by: Ravi Philemon/
TOC received two emails from the office of Dr Tony Tan today. The first email said that his office read TOC’s article on Dr Tan’s son “with a little disappointment”.
The first email went on to say that TOC was invited to Dr Tony Tan’s press conference “in the spirit of fostering debate” and that they will continue to do so. That his office requested TOC to contact them for a quote or clarification if we are running a story, and promised that they will do their best to get back to us as quickly as they can.
TOC responded to Dr Tony Tan’s office’s first email and said that if they read the article, they would realise that the article was not about Dr Tan’s son, but about the mainstream media being selective in how they disseminate news about the Presidential aspirants.
TOC has no intention of talking about anyone in Dr Tan’s family. They are not standing for any public office. TOC’s coverage is, as always, driven by what has been making the news.
We replied that if we do not cover the issues that are making news, then TOC will lose all credibility. That the question asked in the article are ‘out there’ and are not TOC’s.
In the second email Dr Tan’s office said that the “net has been aflame with allegations that Dr Patrick Tan, Dr Tony Tan’s son, did not complete his National Service. These false rumours have been repeatedly posted on Dr Tony Tan’s Facebook page and elsewhere”, and released the responses of Dr Tony Tan and his son, Dr Patrick Tan to these allegations.
In his statement, Dr Tony Tan said:
Dr Patrick Tan’s statement is HERE.
Dr Tony Tan’s engagement of TOC is much appreciated by us. We assure his office that we will be fair in our coverage of all the Presidential hopefuls.
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
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NS is a vital pillar of nation building. It’s a critical leveler across race, religion, education and income levels. And it’s absolutely vital to singapore’s defense strategy.
Failure of any fighting fit son of Singapore to ‘creatively’ evade his duty is a failure of himself and reveals serious character flaws. Bush Jr used his father’s political influence to avoid Vietnam and serve in the National Guard as a pilot which records showed never even turned up to fulfill his required days. What a great leader he turned out to be.
This notion of entitlement because of privilege of birth goes against the enthos that all singaporeans are equal and only merit will help one rise.
The only sin worse that letting his son disruption twice for so long a period is to find out that a minister allowed a family member to withdraw his CPF at 55.
DR TT is completely unelectable as only 60% of Singapore voted for PAP.
Divide that by sex and the best dr TT can hope for is a 30% majority.
Even if my projections are off, it will show the divide having him as EP in the country, Singapore needs an uniter not a divider.
If the PAP wants an establishment personality that sufficient numbers of singaporeans can get behind, it’s time for George Yeo to save the day.
Given the choices out there, even reasonable voters who have never been pro-PAP but always pro-Singapore can see that it’s the right thing to do.
I am surprised that many Singaporeans are surprised with this episode. The Sg system is so wide open for abuse by the ‘big’ people. It has always been cosy for malpractices by people with power.
One party, a compliant broadsheet newspaper, compliant judiciary, obedient ISD, partisan civil servants (even the President is not spared)…. Who will be able to give the temptation a miss? Even a saint in the PAP position of power will start to grow horns on the head.
If the whole Sg system continues the way it is, the country can never progress. it is this that makes SG reliant on cheap labour (FWs), casinos, zero or low taxation to lure foreign investors, etc. It is NOT that Sg has no talent, nor Sg is too small nor geographically disadvantaged nor has no natural resources.
@Ah Choo Lee 1 August 2011
>>>We … get angry when others find creative ways to avoid wasting 2 years of their time. <<<
The Defense Minister who over-seers the NS process itself, must surely be held to a higher standard than that of ordinary citizens.
When the Defense Minister himself pisses on the whole process by conniving to his son’s evasion of NS for 13 years, the citizens’ rage is legitimate. It is righteous and holy anger.
@AJ 1 August 2011
>>> The Sg system is so wide open for abuse by the ‘big’ people.
Even a saint…will start to grow horns on the head. <<<
That’s why everyone is waiting for Old Man to depart for the great blue yonder. Then, in a looser environment, even ‘small’ fries like us can also share in the spoils. Happy times are coming, bro,
Everyone can grow horns, not just the ‘big’ people.
Hello Tans, there a lots of guys here who have served NS and please don’t take us for fools. Let get some answers. Enrolled 1988 disrupted after BMT and Junior term OCS. First, has any person who has served the NS heard of 12 years discruption.How many others was there, give us numbers and names and they parents identity. So Tan claims that he only received NS salary but what was his rank upong return? If he was an officer,did he finish his OCS senior term before he was commissioned.
