• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Former diplomat Bilahari Kausikan questions Dr Thum Ping Tjin’s loyalty to Singapore

by The Online Citizen
05/09/2018
in Comments, Current Affairs
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0

Photo - Institute of Policy Studies

Singapore’s former Ambassador-at-Large Mr Bilahari Kausikan has called into question Singaporean historian Dr Thum Ping Tjin’s loyalty to the country after the latter had “invited” Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to “interfere” in “Singapore’s internal politics”.

In his commentary on a SMRT Feedback by The Vigilanteh Facebook post which he had shared yesterday (4 Sep), Mr Kausikan raised the question of “which is his country and who are his people?” in response to Dr Thum’s declaration of “I love my country and my people”.

Dr Thum’s declaration was made in light of allegations of being “traitorous” hurled against him by certain factions in Singapore, most notably PAP MP Seah Kian Peng, as a result of the following Facebook post:

Mr Kausikan had also accused Dr Thum of having “a slippery character”, and went on to provide a chronological account of Dr Thum’s previous references to “Malaya”, which Mr Kausikan deems to be “a loaded reference, which, as a historian, he should recognise”, and thus “cannot be accidental”.

He added: “At least the [comic] artist Sonny Liew has publicly admitted he should have used better judgement about the meeting. That is at least halfway honest.

But PJ [Dr Thum] is still twisting and turning, trying to slip out of what he has said and done.”

He concluded: “Since he is so enamoured of ‘Malaya’, perhaps he is best described by a movie character of that era: Orang Minyak — Oily Man!”

Netizen’s reaction to Mr Kausikan’s post is a mixed bag, with many Singaporeans agreeing with his line of reasoning, while a few provided counter-arguments.

Shahana Sakura wrote:

Sir, I understand your position and where you are coming from. There is indeed a risk that foreign governments might try to influence Singapore politics. The threat is real. As an example, we have seen how China (proclaiming itself as a motherland for all ethnic Chinese) has tried to to influence the politics of bigger countries like Australian and New Zealand using its economic might and network of China-born Australian/New Zealand citizens. Given that Singapore is much smaller, and it has a significant number of China born new-citizens, and an ethnic Chinese majority, we must always be on our guard from China. It’s the same with Malaysia, where the Malaysian politicians have a history of playing up racial/religious issues, which could affect our internal harmony. (I am personally thankful that Mahathir has DAP as a partner, because it somewhat constrains his ability to play up racial/religious issues. However, he can still play up a Malaysian nationalist tune and use economic disputes such as the water dispute, to his advantage). We have a very good reason to be on our guard.

That said, I also believe in due process and I am a bit uncomfortable at the way this whole issue was handled. I personally thought that Mr. Seah’s initial post was not necessary and it only encouraged the online lynch mob. This mentality is dangerous because it can be easily used by our enemies to undermine our society. A society which can start baying for blood based on a single post, can also start riots at a single provocation. In the long run, we don’t want such a volatile society.

Dixon Ong said:

Obviously, Thum is challenging the sovereignty of Singapore.

PengYong Tan commented:

Thum Ping Tjin and Kirsten Han are traitors. If they are so enamored by Malaysia, they should renounce their Singapore citizenship and join Mahathir’s Malaysia.

Steven Tan said:

Xiao ah! No more Malaya, it is Malaysia. He [Dr Thum] is on weed ?

Patrick King wrote:

Can someone who has never stopped wanting Singapore to be back in Malaysia be called patriotic???

SoonKin Chew commented:

Seeking foreigners support amounts to “treason”.

Abdur Raheem said:

Neither Singaporeans nor Malaysians want a union that Thum and Company seem to be enamored of. I need not elaborate on why Singaporeans don’t want it. As for Malaysians, at least of the dominant ethnic group, it is a “poisoned chalice” which will alter the demographic makeup of the country, and with it, will follow the loss of political power. Even if such power is not lost, it leads to a situation where there is a constant contest for primacy. Like what happened between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, or the multifaceted contest that still goes on between Maronites, Druze, Shiites, and Sunnis in Lebanon. Development will take a back seat and foreign powers will look to exploit the situation. A “New Malaysia” is a dead idea with few buyers.

