The following is a call from Bernard Chen, one of the organizers of the student campaign for fairer transport fares for polytechnic students.
Hi everyone,
It is with great delight that this campaign is embarking on its recruitment drive as it continues to evolve as a student grouping representing the voices of young Singaporeans. We are looking to strengthen our team with an additional 5 to 7 committed and dedicated individuals. We are not restricting it to only 7. This is just a number we are giving for ourselves. We certainly welcome more individuals; students, parents and working adults alike who are interested to step forward to serve the student community in Singapore.
If you are funky, hardworking and most importantly, have a heart for issues that affect the student community in Singapore; especially with regard to public transportation, YOU are the one we are looking for!
There is no application form to fill in and no dateline to meet. There are no positions to fill, everyone in the main grouping are of the same status/ position; that of student representative/ organiser. Simply put, a member. 
If you are interested and would like to know more, do drop us an email at petition4fairtransport@gmail.com
As this campaign embarks on consolidating its success, we are also looking for dynamic individuals to bring this campaign forward responsibly and constructively. Join us today!
We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
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12/2/09
Hi Bernard-Allow me to write a short posting. I strongly feel that as a student,you and your fellow students must not get involved in this and should focus 100% on your studies and get good grades and hence upon graduation,you all can get good jobs.Good if you can convey your views and opinons to your MPs or to the 3 opposition MPs ie Low, Chiam and Slyvia, to bring these views up in Parliament. Now times are bad and jobs are very hard to come by and only with good results will help you guys to get jobs (employers also look at good results and if what you are doing now becomes part of your CV, it is very hard to get a good job as employers are all pro government.
Regards
Andrew Chuah
Hi;
I believe most employers are pro-profits,
they are only pro-government if the Latter helps them in profit-makings.
Governments are as dependent on businessmen and vice-versa.
patriot
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for your kind comments. I must state that every student in this campaign knows their priorities and are actively pursuing them.
This is a good example of servant leadership where students who have nothing to gain (most students in this campaign will graduate at the end of April 2009), are doing this for purely altruistic intentions. They are serving the student community so that present and future students will benefit. Besides good grades, servant leadership, teamwork, confidence and tenacity are crucial qualities that employers are looking out for in today’s globalised marketplace. The students in this campaign have shown forth all these qualities.
I am afraid you are mistaken. This is not an anti-government/ establishment campaign. If you take some time off your busy schedule to take a look at our campaign, you would realised that this is a responsible and constructive one. I guess the fact that PTC and PTOs decided to initiated a meeting with us, listen to our concerns and consider our proposals speaks volume of the nature of this campaign. This is not a partisan campaign. If this is a SPP, WP initiative, I do not think that PAP MPs would stand up and voice out the concerns on behalf of students in Parliament. Students in this campaign are for the greater good of the community and country. If this is partisan campaign, I don’t think it would received the striong support it is receiving today from all quarters of Singapore society.
Many a times, even if you have found a stable job and is well-established in your careers, many are reluctant to run for public office, even in the ranks of the ruling party.
The youths of today are taking a lead to speak up for what they believe in without compromising on their studies.
I, for one will applaud the efforts of these students.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write down your concerns. We have taken note of it and greatly appreciate it.
Regards,
Bernard Chen
15/2/09
Dear Bernard Chan
Thanks for your reply and I noted with my deepest appreciation especially you and your fellow students are graduating this April and all the best in your future undertaking. I pray that there are many like you who are objective and responsible in your actions and would not be mislead by those irresponsbile opposition parties who are quarter baked and deliberately all out to break the Rule of Law, worse challenging the government of the day. I also pray that in your batch one day there will be another Creative’s Sim who graduated from your polytechnic.
Our Singapore needs good citizens and the very best in all fields especially we are facing our worse recession and with these good people (the la creme, we don’t need Foreign Talents (FTs)in Singapore including FTs to run our GLCs (we already have our DBS headed by a FT and our Temasek soon will have another FT after Mdm Ho Ching steps down)
Regards
Andrew Chuah
Andrew Chuah:
I find your faith in PAP MPs worrying. If PAP MPs truly cares for citizens, they would have pre-empt Benard’s efforts by pressuring the Public Transport Council to give out student discounts, thus there would be no need for Benard to begin the campaign in the first place. Yet PAP MPs don’t. The problem is PAP MPs. Why should anyone of us subscribe to the problem and not be part of the solution?
15/2/09
Hi Smallvice585
Good to hear from you. Perhaps come next General Election, we vote as many PAP candidates out like Malaysia did on their 8MAR08 General Elections and many opposition candidates won but betrayed their party and a good example is the state of Perak where two PKR & one DAP were bought over (two have been charged for corruption,they had sex with China ladies paid by businessmen seeking their help as state excutive councillors to approve projects and the DAP lady sold DAP as she did not get a Camry car like her fellow assemblymen and received RM20million to jump ship and as a result, the PR state government collapsed. For our Singapore opposition to achieve similar success, they must have candidates equal or better than the PAP, and must not end up like what happened in Malaysia.
Regards
Andrew Chuah
Hi Andrew,
Thank you once again for your kind comments. We, students are just ordinary Singaporeans, standing up to make a difference, to champion for what we believe in.
Hi smallvice585,
I would like to point out to you that PAP MPs have been raising this issue for quite some time now. The most recent being the Ministry of Transport Committee of Supply Debate in Parliament on 12 February 2009 (Thursday). The main proponents of this issue are Ms Cynthia Phua and Ms Lee Bee Wah respectively. Mr Chiam See Tong also raised this issue during his budget debate speech on 4 February 2009.
It must be noted that this campaign is a vivid demostration on how different segments of civil society can work together to effect change. A partnership with an alternative media platform, substantiated with relationships with the mainstream media and supported by individual bloggers, students and ordinary Singaporeans is vital to a healthy discourse in Singapore. In addition to that, we must not forget the role that legislators, policymakers in the public transport council and public transport operators play in contributing to the success of this specific campaign in bringing about a fairer arrangement for students.
It is evident that in trying to effect change, Singaporeans must first take up ownership of the issue and create opportunities and means to tie up with civil society and elected representatives. Elected representatives should also work with civil society to form a formidable change-agent. If we continue to wait for others to take up the mantle, we are only hindering the progress of Singapore as a nation.
Stand up and be counted. This is your country as well as mine. Believe it or not, YOU have the power to make a difference.
16/2/09
Hi Bernard Chen-Good to hear from you and I am also an ordinary Singapore born Singaporean and I am an old man 48 going 49 and you can be my son (my old child Jason is going 12). Let us put our Singapore above all things and remember our Singapore is small and fragile unlike our neighbours big and can afford to burn to the ground and become ashes, our Singapore is the only place we called our home (we must also be pro Singapore first and above all things and not pro PAP or pro Singapore government).
Regards
Andrew Chuah
I think the this student campaign workshop or education is
really useful for youths . i hope to join you guys :D