Choo Zheng Xi / Editor-at-Large / New York
The Singapore we know will change.
This revelation wasn’t immediately apparent to me, reading reports of this Parliamentary session’s debate.
A continent away, the anger and helplessness I felt at our Finance Minister’s stonewalling over the Temasek debacle threatened to overwhelm me. I felt like I was punched in the gut when MM derided our “high-falutin” Pledge. I despaired at Ng Eng Hen’s colourless and pedantic rebuttal of Mr Viswa Sadasivan’s moving speech.
Surely Mr Ng must have felt some sense of irony in praising the PAP’s accountability, when just two days before his colleague had thrown a blanket over the eyes of Parliament?
One would rightly ask, for how long more are Singaporeans damned to suffer such arrogance and insensitivity?
It is precisely this visionless and petty bullying that has convinced me that soon Singaporeans will be able to take it no longer.
Even as I write, there is a new generation of Singaporeans who are willing to stand up and say: not one day more will we stand for this. These are Singaporeans who believe that the words of our Pledge are meant to be lived, not laughed at. Around me I see Singaporeans who give me hope that our country will change.
Singaporeans like Bernard Chen, a 24 year old polytechnic student and member of the Workers’ Party Youth Wing. Bernard gives his weekends to WP walkabouts, and is actively trying to get young people interested in the future of our country. He believes in a “democratic society, based on justice and equality”.
Singaporeans like Wee Yeong Wei, a 20 year old who has just finished his National Service, waiting to begin university, but already embarking on the second phase of his National Service: giving time and energy to help civil society group Maruah organize public forums to share the message of human rights with Singaporeans. He believes in a “democratic society, based on justice and equality”.
Singaporeans like my friend and colleague Andrew Loh, who devotes every single day to working full time on creating an open media culture and truly accountable and transparent government. He works with a team of Singaporeans who believe in a “democratic society, based on justice and equality”.
Singaporeans like those who serve Parliament and the People more faithfully than PAP MPs bound by the party whip: former NMP Siew Kum Hong and now Mr Viswa Sadasivan. Intelligent and successful professionals who do not need a Ministerial salary to fight for a “democratic society, based on justice and equality”.
Singaporeans like those in opposition, who have chosen to stake everything to face overwhelming odds because they believe that every Singaporean deserves to be heard. And every day, their numbers increase slowly but surely with new faces who believe in a “democratic society, based on justice and equality”.
As the ranks of patriotic Singaporeans who share these ideals swell, the fear will fade, as it is beginning to.
All that is missing now, readers, is you. Do you share that vision?
If you do, then I promise you, surely change will come. Change will come from those citizens of our country who put their hands to their chest and mean every word of our National Pledge, not from those who deride it as impractical aspiration.
Change will come despite those who deride the impracticality of a “democratic society, based on justice and equality”. The day has come, a line has been drawn in the sand, between those who believe in living Rajaratnam’s vision, and the men who see it as empty rhetoric.
And the day will come when those callow men who toe their party line realize that their hollow repetitions of the creed of an ailing patrician has to make way for a new Singapore: the Singapore of our National Pledge.
—–
@ 47) Egan
The LKY’s modus operandi you are referring to, was during the initial 20 years and it worked for Singapore…….and for subsequent years it is mainly for himself, his famiLee and his stooges.
The hard truth is LKY does not share the same aspiration as ordinary citizens, the same aspiration reflected in the national pledge. All the PAP activities are contrary to this aspiration or pledge and it has been deliberate. There is only one conclusion for them.
I just curious to know what is Choo Zheng Xi Editor-at-Large doing in New York.
Change will come, yes but not in the United States. The only change that has happened to United States since the beginning of this year is that Mr Obama has changed.
You have to think does this article and the many comments made here serve any purpose or usefulness to the people and society. It has become a playground for the few disgrunted. In the long run, who will take this website seriously. Those comments just reduce the credibility of this website. TOC must do something about it in order to become an important recognised website for Singaporeans.
My advice to Choo Zheng Xi is come back to Singapore because change will come and its the shift in power from the United States to Asia.
Ghim Moh resident,
What would you have us do with regards to the comments? I feel that readers are free to express themselves (within our rules) – whether they’re happy with the govt/issues or whether they are not happy with them.
We already do moderate comments which we deemed inappropriate. And from the hundreds that we receive each day, it is not possible for us to read each one fully and decide what to do with it.
Perhaps the comments reflect the real unhappiness among Singaporeans – or at least those here?
