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Excerpt from Alex Au’s website, Yawning Bread:
Over the last few days, I asked a few friends what they thought Siew’s chances were. Almost everyone thought his chances of re-appointment were poor. In their view, the government would see Siew as too controversial a figure -– which is almost a debasement of the word “controversial”.
Siew is outstanding as an NMP if you go by a simple measure of how often he participates in parliamentary debates. In the 26 months that he has been in the House, he spoke or asked questions on 134 occasions. The annexure What did NMPs speak on 2006 – 2008? lists the topics that he and other NMPs spoke on or asked questions about. What will strike you is that Siew ranged over different fields, while some other NMPs restricted themselves to extremely narrow topics. From a taxpayer’s perspective, Siew is value for money.
Read the rest of the article here.
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From the many comments on SKH, it seems that the NMP scheme is good. It further supports the contention that the NMPs’ are not placed in Parliament to raise concerns of the man in the street.
The purpose of NMP is sucintly described by Ms Seow Soh Keng as “The purpose of the Nominated MP (NMP) scheme is to broaden Singapore’s political system and makes for a better Parliament. The NMPs are politically non-partisan; they do not belong to any political party. They can therefore give voice in Parliament to dissenting views and views of the protest voters, those who are unhappy with the Government over certain policies but want the PAP to form the Government. Many such voters do not identify themselves with the Opposition even though they do not think that PAP MPs can speak out convincingly enough on their behalf. The scheme also caters to people who for legitimate reasons are not able to stand for election as MPs, but who can make valuable contributions in public policy debates. NMPs can fulfill a useful role in Parliament.”
As (80) above has pointed out, SKh has spoken on various issues with conviction and truly served the role of an NMP.
first AWARE, then MOE CSE and now NMP – all attacked. who is hidden hand behind all these astroturfing? relevant govt dept please investigate.
83) Curious on May 15th, 2009 1.40 pm
1 If SKH’s raison d’etre in Parliament is to promote the gay cause, my answer is No.
2 If he is Parliament to engage the govt in important issues affecting Singapore, my answer is Yes.
Read this and make your judgment.
http://siewkumhong.blogspot.com/2007/10/speech-on-penal-code-amendment-bill-22.html
Vote the Feminist Mentor for NMP……Not!
lawyer cannot be legal advisor mah if he advise friend and pro bono some more?
I think the question is not whether with his legal background , he is alllowed to be a legal adviser- pro bono or otherwise.
I think that is probably a decision that the authorities governing the legal profession has to decide .
It ‘s the flip flopping- he was presented as the original AWARE team ‘s legal adviser in the EOGM.
He claims in a post in his blog that he advised them but in some of the news report – purports that he is not their legal adviser and additional ly that it is the original Aware team that make him to be..
NMP Siew Kum Hong is probably one of the best NMP the nation has seen. He spoke boldly on controversial issues that many anonymous write would only write about. He spoke on behalf of minority groups and fought for their rights. He is a brave individual and a person who want to see fairness and justice being executed in society. I know certain brand or group of individuals (astroturfing maybe) do not like him because he is not one that flows with the current. But as a NMP he do not and should not have to please men.
I salute NMP Siew Kum Hong and hope he get selected for another term. I surely hope more people like him will be selected as NMPs and even MPs. We need people who will dare to speak the truth no matter what.
102) Modernist on May 15th, 2009 7.25 pm
Feminist Mentor may be selected to be SNMP…. self-nominated MP….
101) sicktothebones on May 15th, 2009 6.50 pm
first AWARE, then MOE CSE and now NMP – all attacked. who is hidden hand behind all these astroturfing? relevant govt dept please investigate.
I am afraid a civil battle is brewing behind the scene. They started it and now they are not going to give up. More people will draw into it and take side. Things is going to get worse.
The moderate must take a stand to keep the peace and promote positive progress instead of fueling more fight and attack.
106) Joel Low
First you hero-worshiped Dr Gwee, even though you had not the foggiest notion that he is man and not a woman and even though he had admitted in the Kent Ridge Interview kerfuffle that he had “no insider’s knowledge into the affairs of AWARE or the Church of Our Saviour and can only make general guesses here”.
Now we see you gushing forth with the same plethora of superlatives for SKH. If anyone is that compelling why not take the baptism of fire and enter Parliament through the front door?
