By Loke Hoe Yeong

SDP Rally at Clementi Ave 4 open field, 1 May 2011.

 

‘Our home is the centre of our family,’ declared Vincent Wijeysingha. ‘This is my land where I root myself, in spite of the turbulence of life.’

‘But when I am made to feel that the only worth of my home is the amount of dollars it can be converted into, then I know the PAP government has failed.’

Speaking at the end of the SDP’s rally last night, Dr Wijeysingha articulated a powerful vision of a Singaporean community of neighbours and friends. Such a community, he said, was already in existence with the old kampung links and three/four-generational homes. But extended families were broken up by the divisive policies of the PAP, with their understanding of society ‘shaped by money, fear and selfishness’, he added.

While acknowledging that asset management and GDP growth are important to the nation, they are the ‘hardware’ which should exist only to serve the ‘software that makes life worth living.’

Dr Wijeysingha’s speech closed a fiery SDP rally, at which every inch of the Clementi Ave 4 field and the corridors of the surrounding flats were packed by the end of the evening. The names of Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Chok Tong and Vivian Balakrishnan were booed for their recent personal attacks on the SDP’s Holland-Bukit Timah GRC candidates, whereas the names of Goh Keng Swee (for Tan Jee Say, ‘the real architect behind Singapore’s economic success’) and S. Rajaratnam were cheered.

Tan Jee Say: I do not expect such comments after five years of loyal service’

Also of importance at the rally was Tan Jee Say’s response to personal remarks made by PAP figures on him – in particular, to Goh Chok Tong’s remark that Mr Tan did not make the cut to be a Permanent Secretary, and hence resigned from the Civil Service.

Mr Tan expressed both surprise (‘Goh Chok Tong had said he won’t comment on candidates outside of his Marine Parade GRC’, Tan pointed out) and sadness at SM Goh’s depiction of his departure from the civil service.

He explained that when his government scholarship bond expired in 1984, he was asked by Mr Goh to stay on in the civil service as his principle private secretary for three to five years more, to help with the transition to power of Singapore’s G2 (second-generation) leaders. Mr Tan agreed, and at the end of the five years, he requested to leave. Eventually he did so with Mr Goh’s blessings.

‘I gave five of my best years to Mr Goh,’ Tan said. ‘I did not ask for the job… and it was not my mission in life to be perm sec anyway.’

‘I do not expect such comments after five years of my loyal service.’

In response to MM Lee’s charge that Tan had no qualification to talk about restructuring Singapore’s economy, Tan pointed out that he had once headed the economic and manpower planning unit of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

He also asked if the Minister Mentor had seen the study carried out and published by the Ministry of Trade and Industry last year, entitled Is Smoother Always Better? Understanding Singapore’s Volatility-Growth Relationship’. (Read the MTI article, especially p 68-9). That study showed that volatility in Singapore’s economy stemmed from the manufacturing sector.

At the close of the rally, Dr Chee Soon Juan led the 11 SDP candidates to meet enthusiastic supporters in the field. At the SDP’s sales booth, Dr Chee was seen shaking hands with a crowd of well-wishers and chatting with them on a variety of issues such as the unity of the opposition parties, in addition to doing book signings.

Doesn’t look like a protest march to me.

Quotable quotes from the rally:

‘The ERP is supposed to control congestion at peak hours. Why is the CTE ERP until 10.30pm? The government still wants us to go home and make babies.’ – Dr Ang Yong Guan (for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC)

‘The PAP tells you that you are dumb, you have no talent… hence the need for foreign talent.’ – Michelle Lee (for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC)

‘Does everyone here know about Operation Johor Bahru?’ – Dr James Gomez (for Sembawang GRC), to laughter.

‘Today is May Day… trade unionists who are forced to carry the PAP flags – I know you’re under pressure. Don’t worry – on Polling Day, touch your hearts and vote for the SDP.’ – Sadasivam Veriyah (for Sembawang GRC)

‘Only in Singapore can ministers get away with such lame excuses.’ – John Tan (for Sembawang GRC)

‘The PAP has not only lost its direction, it has lost its sense of hearing.’ – Alec Tok (for Bukit Panjang SMC)

————

F0r pictures of the rally, click here.

For more TOC news about the general election, please visit our GE website as well. Click here.

Dr Wijeysingha’s speech:

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

“林学芬从未担任李光耀律师” 李显扬抨击总检察署浪费公共资源

“我的妻子从未担任李光耀的律师。父亲的遗嘱在五年前就执行。当父亲完成遗嘱后,告知全家和他的律师,遗嘱由李&李律师事务所保管。” 李显扬在昨晚九时,于脸书贴文回应总检察署投诉林学芬失职一事。他指出,五年前父亲李光耀重新签署遗嘱,当时部长尚穆根也有参与。 他提及,在1995年立下第一份遗嘱以来,都是由李&李事务所担任律师。第一份遗嘱是由母亲柯玉芝草拟,她也是遗嘱的主要受益人。 他说,没有人在父亲签定最终遗嘱的过程提出投诉—包括父亲自身、任何受益人、以及咨询黄鲁胜(现任总检察长)的李显龙。 在没有任何一方提出异议的情况下,遗嘱在2015年得到法庭认证,自那时以来,各方都依遗嘱意愿行事。 他在昨日回应英媒《今报》时,重申林学芬的事务所未参与草拟遗嘱,提到遗嘱中第七项,有关拆除欧思礼路故居的嘱咐,乃是由妻子依据父亲的指示下起草的,父亲随后要求柯金梨将之放入遗嘱中。 然而,李显龙在2017年6月作出的法定声明,声称李&李事务所的柯金梨,负责起草了除了最终遗嘱以外的所有遗嘱。 李显扬也抨击总检察署时至今日重提此事,为其家族的私人事务浪费公共资源,“许多都是各方已知的事实,但为何选择在2019年仓促重提此案?” 他反驳总检察署称妻子林学芬拒绝回应是不实的,并呼吁总检察署公开完整往来信件。 总检察长黄鲁胜早前声称,自2018年10月已数次致函给林学芬要求后者解释其在订立最后遗嘱过程中的角色,惟后者未回应,为此才向律师公会投诉。 总理妹妹李玮玲医生,在昨日揭露揭露总检察署针对林学芬为李光耀准备遗嘱一事,向新加坡律师公会提呈逾500页的投诉信。 李玮玲认为,这是史无前例地在涉及私人遗嘱事项上,动用司法程序。…

SDP’s Dr Paul Tambyah urges Singaporens to vote in alternative party members to create checks and balances in Parliament

The People’s Action Party (PAP) seems to be running on the same…

Time for the government to re-look “no-welfare state” policy

Welfare can provide greater security for the people against events that are outside of their control. Tan Kin Lian.

First patient infected with coronavirus discharged in Singapore after full recovery, says MOH

On Tuesday (4 February), the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that a…