A few days ago, I sent a link of one of Dr Chee Soon Juan's rally speeches to a friend. He refused to even take a few seconds glance at the video, as if he was afraid to see something that might force him to change his perception of the man. That would be that same image in many Singaporeans' mind. The frenzied psychopath released from the gates of hell to bring harm to Singapore.
There are a lot of issues Singaporeans couldn't forgive Dr Chee Soon Juan for. The media painted him as a traitor who "talked bad" about Singapore overseas and tried to get foreign entities to hurt Singapore. If any bothered to listen to his speeches or read the content of his pleas to foreign human right groups, one would have see that Dr Chee presented the facts about Singapore and not fabricated lies. If Singaporeans are uncomfortable with the unsavory facts about Singapore, we should be looking to address those issues instead of hiding it from the rest of the world and pretend they don't exist. Even so, many would argue, that dirty linen should not be washed beyond our shores. That is a fair point. However, imagine a situation where an abusive father tells his children not to involve the police and settle their issues within the family, not to wash dirty linen in public, would heeding his instruction be the right thing to do? It's subjective. Given the constraints that bounded Dr Chee in his circumstances, his other option would be: doing nothing.
We all know by now, he didn't take the second option and continued to fight.
Whatever is your opinion of Dr Chee, you cannot deny the fact that he chose the hard ways in life.
He could have a taken up a cushy career, raking in big bucks enough for retirement by now but he didn't.
He could have joined the PAP right from the start but he didn't.
He could have been a docile, "PAP approved" opposition but he wasn't.
He could have gave up after being spanked in every election he took part but he didn't.
He could have escaped Singapore to start a new life afresh in another country during his bankruptcy but he stayed.
These are hard facts no one can refute. If Dr Chee is a crazy man, that would be because he chose to pick up a thankless fight for Singaporeans.
During one of his rally speeches, Dr Chee claimed that he fought on because he believes in Singaporeans. Many were convinced, many remained skeptical. For me, Dr Chee's track record made it difficult not to give him the benefit of doubt. He had too many chances to take an easy route but he didn't. How many of us have to muster this level of fortitude against our life challenges to doubt someone who has been doing it for more than two decades?
The character of the man aside, Singaporeans who listened to his several rallies would agree that intellectually, Dr Chee has a lot to offer in Parliament. For the neutral eye, it was so obvious that Dr Chee created such an impact that forced the PAP to turn their Titanic around and head towards the SDP to unsettle the waters before it turns into a threatening ice berg, leaving the entire WP team to their strong finish. Dr Chee must not get into Parliament at all cost. New doses of character assassination were then prescribed by the PAP to sedate the Singaporean people.
My prediction is the SDP will lose their challenge to the PAP team in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. Whatever the outcome, Dr Chee is a winner. His humility has won over a sizable swarm of Singaporeans. It must be exhilarating to be revered for a change. The biggest loser is, in fact, the Singaporean people for not electing a candidate of such calibre into the parliament. Without a doubt, he will be back for the next GE to bid a stronger challenge. If Dr Chee doesn't let go of these fundamentals, he will eventually achieve his dreams.
以力服人者，非心服也，力不赡也；以德服人者，中心悦而诚服也。
Best of luck.
No. The biggest losers are the people such as your friend, who can't even open their minds for that moment to give an alternative voice a chance.
ReplyDeleteThat's not the point in this article.
DeleteIt's Singaporean.
Well, generally Singaporean are like the writer friend. They deserve to be slave to their persue of endless material need. But bankrupt at the intellecture level.
Deletemy sentiments exactly.
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ReplyDeleteWho is Mr. Lee? The japanese translator? You sound like his words mean anything. Please dont insult chiam by claiming LKY praise him. If you really respect Chiam so much. Chiam is one of the victim oppressed by LKY.
DeleteIf you want to be a cunt by calling me a quack, then don't expect me to be civil in my reply. In fact, I wouldn't even bother to reply your nonsensical comments in one of the previous posts lately. Not that you expect any, from the way you wrote them.
DeleteIf all you are able to do is to quote information provided by the MSM, I'll have to keep my reply very short because this isn't worth a debate.
The most respected opposition member is JBJ by a far mile. A LKY approved opposition like Chiam doesn't automatically make him the most respected. That being said, Chiam is a gentleman who has held the opposition flag for decades and deserves to be lauded for it. However, that doesn't make his political career flawless and I'll not go into details because it has no relevance to this post.
Was Chiam ousted from the SDP? According to the MSM, yes. I challenge you to hear both sides o the story and at least try to put in a little bit of critical thinking before commenting. If all you can do is be a MSM mouthpiece, there are many avenues online already. I don't appreciate any here and none of those will be responded to. I make this an exception because this isn't about my reputation (as if I care) but somebody else and I woke up today feeling happy enough to address injustice. While you are at it, think about what happened to Chiam's 3 proteges and think about whether passing on the baton to Lina Chiam is the meritocracy some of you foolishly believe the PAP in or a display of nepotism like the PAP seems to practice. Also, Chiam resigned from the SDP, not ousted or kicked out what the MSM ejaculated, which you swallowed in full happily. His resignation letter is even available online if you bother to find it. When you resign from your previous job, will you go around and tell your friends that your company ousted you?
