OMG I'm Quoted

So a facebook rant of mine got quoted in a Temasek Review article. Woot?

Copied and pasted the article here. My quoted comment in bold.

Chee Soon Juan versus Low Thia Kiang: Who is a more effective opposition leader?
August 22nd, 2010 | OPINION

During a discussion on our Facebook, a netizen compared the contrasting styles between opposition leaders Chee Soon Juan and Low Thia Kiang, claiming that the public sees the latter as a more credible politician than the former.

“Take the case of CJS vs GOV, that guy keeps barking nonstop at anything and everything that the gov do without so much of any viable solutions. what do the general public see of him now? still credible? Take the other case of LTK vs GOV, he doesn’t bark like a mad dog. he criticizes, yet gives credit where its due, what’s the general public’s perception of him?”

It is a common misperception among many Singaporeans perpetuated by PAP leaders and the state media that Chee who minced no words in his criticisms of the PAP regime is a “destructive” politician while Low who almost never does, is a “constructive” opposition.

A real opposition leader should behave like Chee – keep asking difficult questions and take the PAP to task. That’s why the PAP and the state media tried so hard to demonize and fix him.

Chee is pretty mild compared to opposition leaders in other parts of Asia. Take for example the current Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng. He was jailed for 18 months under the Sedition Act in 1995 for distributing fliers calling for the arrest of Malacca’s former Mentri Besar Thamby Chik who was implicated in the molest of a minor. Lim also took part in several protests and rallies against the Barisan government. He “barked” much louder than CSJ and did not offer any viable solutions too. Now that he’s the CM of Penang, he introduced so many reforms such as calling for open tenders in public projects and releasing the salaries of public officials online.

Another example is South Korea’s former President Kim Dae Jung who was considered a “radical” in the 1970s. He organized a number of strikes and protests against the autocratic government of President Park Chung Hee and was almost assassinated by the Korean secret police in Japan. He did not offer any alternative vision for Korea either when he was lampooning the government. After he was elected the President of Korea, he dismantled the chaebols and democratized the entire nation. Korea is now a vibrant first world democracy.

Low Thia Kiang will be considered a stooge in other Asian democracies by cuddling up to the PAP leaders instead of taking them to task. When asked by PM Lee in Parliament if Wong Kan Seng should resign over the escape of Mas Selamat, Low dared not even make a single sound.

Singaporeans are getting more and more educated and exposed. Public perception towards Chee will change slowly and gradually. That’s what we have been trying hard to do – to expose the dirty tricks of the state media, to highlight the flaws in the PAP system and to educate fellow Singaporeans on their rights as citizens of this country.

Remember what Joseph Goebbels, the head of Nazi propaganda once said:

“Repeat a lie again, again and again several times and it will become the truth to the masses.”

That’s how Chee got fixed by the Singapore media. He may not be politically savvy, but that doesn’t mean we should dismiss all his criticisms about the PAP as mere “barking.”

Addendum by Nicholas Lim:

People who see Low Thia Kiang and Chiam See Tong as “credible opposition” just because they’ve been given the rubber stamp of approval by PAP are seriously deluded and need to get their heads cleared of the cotton wool so carefully stuffed in by the mainstream press.

Over the years the so-called opposition has been watered down and diluted into 2nd and 3rd class version of PAP or “PAP Lite” if you prefer. After all, what have they been able to achieve in terms of truly opposing the government WHEN IT COUNTS?

GST went up with nary a bump when the government wanted, Mas Selamat checked out and stayed out of the country, floods are now an expected feature with a National Day award as a pat on the back, the drastic increase of foreigners, the financial and international embarrassment of the YOG, wanton increase in fares despite the overcrowding of the public transport system, the need for a proper nationwide debate on mandatory vs judicial discretion on the death penalty, hell there was even a petition in Malaysia on highly probable serious miscarriage of justice: seriously the list can go on and on and just where is the “opposition” in all of this?

Oh sure Low Thia Kiang had his 15mins of fame over the SM&C issue and then? You mean that’s all they can do? Or is the the “you only elect me to Hougang hence I only speak up on Hougang issues” tactic?

I can definitely see how the PAP continually awards their “Preferred Opposition Party” status to the ilk of the Worker’s Party and the rest. After all who needs to worry about losing elections with such “foes” around?

Who is a more credible and effective opposition leader? One who dares to challenge the PAP leaders directly and exerts pressure on them constantly or one who works hard quietly in the background to serve his constituents, but seldom question the PAP over its national policies? Please share your views with us here.