RH:
1. Terming him “Opposition member” is an outright slander defaming all Oppositionists. TAN Lead Shake had the temerity and some spare money [then, when it was much cheaper] to contest once or twice but has never been really an Oppositionist like Dr CHEE, etc, who has also been similarly defamed systematically by the PAPaganda media, exampled by LIE KY himself who just weeks ago defamed Dr CHEE as “psychopath” and other worse things.

2. This kind of systemic demonisation, from Day 1, when any man or woman is identified by the PAPs as ‘critic’ or worse, ‘Opposition’ explains why we all have such bad names.

3. Not only does LIE KY LHL PAP create a climate of fear, usually described as “the Politics of Fear” or “Fearocracy”, the entire Machinery goes all out to demonise anyone who remotely threatens them, from the casual blogger to even the Commenter in blogs.

4. When you understand this kind of all-out, ‘jump on his testicles’ kind of fighting or rather, 1-sided beating and bullying, you begin to understand Singapore and why Singaporeans want to migrate en masse, if they only could, although LIE KY boasted that although survey after survey finds that almost every young person wants to migrate, 80% cannot, for many reasons.

5. Keep following this story and note the innuendoes, allusions, deliberate portrayals. LIE KY LHL PAP are very good at it, having half a century of practice. Indeed, they know, and do, little else.

The media is really trying to tar the Opposition’s image with one broad swath of the brush. So LKY can point to it in future and say the Opposition consists of madmen, psychopaths, and murderer’s spouses.

My deepest sympathies are with Mr Tan and his family. His 34 year old younger brother has been killed. His 26 year old wife is now arrested and faces capital punishment. I doubt if any rational Singaporean will see this as an opposition anything except a very personal tragedy… very sad indeed…

To be fair, the reports merely reports that the woman involved is the wife of Mr Tan. I think we should respect the poor guy and not try to turn this into a condemnation of Singapore newspapers etc and score cheap political points (I’m not saying anyone is doing it…).

RH:
1. If I remember, TAN Lead Shake did sign up for election but hardly campaigned. Before and after elections, he did nothing. In my book, that makes him an ‘amateur’ or a dilettante, just someone who chose to risk a bit of money which he could afford — in fact, such an ‘un-serious’ candidate should have lost his election deposit as the PAP urged, but didn’t, proving how deep and extensive is the hatred of the people for the PAP.

2. Describing him as an “Opposition member” is really too dishonest but expected of a failing regime that is facing unrest, uncertainties, and moral decay and dissolution — all these thanks to the Internet, we bloggers and the brave REAL Opposition who soldier on despite minefields, bullets in the back and treachery from every part of the Machinery, meaning not only the PAP party, but the govt machinery, the media, the judges, doctors, lawyers, just about everybody who wants to make money and remain in good stead for more, in promotions and bonuses, etc.

3. Every single institution and elite person in Singapore has been corrupted by the all-pervading Corrupter, LIE KY himself. Only his removal and thorough cleansing can restore real lives to all of us, living now only half-lives, in the shadows, cowed and afraid.

I am deeply saddened that this happened. I know Lead Shake personally and I can only imagine the anguish he must be going through. My deepest condolences to his family.

Robert, lets not turn this into a tirade against the PAP or the govt or the media. I watched the news report on CNA just now. There is nothing unusual about it. They reported it as they have for other similar cases.

Please stop making up stories.

Have some respect for Lead Shake and his family.

Andrew:
Yea, with due respect to all fellow writers, I think its courteous and good that all refrain from writing anything related to this event. Just keep it low key.
And if the MSM chose to write with a slant [or without] then I believe many if not all Singaporeans can and do understand and judge for themselves.

Robert Ho is in the same class as Gopalan Nair.

From the start, no politician/ political wanabee in Singapore respects his counterpart, lead alone his own party member. In the UK/US members are address as “The Honourable,” “the member of…”

We don’t need any of the political parties in Singapore. We need a change in all their attitudes.

Wow, wow. First comment up there, and someone is already trying to bring politics into the issue.

I myself don’t see the report by Channel NewsAsia to be biased against anyone or any particular group – if this happened in other countries, the media of that particular country will no doubt also mention the political link.

