The following is a letter by Mr Cheong Wing Lee, a Canadian, in response to Mr Eric Brooks’s letter in the Straits Times titled, “Be grateful, Singapore”.
Dear Editor,
As a fellow Canadian I am embarrassed by Mr Eric Brooks’ remarks to Singaporeans. Mr. Brooks is a visitor with a superficial knowledge of Singapore history. He should refrain from making such ridiculous sweeping statements.
I was born shortly after the Second World War and raised in Singapore before immigrating to Canada. I have worked and lived in more countries than Mr Brooks. There is no doubt that most Singaporeans deeply appreciate the outstanding work done by the Singapore leaders in bringing the country from third world status to the present world class status. However, gratitude evolves with time and social changes. Singaporeans are now better educated. They travel, see, learn, compare and adapt. Singaporeans are not stupid or naive.
Singaporeans now have a higher level of thinking and are more demanding. This demonstrates progress. Higher aspirations, greater expectations come with evolving progressive social changes. A society that remains complacent and stagnant deteriorates and eventually collapses. No country can excel with a mindless society of puppets. The Singapore government should be grateful that its citizens are matured and not treat anyone with opposing views as public enemy. Most of them are as passionate as the government in making Singapore a better society.
Singaporeans are smart enough to see through spins and propaganda and evaluate the truths for themselves. It is difficult for most Singaporeans to remain silent whilst government leaders lecture them to be thrifty, not to be materialistic and not to demand for higher pay. On the other hand, the leaders reward themselves with pay packages that exceed the leaders’ of the eight richest countries in the world combined.
The Singapore ministers’ argument that their pay package is only a small fraction of the country’s GDP is weak and debatable. The Canadian prime minister draws less than 10 per cent that of the Singapore prime minister’s but he governs a country 15,000 times the size of Singapore, with a population that is eight times larger and with a GDP that is ten times more. Vancouver in Canada is constantly voted the best place to live in the world. This example put the Singapore government’s argument out of context.
The government gives S$360 a month as financial support for the poor and needy. If such an amount is computed by the government as enough to survive, why then do they need to pay themselves by millions?
I cordially invite any member of parliament and/or news media reporter to come and stay with me for a period of time and I will show them that it takes only a small tiny fraction of their salaries to live happily and healthily in a beautiful environment with a good standard of living.
Is it a surprise that Singaporeans are discontented? It is just human nature. Confucius was quoted as telling the emperor on good government:
“How can the emperor be happy when the people have nothing? How can the emperor not be happy when the people have everything?”
Does Mr. Brooks know that 79% of Singapore students after studying overseas do not return to Singapore? Are they not grateful too?
So Mr. Brooks, before you further make a fool of yourself in Singapore, be grateful to Canada and not complain because of a temporary disruption in garbage collection in Toronto. Be thankful of the good healthcare system and the generous old age pension. If you truly like Singapore you should be a citizen. There are lots of Singaporeans who are willing to trade your citizenship if it is possible.
Yours truly,
Wing Lee Cheong
—–
Kudos to Mr Cheong Wing Lee…I would like to see an MP take up your challenges of going to Canada to stay with you for awhile…Mr Cheong may be a “Quiter” in GCT eyes but his HEART is still in singapore.
3 cheers for Mr Cheong!
Well written!
People who sing praises of the current state of affairs in Singapore should have taken up citizenship to begin with.
Otherwise I fear we’ll have to invoke MM’s favourite mantra: do not “interfere” with our domestic policies, foreigners. Yes, that includes the PRs.
was it published? i doubt it would be, considering the content and our papers… at least not without heavy editing on the part of the editor…
Needless to say the lap dog Straits Times don’t have the journalistic professionalism to publish this well articulated letter.
Yes, I wonder if this is published too. & like 3)meqwerty, I seriously doubt it. Mr Cheong is right about the part where Singaporeans are happy to trade their Singapore citizenships with Brook’s Canadian’s. I’m certainly one of them!
It’s the Canadian government that pays $360 to needy people every month eh? I remember reading an article on TOC recently about a pay slash for a local mentally-challenged who has to work & only get $100+ as allowance from the government. God! He’s supposed to get support for free! & $100+ is not even enough as welfare support!
