The interview with David Marshall by Dharmendra Yadav in 1994 was
very timely, as David Marshall passed on from this life in
1995.
Reading his commentaries from this interview will reveal the
breadth of this gentleman, one who would have made Singapore quite
differently had he pursued successfully in politics.
Unfortunately, Singapore was fated not to have a generous man to be
a national leader, but moved on to be what Singapore is today
through the understanding on the use of brutish and forceful grip
to Political Power by the 'Power
of ONE'.
Selected extracts from
'Meeting David Marshall in 1994' :
"In my time, I tried to educate our people in an understanding of
the dignity of human life and their right as fellow human beings,
and youth was not only interested but excited about what I consider
things that matter. Things of the spirit; the development of a
human being to his true potential in accordance with his own
personal genius in the context of equal rights of others. "
..........................................................................................................................
"I am frankly terrified by this massive control of the mass media,
the press, the radio, television, antennae, [and] public meetings.
You cant write a letter to the Straits Times; if there is a shadow
of criticism, its not published. And the Chinese press follows
suit. Its a very dangerous position because experience proves that
no one group of human beings has got all the wisdom in the
world.
I mean
well, two of you are Chinese and one Indian [Ed: actually,
the interviewers were one Chinese, one Jew and one Indian]. I dont
know much about Indian history but look at China. You had Confucian
authoritarianism for more than 2500 years. What happened to China?
She was a fossil. She had to reinvigorate herself with the Western
ideology of communism. Another authoritarian ideology! And what was
the result?
There must have been a million decent people who were transformed
into vipers, vicious obscene vipers. Im afraid of this control of
the mass media. "
..........................................................................................................................
"But you say to yourselves, Well, you know, what do we seek in
life? We seek a rice bowl, full!
It is full and overflowing, in fact. They serve you your rice in a
jade bowl with golden chopsticks; not that it makes much difference
to the taste of the rice. But youre empty!
Youve got technocratic skills and you are seeking more but
internally you are empty. Money is your acid test of success.
Ive got nothing against money. Id like to have money myself! Id
like to have a house and a garden and dogs and a car and a
chauffeur but, look, Ive got a flat. Ive got a swimming pool
attached to the flat. Ive not even got a car but I use taxis. I
have a dignified way of life without being wealthy.
I dont see the necessity of owning a Mercedes-Benz and a swimming
pool and a couple of mistresses. I think weve got our values all
wrong. "
..........................................................................................................................
"We have lost sight of the joy and excitement of public service,
helping our fellow men. The joy and excitement of seeking and
understanding of the joy of the miracle of the living the duty and
the grandeur. We have lost taste for heroic action in the service
of our people.
We have become good bourgeois seeking comfort, security. Its like
seeking a crystal coffin and being fed by intravenous injections
through pipes in the crystal coffin; crystal coffins stuck with
certificates of your pragmatic abilities.
What has changed?
The self-confidence of our people has grown immensely, and that is
good to see. Our pragmatic abilities have grown magnificently, and
that is good to see. Very good to see!
You are very able. Youre ambitious, and the government has heroic
plans for the future. It hasnt finished.
I take off my hat to the pragmatic ability of our government but
there is no soul in our conduct. It is a difficult thing to speak
of because it is difficult to put in a computer, and the youth of
Singapore is accustomed to computer fault. There is no longer the
intellectual ferment, the passionate argument for a better
civilisation. The emphasis on the rice bowl! "
.........................................................................................................................
The government doesnt see I do respect them immensely. They dont
see Im a genuine friend. They only see me as a critic and to be a
critic is to be an enemy who must be erased and destroyed. There is
no such thing as an honest critic to the PAP. Its a blasphemy to
criticise the emperor, spoilt son of heaven.
[Lee] Kuan Yew says you mustnt lampoon a Chinese gentleman. Oh,
dear me! Ya, what happened? What happened to China?
In Europe, they institutionalised the court jester and the court
jester had total immunity against any result from his public
criticism of the kings and emperors and the courtyard. Open public
criticism that was his job! They tried to laugh it off but at
least there was one person to prick the bubble of their overgrown
egoism.
And which civilisation has progressed better for the development of
humanity? The Western civilisation or the Chinese
civilisation?
You talk of Asian values. I only know two Asian values and, I wish
someone would really pinpoint them instead of pontificating
ponderously in humbug and hypocrisy.
Family values - I think we have more family cohesion in Asia than
in Europe; more family warmth and I like that. I accept that there
is a greater tradition of family warmth and family cohesion.
Two, we have a greater passion for education. My secretary I
asked her once what her background is. She said her mother is a
washer-woman and, here is this lovely secretary doing a damn good
job. She was educated. How her mother could save enough to give her
the education?
So these are the only two values I know. Somebody tell me what
other values that are Asian, which everybody talks and nobody
mentions the exact parameters.
And you know we use this concept of family cohesion to place on our
youths the burden of caring for aging and ailing parents and
grand-parents.
The young have got their own lives to make. To carry in your own
homes aging irritable ailing parents and grandparents can destroy
the family life of the young.
But then, the alternative is for the government to pour so much
mountains of gold into building homes for the aged. Thats
sacrilege gold is to be gathered and not to be spent.
I want to see more crèches, more homes for the aged.
Our Prime Minister [Goh Chok Tong] talks about gracious living.
Where is the gracious living?
So I am a bad boy, Im ostracised. The Straits Times makes slimy
remarks about me.
The [press are] running dogs of the
PAP.
For complete interview, click on
-
'Meeting David Marshall in
1994'
