Well Personally I am not a revisionary; I think
is good lesson to learn if we know "Now" would we do
it "than", there are always unintended consequences
and blames to go around and that is the nature of society. I
am sure that list get longer
overtime.
Also...my point isn't about what was already said in
the past either .......certainly never implied
that opposition did not confront Govt on these topics. But if
the opposition is going to start something than it has to be
persistent until it is over.
Is this not what CSJ is attempting to do - being
persistent and continuing the battle that was started by the
late Dr Lee Siew Choh and the late JBJ - both of
whom were so viciously cut down by LKY ?
LKY had been bitterly spiteful towards these opposition figures,
and had relied on his best legal skills to undermine and suppressed
both of them.
For JBJ, the most venomous legal skills were employed by LKY to
ensure that a legally trained opposition member will never
stand in Parliament to challenge LKY's use of legislative process
to locked down Singaporeans.
The same venom was used to persecute the previous
Solicitor-General Francis Seow when he offered himself as a
candidate to stand for election to enter parliament. He had to flee
Singapore after being arrested under the ISA, and with his office
raided by IRAS for tax evasion charges.
I just think that the political interest
group in SG misses the moment of opportunity to
seize the event. Look at the elements that exist at the
time of inauguration:
1) Greater Audience in Singapore (and globally;
hopefully) are Inspired
2) Easy Reference of civil Right
Successes
All it take for the opposition
to connect the threads onto Singapore own political civil
rights and put themselves on the positive side of
the news.
Can the opposition succeed in such an environment that is
purposefully created to disadvantage the opposition members ?
Under such circumstances, is it not correct that our rights
to individual political space should be won back from a
political party that is determined to ensure that such space is not
available, and if made to be available - such space should be
controlled ?
Under such circumstance, do you seriously think that Obama would
have succeeded, or will we not see Obama become
a Martin Luther King actively encouraging Civil
Disobedience to regain what is rightfully belonging to the People
?
Ultimately leadership renewal and motivation are
greats Singapore agenda. Singaporean needs to step up and
resolve the issue. I am not sure outward letter to ask
Obama for greater freedom in Sg would help
to gain further support locally. (I am sure Obama knows the
dirty laundry in SG since he is familiar with this part of the
world so it is not newly gained information.)
When the environment is stifled and purposefully
suppressed, a more superior external force will need to be
depended on to arbiter the situation.
Was CSJ's letter intended "to ask Obama for greater freedom in
Sg" - or for assistance to pressure the Singapore Government to
live up to its commitment as a signatory to the UN Human Rights
Convention and behave fairly to Singaporeans ?
Do nations have to wait for political genocide to occur before
stepping in ?
(I am sure there are SG suspicious
of Ang Mo interfering; Ah Pek might complaint
of conspiracy ........) If more than 50% of the population
voted for PAP than nobody like to be bashed for who they
voted for. Politics is about how to change people minds
and wins their vote.
If SG is suspicious of Ang Mo interfering, why are there
so many Ang Mo's being invited to participate in our economy and
taking jobs away from us ?
If SG is suspicious of Ang Mo interfering, why did the SG
Government depend on the wisdom of the Ang Mo to represent SG
in an Ang Mo Court to resolve the Pedra Branca issues with
Malaysia ?
Has it not been through consultation with the Ang Mo that
Singapore has succeeded with our industrialisation program, with
the development of a modern MRT system, and continued associated
program in tertiary education with Ang Mo university ?
Surely, the sum total wisdom of all the citizens of
the World Community can also help the development of a modern
Singapore political scene ?
Why will we suddenly become defensive and become inferior when
Ang Mo are consulted and called to assist in arbitering our
politics ?
In any case, Obama is only half an Ang Mo - as he is also half
African, an ethnic group that LKY has never respected.
Anyway I was just thinking the Hamas took great
calculation --- to break the cease fire on Hanukah and fought
with Israeli and willing to withstand 3 weeks of being bomb
--- before the inauguration to strengthen the support of
Palestinian people from the West Bank. And to Test the new Obama
administration to establish a New Peace Plan to place them as the
legitimate power. (Maybe it was a Carter planned) And Israeli
seize the opportunities to take out as many radical leaders as
possible within the 3 weeks...... Russian shut off Gas pipeline.
Its all about Seizing opportunity…..knowing what you
want.
Did Hamas make any calculation when they recklessly and
brainlessly taunted the Israelis with a mindless firing of long
range rockets that bombarded deeper into Israel ?
If the Israelis did not suddenly decide to halt their military
campaign after surrounding Gaza City, there will be no opportunity
for Hamas to gloat over their false claims to having resisted the
Israeli IDF.
As matters stand, Hamas has been written off as a terrorist
organisation, and is not seen as a willing player to live with
Israel.
Can Obama work with Hamas when their political agenda continue
to see to the total destruction of Israel ?
Seizing opportunity of the moment depends on the willingness of
individuals to take action at the right time, and also depend on
the individual to have the ability to sense and identify the right
moment.
Unfortunately, seizing the opportunity also depend on a set of
circumstances available for such actions to be taken.
If none exist, you will have to go out and create that
environment - which is what CSJ is doing, and which what the South
Africans had done to fight the White Apartheid System, and which
Martin Luther King had done to challenge the existing status quo
that stubbornly existed for over 100 years in the USA despite
legislations passed after the great Civil War in the USA.
Unfortunately, civil disobedience cannot succeed unless there is
support - as was seen in the Hongkongers being pro-active to
protest Beijing's attempts at interfering in Hongkong affairs
despite their self-proclaimed One Country Two System.
In the present Communist environment in Singapore, will
Singapore represent themselves - when so few even dare to speak
their mind or even search for the truth ?