Wowee! Well said.
This Mr Brooks has a very immature mentality. Just give him a few sweets and signs praises to the sky on the giver without finding how the giver overall personality is.
Thank to Wing Lee Cheong for writing the brutal truth about our gahmen.
Why do our gahmen need millions ? The answer is clear cut. They are buying and investing in properties just like many wealthy people do. Why do anyone think that that kangaroo law to prevent private investigation of gahmen is en-acted ? Isn’t it is obvious to protect themselves ?
There is a picture of Wing Lee Cheong
http://www.facebook.com/people/Wing-Lee-Cheong/670092444
So anyone willing to show appreciation of him for speaking up should send him a word of appreciation.
Anyway, Wing Lee Cheong is not new in writing post
He had written others for Mr Wang
http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/09/two-perspectives-on-emigrated-ex.html
Thank You, Mr. Cheong….
It is people like you who have raised the level of humanity. Well written.
Ignorant people out there, like Mr Brooks do not fully understand things and should be having conversations and disscussions with his friends instead of writting in to ST.
I shall visit Vancouver to check it out. Thank You again
” As a fellow Canadian I am embarrassed by Mr Eric Brooks’ remarks to Singaporeans “.
Hmmm, shouldn’t Mr cheong, already a canadian, be more concerned about the home affairs of canada instead of singapore??
AHGONG, hmmm, shouldn’t Mr Brooks, still a canadian, be more concerned about the home affairs of canada instead of singapore??
At least the garbage collectors in Canada have a chance to strike to voice their discontent. I do believe they are already earning more than the minimum wage which I believe is S$13 an hour , enough to pay for a substantial meal in a Toronto food-court. But being the providers of essential services in a country, they should not extend their strike for more than two days, especially in summer.
Our sympathy is with their counterparts in Singapore. They earn only S$600 or less a month and got to be content with their lot in life. Life in great in Singapore if you are middle-class, but don’t forget your enjoyment is at the expense of foreign workers, lowly paid blue collar workers and the uneducated aged in our midst. Spare a thought for them and show them some kindness. Especially if you are earning big bucks and not held accountable when things go wrong.
I’m also looking out for opportunities to migrate overseas!
Mr Brookes is right about Singapore because he is a foreign talent and our PAP regime likes and kow tow to foreign talent. Since our PAP regime has been right about singapore, so Mr Brookes must be speaking the truth and nothing but the truth. Full stop.
I Like the way Mr Cheong use those info and throw it back at our dear leaders…
I think its been said many times before, but living as an expat, with expat packages, in ANY COUNTRY is great. You’ll be thankful because your salary package corresponds to the “hardship” that you’ll face.
If Mr Brooks was earning a local package, having 20% of his salary taken away from him and probably not be returned to him till he dies, having to take public transport daily, i bet u he’ll be singing a different song.
Anyway – its a Singaporean thing to complain. I live overseas and whenever we Singaporeans meet, there’s always something that we’ll be complaining about.
BUT – and ive seen this happen EVERY TIME, whenever a foreigner starts dissing Singapore (they esp love making fun of the chewing gum law), i can tell u, all of us start defending Singapore.
eg
“You Singaporeans are timid, have no freedom of the press, you cant say whatever you want.”
“Sure, but we dont have idiots like Paul O’Reilly or Pam Coulter or Fox News who talk crap and pretend to be journalists. The average Singaporean knows more about the world and America than the average American knows about the rest of the world or Asia. Only in America can someone like Palin actually be taken seriously as a vice presidential candidate and voted a man like Bush for 8 years.”
its a weird thing, but i guess you can take the boy out of Singapore, but u can never take the singapore out of the boy, i always say.
[i]Ahgong on August 6th, 2009 1.49 pm ” As a fellow Canadian I am embarrassed by Mr Eric Brooks’ remarks to Singaporeans “.
Hmmm, shouldn’t Mr cheong, already a canadian, be more concerned about the home affairs of canada instead of singapore??[/i]
and what are YOU goin to do about it?
get his canadian home address
placed more garbarge in his doorways perhaps?
you hor
very can can ungkat king
which RC you command?
a 3rd party views
you already cannot tarhan
if filipinos were to wore yellow armbands and hold candles in orchard road
you would have complaint
if all the filipinos maids were to be in orchard road
who is goin to wash my car
my mother’s wheelchair as well?