/// 83) Curious on May 15th, 2009 1.40 pm
1 If SKH’s raison d’etre in Parliament is to promote the gay cause, my answer is No.
2 If he is Parliament to engage the govt in important issues affecting Singapore, my answer is Yes. ///
Looks like you are not curious enough. Otherwise you would not be asking these questions. The answers are in the article and the Hansard. Of the 134 speeches and questions by SKH, how many dealt with homosexuality? Now, be curious and go and find out for yourself.
105) Joel Low on May 15th, 2009 7.44 pm
“But as a NMP he do not and should not have to please men.”
Whew! That’s a relief…………
Thanks, Joel, for the bit of levity that provided.
Hi guys,
If you support Kum Hong, you may wanna join the Facebook Group here;
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82451473402&ref=nf
113) T
There is no need to plumb the depths of childish name-calling. If out of “the 134 speeches and questions” raised by SKH in Parliament, the majority were for engaging “the govt in important issues affecting Singapore, then my answer is Yes.”
Better still if anyone is that “compelling why not take the baptism of fire and enter Parliament through the front door?” Why go in by the back door?
We should get FHM model to be NMP.
“He claims in a post in his blog that he advised them but in some of the news report – purports that he is not their legal adviser and additional ly that it is the original Aware team that make him to be..”
assuming that this is true, what is wrong with this. maybe the use of the title ‘legal adviser” can only be allowed by strict registration of a person with some official body – is it really so. if not, then it can be loosely used. what is so wrong if someone is advising on an area that an organisation feels the person is more fitting than some other person apparently more “qualified” (just because he satisfies some official definition) and hence represented by the organisation as such.
should it be the concern of others who may just want to nurse their bruised ego of their very own straight-jacket ridicule.
have you heard of the title of planner or consultant which is quite commonly dished out nowsadays by fresh faces that you sometimes see on road shows in your friendly neighbourhood estates. with a more knowledgeable world afforded by easily available past-paced information and educational platforms, you are going to see a lot of “freelance” experts not sticking to traditional boxes of definition anymore.
i think his denial and unwillingness to own up to that role suggest a major flaw in the person for an NMP candidate.
He takes credit when things are working ” his blog WE WON !”
Now potentially a subject for a probe and he denies it?
I also don’t think you your financial planner friends appreciate being dragged into this discussion?
Maybe Siew’s over commitment in his role as NMP may have cause him to be pass over.
His performance of course is e xplemary and most PAP MPs are mere shadow and should learn from him to perform in PArliament.
If we need NMPs to speak up for us all I wonder why do we ever need MPs in the first place?
Let all of them be NMPs so that we can have a more robust Parliament!
Some MPs are so quiet that I wonder if they ever exist in the first place. Many I realise are only one-termers and I believe that this could be the soft agreed contract they have from the govt before joining politics.
My votes to Siew though and keep up the good work.
120) Average Joe on May 16th, 2009 11.27 am
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/429367/1/.html”
after going through the news as above and if everything presented is 100% accurate (100% ????), i do not see any problem why he would not be able to handle it.
“Now potentially a subject for a probe and he denies it?”
denies what ? that everyone can see from what has been recorded during the egm event on 2nd May 2009 or everything that smart people like you are able to assess in his blog.
the issue lies in the word ‘legal adviser’. you and your friends are splitting hair on the title “legal adviser” while the content of his work speaks volumn – which may not to be your liking. perhaps, this is one last straw all of you are left to be holding where the bigger logs are nowhere to be found. yes, keep trying as you need to stay afloat.
“I also don’t think you your financial planner friends appreciate being dragged into this discussion?”
was the word ‘financial’ mentioned. well, this is the world as it is (there are good people and there are not-so-good people) and how did this financial crisis come about – definitely not due to those lesser-mortal non-experts. let’s not pretend, you have whole shade of goodness to badness in everything.
There are many questions that these NMP nominees must answer. From their interests and stands on issues to their backers, financial and otherwise. They asked the old “new” Aware these questions when they took over, now the table is turned and they should be asked these very same questions.
What and how do they represent, honestly and truthfully. There are many allegations made that they are promoting the gay cause, prodded on by locals and a (gay rights?) Swede.
NMPs and Siew Kum Hong, prepared to be probed and prodded.
“This is the interesting part that draws the connectivity to the people and issues”
aiyoh, you call this interesting. just a group of like minded people coming for a specific cause and they may move on after this and maybe form another group as and when it is called for. instead, i do think that people like you are interesting and a rare breed.
you may connect here and there and at the end of the day, they are still there for you to make further connectivity. you can’t really stop intelligent people to do what they are doing. if it is so wrong and illegal, they would have been arrested in no time with all the glaring alarm / publicity given to them by people like you.
“What and how do they represent, honestly and truthfully. There are many allegations made that they are promoting the gay cause, prodded on by locals and a (gay rights?) Swede.”
they ? how many nmps you are talking about who are promoting gay cause leh ? out of a sudden many allegations ? do you think these allegations are going to increase or decrease leh ? do you think this promotion of gay cause is going to increase or decrease even with all the allegations around leh ?
you just do not understand that you are dealing with a slowly shifting of the human psyche on some outdated mindset that many people still hold. did you you read this :
“In his speech, PM Lee said that Singapore is basically a conservative society and the conventional family, a heterosexual stable family, is the norm and the building block of our society. However, we recognise that homosexuals are part of our society.
They have a place in our society and are entitled to their private lives. This is the way the majority of Singaporeans want it to be – a stable society with traditional, heterosexual family values but with space for homosexuals to live their private lives and contribute to society. ”
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_376723.html
a lot of people are not pro-gay but are anti-your-screwed-up logic.
There are also talks all over the internet that SDP and other people may be involved. I think this is getting out of hand…Singapore politics influenced by foreigners??? They may not directly indicate so but this is serious allegations….the involved parties should come forward and clear the air early before the facts before it gets any worst.
Let’s deal with the whole issue of whether or not SKH was acting as an “unauthorised legal advisor”.
The relevant legal provision is section 33 of the Legal Profession Act.
If you look at that provision, it’s clear that the charge against SKH holds no water. SKH did not take out any writ or summons, or prosecute any court proceedings, or draw up any legal document. He clearly did not “wilfully or falsely pretend” to be authorised to act as a lawyer, because practically everybody knows (and even more so, his friends at AWARE) that he’s a corporate counsel without a practising certificate. You can’t deceive or mislead a person unless he’s ignorant about the true facts. Otherwise, X can be charged for fraud if he tells Y that the sun rises in the west.
Also, it would be interesting to see how SKH’s application for a second term pans out, in light of this provision (para. 3(2) of the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution):
“in making any nomination, the Special Select Committee shall have regard to the need for nominated Members to reflect as wide a range of independent and non-partisan views as possible.
it’s a nice question what “non-partisan” and “independent” mean. Do they simply mean that the nominee cannot be a member of a political party, or do they mean that the nominee must be ‘neutral’ and not take sides? If the second interpretation is preferred, then SKH’s application could well be rejected, since he took sides in the 377A debate.
Of course, that would be a ridiculous outcome. True ‘non-partisanship’ and ‘objectivity’ is impossible. We’re all ‘partisan’ in respect of the values and beliefs we hold dear to, and we expect our politicians to fight for what they are genuinely passionate about, be it gay rights, equal educational opportunities for all children, or fair retrenchment benefits. If we expected our NMPs to be “non-partisan” in the second sense described above, then we’d get no one but the spineless and feeble-minded filling those positions.
Let me first make clear that I am not in support of Mr Siew for another term as NMP but please don’t term it as an attack on him. I am aware many of his supporters when cannot defend him and his actions, took another direction of attack by alleging conspiracy against him, alleging unproven bullying him, alleging inflammotory attacks which are actual upset and truthful comments and viewpoints against him etc..
His admission that he is now not a legal advisor to the Aware team astounded people where earlier he did not dispute this reported fact that he is legal advisor to the Aware team. Why is there a flip flop and turn around? Where is his crediblitiy? How reliable is he? Can we trust his words now on? Can we sincerely have some answers without being attacked as baseless accusations or unfair attacks against him
123) Right versus Wrong on May 16th, 2009 12.25 pm
Last week I met up with my secondary school classmates. We had dinner. I discovered one of them is now a gay, two of the girls have been living together since 1990s and their are lesbians. 2 of them have just been released from prison. Another one is actively involved in a opposition party in Singapore….
After the meeting, news spread that we are all (21 of us) have been funding the opposition party, and we are planning to get support from prisoners in Singapore prisons by converting them into gays and lesbians. In fact some Christian classmates who did not come told people we are tools of the devil trying to destroy family structure by promoting gays and lesbian living together.
