The following is an excerpt from The New York Times.
The dress is called a cheongsam, and the woman wearing it is Catherine Lim, 67, arguably the most vivid personality in strait-laced Singapore and, when she is not writing witty romantic novels or telling ghost stories, one of the government’s most acute critics.
In a light, self-mocking, first-person novel called “Meet Me on the Queen Elizabeth 2!” she describes what she calls the strategic power of the dress, bright and playful to the eye but not as benign as it seems.
“No other costume has quite managed this unique come hither/get lost blend,” she wrote in the 1993 book, which recounts her flirtations on a cruise ship with men who, in their masculine determination, look faintly silly.
The subject of her humor, she said, was not only the shipboard story, but also the government of Singapore.
Sometimes called a nanny state for its heavy-handed top-down control, Singapore might also be called a macho state, in which government warriors of social engineering and economic development command the citizenry. In Ms. Lim’s political analysis, these efficient, no-nonsense leaders are respected but not loved by their people, whose allegiance is to the good life the leaders provide, rather than to the leaders themselves.
Visit The New York Times for the full story.
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Catherine Lim gives me hope that the new citizens could also be critics of the gonmin.
Singaporeans born here share some common traits, many related to ‘kia’.
New citizens were brought up in other environments. These could be different breeds .
They do provide a glimpse of hope although there is no guarantee.
The New York Times, a world class news :
“MS. LIM has established herself as a leading voice for liberalism, and when newspapers shy away from printing her more pointed views in this heavily censored and self-censoring society, she posts them on her Web site, Catherinelim.sg.”
Self-Censoring society : does this not indirectly mean the population, not just the youths, is Apathetic?
2) Miss Vivian
It is. If you look at other post, you will see comments proclaiming credits to our leaders yet failing to attribute info that will make then look bad
I’ve also enjoyed reading Kenneth Paul Tan’s essay ‘Who’s afraid of Catherine Lim? The state in Patriarchal Singapore’(2009) cited and attached in this NYT report.
(( In Ms. Lim’s political analysis, these efficient, no-nonsense leaders are respected but not loved by their people, whose allegiance is to the good life the leaders provide, rather than to the leaders themselves.))
What a load of bullshit. — efficient., no-nonsense leaders? She must either be out of her mind or a PAP sycophant. Yes, the PAP has efficient, no-nonsense leaders according to stories and analyses spewed by its own propaganda rag.
In the absence of a free and independent media in Singapore, Catherine Lim and the New York Times are indeed well informed about PAP and its “efficient, no-nonsense leaders”!
Miss Vivian,
Haven’t you notcied? Our population IS apathetic. There are exceptions, but most of the time people are just too worried about making more money to support their families that they don’t have time to worry about ‘other things’, like politics for example.
i dont even respect, how to love? this government? i can also do.. just keep raising revenue and profitability and squeeze. As long as we dont rebel, everything is fine. Give a candy from time to time. Simple strategy.
Where is our “Inglourious Basterds” to fight against the “Incongruous Papsterds” ?
Catherine Lim has a definite point of view — and is not afraid to voice it. Of course, she knows the pitfalls of being too forthright — one can be landed with a bankruptcy-intended suit and silenced for ever.
That’s why she has to resort to the use of elegant language — and thank God, she has that ability — to say the many things we can try but fail to say.
But thank God, enough of us can understand what she is trying to say, if not at first glance, but when re-read her essays again, between the lines.
Go for it, girl — keep your rapier point sharp, Catherine.
who’s afraid of Madam Catherine Lim? Definitely not the incumbent government! To them…she’s just a feather weight armchair critic ! She could hardly holds a candle up to heroine of democracy…Aung San Suu Kyi!
Catherine Lim holds her own. Remember she was challenged by Goh Chok Tong when she wrote a critical article on the PAP system sometime ago.
She is the only woman that PAP cannot buy over. Not like Chan Heng Chee the
permanent representative to the United Nations. When Chan (MIss) was a
lecturer in NUS, she was a strong critic of the PAP government. BUT bought
over by the PAP and become a acrony of the system.
You have our artmost respect Catherine Lim. We have nothing to say about Chan Heng Chee a PAP mouthpiece now.
just plagarise from another source regardin the below:
sorry no links..just a big thank you…
[i]Wa! Huat ah!
