The Straits Times Forum published a letter by a certain Mr Syu Ying Kwok today, 8 July. The letter was titled, “Five years? MM Lee’s estimate was optimistic.”
In his letter, Syu gave his thoughts on MM Lee Kuan Yew’s earlier remarks about how it would take only five years for Singapore to be “unscrambled” should the opposition come into power.
There is nothing unusual about Syu’s letter – until this part where he made reference to Mr Tan Lead Shake’s “tragic event in his family”:
Recently, opposition politician Tan Lead Shake made headlines after a tragic event in his family. But what chills the bones is the fact that in the past three elections, an average of more than 20 per cent of the electorate voted for him or anyone else who stood for election with little consideration of his credentials or abilities.
We fail to see how the two are linked or can be linked – a personal tragedy in the family and the electorate voting for him. It is a cheap shot at a person whose family tragedy is used here to question the number or percentage of voters who voted for him in the elections. The words used in the letter speak for themselves – “chills the bones”, it says.
It is totally appalling and vile that such a letter could be published in a national newspaper which prides itself on integrity and respectability. Did the editors of the Straits Times Forum not go through the letter? By what criteria did they pass it for publication – with the above parts intact?
Where is the responsibility and common decency? How is it that a letter such as Syu’s, making tenuous connections between what is undoubtedly a very sorrowful time for the Tan family, and particularly Tan Lead Shake, and Tan’s participation in three general elections?
What is the purpose?
While we condemn Syu for the stupidity of his letter, our anger is directed at the editors of the Forum Page.
We call on the editors of the Straits Times, especially the editors of the Straits Times Forum, to issue an apology to Tan Lead Shake, and also to all its readers and subscribers.
As for Syu himself, we would like to ask him: Please show us or tell us the link between the two issues of Tan’s personal family tragedy and his participation in elections.
We would also like to urge all our readers, fellow bloggers and Singaporeans to write in to the ST Forum’s editors and express your disgust for allowing such a letter to be published.
You can send your letters to: stforum@sph.com.sg
You can post your letters sent to the Straits Times in the comments section for this article.
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Another one of those shameless PAP bootlicker-cum-running dog!
After reading his disgusting letter, I almost puke my breakfast.
He has an NUS Bachelor of Accountancy (1993).
Can anyone check out what he does for a living?
I suspect he wants to curry favour with the Men In White for possible business dealings with GLCs/TLCs.
I read the Straits Times…only for four things. The sports section,the comics,the TV programme schedule and to see how far the PAP have gone to brainwash Singaporeans. In the forum,what do you see there? Complaints on unimportant stuff and letters written by the brainwashed. No wonder this sort of letter is allowed!
In life,you must learn to give and take. The PAP just takes and demands for more.
Many teenagers don’t really read the Straits Times except the Life Section. Not that they know the ST is biased, but rather they are just not interested, except the Life section.
Boycott the ST!
Here is my parody of this article:
Overnight? Syu Ying Kwok‘s estimate was optimistic
WITH reference to last Tuesday’s column, ‘ Five years? MM Lee’s estimate was optimistic ‘, I could not help but disagree with Syu Ying Kwok.
It is naïve to assume that all human beings can be trusted to do the right thing, and that we should appeal to the PAP by their conscience and sense of fairness. While it is ideal to strive towards a kinder and gentler society, Singaporeans must be made to realise the government is actually very brutal.
Why is Singapore schizophrenic? To me, it is both a modern-day prison and an insane attempt to push the boundary of human psychology, political science and human ingenuity.
With a population of 4.6 million and no natural resources, Singapore is like a 3,000m-tall giant inverted pyramid balancing precariously on a ridiculously small footprint of less than 700 sq km. To further create instability and complexity, the population is subjected to a government that haphazardly scares the people of the assumed dangers resulting from its mixture of races, religions and cultures.
In some ways, Singapore’s many decades of peace may still not bring hope to a millennium of violence in Jerusalem.
On the contrary, I feel Syu Ying Kwok is very optimistic when he wrote recently that Singapore can be unscrambled overnight.
With modern telecommunications and banking infrastructure in the hands of a few unchecked administrators, trillions of dollars can be transferred out of Singapore in an instant if the current leaders choose to do so.