I will be happy to discuss the policies you listed above if you decide to come back on another day with an open mind, dropping that cuntish attitude. Though I will be more than happy to admit your bad attitude isn't anything near mine, I do not invite anyone outside my group to read or comment. So if you don't like the manner, don't waste your time here and do something more economically meaningfully.
1. “Singaporean first …..PAP has been working on this”
DeleteDid it work? If so, why would anyone formed a political party base on this foregone premise or “problem”? even naming itself after it? Is this not stating the obvious?, like forming a Newater Party to campaign and demand for local “water” first?
2. “Minimum wage … is a double-edge sword”.
Currently the ‘sword” has only one edge, and cuts only in one direction; towards the easy targets of the weak, the poor and the most vulnerable segment of the society. So maybe with a “double edge sword” that would now also cut the other way, it could give those “easy targets” a breather and breathing space, to right themselves up. At the least, those previously on the other side of this “sword” can now begin to feel and understand this “cut’, and might even begin to identify themselves as one people or one nation, to realise that they are actually all on the same little boat?
3. Let’s not cut the defence budge. We do need the gleaming hardware, the latest and the mightiest. But until these machinery have AI that can function on its own, let’s increase the budget to give the correct ‘‘allowance” to the people behind these machinery. After all, it can not deviate too far from the principle of meritocracy and free market that give professional level compensation to people who are expected to professionally manage those professionally created war machine, can it?
The acticle only said about Dr Chee as a person. Not the policy he proposed, that we think is right or wrong! But you wrote so many words, we assumed you are either being diverted or trying very hard to dicredit him. Based on your points raised and the author point raised ABOUT DR CHEE as a human. Scords : you - 1 pt. author -6 pts. Author take this ground. [-(
DeleteDr Chee ousted Mr Chiam? I can't believe people are still spreading the false lies... it is all clearly stated with proof of Mr Chiam's own handwriting.
DeleteBut you can't blame those people, politics are dirty. Even LKY framed LCS for over 50 years:
http://basisofsingaporeanspiritboss.blogspot.com/2015/08/50-years-of-lies-exposed-thanks-to-pm.html
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DeleteYou have been conditioned and drowned by the MSM for the past 15yrs or so. Go Google: "Chiam See Tong"s resignation from the SDP".Read all the 4 parts of the subject. LKY was very grateful to CST for helping him to destroy CSJ's character which is a fallacy, so did GCT.
Delete1. Name one capitalistic “superpower” that does not have a national policy to employ their own citizen first.
Delete2. Did you find Australia devoid of businesses or lack of any type of goods or services due to “many businesses are in fact finding it harder to operate" possibly caused by having this minimium wage?
3. Did you see more people trying to leave Australian or more people trying to get in, due to this “wage stagnation”, “rising cost” “no bonus”, “no increment” presuming due to this minimum wage policy, which Australia has put in place since almost 100 years ago?
4. How “level” can this “level playing field” be, if for example, male Singaporean were forced to perform national service, while his “salary competition” in this now wide opened market, were not?
Bear in mind, even there is no perfect solution, it does not mean that one group of people is consigned (or condemned) to carry this “problem” all the time, unless this is deemed a kind of “birth right” or caste.
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DeleteI do not feel any loss not to have him in the parliament.....someone who just simply say things which are popular which is easy to say.....but i do admire his perseverance for keep trying....thats the most i can say about this man.
ReplyDeleteI accepted that Dr Chee had changed, at least for this election, not even when his wife narrated a video of him as the everyday man.
ReplyDeleteIt was slightly later, when I read the words he spoke at one of the first rallies.
I myself cannot believe that one response ago before that, I was joining in the chorus of condemnation of him for his past.
And I don't care for my sudden change of my heart about him, it's one of those swift decisions I make, these middle-aged days, to which I don't look back, because I carry on building upon them later in life.
But I won't be voting for him: SDP is not even representing in my constituency.
And I don't think at this time I would vote for the party or the man — it's like not marrying Cinderella with love at first sight, considering that this morning she was still Ella of the cinders (and tonight after midnight might still be).
But I like to believe in second chances, and third chances, and however many times it takes for a better human being to emerge, again and again.
One thing for sure, Dr Chee sure has proven he is thick skinned enough not to have quit.
My goodness - a comeback after 14 years, and against such an overwhelming negative reputation!
Like it or not, the closest equivalent I can think of outside Singapore is Mandela.
Maybe he still has a chance to be remembered well, like LKY and Chiam.
But then, what about all those who still think otherwise, like I used to?
Sadly, many have never even bothered with how I really think.
Does it matter now?
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ReplyDeleteOne day he will succeed! Just persevere.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, in Chiam's biography, he acknowledge that Chiam's aunt (mother's sister), Mabel married Kwa Soon Siew, who is the brother of Late Kwa Geok Choo (LKY wife). Therefore, they are distance relative, he supposed to address Soon Siew as Uncle.
ReplyDeleteMy question to Blessed Singaporean, why Chiam manage to survive all this year. Sometime, it is better for relatives to talk over the table than in the Parliament House. :)
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