By Dr Wong Wee Nam
I first met him at the wake of the late Dr Lee Siew Choh in July 2002. That was 20 years after he was released from an almost 20-year detention. I saw a friend sitting at another table and went up to say “hello” to her. He happened to be sitting at the same table and she introduced us.
That was the first time I saw how he looked like.
I had heard of him when I was a young boy. He was the son of a famous fishmonger in the market where I had lived. The father was famous because he had a clever son. Not a lot of poor people then had children who were doctors.
I also heard of him as a young boy because of his reputation as a doctor. Not only did his clinic dispense free medicine for the needy and the real indigent, he also gave them transport money to go home. This is not surprising from a doctor who believes that the most common cause of anaemia is not iron deficiency but poverty.
It was understandable I did not recognize him. After all, his pictures had never been splashed in the newspapers or over television. Nothing much was heard about him when he was incarcerated and nothing was heard about him after his release.
In spite of the news blackout and the low profile he has kept, he is still a political legend, being the second longest political detainee after Chia Thye Poh. Therefore, my reaction was one of excitement mixed with surprise and discomfort when I was introduced.
He put me totally at ease when he asked in a very soft and friendly voice if I was the same one who wrote letters to the press. I was humbled by his sincerity and modesty.
Subsequently, I met him occasionally at medical seminars and talks. We only exchanged some pleasant words and never discussed current affairs. He told me he reads my articles on the blogs but never did he once try to engage me on those topics. At this stage of his life, I suppose he has transcended all these.
Remarkably, in my encounters with him, not once did he express any hatred for anyone or any organization for having deprived him of living a normal life for 20 years.
In 1963, he was arrested because he was deemed a security threat to the interests of Singapore. To have been kept in prison for 20 years, he must have had a pre-detention life that is more colourful or at least equal to that of Mas Selamat. Yet when I looked up as many books (even books written by his ex-comrades) as I could on the era, I could find very little mention of him. Surely a security threat who warrants 20 years of detention would have enough open records of his activities for any movie director to make an equal number of political thrillers. Maybe one day the archives will let us know of his clandestine or subversive activities, if any.
Recently at a launch of the book The Fajar Generation, he made a speech. Martyn See, the filmmaker, recorded the speech and put it on Youtube. The video is now banned by the Singapore authorities. [Read about the ban here.] It cannot be for security reasons that the video is banned. The speech was not fiery, there was no angry condemnation of government, no incitement to violence, no call to arms, no cry to overthrow anyone and no rousing appeal to unite and rally the audience for a cause. Indeed the speech was milder than any election rally speech by a mile.
For months after the speech was made and aired, no investors pulled out of Singapore for security concerns and in fact, the economy recovered. Yet for inexplicable reason, the video was banned and remains so.
Perhaps there is a reason. The video is in danger of changing people’s perception of Dr Lim Hock Siew. He comes off as a very calm and dignified person. There is no anger or bitterness. His intellect is intact and his mind is very clear. Beneath the frail frame is a man with strength of character. He looks so kind and fatherly that one wouldn’t see him as capable of swapping a fly or killing a mosquito, let alone hurting a fellow human being. Behind a soft-spoken exterior one can discern a man full of indomitable courage.
Watching him talk reminds me of a story written by Zhuang Zi （庄子）in his chapter “Autumn Water” （秋水）:
When Confucius was traveling in the State of Kuang, he was surrounded by the troops of Sung. Nevertheless he continued singing and playing his lute, totally unfazed. Zi Lu, his disciple, asked, “Master, why are you enjoying yourself?”
Confucius said, “For a long time, I’ve tried to stay out of hardship but failed. This is due to fate. I’ve tried to succeed but failed. This is due to times.
“During times of Yao or Shun, there is no hardship. This has nothing to do with a person’s wisdom. During the reign of King Jie and King Zhou, people do not achieve success but this is not due to lack of wisdom. It is due to time and circumstance.
“To travel across the water and not shrink from the sea serpent or the dragon is to have the courage of a fisherman. To travel on land and not be afraid of the rhinoceros or tiger is to have the courage of a hunter. To meet clashing blades and face death unflinchingly is to have the courage of a martyr.
“To understand that hardship is a matter of fate and success is a matter of times; and to able to face enormous difficulties without fear or terror is to have the courage of a sage.”
知穷之有命，知通之有时，临大难而不惧者，圣人之勇也。
Dr Lim Hock Siew may or may not be a sage but he must be a remarkable man. He was stored away for 20 years and then led a quiet life for the next 28 years. Yet when he made his speech at a book launch, he created enough anxiety for the video to be banned.
Truly remarkable!
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The banned video of Dr Lim can be viewed here on Vimeo.
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Whilst I do not know him personally, I find Lim Hock Siew to be a very respectable, and yet humble, person. His detention was a great injustice.
