The 2006 election results were a disappointment, especially how
it turned out in Aljunied, but I cant say Im particularly
surprised. It was very expected. I attended most AP rallies,
including that tear-inducing National Pledge moment in Serangoon,
and witnessed for myself the amazing scenes in Hougang on Mayday,
but something within me kept biting away and brought me down to
earth, constantly reminding me that the results were never going to
be much different from 2001, and Aljunied will never be lost by the
ruling party. I was right.
I think the Singapore Democratic Party is the most credible
opposition party in Singapore. Why do I say that? Because theyre
the only real advocates of democracy in this country. The party
under Dr Chee has a crystal direction just give us democracy and
we wont bother you anymore.
Singapore politics can only be saved by that one word - DEMOCRACY.
There can be no other way. Only when power is returned to the
people can this country move forward.
In order to bring about total democracy, there has to be a few
vital elements in place, in a particular order. Let me
explain.
The fundamental principle of democracy is the role of individual
citizens to exercise his or her right in the running of their own
country. In its simplest form, this is known as HUMAN RIGHTS.
One of the most crucial components of human rights is FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION.
If there exists a freedom to express, then FREEDOM OF PRESS will be
the automatic by-product. The media will be liberated and become
independent of external political powers by any one body. I think
it is easy to underestimate the importance of this element, but the
power of the media is all-pervasive. The media has the ability to
sway absolute public opinion, which is all that is needed to win an
election. He who controls the media will win. Its that simple,
because Singaporeans are simple.
Once FREEDOM OF PRESS is achieved, free flow of information will
ensure the masses become politically aware. Its known as public
education (a tool that the Internet is performing very well
in).
Once the public becomes sufficiently aware, political maturity will
develop. And once the people become politically savvy, where
everyone has an opinion (like in America, the motherland of all
things democratic), no amount of sueing, arresting, discrediting or
GRC re-structuring will then stop Singaporeans from voting out the
ruling party.
Once the ruling party is voted out, political restructuring will
take place and power will return to the people. Case in point: when
something unjust happens, public outrage will be triggered and the
natural reaction from a vibrant and politically mature society
would be to stage non-violent protests. Its a product of every
individuals right to FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY.
Result of all these elements coming together at once?
Democracy.
Now, do you notice a common denominator in all of the capped terms
I have used above?
If you have read any of Dr Chee Soon Juans books (Your Future, My
Faith, Our Freedom; To Be Free; The Power of Courage), youll be
smiling and nodding along with me by now. All that I have mentioned
above are the core values that Dr Chee has been trying to advocate
throughout his political career. I am proud to say that I have read
all three of his books from cover to cover, and if there is one
conclusion I have drawn from the personal insights I have gathered,
it is this THIS MAN KNOWS WHAT THE HELL HES DOING.
While other opposition parties (the Workers Party included) focus
their strategies extensively on tip-toeing along the undemocratic
boundaries put in place by their very opponents and trying to gain
ground (significant or not), the Singapore Democratic Party sets
out deliberately to DEMOLISH these barriers. The reason why
opposition parties will never win a GRC is because no political
party will ever be able to win in such conditions. Notice that this
isnt an opinion this is a statement. The PAP will MAKE SURE
disaster never happens. They have the power to, because they make
up the all rules.
Dr Chee, all this while, has been trying to drill into the core of
the corruption and REFORM the system, because hes intelligent to
acknowledge that the only way to remove these rules is to BREAK
them. What are other opposition parties gunning for? More members
of the opposition in Parliament?
Dr Chee isnt interested in that, because having mere "alternative
voices" do not bring about true democracy what this country needs
is a BRAND NEW VOICE. Hiring first class graduates and law
lecturers to make the opposition seem more "credible" to the
people? How on earth can you hope to achieve that and sway public
opinion when you dont even have freedom of press to communicate
the message that you want?