Singapore’s economy can become an empty shell within hours. The grim reality is that excessively paid government officials would have no qualms in rendering us incapacitated in this fiercely competitive world.
In many ways, Singapore is a failure due to its own success. Thanks to its ability to provide housing, work opportunities and good economic growth year after year in a supposedly First World environment, it is no wonder that most Singaporeans, especially those born after 1965, have bred a false sense of security, thinking modern Singapore is a creation of the People’s Action Party.
Recently, opposition politician Tan Lead Shake made headlines after a tragic event in his family. But what chills the bones is the fact that in the past three elections, an average of more than 80 per cent of the electorate voted against him or anyone else who stood for election with too much belief in the supposed abilities of the PAP.
Will Singapore last as long as the 3,000-year-old Great Pyramids of Giza? Very unlikely, when civilisations in history last an average of less than 500 years.
But the real answer lies not just in our children but in the choice we make now to ensure a better future for them now.
Lim,
“Funny that some people want press freedom. But, some people want press freedom only if the press publishes what they want to hear.
For me personally, I think the article regarding the part about Mr Tan was really in bad taste. But I also don’t believe in shooting the messenger. I can guess why some people do it.”
Btw, what press freedom are you refering to? 154 ranked Straits times…you must be joking or you still living in a make believe singapore?
BAD TASTE only? Please put yourself in that poor chap ‘s situation, his brother was killed by his wife and our dear ST published it intentionally and now without any apologies offered. BAD TASTE as used by you only shows your protection over our crappy ST. How long must your insensibility continues? Have a heart, lim! Dont read with your pair of blind eyes but with a heart.
“It is no different if someone publishes such a view on theonlinecitizen.com. I would still think it is in bad taste but wouldn’t condemn theonlinecitizen.com for it. It would be naive of me to think that some people wouldn’t condemn the website either…”
Haha..this is a good one. Until now i have not read any article that ridiculed anyone who’s brother was killed by his own wife here in TOC. Maybe our dear LIM can show us a few article? Or u mean comments here? come on! Comments the same as letters to the ST FORUM? Are you blind?
“It is reality today that there are those who would angelise everything the opposition does and condemn the PAP for anything under the sun. Similarly, there are those who would angelise everything PAP and demonise everything opposition.”
I ridiculed WP Yaw when he voted PAP for a very stupid reason. I give a thumbs down when MP Low cant even ask PM to have WKS quit his post. There are also MP Chiam who really have nothing to show as an opposition. Many more. Angelised? It is more like PAP angelised themselves over the MSM more than anyone else. You are the very example of why you cant see what i see. Coz PAP are angels while the opposition are devils. You got to go HELL to see what angels(PAP) really are, their true nature. Man in white not really white as snow. Wolf can be in sheep ‘s clothing too.
“Sigh…. there is a growing number of partisans in Singapore.”
Nothing to worry or feel sad. Time will tell whether SIngapore will crumbled in 5 years or 1 year. That LOW EQ and IQ dumbass who wrote in to ST linking murder case to unelected opposition are what we singaporeans who can see are trying to educate and stop them from giving another BLANK CHEQUE to our gahmen.
One that many of us have grown sick of.
FG
“But what chills the bones is the fact that in the past three elections, an average of more than 20 per cent of the electorate voted for him or anyone else who stood for election with little consideration of his credentials or abilities.”
this is a case of confirmation bias: interpreting the data in a way that supports one’s current beliefs. Mr Syu Ying Kwok evidently holds the belief that Singaporeans cannot be trusted to do the “right” thing, that is, vote for the party that *he* feels is best suited to lead Singapore. After all, Tan Lead Shake is so obviously an unqualified candidate, he thinks!
an equally plausible alternative explanation of why >20% of the electorate would vote for someone with seemingly little credentials is that >20% of the electorate *have* considered Tan Lead Shake’s lack of credentials, but would rather take a chance on an unknown candidate than the status quo of the PAP.
To turn the proverb on its head, you could say that it’s a case of going with the devil you *don’t* know because the devil that you do know is so inconceivably horrid that anyone else is preferable.