They should stand for elections at Tanjong Pagar. If a 88 year old man can contest, so can they. They can always employ people to help them with the daily affairs of running the estate etc. Maybe they can campaign under socialist front. It is a good time to talk about MM and the ISD to the whole nation.
Thank you Dr Wong for writing about this. I like how you allude to Chinese classics when you want to make a point.
Unbelievable.
One day, Dr Lim Hock Siew will be mentioned in any Singapore history book as one patriotic Singaporean who had to suffer under PAP’s power-hungry tactics.
Man Like DR. Lim Hock Siew are far and few
Abolish the ISA!
Anything that makes the old man looks bad, ban! No difference from Myammar. To be put away for 20 years must be horrifying…..
We must all look at this thoroughly and demand that we hear from these gentlemen to provide some sort of closure to what they have been put through. We must listen to their version of events that took place. Today, We are a civil society and have the capacity to Learn from this sad episode in our country’s short history and move on towards building a caring nation that we all looked forward to.
A true Singapore son.
How come all the sufferings of these people being detained for no apparent good reason were never mentioned as some of the ‘hard truths’ facing Singapore ?
To cause someone (including their loved ones) to have suffered for such a long period of detention without trial is really beyond anyone’s apprehension.
That is, anyone with at least some human decency.
Without ISA Act PAP grip in power will be in danger.Is the “HARD TRUTHS” to keep Singapore going or the PAP?
Without ISA Act PAP grip in power will be in danger.Is the “HARD TRUTHS” to keep Singapore going or the PAP? ISA Act will never be abolish with PAP in power.
This time is very critical for every true blue S’porean as we’ve witnessed the fallouts and negative effects of the Papies’ past years policies.Our nation has entered into a very dramatic era whereby every true blue S’porean should analyse and envisage the future of our nation by coming together to dispose off this inapt and self-serving regime.
Dr Lim has spoken at length about his experiences in 65 reels of oral history tapes available at the National Archives of Singapore. They can also be read online via the archive’s website. Lots of hard truths there.
Majullah Singapura Dr. Lim. If LKY n GCT can still contest in the next election, I hope too that u will consider returning to Politics…unless the condition of your release stipulates that u cannot be involved in Politics. In that case, your absence will be a lost to us Singaporeans..:(
An unfortunate past in the history of Singapore. Politics doesn’t pay for the opposition… far too much sacrifices and a thankless endeavour. Why bother? So that we may all rise above human decency. Dr. Lim deserves some form of compensation and exoneration. How else can we reconcile the wasting away of a good man, robbed of his youth and free will?
How can one man cause so much pain and miseries to a fellow human being is beyond me.Just wondering where was Amnesty International or the Human Rights Movement of the western world?
Should the PAP be toppled one day, LKY should be put on trial in the likes of Saddam Hussein.
To all new and prospective PAP candidate:
Watch this video and look into your heart of hearts and decide if you want to be part of the world created by this beast called LKY.
Justice needed to redress those suffer great injustice.
愿老天爷有眼 ！
Any normal human being with a conscience will be able to see the grave injustice inflicted on a fellow Singaporean. Future historians who are honest and brave will not fail to write about the repression carried out by LKY against his rivals. His henchmen were just as guilty.
if there is a ‘ SINGAPORE SPIRIT’,dr lim must be among those who have it; not merely professed it like we see many times in MSM.
what exactly is the ‘SINGAPORE SPIRIT’?
salute to him… lets do it!!
” Sorry, “Banned in Singapore: Video of Dr Lim Hock Siew” was deleted at 11:31:34 Sun Apr 17, 2011. We have no more information about it on our mainframe or elsewhere. ”
Dear Honorable Dr Lim Hock Siew,
You and your fellow comrades are definitely well-remembered and well-loved by all of us true blue singaporeans for the sacrificial that you people have selflessly work for us and suffer on our behalf. We singaporeans will never be able to repay you BIG GIANTS.
If possible, we really hope you, Sir Chia Thye Poh, Sir Zahari, Sir Francis Seow, Sir Tang Liang Hong and many many others more to come and form a political group together and we singaporeans promised that you will be sent in to Parliament and be totally recognised and be well-received by all citizens of singapore becos of the selfless love and sacrificial love that you people have cared for us .
We love you , Dr Lim Hock Siew. Thank you so much so much….
I teared. This sounds emotional?? I start to recall what my late father always lamented “politics is dirty’. Kind, sincere and true men and women lost to their aggressive, treacherous, insecure and unfeeling white on white. No, this has to be put to a stop.
When my eldest sister and i are talking about Dr Lim Hock Siew at home, my mother freak out and hush us to stop discussing for fear someone may overheard our discussion. My mum is 79year old and the fear instil by the ruling party still reside in her. Just imagine that?
the video is missing from Vimeo..