Hear! Hear!…
This article sum up the feeling of the ordinary Singaporeans…
Kudo to Mr. Cheong….
Published? Are you kidding me?
“To build a democratic society…” with our 144th ranked Main Stream Media?
babyckh is right, this article sums up the feelings of ordinary Singaporeans!
#17 u beri funny lah. Remind me abt last time i worked part time for population censor, some people also take bloom wanted to wack me, shouting at me ” you send by the garmen” …haha
Mr Cheong,
A salute to you and thank u for enligthening us. But I believe your effort to put some sense into this brooke guy is futile. I believe he is a fictional character. Some nerds think they can fool us. What an irony. It’s like the boy scouts trying to set a trap to capture the native people.
I am in the PR industry here and am familiar with Eric Brooks. He’s unfortunately noted to be a silly git at times.
#10 Ahgong,
Once a Singaporean, always a Singaporean….in the heart. :-)
Thank you Mr. Cheong for speaking up for us all!
I agree, perhaps Mr. Brooks should trade his citizenship with one of us. He’s just a loud mouth who knows squads! I am applying to law schools in Canada and the US, hope to get into one of them. I’ve decided to be one of those Singaporeans who wouldn’t be returning. I rather be a janitor there than a CEO here!
Oh, This Article from Mr Cheong is great and I’m 100% agree with it, We Singapore have no place to compare with either big developed countries or even developing countries, in mant way. we are behind and still need a long way to go.
Sure our dear Mr Brooks is a “foreign talent”?
As one of the previous posters know him – I would like to pose this question…
What can he do that locals can’t i.e. his value-add?
He’s more foreign trash than foreign talent. One of those who couldn’t find a job back home but whom Singapore welcomes with open arms (and via the PRC hookers, open legs). What can he do that locals can’t ? Nothing ! Talks a lot. Had at least 4 employers since he landed here abt 10 years ago.
I wanna go Canada… Vancouver Film School!!!! $$$$$ no have..
First of all, I would like to thank Mr Cheong for his reply to his fellow Canadian, Mr Brooks. I just hope we are so laid-back or cannot-be-bothered that we need an ex-Singaporean to defend our beloved island-country. I am sure many of us have written in & I sincerely hope that the reason why ST is not publishing this letter is that it has many other more important letters concerning more urgent local problems need publishing!!
I have to agree totally with AYGEE on how we complain about Singapore & whenever some FT tried to bash us, we would stand together & defend our homeland. It’s really a heart warming experience I got about a few years ago when I was attending a friend’s wedding in Sydney.
There were some Singaporeans & Malaysians sitting around the table having some drinks & smoking & chatting away. We, Singaporeans were talking about the increase in GST from 3 to 5 percent is gonna hurt everyone & how tough it’s to find a decent job & raise a family back home. Of course, the Malaysians chipped in their fair share of ‘horror’ stories about the Bumi situation & robbery along the NS Highway when out of nowhere, this odd-ball of a Malaysian started to talk about how stressed working in Singapore is, how ‘unhappening’ our clubs & pubs are & how restricted everyone is & why are we wasting 2.5 years serving the SAF? Usually, if these things were said by another Singaporean, I would just laugh it off & get on with my life, but not when it came from some FT that came & earned our money & probably, took away my fellow Singaporean’s job. I was a little surprised when the rest of the us Singaporeans started firing at him in a slightly joking but firm manner!! I was proud that, at least, we tried to stand up for Singapore & got behind her. I guess the only other time we were so united was in the Malaysian Cup in Kallang!
Well… we all support our country (that’s where we grew up in)…
We just have some issues with the administration… It’s two separate entities…
Question:
What is stopping Mr Brooks from taking the plunge and give up his citizenship?
heh… perhaps because he doesn’t want to. All is well when you are getting expat’s salary, but have a home to go back to. A place who still looks after your medical condition and meals should you become unable to do so.
He’s not stupid, this Mr Brook. In fact he’s very smart. A smartass.
