Something to Tell and Share
Thank You
To all those who responded to my article:
A big THANK YOU to all of you who took time and trouble to respond to my article ‘An Open Letter to the Prime Minister.’ Also a somewhat sheepish SORRY for having made you plough through reams of the stuff, much of which, as the newspaper editors in their rejection notes had told me, was nothing new. Actually, I had had no choice but to bring in most of the themes in my earlier articles (such as the ones on the out-of-bounds markers, and on the climate of fear), and knit them together into one major theme, in order to provide the full political backdrop for my culminating plea for political freedom. I really hope no future article of mine will have to be that long!
I must say how much I enjoyed the enthusiasm, frankness and spontaneity of your responses, regardless of which side you were on in the continuing controversy of political liberties in Singapore. For to offer an unabashedly honest, even if idiosyncratic, view is always a useful starting point in any discussion or debate. It has struck me that whichever side of the divide Singaporeans choose to be, it has very much to do with their own personal experiences in the various stages of their lives. In my case, I suppose my good fortune in having such a good life in Singapore after my decision to come here from Malaysia so many years ago, has given me a passion for wanting to see our country become great in every sense of the word. That would of course mean the need to go well beyond the present material prosperity to nurture a robust, alert, politically mature society that will endure down the generations, a society that should outlast any government. (It is such an alien thought, isn’t it, that Singapore society should outlast the PAP Government! It needs getting used to)
I have been much emboldened by the enthusiastic response to my article to hope that debate, even on the most sensitive topics, will be a permanent feature of the Singapore political landscape. As long as we are prepared to speak up for our convictions, no matter how controversial, and yet are ready to listen to others’ views, no matter how opposed to our own; as long as we use our authentic voice and style, and yet ensure at all times that our tone is never discourteous, improper or hurtful, we are doing very well indeed. So go on being interested, alert and engaged!
November 27th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Never read any of your stuff. Just the Open Letter, and the one you wrote years ago. Awesome. Keep on writing..
November 27th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I’m wincing at what I’m typing now but I always associated your name with being a part of Singapore’s political past i.e dated and irrelevant. Your Open Letter has definitely expunged that perception of you from my mind.
November 27th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Hi, after reading your Open Letter, I dropped a personal letter/mail to the PMO email address.
Of cause my letter was really on a small, home affairs issue. However, I still hope that Mr PM can revert back to me with good news.
I’m just curious. Did Mr PM (or his people) reply to you on your Open Letter? How long did they took to reply? How long do I have to wait before I take the next recourse?
Hope to hear from you. =)
November 28th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
I remember the first story I read written by you. It was from a collection of short stories, which I happened to stumble upon in my brother’s book collection many many years ago as a young boy. I did not read every single story, only the ironic one about this guy wanting so bad to have a male child that he got into an affair, only to find himself at the end praying for a girl when his wife fell pregnant, so that he could have an excuse to keep the mistress. classic!
Instead of existing on the fringe as a writer and a sometimes-political commentator, have you considered going into politics a-la Sylvia Lim? Whichever party you choose to join (although its hard to imagine you rooting for the PAP now after all these), I’m sure your high profile presence in an election campaign will be interesting and generally good for the local political scene.
Ed
November 29th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Your open letter provoked yet again of thoughts that lay buried after leaving the country years ago. Although I’m earning a living elsewhere in the world, my heart goes out to the non-existent political debate in a place I once called home. It is unfortunate that any past opposition has been dealt with using autocratic methods and thus dampening any cries by the stiffened society which may be dire symptoms to be acted upon.
However, I am optimistic and like any system with a flaw, there will come a time where incremental improvements will no longer hold the system together and a total revamp will be required. I am moved by your writings and I congratulate you on your cause.
X Country
December 5th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Keep on writing…. please. Thanks.
December 15th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Thank you for your letter. You are able to verbalized the thoughts of many Singaporeans. It is a sad thing for our country as our narrow minded politicians still attempt to maintain a iron hand in running our country. A liberated citizen is more confident and is more competitive in the business world. The modern Singapore is just window dressing and the people are lulled into thinking we are a first world country. First world city with third world mentality.
December 15th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Hi Catherine,
You could be a shining beacon to our opposition parties as well as our nation. You are right that ‘lee kuan yew’ model would not hold in another 20 years later. A ‘personality-centric’ political system has been proven in history that would not hold. We need to ‘reform’ our political scene.
December 26th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Another thought to share:
The greatest disservice that our Founding Father LKY did to Singapore is muzzle dissent. LKY has done so much for Singapore but I reckon – sadly – that he will not join the ranks of Sun Yat Sen, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela who are respected and revered by the respective diaspora of Chinese, Indians and Africans across ages and continents!
I suppose, everyone has an Achilles heel somewhere. I also suppose that LKY’s primal survival instincts to preserve “self” and “party” are in his mind intractably enmeshed with “country”. It happens to the best of men when they have been at the same thing for nearly a half-century! Like father, like son, eh? So what else is new?
There’s an ancient 4-character saying in Chinese: “When a tiger dies, it leaves its skin; When a man dies, he leaves his name.”
What more can I say? The Pariah, http://www.singaporeenbloc.blogspot.com
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:31 am
Brilliant is in you.You breed many very interesting ideas to better the political landscape of singapore.
We need many people like you to be in the opposition,especially retired senior gomen staffs, retired or not(also can join in) just after lky’s demise.
Or perhaps, be a political fan of the opposition to engage the many issues of the day.
That’s what many great singaporeans think so to ensure the political balance in the making.
I think it is just fine to do that, becos afterall at that point of time, it is easier to ‘talk back’ and stand for election.
The great singaporeans are not asking for the sky but atleast they want people to engage politically fresh ideas, bright outlook and brilliant dialogues and many pockets of political forums here and there just to ‘telltale’ the gomen of the day about the wants and needs of the great people of singapore.
May 31st, 2008 at 12:50 am
Dear Catherine: Finally, the ST has given you a tiny column for your comment on the way the punishment was carried out in the Mas Selamat case. What dose this mean? This certainly could be an encouragement for more pressure to be put on the Authorities to get them to finally understand what the People at ground level are expecting. I am sure they know what their standing is in the current popularity poll. Daniel