Chiam, Lina et al. A Disgrace for Singapore Politics

As a registered voter of Potong Pasir SMC, i feel that i should give my two cent’s worth on this absolutely stupid and disgraceful incident.

Recently Lina Chiam (ie, the wife of long-serving Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong), responded to the mainstream media’s coverage of Dr Chee Soon Juan and basically accused Dr Chee Soon Juan of kicking Mr Chiam out of the SDP. Needless to say, the press plastered the re-ignition of this decade long childish hatred that Chiam seemingly has for Chee on the Lianhe Zaobao, as well as The Straits Times. In her interview with Zaobao, Lina Chiam basically asserted:

If he (Dr Chee) really wanted to keep Mr Chiam, he could have politely declined the position of secretary-general. Or when the central executive was taking a vote on whether to take disciplinary action against Chiam, he could have opposed the dismissal.”

In a rather terse and emotional conclusion, Lina asserted:

For the sake of my husband and to let the younger generation understand ‘Uncle Chiam’, I have to step forward to clarify matters. He did not turn his back on the SDP. When we were forced to leave, our hearts were filled with anguish.

Not surprisingly, Dr Chee Soon Juan responded with a letter on the SDP’s website immediately after, stating that he had already said that Chiam was persuaded to stay within the SDP, and wished that the veteran politician be more “democratic.” He also added that the mainstream press’s coverage was biased and basically demonized his good work, reiterating that the party still saw the veteran politician as its leader back then. It would be nice to hope that the matter is settled then and there, but as always, things can be rather complicated. Seemingly, this has brought out the usual shameful condemnation of Chee Soon Juan as a schemer (again), where of course, this entire episode didn’t just involve him.

A few points i’ve noted from this episode:

Firstly, opposition supporters should not think they can get away with criticizing the mainstream media’s position for being 133rd in the world (as ranked by Repoters without Borders), and still use evidence from the mainstream media to criticize another opposition leader. It’s a bit like calling the devil a devil, yet listening to what the devik has to say about some other guy whom he has labelled as a pedophile. It just doesn’t work that way. Whatever has been said about Dr Chee Soon Juan must be re-examined fairly: his sacking from NUS, his hunger strike, the departure of Chiam See Tong from the SDP, etc. These things must be looked at but not with the bias that the mainstream media has already placed in the minds of so many people. If you want to be totally against Dr Chee, sure, go ahead. Suck up to the devil and enjoy the filth he and his minions producing, and think that you’re right.

Secondly, we know the devil has already twisted the story of the Chiam-Chee incident; i need not tell you more because the evidence is there on the papers, on the biased television news for many years already. Yet, the devil was lucky because it had fed on the supposed anger and hatred of Chiam’s supposed “ousting” from the SDP for the same number of years. They certainly got even luckier just a couple of days ago. I certainly do not appreciate Lina Chiam’s comments in the mainstream media, nor do i have no idea what her own intentions were, but certainly, these were clearly not something worth harking about. We have seen, though, that Dr Chee has seemingly remained remarkably transparent during this whole episode, and has come out to assert that Chiam could have been more democratic within the party he founded, and that he bore no ill grudge against anyone. From the Chiam side of things only hear the anger, the sob stories and the personal vendetta, like logs for the devil’s warm furnace. Why do you insist on harking over it, and not resolving it?

Thirdly, for the sake of being transparent and open as an opposition party whose motto goes “Absolute Power corrupts absolutely”, these questions should then be asked about Chiam and his tenure in the SPP:

1. If Chiam had trouble convincing the members of the SDP to accept his absolute rule, then why is it i am hearing more stories of the same sort of mini-dictatorship in the SPP?

2. Why is it not a surprise that i hear SPP has currently two factions, one under Desmond Lim, and another under Chiam himself?

3. Why had the NSP left the SDA after just two elections under the joint alliance banner?

4. Why are some SDA people (such as Alex Tan) speaking out against Chiam See Tong?

It is already not surprising that Chiam has problems of his own, and that the cunning devil of the press has an agenda of his own not to report this while slamming more dangerous opposition to the PAP. However, instead of being amicable and behaving like a lady and gentleman should, Lina and Chiam have continued to bring this feud back to life for no other purpose than to feed the devil’s hunger. But sure, what makes Chiam any better than Lee Kuan Yew for example?, Trying to undermine opponents? Distancing one’s self from a former ally, then attacking him/her, and uttering democratic ideals but not practicing them? Simply put, it’s disgraceful, and none of us should stand for this. If rumours are true that Lina is defending Chiam’s seat in the next GE, just so that can keep the MP’s allowance, they (and the PAP) can very well do without my vote. I don’t want this kind of crap opposition that the Chiams are going to be, and i hope people will be strong enough to send a message to these fools that we don’t take these things lying down.

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