Most Singgies I know are not immune to the fact that the past leaders did help us to where we are. We are not saying the grass is greener on the other side. What are saying is: Give us a fair go, instead of thumbing us down as second-class citizens who are too stupid to think for ourselves.
Kaffein
Dear PAP Supporter:
By your reasoning, I think we should not fight for independant and get rid of the British (your PAP foreign Talent mah). Then you can be the loyal subject of the Great British Empire. Maybe you be licking the boots of a Ang Mo instead of PAP. Feel so much greater, don’t you?
No, I am not bombarding you because you are a PAP supporter. It is because you do not pride yourself as even in the capacity of a descent human being. In another, you choose to be at the bottom of the food chain. Period!
newspaper should show both sides of the story like
On the left Mr Brooks story. On the right, the voice of Mr Cheong.
Else, i worry that some naive people may think the wrong way or that there is no other view in this world.
For any issue, topic or matter, there will always be more than 1 side of the coin.
This is an IRREFUTABLE fact of the universe.
I hope every singaporean understands this.
35) Charles Chong
More and more Singaporeans know there is the other side of the story. It is the newspaper that wants us to see only one side of the story. That is why many has given up reading ST.
ST – One side of the story.
Internet – Mostly the other side of the story or some call it the truth.
I have just terminated my subscription to the Straits Times. Whey asked why I stop, I told them I do not want to pay good money to read “crap”, referring to this pseudoman Eric and his untimely comments. We should all stop subscribing to the Straits Times to send them the message that we do not tolerate this low level of journalism.
36) Lesser Mortal
Very true, and the more you try to hide, the easier it is to get expose
I wonder why Eric Brooks reminds me of our own
home-bred lapdog, the ex-policeman, what’s-his-name?
Lionel de souza…..maybe our govt so rich employ FT lapdogs now?
[i]Who let the dogs out?woof….woof…. on August 8th, 2009 12.21 am Lionel de souza…..maybe our govt so rich employ FT lapdogs now?[/i]
wei wei
he still on the ball hor
last week he in forum page
opps i meant 154th media forum page
he so happy that he is qualified to see the 44th national day hor….
To paraphrase the PAP, Mr Brooks is guilty of interfering in Singapore’s domestic politics. What say you PAP?
When foreigner praising Singapore, government is supportive.
When foreigner spoken against Singapore, government deem it as interfering.
45) Daniel
When foreigner praising Singapore, many posters in TOC hamtam foreigner.
When foreigner spoke against Singapore, many posters in TOC sayang foreigner.
Same same lah
These 2 Canadians, one angmo, another psuedo angmo should take their quarrel back to Canada.
Why get so hang up over one’s opinion. Obviously the chap that left SG is not happy with SG, and he is not about to sing praises for SG otherwise he would look like a fool for leaving SG.
My favourite question.
//////Does Mr. Brooks know that 79% of Singapore students after studying overseas do not return to Singapore? /////////
Is that a fact? Please enlighten.
KopitiamApek,
Not all who left Singapore are anti-Singapore. Most of us are still Singaporean at heart. It is a freedom of choice in style of living. Similarly you may like spicy food and I don’t or vice versa. We are just different in preference.
There is no necessity in drawing battle line and name calling. Hostility does not solve but creates more problems.
“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” = Gandhi
GCT may called us Quitters but he was wrong. As a senior Statesman he should understand that there are others who prefer lifestyles that is not possible in Singapore. His own daughter proved that.
I am also curious as for the 79 % of the local students who decided to remain in other countries n not wanting to come back to Spore n how Mr Cheong managed to get the figure from? I need to stress one point that it is true that many of the Sporean student decided to stay abroad instead of coming back. This kind of news has also been reported in the local paper.
Mr Cheong, there is going to be plenty more locals migrating to other countries. Spore is becoming the next HK where people want to earn money n migrate to Canada.
I am considering migrating to northern or eastern Malaysia
Life is cheap there and peaceful
DO YOU KNOW. My whole family of 5 used water in a house in Malaysia and the bill was less than SGD$10?!?!?!?!?!!
Less than SGD$2, I can get such delicious food!
Except for the crime, it is like heaven to me there.
Our country is the rare country where we need a foreign to talk down to us to tell us how ungrateful we are as citizens.
Never seen that in any other mature country.