Interesting read – I have read about this gentleman and have thought how could a medical doctor ever threaten the security of Spore? The PAP should come clean and produce evidence of this gentleman’s alleged activities or he should be publicly apologised to by LKY. Enough of this authoritarian regime!!!! Time for them to be kicked out and for all Sporeans to enjoy true democracy
Sorry, “Banned in Singapore: Video of Dr Lim Hock Siew” was deleted at 11:31:34 Sun Apr 17, 2011. We have no more information about it on our mainframe or elsewhere.
Could TOC do something about this? like source the video again? seriously, if its so harmless, why ban it?
Dr Lim Sir
I have seen you many times at your clinic in Balestier. I wish you good health. And will always hold you in high esteem in my heart as a man who stood for his beliefs and paid with an insurmountable sacrifice. I salute you sir and history will remember you and your efforts in the same breath as Lim Bo Seng. Thank you sir
After watching the video, I cannot help post this comment. As a baby boomer, I vision Dr Lim Hock Siew’s two faces. One when he was young and now a tired worn down man. During the tumultous years of Singapore, most of the oppositions promote violence, strikes, civil disobedience and work slow to try and break the government. I sympathize with him for the twenty years of detention and I dont like it as anyone seen have it today. If there were no ISA and no suppression of the these, which the ISA was inherited from the British, will Singapore progress to today’s standard? I dont know. However, given the progress Singapore had made during the years afterwards, it should have progressively removed all those barriers and impose civility to the electorate, given the education in Singapore was progressing well. The PAP government should have also loosen the grip on speech and assembly. As a kid and teenager during the 50s and 60s, I have seen and felt the struggle Singapore had gone through and prevailed. The 13 Barisan Socialis MPs chose to fight the PAP outside of Parliament, instead of through the system, which I think was the ultimate mistake they made. The video does contain accusations of impropriety and torture and wrongful detention, which the PAP government should have countered the accusations instead of banning it. I believe he spoken the truth but was it necessary for the sake of stability at the time? Maybe, maybe not. A lot of baby boomers will of course say yes. Today, it is a totally different story.
I managed to watch the video before it was removed. It moved me greatly.
That you never even got a ‘sorry’ from PAP -for the years you had lost- was just heartwrenching.
You had given me, a rare lesson of a lifetime.
Thank you for inspiring all of us not to give in to learned helplessness when confronting injustice.
I am reminded that heroism really exists
and why it should always exist as a mark of great humanity.
I posted the links to the video since it went missing from vimeo, but it never showed up. Maybe, because it contravenes Singapore’s ban on it?
Anyway, here’s how to see it. Go to youtube and search for Lim Hock Siew. The three part video is there for those who missed it.
the video has been taken down. Can someone pls put it up..
The more people take these things down, the more people wanna know …
Singaporean, the video on vimeo was taken down, but the ones on youtube are still there. Just go there and do a search for “Lim Hock Siew”. Many links (multiple copies) will pop up. QED.
A true son of Singapore.
not sure if this is the video in the article but here’s what i found on youtube.
part 1/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aia_lZ7ccdI&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aia_lZ7ccdI
what about those idiots who run the prisons and the law enforcers ? They are equally as guilty ! Only the victims like Dr. Lim could exercise his magnanimity to forgive if only the culprits sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness.
thank you Dr.Lim.
Is it this? http://www.vimeo.com/13292596
Thanks so much!
Please replicate it before PAP bans it AGAIN.
We need to know the kind of torture he had undergone for standing by his beliefs in this country.
The time has come to bring to books the prime movers of the ISA to destroy political opponents. We should compile a complete list of all those citizens who have been incarcerated without trial for decades by the PAP. We should also list all those who were charged under phony defamation and bankrupted by corrupt judges bending over backwards for their political masters. We have to bring our complaints to the UN Human Rights Council, now when the majority of the prime movers of the ISA are still alive. It does not seem fine when some of these prime movers of the ISD have written biographies of themselves which make no reference at all to their use of the ISA to suppress dissent and opposition political persons. Give another 10 years and you will find that the ISD episodes will be classed as myths because of the great propaganda machines the PAP have put in place and in their full control. And those PAP members who wielded the ISD on their hapless victims so as to remain in power and suckle at the honeypots of the country will laugh their way to their graves. Singaporeans of this generation are in place and in time to seek redress for the shameful acts of the PAP. Hurry, as time is short.
@Tony,”Should the PAP be toppled one day, LKY should be put on trial in the likes of Saddam Hussein.”
That is the reason the PAP is ensuring that it will never be toppled. LKY said that a two party system will lead Singapore down the road to ruin. Whose ruin, Singapore’s or his personal ruin? In fact the Ruling Party is giving the ISD more and more powers. I had a brush with the ISD some years ago and I have smelt the bad breadth of the PAP pit bulls.