David Wong commented:

Sonny’s “The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye” attempts to re-write Singapore history to their own beliefs. That is why I am taking his “excuse” with a huge pinch of salt. He is a political activist in his own right, and he even admitted to helping [Kirsten] Han and Thum set up that Soros-linked company. Not a completely naive person…

Tze Shiung Ng said:

His revisionist history seems to chime with that of the New Malaysians/Bersihadists: That true independence was idealised by socialists/communists/democrats to the exclusion of everybody else, thus casting doubt on the legitimacy of national Malaysia/Singapore. This has to be challenged, but as one influential Malaysian realist (Lim Sian See) has found, trying to win hearts & minds on social media is futile. I think the reason is because the realist cannot debate the idealist in his mode of language. The irony is, in Malaysia it took a master Machiavellian, but for his own ends, to bag all the idealists in one sweep without their realising it. Their aspirations & frustrations have now been directed to their utopia of New Malaysia, which they are finding is incapable of meeting their demands, including their fancy histories. TPJ does not seem to understand this historical development, and if he believes Mahathir is going to bolster his history for his sake, he will be surprised.

Mike Lui wrote:

Perhaps the gang of 4 need to drink Kopi with ISD…
Even Anwar is wary of Mr 10%.
Can a leopard change its spots?
History repeating itself?
So much for “opening Democratic space in South East Asian countries”. Turning into a Big Bull.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?
AFP

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund pulls out of Adani

09/02/2023
Singapore replaces Russia as host of swimming world championships
AFP

Singapore replaces Russia as host of swimming world championships

09/02/2023
Sacked from UMNO, Malaysia ex-health minister will start his new career as a radio DJ
Malaysia

Sacked from UMNO, Malaysia ex-health minister will start his new career as a radio DJ

09/02/2023
Malaysia King names Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister, swearing-in to take place 5pm today
AFP

Facebook posts falsely accuse Malaysia PM of appointing wife to fictitious job

09/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled
AFP

MSCI review puts India’s Adani shares back in the red

09/02/2023
Singapore MOH scales back COVID-19 restrictions, move down to DORSCON green
Health

Singapore MOH scales back COVID-19 restrictions, move down to DORSCON green

09/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund pulls out of Adani

09/02/2023
Singapore replaces Russia as host of swimming world championships

Singapore replaces Russia as host of swimming world championships

09/02/2023
Sacked from UMNO, Malaysia ex-health minister will start his new career as a radio DJ

Sacked from UMNO, Malaysia ex-health minister will start his new career as a radio DJ

09/02/2023
Malaysia King names Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister, swearing-in to take place 5pm today

Facebook posts falsely accuse Malaysia PM of appointing wife to fictitious job

09/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled

MSCI review puts India’s Adani shares back in the red

09/02/2023
Singapore MOH scales back COVID-19 restrictions, move down to DORSCON green

Singapore MOH scales back COVID-19 restrictions, move down to DORSCON green

09/02/2023
SCDF advance team deployed to Turkey rescued a boy from a collapsed building in Dulkadiroğlu

SCDF advance team deployed to Turkey rescued a boy from a collapsed building in Dulkadiroğlu

09/02/2023
PM Lee assures Singaporeans of affordable homes from the comfort of his Facebook page

PM Lee assures Singaporeans of affordable homes from the comfort of his Facebook page

09/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
117

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
14

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

Japanese-Canadian junior high school girl breaks national record with 3km in 9:02 mins

“I want my normal life back,” Sherry Drury withdraws from National Junior High School Tournament due to overheated public attention

by Yee Loon
06/02/2023
4

...

Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

by Leong Szehian
07/02/2023
14

...

Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats

Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats

by The Online Citizen
07/02/2023
16

...

September 2018
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
« Aug   Oct »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz