The following article is taken from Today.
PN Balji
IN A country where lines get blurred in so many areas, Nominated MP aspirant Calvin Cheng’s decision not to resign his Young PAP membership the moment he launched his bid to enter Parliament is understandable.
If those lines were clearly drawn into our collective DNA, I am quite sure Mr Cheng would have officially cut his links with the youth wing of the ruling party the moment he had made up his mind that he wanted to enter Parliament.
He did that only after a Today report highlighted the issue on Wednesday.
This 34-year-old media entrepreneur must have felt all that was needed was to be honest and upfront with the high-level committee that sifts through NMP applications and picks people it thinks will make a contribution to debate in Parliament. Mr Cheng says that he told the committee he was an “inactive member” and that the committee did not question him on this.
In defending his decision subsequently, he said his Young PAP membership expired two years after he joined the political organisation in 2006 and that he never even bothered to pick up his membership card. Now here is the real rub. He joined the Young PAP out of … you need to be ready for this word … curiosity.
Let me quote from a letter he wrote to Today: “I joined YPAP in 2006 when I visited the Teck Ghee PAP branch with a friend, and I signed up out of curiosity. Due to many reasons, I never returned.”
My, my … what does this say of this intelligent young man who graduated from Oxford and wants to be a member of the highest and most august chamber in Singapore?
Shall we dismiss this curiosity episode as a case of boyish candour?
I would have not bothered much if Mr Cheng had added this line in his letter: Looking back, I realise how wrong I was to treat my application to join an organisation like the YPAP in such a cavalier manner.
The burden is now on Mr Cheng; he has to prove to Singaporeans that the decision by the Special Select Committee, which includes two ministers and several backbenchers, to pick him is not misplaced.
As for the Young PAP, perhaps it needs to make sure that the people who want to join it do so for the right reasons and not for whimsical reasons like curiosity.
A veteran journalist, P N Balji is now the director of the Asia Journalism Fellowship, a joint initiative by the Temasek Foundation and the Nanyang Technological University.
Read also: 5 out of 9 new NMPs list MM Lee as their “favourite politician”.
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Mr Calvin Cheng in the Straits Times:
Actually why nobody question the motives of PN Balji who wrote this article? Not that I am defending Calvin what’s his name.
Whatever reasons Calvin what’s his name joined YPAP we will never know. And that’s the point. It’s only conjecture. Balji’s article is also just his own conjecture.
But he obviously wants to damage someone’s credibility, and I wonder why?
50) smallvice585 on July 13th, 2009 3.14 pm
Where is his humility?
Simple. Left (whatever little there was to begin with) behind at OXford lah!
curious people who wish to be NMPs should not get a single cent from taxpayers. just give them 3 months to satisfy their curiousity & let a person who is more deserving take the seat.
can anyone tell me who’s on the select committee? thanks.
This -I am just Curious- response by Calvin Cheng allows the public a sneak peak into his character.
The public is not stupid. If a mistake had been made, come clean and admit it.
We wonder whether the inactive young PAP affiliation brought him any benefits, tangible or otherwise?
We wonder if he had used his inactive young PAP affiliation in any manner in business or personal dealings?
You can’t brush everything off by saying, I am just curious.
anyway you guys think Eunice Olsen will come into the next GE as a full-fledged candidate, joinining parliament as an ELECTED MP?
Yes. I think she will don white and be a PAP MP. If I am not wrong she may also be with the YPAP.
Excerpt taken from SKH’s blog
http://siewkumhong.blogspot.com/2009/07/nmp-results-are-out.html
=========================================================
The Members of the Special Select Committee were nominated by the Committee of Selection, with Speaker as ex-officio Chairman. The Committee comprised the following:
Chairman: Mr Abdullah Tarmugi (Speaker)
Members:
Mrs Lim Hwee Hua
Mr Low Thia Khiang
Mr Mah Bow Tan
Mr Masagos Zulkifli BMM
Mr Michael Palmer
Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong
Mrs Josephine Teo
Did Mr NMP ‘leading expert on fashion modeling in Asia’ edit his own wikipedia?