TT stop kidding Singaporeans. Do not waste our time with your wayang. Just speak the truth and admit that there was favourable treatment for your son and the children of other ministers and MPs in their NS stint.
One law for Singaporeans and special ones for the PAP.
aiya …all the papies sons get easy life in NS . The whole of sg also knows ….hide here hide there also no use. When LSL was in the army …shit the camp CO also balls drop…u think the CO dare to shout at him to take 2… no way…… even the Inche see him in parade square also has to hide. u think he dare to shout at LSL to do hentak kaki he did not march in parade sq.
Dear Hardtruther,
NS is NOT a critical leveler across race, religion, education and income levels. Malays were not allowed to do NS in the 70′s right thru to the 90′s. Malays are also not posted to critical command and control positions with a high security clearance. Heard of the White Horse program? Your perception of preferential treatment for TT’s son also proves that NS is NOT a social leveler. There are those who get preferential disruptions etc..Also The ruling party recently fielded a candidate who did not do NS in the last GE. First generation PRs dont do NS. Teenagers of first generation PRs simply leave the country when its time to do NS. NS is not a social leveler nor is it as important as it is made out to be.
The problem is not NS but the 2 year NS. I am glad u believe in a 2year NS. You might want to consider sending your son to do a 3 year NS.
I read TOCs response. It is a fair reply. The issues are already out in the public space for a while and found their way into TTs Facebook.
What has happened is the “managers” of TTs Facebook overreacted in response and ran into a thunderstorm. A cool calm reply may have averted the widening debate on NS practices and policies. Striking out left and right have stirred up some old ghosts.
Now, someone somewhere will have to explain NS policies and practices particularly on deferments. NS servicemen deserve an explanation. Their parents expect no less.
I remember a speech which Lee Kuan Yew made in the 1990s, where he proposed increasing ministers salaries. I think he said that under the old formula, his colleagues have told him that they faced financial difficulties and he mentioned Tony Tan as one of them….saying he faced financial difficulties financing his children’s overseas education or something. Anyone remember that speech??
Dr TT did not want to lead the country when given the opportunity by lky to be the PM.
Dr TT left the PAP government to pursuit his own interests, i.e. earning more monies than what he gets as a minister, citing the needs to provide for his growing children.
Dr TT came back to serve for a few more years (after the salary of ministers had been adjusted) Co-incident? maybe.
Dr TT again quit PAP government to go back to earning more monies.
Dr TT now is back to politics & wants to sit at the highest office in the land.
This office bearer happens to be paid $millions in salary.
Probably only Dr TT knows the answers to the many questions singaporeans may have over his career & choices that he made.
Hope he for once can spare some thoughts for singaporeans.
We all thought TT is among the few PAP men that is whiter than white. And he was Defence Minister at that time, giving preferential treatment to his own offspring, if this is not ABUSE OF POWER, then what is.
The internet is a powerful tool, all PAP people can’t hide anymore.
This dirt dug out is also a powerful weapon, in all contests, it’s either you die or I’ll survive. Someone from MINDEF must have leaked this dirt out, nobody knows better than this Ministry. Kudos to MINDEF who is showing us what justice really means.
Repeat here again, TT is a great actor, weaving in and out of high office, where there is big money, return to high office, when there’s not enough money, leave for more lucrative offers. When Presidential pay increases, quickly leave PAP Party membership, and aim for the 4.2m dollar EP race.
We should give him a OSCAR for great acting. He has the capacity to smell money and follow it with a shrewd nose.
Actually I am not surprised that he is so ‘money-faced’. Has anyone seen him in T-shirts eating in a hawker centre or market?? I have been told he only lunch in restaurants or in his office/boardroom. Certainly not one that I can identify with!!
National Service is very emotional to all men and their parents.
So we all must give thanks to MINDEF for displaying a spirit of fair play, to give notice to the public about this abuse of power during TT’s reign as Defence Minister.
We could gather from this ugly episode that should TT be our President, a lot of monkey business would be conducted behind closed doors between him and the PAP Govt, just like he had done when he was Defence Minister.
@Ah Choo Lee 1 August 2011
>>>Dear Hardtruther,
NS is NOT a critical leveler across race, religion, education and income levels. Malays were not allowed to do NS in the 70′s right thru to the 90′s. Malays are also not posted to critical command and control positions with a high security clearance. <<<
The Malay NS issue has nothing to do with the indisputable fact that Tancho junior was allowed to piss on the sanctity of Singapore's National Service, by evading NS for 13 years. To the citizens, and to the sons of citizens who have served, and have even sacrificed their lives on the altars of NS for the country, it is a gross travesty of justice that as Defense Minister, Tancho Senior looked the other way and failed to stop his son's evasion of NS for 13 long years. The souls of those departed citizens who died during training while serving their 2.5 years of undeferred NS will not rest easy.