In Animal farm, at the end of the story, all the 10 commandments were changed, and the last one to change was (I think): all animals are equal but some are more equal than others. As LKy had put it to us that our pledge is but an aspiration, a dream if you may say. A dream. . that is quite shocking to hear from the horse’s mouth.
You remember in Animal farm. at the end, the animals watched the pigs drinking and engaging in all that which were in contracdictions to the original commandments. This is like the singapore of today.
Boxer, who represented the old faithful workers of the revolution, died.
Molly, the fair-weathered people, fled to greener pastures.
Benjamin, rep cynics, had no last words to say.
The animals who believe in the revolution were hapless.
My fellow countrymen, this animal farm that you have read years ago in your secondary school days is the singapore of today.
There is nothing you can do about it now.
It is too late.
Submit or perish.
Remember also the story of ‘Brave New World’, the book which we read for our GCE literature subject. The same thing could happen to those who question the authority of dictatorship which in this case is ‘benign’ dictatorship, as opposed to that practice at animal farm.
My fellow countrymen, the point which I want to make is: resistance is futile. accept your fate and get up on your feet to work for the PAP regime. there is no otherwise. there is no other way. believe me.
Allow me to continue:
Boxer, who represented the old faithful workers of the revolution, aged, fell sick, was sent away from the farm, to the butcher, sold – hide, meat…
It sounds familiar ya? those of us who believe in making singapore democratic, prosperous… work our guts out. now we are old. No money to pay for nursing the old, consider sending ourselves to JB, which is cheaper. And Your organs. you need money? sell it to to those needs it so that you can get ‘compensated’.
Change can only come when we have a process or system that allows it. how can we change? Voting? true. but how do we get a non-PAP team into the GRC when they keep their in-house practices of gerrymandering? so many singaporeans, well into their 30s and 40s have never had a “right” to exercise their voting “rights”, because in Singapore, a “right” is ironically a “privilege”, i.e., it must be earned, not given.
We can only make a change by voting these people out. But then the system/process doesn’t even allow people to cast a vote (because of artificial barriers of entry, and a judicial system run so much in tandem with the PAP), and there is a lack of “eligible” (before they are disallowed/sued) candidates, and then an inability to challenge a cabinet minister (GRCs + gerrymandering to normalise/aggregate voting inclinations).
so without the ability to vote, how can we change?
I shall end with a simple anecdote to illustrate the difficulty to gain the “right” to vote:
I’m overseas, but it was easier for me to “apply” for the annual bonus (some GST offset or some progress thingies) and get free money from the government, than to apply to be eligible to vote. Go figure.
Is attack is the best form of defence?
I still do not see why Viswa Sadasivan’s maiden speech got MM so agitated.
I’m just so happy that Viswa, like Siew Kum Hong, has the testicles to tell it like it is without fear or favour.
I guess the truth stated in Viswa’s speech touches the raw nerve of MM. But to demolish what Viswa posited with the tiring ‘father knows best’ rhetoric is putting himself in an embarrassing bad light.
To me, the worst of MM’s comment was what he said about Malay girls messing up their lives by getting pregnant at a young age. Good grief, is that the best example that he can give about the sensitivity of one race in accepting advice from another race?
Going by his weird racial example, maybe we need 4 Presidents, 4 MM’s, 4SM’s and, of course, 4 PM’s as well. One for each race ; Malay, Indian, Chinese and Others? Why not have 4 ministers of different races in each ministry so that the sensitivities of each race can be protected as well.
Even though I’m an ordinary-living-from-hand-to mouth heartlander Singaporean, I do not let others disturb me when I read my newspapers or have my massage or physiotherapy. MM may be too rich for my advice but I strongly feel that work is work and play is play. Never the twain shall meet!
Instead of demolishing, why not have the grace and humility to learn from Viswa Sadasivan as what he said makes so much of sense the blind refuses to see and the deaf refuses to hear.
The ex-newsreader of TCS (if I remember correctly) is going places and I hope his testicles won’t shrivel after this fire of baptism from the power of the power. I sincerely hope that Viswa will go on and do what Singaporean politicians should! Keep keeping it up!
feedmetothefish
Choo Zheng Xi,
This must count as one of the most moving articles I have read in a long time.
Am going to forward to all my friends.
E-Jay
I see great potential in Choo Zheng Xi as a future leader for our country. He has done well by setting up this blog and letting us see the true colours of our elites. The spark that has been ignited through TOC will definitely grow bigger and brighter and I’m sure more Singaporeans will awaken to see the truth.
Hope he will come back someday to stand for election and fight for the people of Singapore. He is definitely worth more than the weight of our elites.
First we are not a nation. Now the pledge is just an aspiration. I am already feeling that I am losing my country to the FTs in the last two years and now MM is on the roll to demolish whatever shred of patriotism that I may have to my Country.