Assuming the second explanation holds, I don’t know about LKY or the PAP, but if >20% of the electorate is so manifestly disgruntled as to feel this way, I think I would start loosening up a little more or at least launch a massive PR blitzcrieg, rather than be all condescending and cast doubt on Singaporean’s ability to think for themselves in their “best” interests.
Syu Ying Kwok is an NTU accountancy graduate, batch of 1993. He old school lah.
“Syu Ying Kwok is an NTU accountancy graduate”
No wonder. He must have done his accounting right by figuring how much he will earn and benefit by carrying balls.
“Nothing to worry or feel sad. Time will tell whether SIngapore will crumbled in 5 years or 1 year. ”
freaking oldman is pathetic ! When it is opp party, it will be short five years but when it comes to PAP, it is 30 long freaking years ! LKY says it takes up to 30 years to see return from frailing banks …. Any Tom, Dick and harry can say that too.
Freaking senile oldman, are you so senile to think that Singaporeans are so moron nowsaday ? Are oldman thinking that he is HARRY Potter able to cast his magic spell over the nation ?
Do extremists exist in Singapore? The answer is pretty obvious.
When someone says the Syu letter is in bad taste, the definition in the idiom dictionary means that the letter is regarded as wrong or bad.
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/bad+taste+in+your+mouth.html
However, some people don’t think that considering it wrong or bad is enough. In fact, these people even consider it heartless to think it is merely wrong or bad!
Amazing, isn’t it…but no surprise.
Indeed, it is no surprise today that people will be ridiculed just merely for holding a different opinion. In fact, the above example of fever guys response is the clear case where people will even be ridiculed for holding the same opinion.
Rebuttal or Right of Reply? lol. That’s really a myth, isn’t it….
well… it chills ME to MY BONES that 66.6% of the population can vote for an old man’s party whose wife was stricken twice by strokes without consideration of his credibility….
There…. print that! ST ….
“That’s really a myth”
“Amazing, isn’t it…but no surprise.”
Yes, it is a myth and amazing. Tell that to the government first. It all start from the top and people do learn from the government, the Singapore’s only ‘perfect role model’. Flawless and without reproach.
The letter writer speaks volume of the quality of education in Singapore.
This person, by his/her twisted reasoning also highlighted an important fact we should consider in the next elections:
that Lee Hsien Loong had cancer once, and LKY’s family members are not entirely immune from all kinds of illnesses and gene imperfections …. it would be suicidal for the electorates to vote for them.
I mean, the family has a gene pool problem, man.
Voting for them may unscramble Singapore in less than 3 years. Imagine, the MM, PM and the Tamasek honcho lady dropping like flies. God knows how many of them genes are holding high ranking positions in our GLCs.
lim,
i never consider myself as an extremist, but pro-pap supporters love to coin that idea whenever someone is on a different plane of thoughts. Dont you think is so obvious? I think most readers here will show empathy to poor Mr Tan. Cant you see that the press is having a good time ridiculing him? You mentioned dont shoot the messenger but this messenger ought to be “hanged”. The press should have checks to ensure fair reporting and not bias ones. Not only there is no open apology for the previous insensitivity shown to Mr Tan but now having dumbass writer sending low EQ and IQ letter to the forum and having it intentionally published. People with a average IQ can see what is happening. Cant you figured it out, incidentally that dumbass accountant knows numbers only? I think you much more intelligent than the dumbass.
If a letter is wrong say it is wrong, coining it as bad taste show favoritism on your side. If the press to publish this headline : PM lee and cabinet ministers getting 10 % pay rise during high inflation period, is it wrong or bad taste? Which of it sounds better? Not surprisingly, the ST ranked 154 wont have the guts to publish such a headline anyway.
Please give that poor chap a break, Straits Times, i might ridiculed your laughable press freedom less!
FG
This Syu guy must be a protege of Chua lee Hoong.
Instead of questioning those 20% who voted for Tan Lead Shake, Syu should seriously focus on the 66.6% who keep voting for a despotic regime again and again. Tan Lead Shake has not done any harm to his fellow citizens and I do not recall him having any criminal record. Otherwise the PAP and Ms Chua would have plubicized it. Just because Mr. Tan LS is not as sleek and suave in appearance as the PAP members does not mean he cannot be trusted. The great con artistes are mostly those who look sleek and suave.
