Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party (PAP), Lee Hsien Loong has said that the PAP will investigate the veracity of the allegations made against its former candidate Ivan Lim after the General Election, adding that people “cannot simply write off and destroy people like this”.
Perhaps Lee does not have a sense of irony. Isn’t this what the PAP has apparently done to opposition politicians such as Chee Soon Juan, Tang Liang Hong, J.B. Jeyeretnam, and the list goes on?
Let’s take Dr Chee as an example. The man is still standing upright and fighting the good fight despite the onslaught of accusations that have been hurled at him. In his book, “Democratically Speaking”, Dr Chee gave a sampling of the vicious insults that have been publicly hurled his way:
“What we are preventing is duds getting into Parliament and government. Any person of quality, we welcome him but we don’t want duds. We don’t want Chee Soon Juan, or J.B. Jeyaretnam.”
– Lee Kuan Yew, 2011
“[Chee Soon Juan’s] a liar, a cheat, and altogether an unscrupulous man. I could also add that I’ve had several of my own doctors who are familiar with such conduct…tell me that he is near-psychopath.”
– Lee Kuan Yew, 2008
“[Chee Soon Juan] is finished, kaput.”
– Lee Kuan Yew, 2001
“[Chee Soon Juan’s] a liar, he’s a cheat, he’s deceitful, he’s confrontational, it’s a destructive form of politics…”
– Lee Hsien Loong, 2006
“… we would try and annihilate [Chee Soon Juan].”
– Goh Chok Tong, 1999
What Lim had to go through is nothing like what Dr Chee had to endure and Lee is calling this a destruction? What about how he and the PAP have apparently systematically tried to destroy and discredit Dr Chee?
Is Lee implicitly saying that it is okay to destroy opposition politicians but not okay to call out bad behaviour on the part of the PAP? If so, how is this fair? It cannot be one rule for the PAP and one rule for everyone else. That does not sound like leadership. Sounds much more like a school yard bully!
Besides, is Lee making some sort of veiled threat at the whistle blowing public?
If so, voters would be better off definitely voting the PAP out because it sure sounds like Lee is saying that there is a price to pay for whistle blowing.
Besides, it is also imperative to ask the question of how the PAP is intending to investigate? Will take be making use of state agencies such as the police? If so, do the people agree with state agencies being used this way?
Sounds completely wrong for the leader of the PAP to be more concerned about a seemingly inappropriate candidate being called out than relieved that a bad candidate was exposed before he had a chance to get into Parliament. Is Lee more worried about PAP’s reputation than the people potentially getting a “dud” member of parliament in the form of Lim?