By drawing out the links, they can get people who might otherwise dismiss this as “yet another murder case story” – especially those who are disinterested in such things but interested in politics – to read it up. In short – they are trying to get our attention, which happens with just about any news agency anywhere.

Robert Ho, you are reading way too much into the tiniest of things – and you are falling into Channel NewsAsia’s trap of getting people to read it. Chill out a bit, K?

As for the case itself, I guess it must be awful to go through what Mr. Tan is going through right now. I hope everyone can give him – and the entire affair – some space and privacy for him to tide over this difficult phase.

Waa… this guy is Opposition member… haha… What about WEE TOON BOON, PHEY YEW KOK, CHOO WEE KIANG are all still RULING POLITICIANS……

RH:
1. In all my writings, I have always strived very hard to be accurate, truthful, concise. To these ends, I deliberately write in short, simple, unambiguous sentences, my trademark. I do use hyperbole to make a point but always keep it so obvious and unambiguous that no reader can be fooled into thinking the hyperbole is other than for effect. I also criticise the LIEgime vehemently, mostly by pointing out its many defects and hypocrisies. That in no way makes my comments less worth reading. Most times, I can contribute an angle, an insight or 2, to give readers food for thought and to point out directions for further discussion. That’s all. That’s what I do.

2. Coming back to my theme of PAPaganda media slanting every news story every chance they get, I WOULD DESCRIBE TAN LEAD SHAKE AS A “SOMETIME ELECTION CANDIDATE” OR “FORMER ELECTION CANDIDATE” OR EVEN “FORMER OPPOSITION ELECTION CANDIDATE”.

3. This is far more truthful, honest, than painting him as an “Opposition Member” which only a very few would qualify for, a handful that includes Dr CHEE, JBJ, etc. A sometime election candidate like TAN is an altogether different category. If a toilet cleaner stood for elections a couple of times, but does little else, would anyone describe him as an “Opposition Member”?

Tan Lead Shake IS still an opposition member. He’s the treasurer of NSP.

Robert Ho, who are you to condemn other opposition? How come SDP and its supporters are increasingly become criticising other opposition? Have they been sued by the PAP so much until they begun to lost their balls to face them, and start attacking WP and NSP?

And to think they always accuse other opposition of criticising them. SDP is worse than PAP. Chee and others are foreign agents. So please don’t compare Chee and JBJ to insult JBJ.

Robert Ho, time for you to migrate to the US. Goplan Nair would be more than willing to help you, once he gets out of his mess.

After all, both of you write about the same stuff on your blogs.

So if it was Low Thia Kiang, Chiam See Tong, or any WP/SDA member, Robert Ho would still criticise them. If the article read SDP members relative, Robert Ho would glorfiy tthe person but still slam the article.

So sad.

RH:
1. Clair C : “…both of you write about the same stuff on your blogs.”

2. I must have really, really slipped up! Or Clair C never read my “stuff” or read it with only half a mind. Or just trying the old trick of ‘associating’ me with some other, for nefarious reasons, a trick the LIE KY LHL PAP are [in]famous for.

3. I shall not reply further as I have better things to do.

He does write on the same topic as Gopalan.

Why do all the great freedom fighters think anything that looks like a ruling party comment means that the person is a ruling party supporter?

Get a life. Aung San Suu Kyi or Nelson Madela are uncomparable to all of you.

It’s like saying that Professor X.’s brother was arrested and someone claimeing that the Professor was never a true Professor and a digrace to the academic community.

Robert What other things do you have to do? I count one: continuation of your criticism.

Andrew Loh: Robert, lets not turn this into a tirade against the PAP or the govt or the media. I watched the news report on CNA just now. There is nothing unusual about it. They reported it as they have for other similar cases. Please stop making up stories. Have some respect for Lead Shake and his family.

Mr Loh I am not sure what news channel you are watching. I watched channel 5 news and the newscaster spent at least 10 seconds on air at the head of the report explaining about the slipper man nickname – a nickname coined and fanned by none other except the local media. Now where and what is the relevance and purpose of dedicating some 10 to 15 seconds of air time in prime time news explaining about slippers other than to tar Tan’s reputation?