He certainly brands himself very well, associating himself with ‘Cindy Crawford,Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bündchen amongst others’ in his wiki entry.
He certainly takes a lot of credit for having ‘founded and managed agencies in up to ten cities, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Tokyo.[citation needed] And ‘During Cheng’s term, Elite opened agencies in Bombay, New Delhi, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Shanghai.[citation needed]‘
Please note Mr NMP : Citation Needed!!!!
Also, it was nominated for deletion on several occasions.
Quoted ‘most are directory entries, press releases, and a few others which are irrelevant. Although the sources in the article recognise he is the head of Elite Asia, are all trivial mentions or rentaquotes. Most of the details in the
article appear therefore to be unverifiable.’ Nice try Mr NMP.
Quoted’He’s quoted once or twice in a few articles about Asian
fashion. Getting quoted once in a while does not mean notability — there are lots of company heads out there who are not notable enough for Wikipedia.’Nice try Mr NMP.
Note also that the contributors to Mr NMP’s wiki entries are also promoting his proteges Amber Chia and Elvin Ng.Who is Áricia Lam -a fashion co-ordinator and editor based in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong’ who has edited his wiki?
He is probably a doyen of the Fashion Industry but his ‘curious’ attitude has made me equally curious about him.
i think MSM should write a full page (or 2) article for the general public to satisfy our curiousity about Mr NMP.
something like the way they did for Mr Ong Kah Chua!! :P
The institution of the NMP has been thorughly damaged and should be torn to shreds.The question is how many past and present NMPs were party members before or during their term.Or how about this, after their terms?There were at least 30 NMPs since 1990.How many were party or ex-party members? Are NMPs associated with NTUC truly non-partisan?
I hope the Singapore Press does ample coverage than just mere footnotes.We are still waiting unabatingly for the performance updates of our two mega Soverign Wealth funds.Proroguing bought them time.So enough of the distraction.
The Select Committee should be questioned on their decision to nominate Mr NMP.Was it a curious decision? I am hardly surprised of their decision to nominate Mr NMP as 7/8 of them are PAP members.
The concept of independent thought or non partisanship is unfathomable to the PAP.Its either you are with us or against us.Never mind if your inactive.Might as well convert our Pink IC’s into PAP membership cards and for those who want to opt out,convert it into Blue IC’s.
This current slew of NMP candidates are poor to begin with.We do not know if they are impartial or non-partisan.Why don’t MediaCorp introduce a reality series where the public get to nominate for their NMP?Oh, I forgot, our MediaCorp reality series are staged.How would I know?Well ask the producers or the contestants.
Imagine this, I am curious, I join the YPAP, spruce up my political CV and put myself up for NMP nomination to a select group of 8 whom 7 are my fellow cadre members.If I don’t get nominated which is highly unlikely as 7 are my fellow cadre, I can still remain as an inactive member and try my luck again as either a MP candidate or as an NMP in future.Either way I win.I always win even though I am inactive.Curiosity rocks.
Looks like there will be a beeline of Curious Singaporeans rushing to join the PAP/YPAP to put themselves up as future NMP candidates as membership has been proven to have its privileges in this instance.That’s the beauty of curiosity.I look forward to more frivolousness.
The 7 PAP members of the select committee can overturn any veto by Low Thia Kiang as he is and will always be a minority member.Why isn’t Chiam See Tong in the select committee to provide a bit more legitimacy or balance? I mean 6/8 is still a majority.The NMP scheme reeks.MP Hri Kumar even had the audacity to suggest the need for an Appointed Minister who should be free of constituency work.
So ladies and gentlemen, get ready for this.We have NCMPs,NMPs, ‘curious’ NMPs and a new incarnation of the Singaporean Democratic system, the Appointed Minister who is free of constituency responsibility.