Citizen, therefore, do have a justifiable and righteous rage!
Ah.ba..den?
What you expect?
Tancho tan is like that mah, typical hypocritic style of ruling party. Say one thing do another thing
The heart felt protests of thousands of citizens’ over Tancho Tan’s inept handling of the conflict of interests regarding his son’s evasion of NS for 13 years, make it abundantly clear that he would not dignify the high office of the President of Singapore. In fact, his past misdeeds would sully the sanctity of that august office. We shudder to imagine how future NS men would feel to see President Tancho Tan’s photo mounted in the office of every army camp, every court room and every government building.
@Chandra
>>> “Everyone can grow horns, not just the ‘big’ people” <<<
For now, the 'big' people with horns say the 'little' people should grow halo & wings, yes 'little' people have to be gracious.
Ps: Just an angel
@popcorn 1 August 2011
>>The internet is a powerful tool, all PAP people can’t hide anymore. <<
I suspect the percentage of voters accessing the online social media although growing, is still small.
Firstly, it is still confined to the English educated, mid to upper class segment of the population. Not many such sites in Chinese to cater to the Chinese electorate. TRE, WP, SDP all have Chinese sections, but the postings there are not as rich in content. I heard PAP is working hard to build Chinese and Malay language propaganda platforms. They lost the first mover advantage with the English language ones, and are now trying to seize the initiative by swiftly launching Chinese/Malay platforms.
Secondly, sampling the postings on the various so-called anti-PAP social media, shows that most sites have the same small group of hard core aficionados doing the postings. Actual converts are much more smaller than are apparent.
Thirdly, even assuming large sections of citizens access these sites, many are hard core pro-PAP voters, and curious fence-sitters or by-standers.
The Internet is, of course, still a tool of phenomenal power that has got the MIW scrambling. But I will be surprised if it can take down Tancho Tan at this time.
this man is more fearsome than lky and lhl, and not because of the rumour about his son. LKY has mellow down and he will be the man behind the pap ‘actions pack’ once he is an EP.
Whether he is on the interest of the people, yet to determine. Hardly, feel a sincerity in his words. He speaks a different language and style.
He is more suitable to be Englang Queen’s advisor.
@nobody
>> “He is more suitable to be England Queen’s advisor.” <<
No way! The Queen will fire him before he can finish saying to the Queen she can do whatever she likes. The English media will have him for breakfast, lunch & dinner. They love to expose sleaze, croynism, nepotism, favourtism, unprofessionalism, injustice, bullyism,…..
End of the Regime coming soon !
i won’t believe a word that Tony Tan says; WOULD YOU BELIEVE that HIS SON DID NOT GET PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT?????
Perhaps Singaporeans overlooked that by acquiescing to a one-party rule, they tacitly allowed for such unethical practices!
If not for the internet, beleive me, this would have been covered up.
LKY never liked the internet. However,it does not detract from the fact that it is a benediction for citizens lah. A curse for the incumbents it has been in the past and even now.
As for TT, his repudiation of … and that MINDEF is vociferously defending his stance suffices for the intuitive/intelligent ones among us to know that all is not ”right”.
Funny how one has to reap what one has sowed – TT helmed SPH and surely he must have exerted lots of influence/control to ensure that it is stays á ”mouthpiece” for the ruling party.
However, now, it is altogether a different landscape and it feels like poetic justice!
1. He was a medical RESEARCHER with a PhD, not just an ordinary medical degree. There are many medical practitioners with medical bachelor but hardly any medical researchers.
2. He was admitted in Stanford which has very stringent selection criteria for PhD candidates. Even qualified medical practitioners may not be able to get in this programme.
3. He worked on melioidosis during PhD which is RELEVANT to SAF at that time. He might’ve been instructed by SAF or DSO to take that up. If not, he could’ve done something more “glam” like cancer.
4. He came back and helped to set up in DSO some special technical capabilities which is a specialty in Stanford. This is not something any usual medical graduate can contribute.
5. He was a President scholar which is very stringent scholarship in itself. On top of that, he was concurrently a recipient of LCK which is also an extremely competitive and very selective scholarship. That makes 2 highly-sought scholarships.
With these points in mind, it’s obvious that there are many merits in Patrick’s case. All the points above can stand on their own without TT in the picture. If anyone has the same merits and passion to contribute to SAF/DSO’s capabilities, they can make a case to CMPB. This is purely a HR decision to tap on an individual with relevant talents to enhance capabilities relevant to SAF. It’s no different when top sportsman are granted leave of absence.