It is high time for Change in Singapore!
national pledge is just an aspiration?
must poll people in other 1st world countries, i would like to know their views on this. ;)
Hi Neutral,
Don’t worry, I don’t think i’m important enough to be exiled :) I’m doing my masters in law in nyu, and i’ll defintely come back. home is, after all, where the heart is.
Ejay, thanks alot for the compliment! It’s time to wake this country up!
59) Time for Change on August 22nd, 2009 2.19 am
“Hope he will come back someday to stand for election and fight for the people of Singapore. He is definitely worth more than the weight of our elites.”
VB used to be very outspoken during his younger days. Look what happens after he joined PAP!
I hope Cheng Xi will not follow VB’s footstep
Hi Daniel @48,
Very astute onservation and some extremely enlightening comments. We really need to change the Pledge into the new version you have written.
i mean ‘observation ….’
“Singapore was built on a rationalist/realist acknowledgment that the world sucks, for lack of a better word. The responses that emerge from such a pragmatic point of view have shaped our country for better or worse.
From the point of a view of a rational person, LKY’s modus operandi has worked for Singapore and will continue to work. ”
Does HK and Taiwan and other developed cities suck? No use being “rational” (in the poster’s own opinion; I strongly disagree) but stupid.
They don’t produce useless non accountable ministers (remember WKS?) and SWFs CEOs who has the cheek to lose $40 billion and hang on their posts without a trace of remorse or shame. And the citizens are complicit in this culture of incompetence and greed with their apathy and silence. This is uniquely “Chinese” Singapore.
Sorry LKY’s ways arent working any more, simply because of the rise of China and India. Singapore is still surviving because of our businessmen and women, bringing trade to the country, not because of some silly useless government initiative.
“They don’t produce useless non accountable ministers (remember WKS?) and SWFs CEOs who has the cheek to lose $40 billion and hang on their posts without a trace of remorse or shame.”
Oh Yea, officials who has screwed up the typhoon reliefs are stepping down….if that scenario is with our ministers? it is an honest mistake, please move on
AS long as stomachs are full, the apathy will continue. But one feels that stomachs are not that full these days — so many out of work, the future bleak with money tied up in CPF and HDB homes, etc etc. Many are clamouring, at least in their hearts, for change.
But change, dear people, is a dirty word, it seems, especially among the higher and wealthier echelons. Incremental changes maybe, but drastic changes? That would be too much an admission of incompetence.
Better not to admit incompetence, for it would result in resignation or replacement, is the widespread thinking that prevails these days.
How to bring back the values of old — integrity, honesty, compassion — that we are able to see right from wrong and have the courage to do something about it?
That’s the big question. Old fogies like me look to the leadership and drive of the young among us, those who have not been brainwashed into accepting that only the PAP knows what’s best for Singapore.
Choo Zheng Xi’s article is a step in the right direction towards bringing about change, for the better.
Bravo, Zheng Xi. Keep it up. We are with you and others who share your vision.
53) theonlinecitizen on August 22nd, 2009 12.09 am
Thanks for the update. Its reassuring.
Do we have much time left?
When the centres of power shift towards Asia, and the West loses its influences, some countries won’t even bother with token gestures of democracy. Just cozy up to China will do. Big brother will protect you.
China is not so gentleman like the West, can or will tolerate all the arrogant pricks. Good or bad, you decide.
Nevertheless, It would be amusing to see the PAP England cadre speaking in broken and/or coffeeshop Mandarin from their PRC bosses.
How to say Mee Siam Mai Hum in Mandarin? My Mandarin also not so good lah.
[i]Ghim Moh resident on August 21st, 2009 11.57 pm I just curious to know what is Choo Zheng Xi Editor-at-Large doing in New York.
Change will come, yes but not in the United States. The only change that has happened to United States since the beginning of this year is that Mr Obama has changed.
[/i]
so when is the changin?
till laulee died is it?
usa has alway changed presidents after TWO terms no matter how good he/she is…
and what you want TOC to moderate? only print out the good stuff?
what is the singapore pledge? would you please explain…
we are all ears and YOURs…………
Can anyone tell me how change the GRC voting system. We have do something before the election come by so that more oppositions can have a chance vote in.
“Singapore was built on a rationalist/realist acknowledgment that the world sucks, for lack of a better word. The responses that emerge from such a pragmatic point of view have shaped our country for better or worse.”
True once but the problem is that the world has moved on, but MM’s premises hve not been revised to take acct of the new reality. So our responses are no longer pragmatic.