PAP membership is like the golden calf.We see many opportunists in Singaporean society but to see it creep into politics is sad.
Mr NMP,his ilk and the Select Committee have further damaged the institution of the NMP scheme, a uniquely Singaporean tool of deinstitutionalizing the role of a multi party system or any semblance of true democracy.
61) SM Tan on July 13th, 2009 8.19 pm
But i think 1st world singaporeans base on trust.
A 5 letter word and more.
Hi ErnesUrn/Zachary
SKH blew his chance by supporting old AWARE. Should have been an arbitrator.
then instead. Also the uncertainly about whether he spoke the truth about not being legal advisor and still sitting in the front row..and then claiming that he is there in his personal capacity and not as NMP..not forgetting meeting some foreigners…and . Then using his blogs for others to say nice things about him and make police report on bloggers If not for all these controversial stuff may be okay. It is not how he spoke in Parliament but an NMP’s effectiveness and bringing results. ..we know the saying empty minds make the most noise.
As for Calvin he has some explaining to do…
Can I just point out that Mr. Cheng was won an award from the World Economic Forum, which probably has stricter criteria than our own kangaroo Selcect Committee?
hi POV,
hmmm, but how does that translate to the new role as an NMP? qualification alone cannot make up for the lack of apititude in other areas, especially for such a high profile post.
** Steps to Dictator. Adolf Hitler **
(http://www.johndclare.net/Nazi_Germany1.htm)
Summary. After he became Chancellor in January 1933, Hitler transformed his democratic position into dictatorial power. Calling an election – and taking advantage of the Reichstag fire – he got the Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act. Then, using the power this gave him to make his own laws, he set up the Gestapo, banned Trade Unions and opposition parties and (on the Night of the Long Knives, July 1934) removed even the opposition within the Nazi Party. When Hindenburg died, Hitler declared himself Fuhrer.
1 Reichstag Fire – 27 Feb 1933
The Reichstag (the German Parliament) burned down. A Dutch Communist named van der Lubbe was caught red-handed with matches and fire-lighting materials. Hitler used it as an excuse to arrest many of his Communist opponents, and as a major platform in his election campaign of March 1933. The fire was so convenient that many people at the time claimed that the Nazis had burned it down, and then just blamed the Communists. Modern historians, however, tend to believe that van der Lubbe did cause the fire, and that Hitler just took advantage of it.
2 General Election – 5 March 1933
Hitler held a general election, appealing to the German people to give him a clear mandate. Only 44% of the people voted Nazi, which did not give him a majority in the Reichstag, so Hitler arrested the 81 Communist deputies (which did give him a majority). Goering become Speaker of the Reichstag.
3 Enabling Act – 23 March 1933
The Reichstag voted to give Hitler the power to make his own laws. Nazi stormtroopers stopped opposition deputies going in, and beat up anyone who dared to speak against it. The Enabling Act made Hitler the dictator of Germany, with power to do anything he liked – legally.
4 Local government – 26 April 1933
The Nazis took over local government and the police. The Nazis started to replace anti-Nazi teachers and University professors. Hitler set up the Gestapo (the secret police) and encouraged Germans to report opponents and ‘grumblers’. Tens of thousands of Jews, Communists, Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gypsies, homosexuals, alcoholics and prostitutes were arrested and sent to concentration camps for ‘crimes’ as small as writing anti-Nazi graffiti, possessing a banned book, or saying that business was bad.
5 Trade Unions banned – 2 May 1933
The Trade Unions offices were closed, their money confiscated, and their leaders put in prison. In their place, Hitler put the German Labour Front which reduced workers’ pay and took away the right to strike.
6 Political Parties banned – 14 July 1933
The Law against the Formation of Parties declared the Nazi Party the only political party in Germany. All other parties were banned, and their leaders were put in prison.