NOT A MYTH.
This govt is the perfect role model for those who are me-first-mentality and
those who cannot see beyond their rice bowl will faithfully support this govt.
Integrity, sense of shame/honour, sense of fairness is not in the genes.
The Singapore Straits Times are really ‘Shitty Times’ with so many ISD and Intelligence Officers working inside that they are specialized in news propaganda reporting against anti-government elements. All English readers can do one simple thing – STOP BUYING THE NEWSPAPER. I have not bought the newspaper for more than 6 months already and I update on the news via the internet and BBC radio.
Cheers.
What’s new? The Straits Times is never impartial when it comes to local politics in my view. Don’t waste time getting worked up over ST. You’re better off reading other materials , even kids magazines (foreign ones) are more informative and factual. I have stopped reading local news in the ST coz’ don’t want to insult my own intelligence and common sense!!
Agree that the S.T. has gone to the gutters but the sad part is that it is allowed to continue with the trash. This is a clear reflection of the govt and what they stand for. No two ways about it. Also not surprising to read comments from wishy washy people , because they are one reason for the govt’s boldness in its treatment of Singaporeans. Just check all their previous postings and you will understand.
Lim,
Frankly, what will be your feelings, thoughts and/or reaction if you’re in Tan Lead Shake’s shoes in this current situation, given ST’s disgraceful reporting and Syu Ying Kwok’s farcical letter? Care to share with us here?
My concern is that was this confluence of ridiculous reporting by ST and the forum letter a coincidence or a concerted effort to paint an innocent opposition figure in bad light. Judging from the chain of events and inproper references to Tan Lead Shake, readers have no doubt that despicable propaganding elements are at work.
The wise Syu Ying Kwok should have questioned LKY how he arrived at his estimate of 5 years for S’pore’s downfall rather than his own undue pessimistic and terrifying forecast of 1 year.
Anyway, this is an urgent compelling reason for a change of leadership given that Singapore is misled to become dependant on PAP. We certainly do not want to be blackmailed nor hijacked.
Syu Ying Kwok , don’t worry. all the people here seem to dislike you but i support u.maybe some tragic accident also had happen in yr house that’s why you not so kind to Mr Tan. i understand. maybe something tragic also happen to you than you would appreciate kindness from others more. then i will write in rub in on. better that way?
That the MSM printed such a letter is a very poor reflection on their standards – poor taste, inhumane and questionable journalistic integrity. Stooping so low to milk every point for the ruling Leegime while denying many good letters especially those critical of the ruling Leegime from seeing daylight, is also a sign of desperation.
It is good to see that there are still so many sensible Singaporeans around especially when the MSM had been distorting their values and judgments on a daily basis for the last 49 years.
ST editors have no scruples. Any article or letter that carry the ballsof their political masters would seem fit to be published, no matter how shallow the content or opinion may be. Haven’t we always seen letters praising LKY or MIW regularly appearing on their pages. Frankly, they think we Singaporeans are all idiots.
Its kind of sad to see so many of such unscrupulous way of how things are being manipulated by ‘you know who’ on the local papers these days, but then again, what can the editors do? most of them are working in fear of losing their rice bowl duh!
at the risk of being flamed to ashes, i’m going to give my support to lim. maybe using TOC as part of an analogy wasn’t too appropriate but i feel we should all try to cool down and look at the bigger picture.
i believe the point he is making, is that yes, the letter was inappropriate and uncalled for, but this furore over it leads us to ANOTHER issue at hand that is on a more macro level ie. ‘shooting the messenger’ and ‘blindly’ demonising anything and everything that is even mildly ‘supportive’ of the government. in fact, anyone who dares to even suggest that the PAP is NOT the anti-christ is at risk of being stoned to death (figuratively) by many who post here.
just look at some of the posts condeming lim as if he had suggested that bak chor mee should be outlawed. to me, it is pretty ironic that the very people who are championing balance, objectivity and free speech etc. are the ones who are so quick to anger and so quick to use such harsh language against lim (and i’m not even looking at all the stones being thrown at ST). isn’t this similar to what everyone here condemns ST, PAP, LKY etc. of…lack of balance, objectivity and what have you.
as lim said, i know many people who would demonise anything and everything about the PAP and anyone who even tries to provide a balanced view amongst a torrent of anti-PAP sentiment. and this is not directed at anyone here, but from my observations…there are many, especially the younger generation who are anti-PAP simply to be ‘cool’ and ‘anti establishment’ for the sake of it. I do feel that alot of times, singaporeans have a right to feel agrieved, hard done by, and simply damn ‘tu lan’ about how the country is run. hence, like lim, i do not begrudge any political or whatever sentiment…anti PAP…anti ST…pro LKY…whatever…we can all be friends.
disclaimer: unlikely as it is for some of you to believe, i am not pro-PAP. i am just someone who values balance. i know this will lead to many of you ‘shooting’ me back that ST is the most unbalanced of them all…and yes, you have a point. but remember what myself and i believe, lim, are touching on here is not JUST about the ST issue and that letter but rather the MACRO level situation.
Chorus,
Most people are sensible enough and able to judge based on what is posted here. The onus is on the person to post with clarity without controversial innuendos. Responses and rebuttals from others should be expected if one is prepared to post one’s opinion.
It is only through this process that one’s opinion is screened and illustrated for its appropriateness and its agenda, if any.
Decent robust exchanges should not be discouraged if we are to perpetuate transparency and responsibility. We have enough of a damning example in our ruling party in which we are liable for their audacity and callousness.
By the way, welcome to TOC and hope you stay the course with us with more of your opinions.
I do not remember the shameless Media mentioning PAP MP whenever their MPs get into trouble. The Media will only mention “MP”. Anybody remember Choo Wee Khiang, the Hong Kah Malay MP lawyer, Lew Syn Pau, the NTUC Downtown East CEO etc ??
Xtra,
You are right. Good things are quickly reported and break neck speed to filtered out all bad articles on PAP and gahmen and even lightning speed to rebutt IBAHR. I thank the inventor of internet his invention helps liberate information in this century. Now MSM has no more sole right to information and cannot have ultimate control of our thoughts. Shitty times reported reduced profit of 15%. Serve them right, such a low class paper should be good for classified and recruitment roles only. Rather something i need to praise the Shitty Times urgently is that the paper quality is rather quite good and might be worth a try to clean my butt. Maybe not that bad after all at least have some “good”use.
FG
To be honest I was shocked when I read that part of the letter in the papers, so what I did was to look for something redeeming. There’s the identification that the event was ‘tragic’, and there’s the implication that it’s more frightening that persons who do not have ‘credentials or abilities’ have had votes from more than 20% of the electorate, which translates to thousands and thousands of people. Still, it chilled my own bones that a man whose wife had murdered his brother and tried to murder his sister-in law had to be mentioned. Was it the man’s crime? Just what was its mention for in (the letter’s) context? The words “cheap” or “dirty” shot did not occur to me. I found myself shaking my head.
I know this is out of context, but I just need to tell this story about fatal accidents and the lottery. Those of you who are Singaporeans might know what I’m getting at. It so happens that when a fatal accident happens, motorists and pedestrians do not only just slow down to take a look (out of, I don’t know, curiosity?) but some also take down the plate number of the victim’s vehicle to try at the lottery. Now I told this story years ago as a child to someone who was strange to the place. He was a reasonable man, but when I told him this story he went beetroot-red and looked as if he were about to shout. He could not believe just how utterly and intentionally disgraceful people here can be. I do not know if only Singaporeans do things like that, but I think some basic dignity should be given to the dead, sympathy to the relatives.
I hate to say this, but I do find that a growing number of letters published in Straits Times are of a ‘complaint’ nature ie. ‘why express cashiers at a particular supermarket chain serves clients with more than 5 items’, or ‘taxi driver does not accept credit card payment’….
Shouldn’t these people penning such complaint letters be directing their displeasure at the companies concerned?
The link to ST is no more
“Error Page
Page Not Available
The page you have requested is no longer available. Please return to The Straits Times Home Page.
Thank you for your patience.”
83) Marcos
///Shouldn’t these people penning such complaint letters be directing their displeasure at the companies concerned?///
Perhaps better send complaints to TOC, it is complaints Central : )
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