Be balanced in criticism.

Mon, 2 May 2011
3 min read
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Dear Madam/Sir,

I refer to “On Chen Show Mao, Mr Low’s motives and the WP’s missing plans” (May 01).

I reside in Aljunied GRC. As of yet, my allegiance lies with neither of the teams contesting the ward.

In fact, I salute both teams for working the ground tirelessly over the last five years. Their efforts have made it extremely difficult for me to choose whom I should allow to represent me in Parliament.

Nevertheless, I have some views that I would like to share with the writer:

  • On the issue of Mr Chen Show Mao’s commitment and connection to Singapore, we must first look to Singapore’s evolution in its short history as a nation.

    In 1997, then-Prime Minister (PM) Goh Chok Tong acknowledged in his National Day Rally speech that “we have encouraged [a] dispersal of Singaporeans by asking [them] to go regional and create Singapore’s external wing”.

    He went on to say that “the more able ones, in whom Singapore has invested the most, have a special obligation to society. We must all join hands to keep Singapore together”.

    Mr Chen is a child of the above-mentioned policy, and he has heeded the same call to return. That Mr Chen, like Dr Janil Puthucheary, is able and willing to serve the nation should be answer enough for the writer.

  • On the issue of Mr Low’s proposed budget, it would only be fair to require the Workers’ Party team (WP) to come up with a proposal if the People’s Action Party (PAP) team is expected to do likewise.

    If the counter-argument is that the PAP team is the incumbent, so it will reuse the same budget, then there is no reason why a WP-led Town Council might not do the same.

  • On the issue of Mr Low’s motives, this has been made sufficiently clear. In my opinion, I believe Mr Low wants a chance to:
    • improve the lives of Aljunied GRC residents in both material and non-material ways, and
    • be a stakeholder in Parliament so that the WP’s long-term vision of an alternative government can be realised.
  • On the issue of democracy and a First-World Parliament, the writer claims we “cannot afford to spend time debating…on every matter in the name of democracy”.

    Surprisingly, he seems to have afforded the time to categorically critique Mr Chen, Mr Low and the Workers’ Party, all in the spirit of democracy itself.

    Perhaps this is to demonstrate the WP’s vision of a First-World Parliament in action: besides the basic functions of voicing views and working together to resolve national issues, there is also “responsible opposition…to generate a culture of accountability”.

  • Finally, the writer’s concluding remark about fairness perplexes this reader.

    The writer states that Mr George Yeo responded ably to Mr Low’s queries by meeting his constituents more often over the course of five years – that is, one election cycle.

    If fairness is in question, then is the writer insinuating that Mr Low also be given the same opportunity and time frame to prove how he will manage Aljunied GRC?

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Laremy LEE (Mr)

(Published as “Letter from Laremy Lee” on 02 May 2011 in TODAYonline.)

Lesson of the Day: “Trawlers” by Alfian Sa’at.

Sat, 30 Apr 2011
1 min read
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Wow! Election fever has hit our shores, and many people are attempting to ram many agendas – perceived or otherwise – down our throats.

Hence, I thought it’d be nice to also ram my literary agenda down everyone’s throat for everyone’s nutritional needs, by way of a poem that has the dubious honour of still being relevant in this day and age.

Watch this video first (click on this link if you can’t see the embedded video) for schema-building purposes before reading the poem:

Happy learning!

—

    Trawlers
    By Alfian Sa’at

    Come election time
    we would see those vans
    crowned with loudspeakers
    like wind vanes-

    with a supply of their own
    hot air. Their mission:
    to catapult slogans in four directions
    and four official languages.

    No child throws stones at it.
    And old women chew their curses
    like betel leaves, tangy, unspat.
    Woe be the motorist

    trapped behind the hearse-crawl
    of the harbingers of “good years”.
    Who says that lightning
    never strikes twice at the same spot?

    Here it comes again:
    not so much a van as a trawler,
    casting huge nets, not subtle hooks;
    the only way one catches mouthless fish.

—

From: One Fierce Hour. Singapore: Landmark Books, 1998.

Credibility that convinces, above anything else.

Mon, 25 Apr 2011
2 min read
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Dear Madam/Sir,

I refer to the letter “Experience that counts, not looks” (April 23).

As a matter of full disclosure: I, too, will not be able to vote in Marine Parade GRC.

However, I would be offended if the writer is implying that most Singaporeans are unthinking when it comes to assessing the suitability of political candidates to represent them.

From my observations, the support that Ms Nicole Seah has received thus far has been mainly on her own merit.

Ms Seah has been successful in demonstrating her honesty and reliability in offline interactions with friends, colleagues and ordinary Singaporeans prior to her foray into politics. This is evident from the high regard which people hold Ms Seah in when they narrate anecdotes about her principled personal beliefs and professional work ethos.

Furthermore, recent videos of Ms Seah speaking in interviews have been circulating on social media networks. Her intelligence, clarity and persuasion in these videos have been critical in convincing Singaporeans that Ms Seah is a credible candidate.

In light of these two key factors, there is no logical reason why Ms Seah should not receive the support she has garnered. Likewise, there is no evidence to the contrary as to why Singaporeans should not look to Ms Seah for future political representation and leadership.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Laremy LEE (Mr)

(Published as “She has earned the support” on 25 Apr 2011 in TODAYonline.)