But it’s certainly different from mere deferment due to MO studies or postings without rhyme nor reason. So, don’t muddle up issues. That must be clear.
Citizens who gave the best time of their youth to serve NS have extreme revulsion for the Defense Minister, who allowed his combat-fit son to evade NS for 13 years.
Citizens must not vote for Tancho Tan for President. Photos of his crafty grinning face, with that abhorrent center-parting mane, hanging from every government building is a sacrilege and affront to the nation.
@impartial 1 August 2011
>>>…But it’s certainly different from mere deferment due to MO studies or postings without rhyme nor reason. So, don’t muddle up issues. That must be clear.<<<
All of Tancho junior's illustrious academic brilliance does not, and cannot vindicate him from the fact that a combat-fit Singapore citizen was allowed to evade NS for 13 years. To add insult to injury, it was done under the very nose of his father, the Defense Minister.
How do you think commoners like us, who had to carve out the best 2.5 years of our youth serving NS feel? To boot, some of us are still doing our reservist. Are we not all citizens of the same nation?
How in the world can Tancho Tan still face citizens, and claim tongue-in-cheek that he will be the President who can provide a unifying force, to bring about a healing of the rifts that separate different segments of society.
NS men must be nauseated by his shameless display of such daring hypocrisy. Honorable men will surely hold the Tancho clan in righteous contempt.
TOC received two emails from the office of Dr Tony Tan today. The first email said that his office read TOC’s article on Dr Tan’s son “with a little disappointment”.
==============
So Tony Tan’s office read the article and felt disappointed. What about Tony Tan himself, did he read and what did he feel?
What a pompous ass TT is!!!
Some people could be such an ass,
NS is a very emotional thing to all Singaporean males, you don’t need all the fathers and mothers to go online to find out how TT covered his own son to escape NS for 13 years. These enraged sons would tell their parents all the dirt committed by the two Tans. You don’t consider doing NS in a laboratory as NS, do you?
Dr Tony Tan wrote that he did not intervene personally in his sons’ postings and they had fulfilled all their NS requirements. I believe this is true. However as he was then the Defence Minister, did he not know and query if the 12 years deferment and posting to “medical scientist vocation” is unique only for his son (who is combat fit and even officer material) hence preferential treatment? It would appear he chose to remain silent on a matter that can undermine the morale of other combat fit NS men i.e cause damage to our country. If Dr TT (tidak tahu) is elected President, would he also remain silent if his ex PAP colleagues raid our reserves ie can he really be trusted to protect our reserves, check and balance the PAP government???
@Ray 2 August 2011
>>Dr Tony Tan wrote that he did not intervene personally in his sons’ postings and they had fulfilled all their NS requirements. <<
An act of omission is just as guilty. Failure to intervene and stop a 13 years evasion of NS obligation convicts Tancho Tan just as compellingly as if he had tacitly approved it. Tancho senior and junior's statements are a smoke screen. Laden with irrelevant mumbo jumbo like i DMERI, DSO, meliosis, etc. It is a desperate attempt to divert citizens' attention away from the gross misdeed of a 13 years evasion of NS.
THINK ABOUT IT…
TT was so comfortable with GIC chairman, pay more than 4million easily per year…
why downgrade to be president??
must be hiding somethings from us especially the dealings of pappies and our reserves who knows how much and where it is gone to????????????????????????????????????????
maybe also to save his own skinnnns as he is gic chairman by coming into presidential election…
Impartial
Why have we not heard of anyone asked to do weaponry research or any other more relevant defence research during NS? Do you mean there is no other doing anything as impt as Tan junior?
Anyway thought NS is to prepare SG men to fight a war. If SAF required him to do medical research (whatever this might be), they should jolly well know to wait till he completes his NS.
This is just one little tip of the iceberg. It’s about time the people realise that no politician can be trusted unless proven innocent. The longer they serve the severe the scrutiny must be as power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and with a party or one leader having absolute power for so long and with so much of secrecy I for one do not trust them. If they have nothing to hide, lets pass the Freedom of Information Act instead of hiding behind the secrets act or detention without trial. I trust no politicians, especially ones who has so much vested interest with so many family members and relatives holding key appointments.
If you wil go by Patrick Tan’ logic, then everybody should further their studies and come up to serve in NS in the capacity of their specialization with pride and honour. Then who is going to be the infrantryman, the guards, the artilleryman or even the switch-off MO???
If you look at Patrick Tan’s record in NJC, he is a good science student but not exactly brilliant. I do not think he should be accorded such special treatment as over the years, there are hundreds if not thousands of students as good he if not better than him in science subjects.
