Becoming a world-class university: NTU and campus media freedom
Monday, 6 October 2008, 12:13 am | 2,007 views
This is the transcript of a speech given by Thaddaeus Wee, a Year 2 student at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at a demonstration at the Speaker’s Corner protesting the NTU President’s censorship of student newsletter The Nanyang Chronicle. A full report on the event will be uploaded on TOC soon.
Why we are gathered
First and foremost, let us justify our displeasure and explain why today even transpired. We are concerned. We are concerned because the articles produced that were spiked by the university authorities were painstakingly worked upon. Not just by student editors but also experienced professors of our media school, most of them armed with years of industry experience. Despite the multitude of efforts invested in the news articles to ensure that they would be non-partisan and “sanitized”, the university authority still chose to spike them because it was afraid of giving undue publicity that would be “inadvertently exploited” by Dr Chee.
To axe this article, despite all the efforts of our fellow student editors and professors, we feel, is undermining the education that my peers and I have been through, and by the way, have paid for! I can fondly remember what I learnt in my second week of school when I was still a freshman one year ago: the central purpose of journalism is to inform citizens accurately and reliably, so that they function in a free society. Scaling this down to the level of our university, it should also mean that the central purpose of our campus journalism is to inform students accurately and reliably, so that they function in a free campus.
Freedom and function inseparable in University education
Now, there are two important keywords for the purpose of this topic. The first is “free”, and the second, and more important, is “function”. What exactly do we mean by free? A free society obviously would refer to a democracy, but what about a free campus? A safe interpretation would be that the University is an autonomous institution of higher education. Now comes the word “function”. What then is the function of university students in an autonomous institution, and how can we go about “functioning”?
I have frequently been taught in university that the “growing” of knowledge can only occur when ideas are “build upon ideas”. That is the way knowledge is recognized, theorized, and eventually transformed into workable, practical, solutions. Therefore I believe that the function of students in the university is to learn and apply the critical skills required in “building knowledge”. And that is, in essence, our education. However, we must remember that education in a university goes beyond classroom theory. That is probably one of the most heard anecdotal advices that need little explanation.
University students are often expected to make good leaders and be socially-critical members of society. As with the classroom-theories, when faced with the real world social issues, university students are expected to translate the critical skills they were imparted with in formal education into informed opinions and choices.
By promoting critical thought and intellectual exchange on social issues through the campus media, NTU will be a lot closer to becoming a world-class university that it has set itself off to be. Potential leaders can be groomed and nurtured only when the university environment evolves into one that promotes and encourages students to speak out. The university should be a place that facilitates and stimulates critical, intellectual exchange that extends beyond the confines of academia. But of course, this intellectual free market should also come attached with the clause of responsible freedom of expression as well.
Allowing our campus media to have the freedom to report responsibly can only spell improvement in debate and informed opinions amongst the students, on all relevant social issues. To impede this freedom would also mean to impede the function of education. Now the big question we want to ask ourselves is if the articles were irresponsible in terms of editorial freedom. And the answer, on our side as students, is a big, resounding NO. And that is the crux of our disappointment in the way the school has viewed and handled the issue.
Despite all previous efforts made to ensure that the news stories would fulfill its obligations of promoting function in a free campus, the university has exercised, in its capacity as owner, its judgment that the news article was more harmful than good for the university. We acknowledge that the university media platforms are funded by the university itself. We also recognize the tender balance and relationship between editorial and business ownership. However, we also feel that the university can profit much if it considers our point of view and give greater emphasis to the free exchange of information.
While it is indeed arguable that the university has its ownership rights to not run news articles it deems as detrimental or irresponsible, we are here today to contemplate if the decision made was truly beneficial, especially in relation to the importance of a quality education. The university, as an owner, has to sufficiently consider the feelings and views of a very important stakeholder – us, students.
Trust students and staff
We firmly believe that students are also important stakeholders in NTU. Besides the fact that we pay a rough 20-30 grand school fee to help support the university income and funding, we also create the bulk of the academic population that creates the unique university culture. We also represent the university in all spheres and disciplines, and not just now but also after we graduate. We will eventually bear the mark of the NTU alumni, and whatever we contribute to society will eventually reflect upon our alma mater.
As an autonomous institution, NTU definitely has its rights to act freely, but responsible as well. We understand that NTU axed the article to be responsible to the students and probably society at large, inferred from their official statement that the article was axed due to the potential that the unsolicited visit would be given publicity in furtherance of a political objective. The university does not want to mislead or be made an instrument to Dr Chee’s political objectives.
Even if we were to agree that their reason was largely valid, we wish to point out that the news stories were carefully crafted to prevent undue publicity. It seems to me that there can only be 2 possible conclusions inferred from the university’s decision in this circumstance.
One possible conclusion is that the university simply does not trust the judgment and skills of its own students and professors. That, as stakeholders of the university, is the ultimate insult. Not only are students seen as incompetent, so are the very professors the school has employed to impart us with knowledge and skills. And the greatest irony is that you, me, we, are paying for my education here. Am I then paying for a 2nd-class education? Are you for a 2nd-class education?
The second possibility is that the university recognizes the competence of its students and professors, and believes in their sound advices. Still it chose to do what it has already done. Under such a belief, I can only think that the university is behaving in a paranoid fashion. It is definitely wiser for the university to allow the news stories to surface if it intends to pursue its vision of being a world-class university, and to groom the leaders of tomorrow.
Even if we choose to view the university as being conservative and not paranoid, it is still detrimental to the processes of free intellectual exchange. To be conservative could mean the silencing of certain opinions and ideas, and the quest for knowledge stops abruptly with it.
The contest of ideas
Now, some of you might say that being conservative does not mean a total embargo on certain ideas and opinions, but rather a slow, trickling down process, where exchanges are carefully mediated and managed. Still, even if we were to agree, we must realize that such a pace of growth is irrelevant in light of the fast pace of life and society today, and will not help in achieving the aims of becoming a world-class university.
According to English philosopher, John Stuart Mill, no opinion or idea is ever entirely wrong or right. This freedom of expression can only serve to better our education by allowing us to extract the good and discard the bad from all heard ideas. But first, we need to let these ideas be heard!
We need to let intellectual opinion and ideas flow in order to validate or invalidate them. To deny the possibility of another opinion would mean to assume the infallibility of one’s own opinion. Thus, the reason we are even having this open dialogue here today, to ensure that intellectual exchange can take place between us students, and the university!
I therefore would like to end this speech, with the hopes that the open dialogue has been one that is fruitful for all stakeholders of NTU, and also an insightful one for all concerned members of the public.
Thank you all for coming, because your support and concern by being here today, only tells me that there is great hope for not just our cause, but also for NTU’s aspiration to be a better, world-class university.
Pictures by Kelvin Khoo & Ma Xianrong
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above article said “…According to English philosopher, John Stuart Mill, no opinion or idea is ever entirely wrong or right. This freedom of expression can only serve to better our education by allowing us to extract the good and discard the bad from all heard ideas. But first, we need to let these ideas be heard!…”
we should ask the Majority , and you know who you are, about their opinion on the above statements.
majority, give yourselves a clap and a pat on you backs.
well done…bravo..there’s hope for singapore!
I applaud this group of NTU students for taking the first step, it reflected courage and conviction, something institutions of higher learning cannot teach.
I hope many more NTU students will turn up in future to support their fellow students in such events at Hong Lim Park or any other venue. The large turnout will perhaps make NTU’s management rethink their decisions.
I concur that it is important to have an open mind to different views when searching for knowledge. It would be Singapore citizens’ interest to see the PAP leadership debating on issues and policies with opposition members, and NTU students would make the ideal host.
[...] Close to 100 students turned up to listen to the four students who organised the protest. (Read a transcript of Thaddeus Wee’s [...]
Next time any political events (be it oppo or pap)… just don’t report it on your newsletter and cite this case as an example..
According to the Herman-Chomsky Propaganda Model, there are 4 controls needed to be liberate in order to restore free press in NTU.
1. Ownership: Ownership of the Nanyang Chronicle must be wrestled from NTU and be transferred to a student society.
2. Funding: It should be funded by union subscription fees and not depend on direct funding from the university. In this way, the Nanyang Chronicle does not owe any responsibility to the President of the NTU.
3. News Sourcing: Being the only newspaper on campus, it would have monopoly on news sourcing information. So news informants on campus do not have the leverage to coerce the newspaper to write in a certain way.
4. Flak: Flak refers to organised action to manage public information from external bodies. This includes threat of legal action to force the free press to censor. This is exactly what the Attorney-General is doing in taking up the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) and Wall Street Journal Asia in Singapore court over an article that published remarks questioning the independnece of Singapore’s judiacary. This is what the Nanyang Chronicles’ managing editors must stand firm against.
Progress such as free press does not come cheap, but the prize is always worthed the efforts.
Isa (#5): By not reporting political events, the Nanyang Chronicle will be no better than what it is now.
Singapore students will not be able to make a change, imho.
History has proven over 43 times . These are solid proofs. solid evidence. No one can try to change this. Students especially. They are afraid of the dean.
They mudder fudder pay and pay them school fees want them study pass. If they no cooperate, I wonder can they be dispelled from school ?
remember, sporeans are pragmatic to the extreme unlike any other country.
Lets not try to sell the idea that students can make a difference. They cannot, will not and would not.
Remember, Thick book of Historic solid evidence is on my side. You cannot handle the truth.
NTU president is worried that his rice bowl will be crushed if he offended Pap govt. by publishing opposition news in their campus newsletter. Pap controls everything in Spore.
Actually, most people don’t realise that censorship takes place far more deeply/subtly in the education system.
From the history being taught in schools to the type and content of curriculum etc, its all a very carefully managed education system to “mold” students into a line of thought.
Everyone does it where they can. That’s why there was a huge hoo-ha over Japanese history books. Same thing with the messages/propaganda in forums as well. That’s life…
In essence of the speech (based on this published transcript) and the values it is trying to project, in my opinion is not only directing to their instituition but rather to any society that values freedom of speech and expression, I felt console to see our young Singaporeans gradually maturing to stand up for their believes.
Brewing “Great Thinkers” with creative mindset needed unconditioned space to transpire and express ideas that will be beneficial for the growth not only to the nation but also her nation’s youth growing up process. The essence of “freedom of speech” has no or should not have pre-conditions, more so at Instituitional level.
The effort by NTU student body is laudable and should be encouraged to do more. Everything has a “first”, every first little steps you take to realize your principle believes will accumulate over time. The right values that what you fought for will eventually stand the test of time.
I would certainly hope the NTU governing authorities live up to their autonomous status. Coining the phrase from the infamous Mark Twain: ““The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning-bug,”
Have trust and confidence in your students that you nurtured. In today’s globalization aspect hwere information is free flow, their maturing process include credibility analysis of the true value of messages conveyed or received whether publicly or privately, that instituitional teaching cannot completely ignore or cover up. Surpression is the greatest advocate of rebellious behavior. It does no good to NTU as well as this nation.
[...] vs Chee | Censorship - TOC: Becoming a world-class university: NTU and campus media freedom - Hard Hitting in the Lion City: Stupid Move by NTU - Sgpolitics: Students protest university [...]
Good for you students to speak up but DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR STUDIES.
Years ago, we had the Na Tah crackdown, the University of Singapore Socialist Club…..all blown to dust.
In retrospect, there was nothing really achieved except that student activists had their names reported by informants who remained shamelessly in government favoured positions till today.
Advice to you guys again - COMPLETE YOUR STUDIES FIRST.
Good work Boys,
There alot of things to learn from the past and the future depend on you.
It is a real pleasure to see our young men from NTU stepping up to the plate for a cause.
The whole world and not just Singapore is watching you guys.
Academic qualifications mean very little if one does not have courage, conviction and composure.
Good job guys and keep it up !
lim (#9) and bornfree (#12):
Whilist it is true there are many historical examples of failed attempts by students, there are also many historical examples of successful attempts by students. However, the successful examples worked because there is strong public support for their causes and the student movement became a national movement. That was what that cemented the success of the student movements.
Censorship takes place deeply in our education system. Attempts last year to revive an independent student government from the Singapore Polytechnic’s administration resulted in threat of legal action against a close friend of mine who is also an insider of the student union. Although this led to his subsequent “resignation” from the executive committee, my friend has not given up. We are assured that there are young Singaporeans who want to champion social and political causes in Singapore. Singapore now has a gleam of hope against our impending doom under the PAP government.
like you, i was idealistic once. I spoke up for “unfair threatment” that our part-time lecturer had at a local university as he became a threat to the school head because he was popular with most students then. i was called up to the registrar’s office and senior students’ liaison head told to be careful or face dismissal. you see, back then it was just a few years after they had the famous “tan wah piow’s case”. looking back, i could not help but wonder what my life would become if i was kick out from university because i was accused of instigating my fellow students to submit a petition to protest to the university vice chancellor against the unfair school head. anyway, i was quite proud that a few years later after i graduated that lecturer became the head of that school and the previous head was given the boot. hooray, there was justice after all !
The most prominent example of student activism is TianAnMen 1989. We all know what happened to those students.
Embarrassing the organisation that is marking the exams before one takes them and questioning their judgment when they will need to be relied upon for job references etc is a very brave thing to do.
Championing social causes is also a noble thing to do. Doing it from a firm foundation often works better.
Reminds me of a joke. An italian general once gave a stirring speech about the dangers of the enemy. When he finished, he gave the order to charge and started charging headlong towards the enemy. Halfway, he noticed no one was following him. Instead everyone was at the start lines giving him an thunderous applause.
Morale of the story: I leave the reader to draw your own conclusions…
17) lim on October 6th, 2008 6.01 pm
“Embarrassing the organisation that is marking the exams before one takes them and questioning their judgment when they will need to be relied upon for job references etc is a very brave thing to do.”
Who is marking the exams - every lecturer ? These students had more guts and did the right thing by voicing out than keeping quite.
Lim, please do not instil unhealthy fear into these students.
“Reminds me of a joke. An italian general once gave a stirring speech about the dangers of the enemy. When he finished, he gave the order to charge and started charging headlong towards the enemy.”
Is it just a joke or a real story told as a joke. At least, this italian general had guts -doing what he preached and leading by example - rather than fighting a “war on paper”.
You have to be very careful when you read Mill, child. After all, he was the first feminist.
Now that the discontented students have held their platform to ’steam off’ anger on media censorship, they ought to give serious thought on issues they really set out to achieve. Pat on their back if they were against media censorship on positive issues and bad..bad if they were just holding a rally against media censorship on negative issues. Whats positive and negative is much left to a learned student. The fact the event had a political leverage, postive or negative, students ought to keep away from been used by ‘riders’ for their politcal mileage.
In midst of all, do not forget to acheive the very goal one set out to achieve, as a student in the first place!!
Mission Impossible:
At least they are doing something.
thumbs up to these days
congrats…at least i see some justice in our future leaders..
The hardest is always the first step cos once you take the first step as the students here take, there is no turning back.
A journey of a thousand miles start with a first step and congratulation, these students have takem the important first step. The rest will be history.
dodo (#16):
looking back, i could not help but wonder what my life would become if i was kick out from university because i was accused of instigating my fellow students to submit a petition to protest to the university vice chancellor against the unfair school head
I doubt instigating people to submit a petition break any school rules or law. Don’t let figures of authority scare u with empty threat derrived from information assymetry. The fight is never over in a truly democratic state because a democratic system is pluralistic, so there is always a constant struggle between people defending their rights and those who want to take the rights away. That is why citizen participation is the foundation to democracy.
Every Matrix must have a Zion where people who wanted out can have an outlet to vent their frustrations.
So in Singapore, Speaker’s Corner has become a Zion and Thaddaeus Wee has taken on the “Morpheus” role.
Nothing to worry about, everything is under control.
Donaldson Tan said:
“Who is marking the exams - every lecturer ? These students had more guts and did the right thing by voicing out than keeping quite.
Lim, please do not instil unhealthy fear into these students. ”
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It is indeed a brave thing to do as I have mentioned. Assuming that the lecturers will not be affected by the University board who are their employers is a leap of faith.
It is just a habit of mine to think of consequences (potential, imagined or otherwise). I prefer to do things with open eyes and moreover, the last thing I want on my conscience are naive students who jump into the abyss on the goading of a certain group of people when a simple warning of “look out” could have helped.
btw, I sincerely hope nothing does happen to these students but sometimes better safe than sorry. We were all young once….
20) V S RAAJ on October 6th, 2008 8.09 pm
“The fact the event had a political leverage, postive or negative, students ought to keep away from been used by ‘riders’ for their politcal mileage.”
Surely students cannot be blamed for the action of free riders (opportunists).
Doctors prescribed certain medicines for a good cause but should they be blamed for overdose if instructions are not properly followed.
Free riders (as the names suggest) will just ride free - and do you think they are going to your tiring lectures ?
To lim
“It is indeed a brave thing to do as I have mentioned. Assuming that the lecturers will not be affected by the University board who are their employers is a leap of faith.
It is just a habit of mine to think of consequences (potential, imagined or otherwise). ”
This was the very problem of our past students (not all but most) - dare not speak up for what they felt deeply in front of authority who are always in cloud nine believing that their decision are always right and final and should always be acted on without much interference.
If you do not have a robust citizenry in which our students are our future hope and if they are always coerced subtlely into a submissive lot in most aspects of their life in polical matters which emcompass a lot of areas, then do not keep on blaming decent singaporeans for relying much on authorities when things do not quite match up.
“I prefer to do things with open eyes and moreover, the last thing I want on my conscience are naive students who jump into the abyss on the goading of a certain group of people when a simple warning of “look out” could have helped.
btw, I sincerely hope nothing does happen to these students but sometimes better safe than sorry. We were all young once….”
The warning should not be directed on the students but should be directed on the institution itself. As a place of higher learning (knowledge), why should penalty, if any, be directed for a different event (exams vs protests). Well or maybe I forgot, with “so-called talented people” like them around, should there be any surprise.
So do you still believe we need more talents from other countries who by the way are not submissive at all, even those coming from places supposely rated not so world class like ours..
Just like how our judicial institutions should be independent, I absolutely agree our education institutions should equally be independent.
However, if these are not, the people who are exposed are these students themselves not the people goading them with thunderous applause or political opportunists making it a political issue.
I can warn the education institutions but how effective will this be? I have no illusions over the influence of my posts. In fact, threatening NTU could indeed make matters worse for the students eg by making a political mountain out of a hong lim park molehill. A mountain that only the students will have to carry.
The people in the line of fire are usually the people who will most benefit from a “look out” call. In this case, its not the education institutions but the students themselves.
“In fact, threatening NTU could indeed make matters worse for the students eg by making a political mountain out of a hong lim park molehill. A mountain that only the students will have to carry.”
Imagine the repercussions if they do.
Lim, you think and analyse a lot and you should have no problems speculating on the likely scenarios. Some of us are just fighting against a whole new paradigm of thinking and looking at things,
Why CSJ ? Why Gopalan ? Why opening up of Hong Lim Park ? Why protests even by students which was a no go in the past ? Why so many blogs (some by respectable people) with not so good opinions on the establishment ?
Dear Lim,
“In fact, threatening NTU could indeed make matters worse for the students eg by making a political mountain out of a hong lim park molehill. A mountain that only the students will have to carry.”
As analytical as you are, I failed to understand why you chose to politicize with exponential magnitude on the NTU protest at Hong Lim Park. Your perception of this event is hard for me to fathom. You have got to remember this, Not every protest has a political stigma.
To be perfectly honest with you, I wasn’t present at the event as I am living in Hong Kong, but I do care about what really transpired at the Park on Sunday. Judging from the posted transcript, it is purely a non political driven event, nothing more than just NTU students/alumni vocing their concerns on why a carefully edited (netural) factual report cannot be published in their Chronicle. It is indeed unnecessary censorship largely out of fear from the Authority, to the extreme I would call it an infringement on the rights of Freedom of press.
For one, I would hope the NTU Administration Authorities will give a convincing response as to why the ultimate decision not to allow the publication of this factual report that were hard work of the students and four professors who edited it to ensure clarity and conformity to Journalism practice (i.e. factual and non bais). Bluntly put, it is an insult to these NTU students and professors integrity and intelligence, and if you see it in a different perspective, it is a failure of their very own recruitment and appraisal system.
You have further elaborated that by protesting, these students may be “invisibly” punished through examination’s result and future job reference. This is quite far fetch hypothetical situational analysis. I will, including the parents of these students and marjority of citizenry too, raise doubts that the institutions will embark on such a despicable act.
These young students (including all other universities and institutions) are the future of Singapore. It is indeed a sad episode to learn if the Singapore education system is being coerce into a suppressive institution for higher learning. What will we expect of our future leaders? Only politically “YES” men with no fundamental principles of their believes? We had enough of these already.
lol. I’ve said my piece.
If one chooses not believe that the education system can be used in the manner I’ve mentioned, that’s your choice.
If one believes that nothing can be done to the students. That’s your opinion.
There will always be “yes” men on both sides of the political fence and today I can see some of them who just would not believe how the system can be used.
I only hope that you guys are right and I am wrong. I will be happy to be wrong in this case.
Have a nice day.
Who is marking the exams - every lecturer ? These students had more guts and did the right thing by voicing out than keeping quite. - To Lim (#18)
Lim (#26):
I did not make the above statement.
I also do not deny the possibility that university staff may use underhand means to deal with dissident students. Repeated scaremongering by the Singapore Polytechnic’s administration was used to quiver any attempts to revive an independent student government at Singapore Polytechnic. Although none of the threats actually materialised, the key student actors were unable to finish what they had started as they were in their final year and by now have already graduated. One of key student actors actually topped his department.
Anyway, going by your line of reasoning, any protest towards NTU should not be tolerated if the protest constitutes as a threat. However, I must remind you that protest works if and only if it threatens the strategic interest and/or bottom-line of the organisation the protest is targetting. The kind of protests you advocate for are the toothless kinds whereby figures of authorities can easily reject or look over without fear of repercussion on them.
Uh, I’m confused. #18 is not my post. Its “to lim’s” post.
“Repeated scaremongering by the Singapore Polytechnic’s administration” is another example of the extent the education administration is willing to go to.
The difference between this incident and incidents like James Gomes inviting JBJ for speeches at NUS is whilst the latter has absolutely no bearing on NUS (although it does on the PAP), criticising NTU’s administration of the matter whilst rejecting NTU’s explanation and branding it as “undermining” education is a direct criticism of the university’s competence.
I have not even suggested an alternative to the student’s actions and already its branded as “toothless”. Amazing. Just goes to show how open you really are to alternatives and how entrenched the views are…I know, actually to you guys, the only kinds of protests that will work are those advocated by the SDP. LOL. In any case, the students have done just that (or at least differs from what the SDP advocates in that it is legal, whereas the SDP advocates civil disobedience).
I’m sure you guys have the expectation that the HLP protest will work wonders and the changes to NTU are now so fantastic, I am entirely under-whelmed. lol.
In the meantime, there’s all this thunderous applause with only the students in the line of fire.
Alternatives? The only one advocated on this forum so far is the following:
Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead - Farragut (paraphrased)
“34) lim on October 7th, 2008 5.38 pm
Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead - Farragut (paraphrased)”
So what are you suggesting. Students holding a flower each in their hands and waving and smiling at participants with buffet spread to go with as a form of protest.
A lot of people have been waving flowers all these years and things have not changed much. Maybe we should follow Farragut afterall.
I have read the article on Farragut and his loud order. He won. I wonder why you have used this example. At first, I thought he ended up badly because of your use on Farragut in order to analogise the likely ending of the students’ protest.
The reason why I used Farragut is because the people who its applied to certainly believes as he did that they will win. btw, it might interest you to know that “torpedoes” used in the days of the civil war, actually refer to mines (which is what we call them today).
Farragut was lucky. He didn’t hit any mines. I’m not really a fan of any plan predicated solely on luck.
I find lim Post#9 a frank and kind person, I can see from reading his posts that he does not wish to see negative repercussion(s) on the Students arising from their HLP Protest. I do not know his reason(s) and basis in foreseeing any repercussion but he may have his reason. Do hope and wish that he can enlighten us as to why he suspect that the Markers of the Students’ Examination would penalize the ‘ Protest Students’.
He did cite a reason and that was that the Students had ‘questioned the judgement of the School Authority, but I believe most would regard that as a poor if not flimsy reason, for I think NTU will not be that vindictive. Nonetheless, it still showed that lim is concerned for the Students.
But, lim was(is) not being fair to suspect that others(non-political public) who supported the Students were(are) anti NTU Management/Government and or were(are) opposition supporters/sympathizers or instigators. There is an issue here of our students’ freedom and rights to their studies and activities, especially activities related to their studies. Most supporters of the Students here in Cyberspace, want our students to pursue their studies and personal developments without hindrance and curtailment.
I do hope that I have read lim correctly.
patriot
I must say we are being brought up in a society by PAP streamlining and lawsuits to silent the majority of the Singaporean into thinking that the the gov is always right and that opposing them is wrong. But in this internet age and citizen with high literacy rate, we can get information easily elsewhere right. So what’s the fuss in hiding the truth, and furthermore it’s something close to our heart. The purpose of the gov is to make citizen robots and listen to the few silly elites. If the PAP are the elite and so outstanding, then why the SuZhou failure, GIC and Temasek investment in Citibank and UBS etc. I believe the decision is based on 1 person’s ideal and thinking about his great old man theory. Can’t a university students think and discern what is good and wrong, then what’s the point of tertiary education when what we learn are just theory with no practically in improving our state of mind and a higher calling to serve others out of love and passion because we are told to mind our own business: Just work and don’t think of saying the truth and the rightful. If this is the case, then I would think Singapore will not be a nice place to live and grow old. Will our very own citizen defend our homeland when war comes one day? Cos the police or army are seemed to just protecting the LEE Family and their heirs and not the people of Singapore. If we are to defend the country, then give us the right of basic human rights to speak our mind and nurture/correct us if we spoke immaturely into a responsible, caring and loyal citizen. If not, I don’t see the point of protecting our homeland. And you know, we are just digits to the LEE into pursuing his own economic prosperity and building of his coffin’s assets.
It is really a wonderful speech,
very inspiring, and has powerful arguments.
It is really brave to initiate this protest, baring in mind the possible repercussions.
i think tat sing pp need to brave in this time…
i tell u guy now,,if u guy contiues to be soft singaporeans..
u will continues to suffer…
BUT is the BIG BIG suffer…
here have two type of pp..
1.pp disagree with gov policy by using soft method..
2.pp disagree with gov policy by using HARD method…
ON my view..both method is needed..
if all singaporeans really against the gov..
the internal of parliment will break up easily…
becos RUILLing gov can”T use ARMY to attack us…if we riots.
if they did,,,it mean tat sing is a communist country,,so west or USA will involve in sing policiti,,in order to stop..
so by tat time,,u will have a real freedom..
If gov treat young generation like a dog,,don think tat we r fear,,
is we singaporeans really need to against…hahas..
<<>>
think what will happen next…
i prefer using votes in the election,,but tat method also could be use..:)
From:
@young generation@
so by tat time,,u will have a real freedom..
If gov treat young generation like a dog,,don think tat we r fear,,
u will try the hard method in order to stop GOV policy..
tat r WHOLE singaporeans really need to against lo,if have riots…hahas..
so guess who will die,,who will win..
“36) lim on October 7th, 2008 7.24 pm
Farragut was lucky. He didn’t hit any mines. I’m not really a fan of any plan predicated solely on luck.”
Yes, I read the article and it was mines. Farragut had a war on hand and he took on a risky strategy and won (and yes, you may call it luck).
Any difference from the many risky endeavours that a lot of professional soldiers are called to take for the sake of nation - yes, it is worth it if it is really for the sake of the NATION, our families, our way of life and not ONLY for the lopsided benefits of a few.
Lim, a lot of people here are not trying to take some cheap potshots and hope to get some hits based purely on luck. We as a nation will have to pay a even bigger price if certain thing is not set right.
Certain loud and clear message must be driven into some people if they do not behave. From your past posts, I understand that you are a very learned person. Surely, it cannot be a case where we can see things so differently as far as how things should proceed at the next level, if you know what I mean.
Unless, of course, you are just a paid propagandist, just doing your job. If this is the case, well this is going to be a long drawn tic-for-tac between you and a lot of people here.
I would take this as something positive as this frank discussion is going to lead to a better understanding over various issues among us.
Dear Lim,
Following up one of your response to my post (#31) regarding “..the education system can be used in the manner I’ve mentioned.”
The captioned response you’ve made (#32) is indeed a very serious insinuation and a great caused for concern if you have substantial evidence to share that it is being abused. I think not only the NTU students need to know about this, their parents too should be aware of this. If this has been proven in past record, it should be exposed to all levels and made known to all constituencies representing MPs to demand for clarification and assurance in declaration that the abuser will be stripped of its practice and be pubished. Don’t you think so?
It is not a matter of choosing what to believe as you have responded. It concerns the education system that supposedly to nurture our young fellow citizenry who by all means are the future of Singapore.
I would urge the NTU students/alumnis who had participated in the protest to take note and be encouraged to report and share publicly online as well as to your representing constituency MP.any detectable (with factual evidence) abusive behavior (if any) arose out of this protest by the Universities’ Authorities. For this matter, I think, all students who are courageous enough to speak out for your own rights should do the same. We are living in a globalized world with information flowing freely at any given time thorugh the internet medium, I seriously doubt the Institution Authorities dares to embark on such acts and risk openly being challenge.
Compare the Singapore Universities’ response to “outsiders speaking on campus” with the University cited in the below news article:
http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/511389.html?nav=5047
What caliber of graduates do we expect from Singapore institutes if we muzzle their ability to think for themselves? Universities are institutes of higher learning where students should be challenged to expand their narrow perspectives, analyze and formulate their own opinions. Perchance, even to dream and think outside the box. But not in Singapore. Here they are told to conform, and tow the line.
It is indeed a sad state of affairs.