7 Night of the Long Knives – 30 June 1934
The SA were the thugs who Hitler had used to help him come to power. They had defended his meetings, and attacked opponents. By 1934 there were more than a million of them. Historians have often wondered why Hitler turned on the SA. But Hitler was in power in 1934, and there was no opposition left – the SA were an embarrassment, not an advantage. Also, Rohm, the leader of the SA, was talking about a Socialist revolution and about taking over the army. On the night of 30 June 1934 – codeword ‘Hummingbird – Hitler ordered the SS to kill more than 400 SA men.
8 Führer – 19 August 1934
When Hindenburg died, Hitler took over the office of President and leader of the army (the soldiers had to swear to die for Adolf Hitler personally). Hitler called himself ‘Fuhrer’.
[i]On the same day, 6 July, the list of new NMPs was approved.
He resigned from the Young PAP on 9 July – after his name was approved.
[/i]
wah!
pau chiak
guranteed eaten
buy toto also cannot buy after 6.01pm after the results
if liked that
why bothered to go oxford?
might as well
buy a degree from africa from nelson mandala countryman….
Actually the NMP scheme is a political sham.
This only happen in Singaporean and not anywhere in the world. Why?
Because the PAP has being dominating politics since day 1 and they need to show the world that they are giving others a chance to speak up. PAP MPs have no space and luxury to speak up matters that MATTER.
If our PAP MPs have being doing ther job well enough we dont need NMPs to do theirs.
I say do away with the NMP scheme and allow MPs – either PAP or otherwise to speak up in PArliament. Or else ,the whole political system looks like a ploy.
Guys, it may be achievable to share some info with readers about this process of selection and or the people involved and their background, at the end of the day, i do not see what else can be achieved out of this as singaporeans ACCEPT, in my opinion, one way or another.
Many singaporeans I know of do not even mention anything about TC investments, mini bons issue, investment losses and budget among others.
What can we deduce out of this situation?
A culture of Apathy. This is my view only.
Hi Gilbert,
”
I say do away with the NMP scheme and allow MPs – either PAP or otherwise to speak up in PArliament. Or else ,the whole political system looks like a ploy.
”
maybe this can happen when opposition make significant progress if not take over?
I not sure. just a wild guess based on limited brain cells.
the story of Curious Calvin…. skin the cat, period.
Indeed the NMP scheme is a sham, so is the election system and the manner of representation by the ruling party MPs.
What does it tell us about the people responsible for this sham ?
Take your pick………..so many -ve adjectives in the dictionary to choose.
It is too early to judge him.
Like some readers who commented before, I see nothing wrong with having curiosity. In fact he is quite honest and straightforward rather than saying the expected (y’know, passion, contribution, and all bs). But yes, he still needs to prove himself. I do think this article is rubbish and TOC needs to edit more carefully next time.
no matter what pap is trying to do win swingers, it is still healthy for democracy system to have real opposition party on board not what or whom you choose to be.
it is an insult the what they claimed sg is democracy or should i called ‘democracy in its own way’?
“If our PAP MPs have being doing ther job well enough we dont need NMPs to do theirs.”
It is obvious that the main function of PAP Mps are there to cast whatever vote to whatever policies their master serve to the dish. Nevermind that there are few MPs that really perform the job if more than 80% are just partisan and are there to cast the majority vote to please their utmost Emperor.
We have seen how pathetic those partisan MPs speak in parliament trying to find way to make their master’s stupid policies look like angel, and their argument are totally moronic out of this world. World-class kangaroo, what’s more the world most expensive pathetic kangaroos in the world.
i could not blame a person from seeking career advancement by doing what it takes to achieve what he wants. But I feel concerned about how is it possible to ensure that NMPs will be non-partisan if they have been associated with it before.
In private sector, people can do what they need to advance and earn a good living that they dream of.
But when it comes to public service jobs as serious and important as a MP (NMP), I feel that the job must be given to people who can be totally unbiased to any political party.