I wonder why nowadays the chinese nationals are always hogging the limelight, be it competition for good grades, jobs or murder.

Think twice if you want to marry China girl

“13) Claire C on June 29th, 2008 5.16 pm Robert Ho, time for you to migrate to the US. Goplan Nair would be more than willing to help you, once he gets out of his mess.

After all, both of you write about the same stuff on your blogs.”

People write same stuff = must reside in the same country.

Claire, which country are you residing now and what stuff are you writing (do you particularly like to write). There must be some new thing (article-vs-residence matrix) you know about that we must learn from you.

So let’s blow up the US with Robert Ho’s ozone theory

The way the media has gone to town with the reporting of this unforetunate and sad incident not only make one realise why they are ranked so low internationally and reinforces the common belief that servitude to their political masters far outways the moral obligation to the journalist trade. The vulgar attack on Chee and now the pathetic reporting ( I was appalled when they ran a picture of the poor husband with the headlines “slipper man”).

And everyday we read the newspaper reporting about “chinese nationals” involved is some crime or rather. Hardly a day goes by without some news about “Chinese Nationals”. I find this descriminatory espcially when we have welcomed them here as FT.

Channel 8 News and 958(Chinese Radio Channel) had reported the Case almost everyday repeatedly and Mr Tan Lead Shake was invariably called an opposition politician.

Personally, I think the Case does not deserve such wide(repeatedly reported) coverages and Tan Lead Shake did(does) not be mentioned with the honourless title of opposition politician. The Case happened without the slightest connection with political issues in the land. It was more a case of domestic dispute.

So, yes, I sense something foul to my nose.

patriot.

Mr Tan is an opposition politician. I think that is a fact which Mr Tan does not need to be ashamed of. I fail to see how calling him an opposition politician makes him any less than what he is.

Mr Jeyeratnam, Mr Chiam, Mr Low, Ms Lim and even the Chees are all opposition politicians. I think to be associated with most of them imho can be regarded as an honour to some people.

Pa kwa news sell newspapers and increase TV ratings. That is an unfortunate fact of life too.

My sympathies are very much with Mr Tan and his family.

The article in Today carried a picture of Mr Tan instead of either the victim or the accused. A large portion of the article centred on his slipper-wearing appearance at GE2006 and his father’s political links with the DPP.

I am utterly disgusted with the tactics used in Singaporean politics. Focusing on the issues at hand rather than inane and irrelevant finger-pointing would increase the depth and relevance of the modern political scene. And they call us apathetic.

The least respect one can give is not to further rub salt into the wound in Mr Tan’s recent family tragedy. I believe no one would like this kind of media coverage but Mr Tan so happened to be an opposition party and thus he became a target of attack rather than sympathy. What if Mr Tan was a PAP politician instead? So sending our condolences and wishing his sister-in-law’s recovery should be the least one should show. Besides, he is going to lose his wife and his children their mother.

Todays ‘New Paper” headline reads “The Slipper man wife” giving a label to an opposition. I guess that gives us the right to label and refer to others as the “the mee siam man”, ” the mai hum man”, “what to da man” and the “toilet break man” in the blogshere. We should give them the same treatment. We should start giving nicknames to the journalist as well since they are so fond of labeling people. Lets start with the “the bootlicking psychologist”…guess who qualifies for that..

Ah, even our beloved SDP sends its condolences while Robert Ho takes the chance to slam poor MR. Tan.

QUOTE “Newspapers should save paper by reporting real news rather than non-news that they carry, particularly nonsensical utterances by politicians.”

And TV as well.

Dear Robert Ho,

Be brave like Mr Tan Lead Shake and stand for the general election in a few years time from now as an Independent or join any other political parties. I am sure you are welcome. Otherwise, do not condemn other people, opposition or otherwise and express unwarranted opinions that invite strong reactions from others as you have hurt their feelings. If one is very unhappy towards Singapore and its way of running the country an lost faith in it and its mission, one can uplift and go to other greener pastures. There are many countries to goto and not necessary USA, Malaysia has a “second home” programme that only needs the cost of a 3-rm HDB flat. Do not get oneself entangled in this convoluted society if one thinks that one has no part in it. The door is always open.