Why do you think Dr Chee is always speaking out in public "without
a permit" (freedom of expression)? Why do you think the SDP
protested outside the CPF building (freedom of assembly)? Why do
you think he was the main advocate against the hanging of Nguyen
Toung Van together with M. Ravi (Human Rights)?
The simple reason is that any rule that hints at going against his
democratic beliefs, you can be sure hell be there to fight it. The
party is communicating a very important message not a desire to
enter Parliament to talk about upgrading.
People say Dr Chee slams the government for the sake of it. If you
think about it, can you blame him? All the principles he believes
in, the PAP tries its utmost to put down. Theyre directly opposite
poles one seeks to return absolute power back to the people, the
other will do anything to keep that power.
While other opposition parties seek to enter Parliament through the
votes of the people, Dr Chee deliberately fights the war head-on
against his opponents, disregarding the popular opinion of the
general public. This would be why he is extremely disliked by the
masses.
With all due respect to the current opposition slate in the
country, who has, to their absolute credit, toiled endlessly trying
to end the regime, theyre playing themselves right into their
opponents traps. Singapore is an ANARCHY. The election process is
a farce and the more opposition parties try to contest seats, the
happier the PAP will be. "There you go," theyll say. "We have
elections. Its democracy". Its not.
All Im trying to say is that, if any of the opposition camps were
to continue participating in elections the way theyre currently
run, none of them will have any chance of garnering any headway
towards political advancement. Ill need to repeat this again
YOURE PLAYING THE GAME WITHIN RULES SET BY YOUR OPPONENTS.
If theyre unfair rules, youre screwed. Even if you win, you lose
because your opponents say so. Its in the rules and its just been
drawn up, they will say. How can you ever expect to win in these
conditions? Isnt all just a royal waste of everyones time?
The only solution is to BREAK THOSE BLOODY RULES and establish new
and fair ones. If need be, call in a neutral umpire and let them
decide how the game should be played. To this end, Dr Chee is doing
everything he can to get the international community involved
hes taking pain to build up a global name for himself so that the
world can sit up and take notice of the atrocities that is the PAP;
not because hes a "foreign traitor" but because he knows he cant
break the system from within.
Those in power need to be OVERTHROWN. Not re-represented, not
"checked and balanced", but OVERTHROWN. The usual excuses of "oh,
politics is long-haul and Rome isnt built in a day", or "his
confrontational style doesnt connect with Singaporeans" dont hold
water, because if he fought a democratic war that way, then the
country will never be liberalized.
Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi, Martin Luther King these liberalists
have demonstrated before us that the only way to win a democratic
battle against tyrants is to fight with them wearing your heart on
your sleeves. The only way to overthrow a tyrant is to play with
them at their own game.
Dr Chee is like Christ. Hes on the verge of being crucified by the
very people he has been trying to save. He could walk away, but he
doesnt. The citizens hes trying to liberate are throwing rocks at
him and calling him a lunatic at the same time. If I were him I
would have given up within the first week.
Imagine how much he had to go through for our sake how many of us
would have put ourselves, let alone our family, through these
series of odeals? How many of us would have chose jail terms over a
cushy job in a national University? How many of us would have the
courage to take on a 40-year regime all by yourself?
Hes, to put it mildly, our only remaining salvation. Once he
throws in the towel and leaves the country, well be screwed for
the next generation and beyond. This man is the only remaining
threat to Lee Kuan Yews power and there is no clearer indication
of that than the obsession of the ruling party to demolish him at
all costs.
If you were Lee Kuan Yew, would you seek out to eliminate him? I
know I would. Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong are grassroots
leaders from the ground up and their priority is in serving the
people in the wards theyre in theyre not direct threats to Lee
Kuan Yews power.
In fact theyre needed in Parliament to maintain that façade of
democracy and shield off some of the heat generated by the
international community. Dr Chee is more than a direct threat he
wants to remove power from Lee. That is why he has to be
destroyed.
He is our only hope. If we dont want to help, the least we can do
is to cheer him on.