I think this Calvin need to prove himself. If he can be as good as SKH, I can still be proud of him as NMP.
But…..
Hi Just Hum
Calvin and all the other NMPs have to prove themselves not by words but by deed.
Give them a chance. Calvin’s reply to Today is okay..quite sincere and upfront.
Please dont model SKH please dont!!
Hi Gilbert,
I have not been able to agree with you for a long time but here is one occasion where you are spot-on. The NMP scheme is a sham and a political ploy!
The most important question a citizen has to ask, in any democracy, is this: “Why do I possess the power to vote?” The power of the vote we possess, is so that we can use it, to place our choice on the politician we have chosen to represent our interests. By taking away, or, devaluing the power of our vote, through schemes like the NMP scheme, we are effectively handing this power over to the government to make the choice for us. We are then deprived of our freedom to choose our representative. This has to be the biggest factor why the NMP scheme is a sham.
Some may argue that we still get to go to the polls to use the power of our vote. Yes, this is true (for those who get to vote). However, the presence of the NMPs acting as opposition voices then becomes an unfair tool, being often-time used by the ruling PAP, to convey the message to the electorate, that alternative views are already constitutionally provided for in parliament through the NMP and NCMP schemes. This is the political ploy.
You are also correct in your observation that if our elected MPs are doing their job well enough, as we would expect them to, since we took the trouble to give them our vote, then there is no need for anyone, whom we have no chance of giving our opinions on, let alone vote for, to become our representative. When this happens, then the system of one man, one vote is no longer a democratic system. It is dictatorial. It must be uniquely Singapore to have a dictatorial democracy.
78) saysay on July 14th, 2009 9.55 pm
\\\Hi Just Hum
Calvin and all the other NMPs have to prove themselves not by words but by deed.
Give them a chance. Calvin’s reply to Today is okay..quite sincere and upfront.
Please dont model SKH please dont!!\\\
what if all who grad from ivy league ‘out of curiosity’ were invited or happen to have signed up as YPAP member?
In the 1st place when one sign up for that, he should have a reason for doing so.
It would be more comforting to know if some of these would attempt to balance the situation by joining say WP as members.
So, what happens if in a parl, only 1 party ? what kind of debate can we expect?
what’s wrong with curiosity???
Curious Calvin and his gang still don’t get it, izzit?
basically, we’re NOT looking for a researcher-type with an inquisitive spirit here.
we want people with a heart to serve the people of Singapore. not somebody who is curious to find out things about Singapore etc… did Curious Calvin as strenously argue that he wanted to serve Singaporeans as he did to defend his curiosity streak?
PAP is using NMP to train his future candidates, this is not a fair play, but what is new ??
Come on, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
It is not as though he PAP cadre. He only Young PAP. Hey, if Hang Everyone Lionel De Sousa, can be in Young PAP, anyone can be member.
#79 gemami /// The NMP scheme is a sham and a political ploy ///;;; Now that gemami has proven, with his elegant and persuasive arguments, that the NMP scheme, without a shadow of a doubt, is a sham and a political ploy, there is something odd that have struck me;;;Right there snug in the middle of the list of the “Members of the Special Select Committee” is Low Thia Khiang, Secretary-General of the Worker’s Party of Singapore;;This is extremely fishy;;;Now there are a few questions specifically for Low Thia Khiang;;;;;;Mister Low Thia Khiang, are you not aware that the NMP scheme is a sham and polical ploy by the PAPies??? Are you so dense that you are not aware of the implications if you become part of this sham process?? Would JBJ have done what you did?Are you taking the people for a ride?With what you are doing are you not playing into the hand of the PAPies?;;;Mr Low you can trick all of the people sometime, some of the all the time, but don’t forget that you cannot trick all the people all the time!!!
I bet Calvin Cheng is a member of PinkDotSG, he look so gay lol
SLIPPERY…VERY SLIPPERY.