Take one example — He was once lauded by America because it was in a Cold War with the USSR. Now with the US still the only hegemon, he is ignored.
Take another example — the model of welcoming MNCs was a rarity. Today every country bar Burma and N Korea follows this model. We no longer have an edge.
I have a New Pledge 4 U People
1) Every Monday I ate Curry Chicken
2) Every Tuesday I drink a cup of Tea
3) Every Wednesday I ate Chapatti
4) Every Thursday I drink Chinese Tea
5) Every Friday I ate Nasi Briyani.
So any body want to carry on with me?
Ahhh—————–Ahhhhhh——————-Ahhhhhh.
Gila Orang
Good will always overcome bad. It just needs time.
Change is inevitable. We are at the crossroads where our destiny is concerned.
The PAPies are going to self-destruct after LKY proceeds to meet his maker.
The beginning of revolutionary change is just around the corner.
For a start—people lets walk the talk.
Join the opposition parties in your tens of thousands.
Have have no fear in your heart.
Lets show the world that we are not sheep but the Lions from the Lion-City.
The future is in our hands, the PEOPLE.
An exciting Singapore awaits us.
A Singapore with Democracy, Justice, Equality and Fairness for all.
Do you guys anticipate a change to the words in the pledge?
Hi Oxford Dude,
post #27 on August 21st, 2009 5.48 pm
“This pledge has been our moral compass for 44 years. How can the indoctrinated values just go away at a switch of a hand?”
i thought that moral compass was replaced with an economic (more $trategic) compass some years back?
nothing is impossible with a person who refuses to “move on”… :)
I am in to lend my support and show my gratitude to TOC and Zheng Xi.
Please keep it up. All the articles in here have keep my hope of a new Singapore going…
Seriously… without TOC and other similarly themed websites acting as a counter balance to our Shitty Times, I wonder how much more can I take from all those nonsense going around.
I have become a frequent TOC reader ever since I first came across this website.
Keep it up TOC!
Choo,
by the time you return with your degree , I hope the place have already changed.
And I long to see you rebut 1-to-1 on national tv live or in public areas with the creme dela creme although you too is also a creme dela creme for the Alternative nation.
And then the party begins!
Lets see who is left standing.
I felt a sense of alarm.
How one old man could g to parliarment, make an amendment to viswa’s proposal, and all of the parliament kept quiet after his bumbling speech – 1776 1976 1978??
And the parliament just accepted the changes? Is this how our parliament works.
Actually yes, that is why my CPF has changed from withdrawal at 55 to 62 to a perpetual annuity, which may not be paid to me if the govt gambles it off in the US casino of bank shares.
Scary indeed. And he says there is accountabilty in the House.
Perhaps we should look more at the advantages of PAP and what they had done for us in the past few years (high train frequency, GST credits scheme, work bonus scheme, F1 race…….) instead of just milling over a couple of erors PAP made. To err is human. Ministers and VIPs are also human. It’s impossible for them not to incur losses when the global economy is so sad.
Simple logic, Tatat,
Advantages are subjective. In a democracy, (even in an aspiring one) there is only one constant, that the voters have the right to kick you out.
[i]tatat on August 23rd, 2009 4.02 pm Perhaps we should look more at the advantages of PAP and what they had done for us in the past few years (high train frequency, GST credits scheme, work bonus scheme, F1 race…….)
wow! impressive
you realLEE really can afford to watch F1 race….
as though every peasant can afford to watch the F1 lived…
how much is the tickets PLEASE….
81) change in our pledge on August 23rd, 2009 3.55 pm I felt a sense of alarm.
How one old man could g to parliarment, make an amendment to viswa’s proposal, and all of the parliament kept quiet after his bumbling speech – 1776 1976 1978??
=============================================
I was SHOCKED beyond words that there was ZERO REBUTTALS afaik.
Dear Geylang Gooni,
Yah man, a Pledge is a solemn vow to do something. And when you add “National” to it, it means we don’t any how fool around with it. Once some one makes a pledge he is, at the very least, morally obliged to work towards those goals no matter how “idealistic” they may seem. Unless they are kids at the morning assembly in school who don’t know what they are talking about. Or they are the kind who don’t walk the talk.
Every one of those in immaculate White who had hand to heart at 8.22pm Aug 9 recited the National Pledge. Yet not a single one had the moral courage to step up in defence of what he/she had very publicly Pledged a few days ago infront of tens and hundreds of thousands of live and TV audiences – Some more On National Day. Were they all just lip-synching?