Right versus Wrong, …… If you do not have real proof and only hear say then do not make baseless accusations …. you have to be responsible for what you said and proof that it is a fact…. if you spread it. Can you tell us where you hear all this information….. from another forum?
siew’s extension depends on how the pap view him ie is he on opposite mode?
siew’s exposure has brought him a lot of admirers and supporters and he had given the parliament a lot of good points and debates. he has raised good issues and constantly debated for improvements or changes.
honestly siew will not get his extension, not he is controversial… he is too close to oppositions.
129) don’t defend Mr. Siew by suppressing questions and views using conspiracy on May 16th, 2009 5.22 pm
You are those who attacked. Why are people like you making claims that you cannot proved or substantiate? Show us proves of what you have claimed, not some guy who wrote something stating he got the info from another source who also claimed the same. WE WILL LISTEN if you can prove it, if not it is only rumors and we seriously question your intentions and who is the mastermind behind all your baseless claims. Prove it. If I have lunch with PM Lee, does that means he is paying me money and soon making me his minister. DO NOT JUMP TO CONCLUSION. USE you brain.
133) I Support Siew Kum Hong on May 17th, 2009 3.39 pm
Exactly, this is what I meant. People make accusation based on somebody story which is also based another people story…. and so on. We just like to hear juicy stories make make it sound like real. If you can see the blog …. a lots of words like “maybe”, “I think”, “I heard”….. is being used. How can one trust their statements.
134) Tang Li on May 17th, 2009 4.43 pm
Why is he a disgrace? At least he is making full use of his right in the given space as a NMP. Many of the other NMPs and most MPs are pretty useless and do not engage in debates with the government at all. He is doing the best he could….. Tang Li, again you are thinking from your butt….. Why is he disgraceful? At least he spoke out, YOU only know how to criticize.
I googled and found the link to the committee of Muruah Singapore. Never heard of this group before until now.
http://maruahsg.wordpress.com/about/the-committee/
Joel (135) – I see my attempts at sarcasm were lost on you and for that I appologise.
I actually worked with SKH during the AWARE saga and I think he’s what we need in parliament – a person driven by passion of belief rather than passion of ……….Though having said that, one should be able to see how SKH is not best loved by the powers that be.
i have been supportive of siew’s efforts up till now
what i dont understand is why are the allegations of him behind funded by the Swede, an attack? if it is untrue, Siew has indeed stepped out like a true man and has even made a police report
i firmly believe that politics is not squeaky clean. there has to be a certain amount of truth before someone has to balls to go about pointing such dirty fingers. then again, even though siew has made a police report, it doesnt mean that he is the victim too.
the politics scene is getting interesting
Get it or Not. Like it or Not.
If the oldman say “YES”, All others will echo “AYE”
I do not think this chap is worthy to be nominated again. In the situations he faced , he had no business getting into a women’s association and be one of the key people in the center – sometimes we must choose our issues carefully – in his case , I think his judgement is not very good !!
I’m really disappointed that some people here do not want SKH to be appointed for another term just because of this whole homosexuality issue.
Let me just highlight a few points:
1) As mentioned so many times above, the VAST majority of his speeches, etc were NOT about homosexuality.
2) SKH explicitly stated that he was not pro gay, just anti-discrimination.
3) It is ridiculous to say that you do not want him in parliament because you are the taxpayer and you do not want your money spent on someone who has made such speeches. Don’t homosexuals pay taxes too? One measly speech out of 134, made by one measly NMP out of 80 plus members of parliament, is a pitiful underrepresentation for homosexuals.
4) It is also ridiculous to say that you only want people in parliament who have the same mainstream conservative views as you. A homogeneous parliament is redundant.
and most importantly:
5) It is a true EMBARRASSMENT to singapore that the people wish to resolve issues on the basis of whether it matches our “mainstream conservative values” , “Asian values”, etc, instead of through REASON, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, etc. Honestly, the sky is not going to fall if you choose reason over tradition.
Anyway, homosexuality aside, SKH comes across as a very intelligent, humane person, thus his anti-discrimination stance on that one particular issue. I suggest we see him as someone with the right skills to be a minister, instead of overreacting to a corollary of that.
SKH is pro-gay but hide under “anti-discrimination” umbrella ..
Alex Au is gay and of course buddy with SKH
No to SKH fro another term .. his behaviour at AWARE saga showed his true color and as NMP he encouraged the attacks on the Josie team who had shown great tolerance and control throughout.
With the recent turn of events, Mr Siew should consider standing for election to be an MP instead of an NMP.