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Let’s Get Freaky: Say no to the PAP’s fear-mongering!

Published

13 years ago

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The following was first published as a blog post by Kirsten Han.

Kirsten Han/

Colourful mushrooms? (Image from mobileapples.com)

 

As Singapore is wrapped up in the middle of what is widely seen to be a “watershed election”, we begin to see many, many instances of fear-mongering. Warnings of “freak elections”, despite the fact that there is no such thing in real democratic countries. Analogies of driving cars, and car crashes. Mentions of violent quarrels in Parliament with chairs being thrown. Threats of not getting any upgrading in your neighbourhood estates. Accusations of our precious reserves being “raided”. Even Mr Lui Tuck Yew has come forward with a thinly-veiled and highly inept analogy aboutnice shady trees and poisonous colourful mushrooms, possibly the closest he has come to being “artistic” in all his years as the Minister of Information, Communication and the Arts.

Yesterday, our Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew came forward to say that the voters of Aljunied GRC would “regret it” if they voted for the Workers’ Party. Again, he pointed out that the WP team had “little track record” compared to the PAP. He also said that the residents of Aljunied GRC would have 5 years to “repent” voting for WP, because they would learn that the PAP would always take care of PAP constituencies first. So much for serving all Singaporeans.

As a young Singaporean, and a first-time voter, I have had enough of this. I have already had a lifetime of fear instilled in me: you might fail your exams and never find a good job, don’t speak, don’t question, don’t get in trouble. I am not taking any more. I am too young to be so afraid.

If the Singaporeans of the 1960s had been so fearful and so concerned about “track record”, we would not be where we are today. Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP would not be where they are today. This city, Singapore as it is today, is a testament to what Singaporeans have achieved – and we did not achieve all this because we were afraid.

I wish the PAP would stop with their fear-mongering. They aren’t doing themselves any favours. It makes them look like the alternative parties have got them on the run, like they have nothing left but to fling threats and doomsday scenarios at the electorate. With the complicit mainstream media to help them propagate these baseless fears, it is sneaky and dishonourable, and does not reflect well on the maturity of the PAP.

I used to live my life afraid. When I was packing up my bags in New Zealand ready to move back home, I remember saying to my friend that I did not want to say or do anything against the government because I am too young to get in trouble and “burn bridges”.

Image from venisebala on Flickr

Then I came home and found out about the homeless, the aunties and uncles collecting cardboard, working day-in day-out when they should have been enjoying the fruits of a lifetime’s labour. I read about the skyrocketing housing prices, the new young families unable to have homes of their own. The people who lose their life savings just because of one surgery, one hospital stay. And I watched, as our Ministers (all of them PAP) blew budgets, allowed terrorists to escape, brushed floods off as “once in 50 years”… then told Singaporeans to not complain so much, and gave themselves fat, hefty bonuses on top of their already-inflated paychecks. There was very little I, along with fellow Singaporeans, could do to protest this – because the PAP government has also passed legislation that restricts our freedom of assembly, association and expression.

When I saw all these things, I realised that I was wrong. I was wrong to have said, “I am too young to get in trouble.”

I should have said, “I am too young to bury my head in the sand.” I am too young to live my life dismissed as mere “noise” on the Internet.

I am not saying that I am not scared any more. I am. When I join campaigns, when I openly support the opposition and when I write entries and articles criticising the PAP, I still have worry and anxiety that I deal with. No matter what I do, there are still mental hurdles that I have to overcome.

But I will not be intimidated and fear-mongered into backing down from doing what I believe is right. Not anymore.

I have seen the effects of the PAP government’s policies. I have seen what happens when there are no alternative voices in Parliament to speak up, to raise debates and to force the government to reconsider and re-evaluate policies. I have seen the people who are suffering the effects of these policies, who are unable to have their own home, or afford three meals a day to feed their families.

It is true, there is no guarantee that the alternative parties will really be able to deliver. They have no “track record” that we can examine. By voting them in, we are taking a chance.

But we will be taking a chance anyway. How do you know, when you vote PAP, that the housing prices will not continue to skyrocket, that the wages of the lower-income will not continue to be suppressed, that sick people will not continue to be bankrupted by healthcare? How do you know, when you vote PAP, that they will fix all these problems, be accountable and start to connect with the people?

