Dear MG(NS) Chan
I was one of the audience who attended the dialogue held
yesterday by the YPAP and I am writing this letter directly to you
to address some of the points that you have raised as it is obvious
that you do not bother to read views on the Internet at all. They
may sound rudely raw, but these are my most honest comments to you
as a Minister in the government of the day.
May I ask if you know the meaning of a Dialogue? Is it either
that you didn’t bother to check up the agenda of the session or you
innocently do not know the meaning of a dialogue? For even your
fellow comrades Abner Koh and Teo Ser Luck agree (after speaking to
them), this one-way talking down session you conducted is certainly
not one. Your presumptuous arrogance says you know it all and
though your fanciful analogies make good laughing entertainment,
they are disconnected and incomparable to whatever point you put
across. We are not there to listen to your whinings of how
unconstructive the online media is or your aspirations as a
politician or the PAP’s manner of governance. That was not a
Dialogue I attended yesterday, it was a Lecture. We were there to
listen, not interact. If you feel like giving a speech or a
lecture, please conduct one at the Speakers’ Corner. The 2 hour
one-man session is at best an irritating off-topic load of hot air.
Your moderator Abner Koh looks like a stupid young lieutenant
standing by you waiting on you by the stage. To give you due
credit, you did put in some convincing one-liners but judging from
what the PAP has done in the past 10 years, it is at best
unsubstantiated political doublespeak to support PAP’s agenda.
Demonizing the New Media
“How many of you are proud of the discussions we have on the
Internet these days? Raise up your hands(Kee Chiu)”
Excellent question, you have fully utilized the shyness of the
general audience to prove your flawed perception that the quality
of New Media’s discussions we have today is shameful and not worth
taking a second look at. If your purpose is to run down people and
have pro-government views praising your every move, please do it on
the Straits Times. You called for the audience to reclaim their
space. What do you mean by “reclaiming” their space? The Internet
is nobody’s space and nobody is interested in being a government
mouthpiece (unless of course you pay somebody to do it).
We netizens write for an altruistic cause, serving no personal
agendas and solely for the nation’s interest (Temasek Review almost
closed down this July without the $30 000 fundings it raised).
Compared to the mainstream media, the New Media is just in their
cause and a true Singaporean avenue for Singaporeans by
Singaporeans. Teo Ser Luck told me the mainstream media have
improved, yes I agree they have, but not to the standards of
calling themselves “balanced” and “objective”. Without the rise of
popular socio-civic websites and blogs, would the mainstream media
have improved? The PAP only realize the power of the New Media when
independent socio-civic website Temasek Review managed to send a
team into Ang Mo Kio GRC by raising $32 000 in a night over
Facebook. You can continue to sideline existing netizens and deem
us as an online community of daft Singaporean noises, or work with
us. It is your choice.
I-know-best
Your condescending attitude towards Singaporeans’ alternative
voices in the “dialogue” is putting off. We do not have to be
reminded that something is in place for a purpose in the first
place, and we are not calling for ALL policies to be changed
overnight. Your shallow statements display how narrow-minded and
ignorant you are of netizens who are already engaging in high level
reasonable discussions that you are calling for. When you speak
about fundamentals of Singapore, i wonder if you yourself know of
Singapore 101 yourself. You speak like as if that only the PAP has
a monopoly of ideas and in-depth understanding of our society. If
this has been so, would we see such deepening political division of
our people? Is there any notion that only you as a PAP Elite
Million Dollar Minister understand that we Singaporeans can never
fathom? Your military experience has proven irrelevant to political
leadership and you simply can’t lead without a disciplinary law the
like of a SAF Act. We are not soldiers who will abide your every
biddings and we citizens do not owe you the government a
living.
This is my very objective article I have promised Teo Ser Luck
and I look forward to you conducting a real dialogue and please,
for once, shut up and listen. You are not a consultant and we are
not consulting you. Rather, you hold this dialogue because you are
consulting us, the people, not the other way round. A dialogue is
an exchange between 2 party of different interests. If you think a
dialogue is a waste of time, don’t attend one. We don’t need you in
any way. You deem yourself a man of practicality, but your delivery
failed to achieve PAP’s self-proclamation of engaging and listening
to the people. Or is listening to the citizens impractical? I urge
you to learn more from Khaw Boon Wah who is working 24/7 working
his head off to taking real tangible actions in implementations.
Tharman, even though uncovered, has silently tightened up the
foreign labor employment to create more jobs for locals. Even Lui
Tuck Yew bothered to wayang by having his photos taken on buses and
trains(it would be absurd if you don’t realize anyone taking a
photo of you hahah) when transport fares are still going up and our
public transport is still as crowded.
Your Ministry today, has made no changes for the underprivileged
and sports. What have you done for the Community? We still see
plenty of Singaporean elderly begging on the streets everywhere and
scavenging rubbish for a living. Foreigners integration is still a
problem even after the government throw $10 Million dollars at
it(im not asking you to throw more money at it, throwing money
don’t solve problems). What have you done for the Youths? Most have
become an apathetic lot and resigned to fate under the
government(perhaps this has all along been your agenda?) Facing
bleak employment prospects, rising cost of living, diminishing
quality of life, an impossible retirement and other social
insecurities, how can you blame Youths for being anti-PAP on the
Internet? What have you done for Sports? Your underperforming and
overpaid Foreigners sports “talents” are not winning medals and our
locals sports talents are not invested into. Singaporeans are still
disinterested in sports of any kind, except soccer – not the
S-League that is full of foreign player jokers of course. With this
starry performance in the past 5 weeks, you are not fit to be a
MCYS Minister and please scram back to the army talking down NSFs
and Reservists. As your PAP comrade Lim Wee Kiak put it, you need
not listen to me as I do not earn a million dollars and i don’t
even have a single bit of dignity discussing policies with you.
A Singaporean Economic Digit.
.
Pte (NS) Alex Tan Zhixiang
I salute Pte Alex Tan.
Why is it always the Singaporeans and voters' fault again?
He gets so much pay and refuses to offer solutions.
Employed as a MP and minister (Acting Minister of Community
Developmen) to find fault at Singaporeans. Be nice if
want to ask for ideas from Singaporeans. Ironically,
they are paid to come out with ideas and solutions now this job
fall on the citizens. Are we paid world class
salary to do their jobs?
Just another arrogant PAP's MP cum
minister. PAP's typical irresponsible
and "get out of my elite uncaring face" style is they take turn to
attack the people who vote for them and other
Singaporeans. The 60.14% voters are loving
it. 
