July 4, 2008 by admin
· 8
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Filed under:
Civil and political
rights, Political
Discussions, Voices of the
People
Singapore
Democrats interview with activist Jaslyn
Go
03 July
2008
What prompts a young mother of two
to stand up for her rights and the rights of her fellow citizens in
a country known for crushing dissent with frightening efficiency?
This is a question that many Singaporeans will ask if they met
Jaslyn Go Hui Leng.
This is because Ms
Go is one of the 18 Singaporeans charged with taking part in an
assembly and procession without a permit on 15 Mar this
year.
That event launched
the Tak Boleh Tahan! campaign which is aimed at highlighting the
PAP Government’s raising of prices and fees that has thrown
hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans into economic disarray and
hardship.
And what will be her
answer?
“I will not
live by the fear the PAP seeks to instill in its
citizens,” explains Ms Go. “They can try to
cripple me with arrest, jail or fine, but they can’t stop me from
speaking up.”
So what does the
financial plight of workers have to do with a successful
businesswoman who leads a more-than-comfortable lifestyle with her
family?
“I used to be very poor when
I was young,” explained Ms Go, “now that I am better off, I hope I
can do my part and highlight the plight our elderly and poor in
Singapore are going through.”
“If we
continue to allow the PAP to rule with an iron fist, the people’s
problems will not be addressed and I fear that the younger
generation will suffer more than we are now as the cost of living
are skyrocketing and our jobs are being taken over by
foreigners.”
The Singapore
Democrats first came to know Ms Go during the vigil outside the
Burmese embassy in September 2007. Since then, the vivacious and
determined advocate of democracy has been actively helping to
promote human rights in Singapore.
“Prior to
the protest, I tried in my own ways to engage the government by
writing to my MP, Tanjong Pagar GRC MPs, and the Straits Times. But
time and again they refused to reply to me, or publish my
letters,” she writes in her blog.
There is a steely quality
about Ms Go that pushes her on. And it is not just starry-eyed
ideals that propels the lady’s actions; she makes no bones that she
is also doing this for the sake of her two children, aged 3 and
5.
Children in Singapore have
been deprived of quality life which is so stressful even for young
children, she points out.
“Child suicide has been on
the rise. The root of the problem lies in the stiff competition
that our children are being put through in school,” says Ms Go. “I
hope this can be a thing of the past.”
Asked what she hopes for in
the next 5 to 10 years, Ms Go replies that she would like to see
elderly folks who have contributed to Singapore’s progress be taken
care of by the government and not reduced to collecting cardboard
boxes and empty drink cans to eke out a
living.
And how does she
think this can be achieved?
“I hope to
see a change in government to a more humane one that puts the
country and the citizens first.”
Ms Go will appear in
Subordinate Court 23 together with the other 17
activists.
Many Singaporeans
shy away from engaging in the public process by claiming that they
have their families to think about. Such fear is a damning
indictment of the PAP. Be that as it may, Ms Go’s example and
courage should be a ringing call to citizens of this country to
overcome their fearful inertia and become actively involved in
matters that concern their everyday lives as well as their
future.
Singaporeans can get
involved by taking the first step next Friday, 11 Jul 08. Come down
to the Subordinate Courts at 9 am to lend your support to this
woman of incredible courage as well as to the other activists who
have stood up for justice and democracy in Singapore.
If Singapore had
more committed citizens like Ms Go, this country would be a much
better place to live in.
http://www.sgpolitics.net/