There is no “safe” vote. There are no real guarantees. We cannot know for sure how the next 5 years will turn out.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”

Have you heard/read this quote before? I believe that it is true. We have already seen how things are under the PAP: how people are suffering, how help is not forthcoming, how the Ministers pay themselves with no accountability. Can you say that things have been fantastic for all Singaporeans in the past 5 years? Can you say that it could not have been any better?

Insanity is voting for the same party over and over again, and expecting things to be different.

I cannot tolerate all this fear-mongering from the incumbent. I cannot tolerate all this bullying and gerrymandering. I cannot tolerate being just “noise” in my own country, bossed about by holier-than-thou Ministers who don’t understand the sort of lives and problems that normal Singaporeans face.

I believe that there needs to be a change, and I stand by my belief. I will not stand for all this fear-mongering to try to get me to back down.

I am Singaporean. It is my right to have a say in where my country is heading for the next 5 years, and I will vote according to what I believe is best for my country’s future. I will not give in to fear, and I hope you won’t too.

If they want to keep talking about “freak elections”, then let’s get freaky.

 

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Current Affairs

Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

Published

45 mins ago

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4 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

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Current Affairs

Chee Soon Juan questions Shanmugam’s $88 million property sale amid silence from Mainstream Media

Dr Chee Soon Juan of the SDP raised concerns about the S$88 million sale of Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow at Astrid Hill, questioning transparency and the lack of mainstream media coverage. He called for clarity on the buyer, valuation, and potential conflicts of interest.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

23 September 2024

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On Sunday (22 Sep), Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), issued a public statement on Facebook, expressing concerns regarding the sale of Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow (GCB) at Astrid Hill.

Dr Chee questioned the transparency of the S$88 million transaction and the absence of mainstream media coverage despite widespread discussion online.

According to multiple reports cited by Dr Chee, Mr Shanmugam’s property was transferred in August 2023 to UBS Trustees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, which holds the property in trust under the Jasmine Villa Settlement.

Dr Chee’s statement focused on two primary concerns: the lack of response from Mr Shanmugam regarding the transaction and the silence of major media outlets, including Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp.

He argued that, given the ongoing public discourse and the relevance of property prices in Singapore, the sale of a high-value asset by a public official warranted further scrutiny.

In his Facebook post, Dr Chee posed several questions directed at Mr Shanmugam and the government:

  1. Who purchased the property, and is the buyer a Singaporean citizen?
  2. Who owns Jasmine Villa Settlement?
  3. Were former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong informed of the transaction, and what were their responses?
  4. How was it ensured that the funds were not linked to money laundering?
  5. How was the property’s valuation determined, and by whom?

The Astrid Hill property, originally purchased by Mr Shanmugam in 2003 for S$7.95 million, saw a significant increase in value, aligning with the high-end status of District 10, where it is located. The 3,170.7 square-meter property was sold for S$88 million in August 2023.

Dr Chee highlighted that, despite Mr Shanmugam’s detailed responses regarding the Ridout Road property, no such transparency had been offered in relation to the Astrid Hill sale.

He argued that the lack of mainstream media coverage was particularly concerning, as public interest in the sale is high. Dr Chee emphasized that property prices and housing affordability are critical issues in Singapore, and transparency from public officials is essential to maintain trust.

Dr Chee emphasized that the Ministerial Code of Conduct unambiguously states: “A Minister must scrupulously avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest between his office and his private financial interests.”

He concluded his statement by reiterating the need for Mr Shanmugam to address the questions raised, as the matter involves not only the Minister himself but also the integrity of the government and its responsibility to the public.

The supposed sale of Mr Shamugam’s Astrid Hill property took place just a month after Mr Shanmugam spoke in Parliament over his rental of a state-owned bungalow at Ridout Road via a ministerial statement addressing potential conflicts of interest.

At that time, Mr Shanmugam explained that his decision to sell his home was due to concerns about over-investment in a single asset, noting that his financial planning prompted him to sell the property and move into rental accommodation.

The Ridout Road saga last year centred on concerns about Mr Shanmugam’s rental of a sprawling black-and-white colonial bungalow, occupying a massive plot of land, managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which he oversees in his capacity as Minister for Law. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, also rented a similarly expansive property nearby.

Mr Shanmugam is said to have recused himself from the decision-making process, and a subsequent investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) found no wrongdoing while Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean confirmed in Parliament that Mr Shanmugam had removed himself from any decisions involving the property.

As of now, Mr Shanmugam has not commented publicly on the sale of his Astrid Hill property.

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