The TOP 30 highest paid politicians in the world are all from Singapore
1. Elected President SR Nathan – S$3.9 million.
2. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong – S$3.8 million.
3. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew – S$3.5 million.
4. Senior Minister Goh Chok Thong – S$3.5 million.
5. Senior Minister Prof Jayakumar – S$3.2 million.
6. DPM & Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng – S$2.9 million.
7. DPM & Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean – $2.9 million
8. Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo – S$2.8 million.
9. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan – S$2.7 million.
10. PMO Miniser Lim Boon Heng – S$2.7 million.
11. Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang – S$2.7 million.
12. PMO Minister Lim Swee Say – S$2.6 million.
13. Environment Minister & Muslim Affairs Minister Dr Yaccob Ibrahim – S$2.6 million.
14. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan – S$2.6 million.
15. Finance Minister S Tharman – S$2.6 million.
16. Education Minister & 2nd Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen – S$2.6 million.
17. Community Development Youth and Sports Minister – Dr Vivian Balakrishnan – S$2.5 million.
18. Transport Minister & 2nd Minister for Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim Siang Kiat – S$2.5 million.
19. Law Minister & 2nd Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam – S$2.4 million.
20. Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong – S$2.2 million.
21. PMO Minister Lim Hwee Hwa – S$2.2 million.
22. Acting ICA Minister – Lui Tuck Yew – S$2.0 million.
23 to 30 = Senior Ministers of State and Ministers of State – each getting between S$1.8 million to S$1.5 million.
Note: 1. The above pay does not include MP allowances, pensions and other sources of income such as Directorship, Chairmnship, Advisory, Consultancy, etc to Gov-linked and gov-related organisations or foreign MNCs such as Citigroup (for Lee Kuan Yew), etc.
How true is this data? Wa! No horse run?[/i]
you all say ley?
TRUE or FALSE……………………
It was used to be …
When Singapore benefits = SIngaporeans would benefit
But today, the government policies work such a way that…
Benefit Singapore does not really need to benefit Singaporeans, so long the current government continue to stay in power, the good name of Singapore will continue.
What’s the point of being Singpaoreans?!
Gone are some of the street fighters in PAP, who understood the masses and lived among them.
Today, the elite, the blindly loyalist, the fortune seekers, the one-tone, one-theme pap cronies fill the parliament, to continue their weak footing, out-of-touch, they survive in GRC, they are either muted ( sleeping through their term ) or be a loud speaker for the master, one typical is
Ms Irene Ng, the typical BIG MOUTH, DO-NOTHING pap “mp”
member of parliament not, member of puppets, YES !!
I am not so sure that she cannot be bought over! I remember Chan Heng Chee lecturing at the Uni of Singapore back in the 70′s and she was very critical of the PaP. Well she was given a high position as Singapore’s UN Representative. Tommy Koh is another classic example, who used to write in the Fajar-Socialist Club in the Uni, also bought over.
Anything with the PaP , always unpredictable!
When we get older, we want stability and comfort, money can buy integrity
Chan and Koh represent Sg well… they are bought over but they do not represent many of the harsh domestic policies of pap
[i]Merobok on September 22nd, 2009 7.24 am I am not so sure that she cannot be bought over! I
[/i]
please be ASSURED catherine lim can never be bought over to the dark side which is why she is in america right now..donkeys years ago she wrote an article while bein attached to the 154th media..she pissed of the ole gheezer so much that he marked her and threathen her with so many dirty tricks to the extend of ridicule her in parliament just liked what he did to the new NMP….by then.. catherine lim services was no longer required by the 154thmedia..without a doubt…
So if you wish to object violently about the PAP systems you have to move out from this country 1st?
Frankly, I find Catherine’s stories exceedingly dull and her political comments shallow and unoriginal. However, as a writer she can occasioanlly subsituted a good expression for in-depth thought. Sometimes this worked but in one instance she made a fool of herself by her ignorant understanding of the term “The Pinkerton Syndrome” in The Asia Magazine.
A lot of people at the time thought the same as her with regards to Goh’s early years. But she insituted a phrase the Great Affected Divide (actually also not original) and was feted by a shallow ‘intelligentia’.