Between the two gentelmen and Mindef, we need a better clarification.
MINDEF should clarify whether another one of TT’s son was given clerical work. If he was not combat fit, it should explain why? This son’s ECA at Secondary School and JC should also disclosed.
His disappointment CANNOT compare with our deepest Disappointment with the folks still doing as they please in policy that HARM us singaporeans.
many more S’poreans are disappointed about the rumours about PAP that turn out to be truth loh…
Tony, Tony, Tony…… for so long, u were the PAP propaganda man, via the education system & the media. as a pampered politician who had the media singing your praises all your life, the challenge from new media must be stinging you, eh? simple: if u can’t take the heat, get the hell out of the political arena.
More than 20 years ago, Sinkiesland was already showing signs of cracks and immorality BUT the people were STUPID, DEAF and BLIND enough to turn a blind eye and refuse to listen to rebukes from the wise men. But, is the hole big enough to drive a 3 tonne truck right through it ?
clearly a white horse..
Et el,
You guys may feel emotionally that CMPB shouldn’t have any discretion at all (even for good talents with 2 very hard to get scholarships in a relevant Phd from a very well-known university).
But others may see it differently.
To be fair, this issue should be discussed objectively with the correct perspectives in mind.
Don’t we all want a civil service that’s flexible and responsive? Surely, some of you have faced a situation where you are fined for parking but you’ve a good reason that you exceeded your time. Should the authorities give you no allowance regardless of your merits?
Next time, your child may also belong to the same category. Fair and square, right? Or you prefer your child (with 2 very hard to get scholarships in a relevant Phd from a very well-known university) to be rejected by CMPB without any consideration of his merits?
Et al,
I know you guys are pretty emotional about the thing. But you need to sit down quietly and think objectively by having the correct picture in mind. Try to put things in the correct perspective. This guy is not any ordinary case regardless of his father.
Never say never hor. You may never know but your child turn out to be a very illustrious person. So what if your child has the same credentials one day? ie 2 very prestigious scholarships with a PhD from a very reknowned university in a field very relevant to defence. Would you not want CMPB to consider his outstanding merits?
impartial,
the thing now that is relevent to defence is to boost fertility rates. so baby boys, where got army boys.
is there a correct perspective on laws regarding conscription? must know Mindef’s correct perspective 1st mah. who are common folks to demand Mindef look at things from the people’s perspective? unless you’re really that special…
mice is nice,
Don’t say 2 scholarships with PhD. If your child just has one item like President scholarship, CMPB will expose him to many opportunities to apply his talents in projects and to shine. That is regardless of his parents.
Don’t say Army. Private companies are the same too.
impartial,
having scholarship does not mean the person is talented.
scholars are defined as learned persons, with referances to depth knowledge of a particular subject.
talented individuals may not have any form of scholarship to show because not all talents fall under the realm defined by higher centres (educational establishment) of learning.
& then there are the mavericks…
anyway, after 12 years of deferment (if found to be true), what has Patrick Tan to show? there is a stark difference between being labelled a talent & one who has potential.
Mindef is private company? lol…
@impartial 3 August 2011
>>>… you need to sit down quietly and think … having the correct picture in mind. Try to put things in the correct perspective.
Never say never hor. You may never know but your child turn out to be a very illustrious person. So what if your child has the same credentials one day? ie 2 very prestigious scholarships with a PhD from a very reknowned university in a field very relevant to defence. Would you not want CMPB to consider his outstanding merits? <<<
That’s what I said before, bro. If they had spread the patronage out to us small fries also, who will bother to kick up such a fuss. Loosen the favors, make it available retail. At the end of the day, we all want to avoid wasting the 2.5 years of our life.
Nobody can allowed to disrupt with the intention that he pursue his
education up to PHD level and subsequently return to serve his
remaining NS as a researcher. This rule cannot be broken otherwise
the whole notion of a conscription based NS will be torn apart.
Patrick Tan disruption has to be understood under the notion that he
complete his professional training as a medical doctor so that he
deployed as a MO. Now, apparently he did not complete his training
as a medical doctor but went on to pursue a PHD instead. His cv did
not indicate housemanship or residency training which is a perequisite for a medical doctor. So, he is breaching the rule here.
If he came back qualified as a medical doctor (which I THINK he did not), he should be deployed as an MO instead of a researcher under the original intent of the disruption and in the spirit of the duty of NS
expected from every Singaporean male.
Chandra, I believe they do consider appeals but only if the applicant has extremely strong merits and relevance to Singapore.