Juan, JBJ and Tang Liang Hong. All were bankrupted. Tang fled for his life and Chee was thrown into jail. What about the sagas involving Roy Ngerng and Amos Yee? Is Lawrence, and for that matter all the ministers, proud of these records?