I’m utterly disgusted. Do those white uniforms symbolize white as in “pure”, just to show off that they are “whiter-than-thou”, or worse – “a symbol of complete Whitewash of the obligations to their PLEDGE to be one united people, regardless of race, language or religion…..”.?
Boboshooter,
if they can play with the law and is a law unto themselves, they can play with anything else, pledge including. They can interpret whatever way they want as they deem fit for their benefit. That is the problem of absolute power. No one can say they are wrong when the law belongs to them.
All the speeches can be found here
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/08/the-singapore-of-our-national-pledge/comment-page-2/#comment-99143
Here I mean:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/parliament/videoarchives.htm
#86,
how can?
really?
Zero rebuttals? but… ….but….. sure? but got….. 80 plus …..leh…
silence means?????
regards
creme pies
dela creme
can anyone tell why national day and the day before we hardly see most of singaporeans displaying singapore flags? we even saw a singapore flag in the trash bin in one of the hdb flat that is a surprise for us?what this mean? unlike those days singaporeans will display their country flags proudly and even some with lighting decoration along with the flags. why not they place a new flag in the trash bin? why we don’t see much of singaporeans displaying thier flags?
we are curious and would like to know from singaporeans out there
Balanced against this is the other point of view expressed by Lee Kuan Yew in 2006: “Please don’t assume that you can change governments. Young people don’t understand this.”
On another occasion, Lee said: “Without the elected President and if there is a freak (election) result, within two or three years, the army would have to come in and stop it.” So far none of the younger political leaders has repeated this warning.
why lky has to use force and not wanting the goverment to be change? isn’t it enough what he had taken from us? where on earth there is a minister mentor? he build his own cage and he goes in it and call himself minister mentor and lately screw up his speech and bring out his true colours.
#57
“Going by his weird racial example, maybe we need 4 Presidents, 4 MM’s, 4SM’s and, of course, 4 PM’s as well. One for each race ; Malay, Indian, Chinese and Others? Why not have 4 ministers of different races in each ministry so that the sensitivities of each race can be protected as well.”
How about?
1. Chinese PM: Mr Lee
2. Malay PM: Mr Mohamad AhLee
3. Indian PM: Mr Manka-Lee
4. Eurasian PM: Mr Tommy Lee Jones
anyone of singaporeans here who read this?
can anyone tell why national day and the day before we hardly see most of singaporeans displaying singapore flags? we even saw a singapore flag in the trash bin in one of the hdb flat that is a surprise for us?what this mean? unlike those days singaporeans will display their country flags proudly and even some with lighting decoration along with the flags. why not they place a new flag in the trash bin? why we don’t see much of singaporeans displaying thier flags?
we are curious and would like to know from singaporeans out there
Vote for a change, towards a “check and balance” system, instead of the current dominatation by a single party. Without check and balance, the ruling party can change/implement any policies it like, without the people having a chance to say no…
Look at the 2 is enough policy, and its consequence 20-30 years later, and the compulsory cpf life..
can anyone tell why national day and the day before we hardly see most of singaporeans displaying singapore flags? we even saw a singapore flag in the trash bin in one of the hdb flat that is a surprise for us?what this mean? unlike those days singaporeans will display their country flags proudly and even some with lighting decoration along with the flags. why not they place a new flag in the trash bin? why we don’t see much of singaporeans displaying thier flags?
we are curious and would like to know from singaporeans out there
96 frog
yes i agree why and what has happen?
The flag is a symbol of the nation and whatever party is the Government, is to be dicounted and the flag respected and not treated distainly.
You can build a nation through the flag(if you try hard). And give the anthem due respect too.
It will take some time for all in Singapore to sing with one voice but in the meantime give it your best shot-you can succeed just as you did so in the economic sphere.
Good luck
I am an old man who has for many decades always honoured the pledge as sacrosanct. I am shocked that it is now denigrated to just an aspiration. Very sad indeed. Does it mean that my pledge to the bank is only an aspiration, or my pledge to my best friends is now only an aspiration, or my pledge to my employer to serve him with honour is now only an aspiration. I am now very confused. When is a pledge a pledge, when is a promise a promise? Do we now have to honour any promise or pledge?
Talking about Ng Hen Eng; in his rebuttal of the motion initiated by Viswa Sadasivan, he spoke, among other things, about the transparency of the Singapore govt. And just a few days before that we heard from Finance Minister Tharman that his ministry would not divulge any information about the so-called strategic differences between Mr Goodyear, the outgoing CEO of Temasek, and Temasek’s Board of Directors. Was there any agreement reached with Mr Goodyear that such strategic differences should not be publicised? I could have missed out if this was press-reported.
What sort of transparency was NHE referring to?
Were you bullshitting, NHE?