Why Singaporeans Need To Be Less ‘Genteel and Civilised’
May 5th, 2023 | 
Author: 
Tan Chuan-Jin
Recently I tweeted about how Georgians in large numbers had protested against their pro-Russian government’s attempt to introduce a bill requiring NGOs and media receiving more than 20% foreign funding to register as “foreign agents” and be subject to restrictions. The BBC report said that the proposed law was modelled on a similar law introduced in 2012 in Russia. However the model could equally well be Singapore’s Foreign Interference and Countermeasures Act (FICA) which in turn undoubtedly drew inspiration from Russia’s law.
A few days later I read that Georgia’s government had withdrawn the proposed legislation after huge street protests though the Opposition there had told their supporters not to relax yet as the government would likely try to reintroduce the legislation or something similar by a different route.
Of course Singaporeans have never had an independent media since LKY shut down the Singapore Herald and the Eastern Sun in the early 1970s and introduced the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act. The Broadcasting Act similarly gave the government a monopoly of TV and radio and made it an offence to receive foreign broadcasts via a private satellite dish. All media are state media, which is itself a misnomer since all editors and journalists can be hired and fired at the whim of the PAP, which, unlike the Chinese or Soviet Communist Parties, is solely the vehicle of one man and one family, a microcosm of the country which is just a family business. To use state resources to ensure favourable, indeed hagiographic, media coverage and to denigrate, belittle or destroy your opponents so you can stay in office and your wife or relatives can continue to enrich themselves on secret remuneration packages is by definition corrupt and has led to prosecutions in several countries with greater checks and balances than Singapore.
The trillion dollar question (or $3 trillion question to use my likely extremely accurate estimate of the reserves is why Singaporeans put up with it. As I have shown, every year the Budget is stuffed full of fake spending and tricks to divert Singaporeans’ money into the reserves. Apart from the wholly exceptional year of 2020, the Government takes more from Singaporeans than it gives to the tune of $30 billion or so a year. And that is before gains by Temasek, GIC, MAS and the host of other opaque state owned companies.
Unfortunately the quiescence of Singaporeans is mirrored by that of the Opposition MPs they choose to represent them. In this year’s Budget round-up speeches, supposedly neutral but of course PAP Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin praised the Budget debate for being “relatively genteel and civilised” while Indranee regurgitated the usual PAP claptrap about avoiding populism and “the politics of division”. Singaporeans should not be fooled. If the PAP are praising the Opposition for being genteel and civilised it means the Opposition are not doing their job. JBJ was never genteel and civilised. He never shied away from asking hard questions, like the current crop of WP MPs do. I remember him saying, after the PAP appointed him to a committee dealing with the comfort of members that he had been very bad at looking after the comfort of members, all of whom apart from him were PAP at that time. The proof that JBJ did his job well was LHL’s t attack on him in the insulting condolence letter he wrote to my brother and me, accusing JBJ of seeking “by all means to demolish the PAP and our system of government. Unfortunately, this helped neither to build up a constructive opposition nor our Parliamentary tradition”
Now we have an Opposition that pride themselves on being “constructive” and seem to want the PAP and LHL’s dynasty to stay in power forever. When the PAP Speaker and the Leader of the House praise the Opposition for being genteel and civilised what they really mean is that the Government has achieved its objective of not being forced to answer any difficult questions or give away any important information, let alone spend more of what should be a mountain of cash on improving peoples’ lives. When we have a Parliamentary Opposition that is intimidated by the PAP and fears losing their exceedingly generous tax-free MPs’ allowances, one that does not want to fulfil the constitutional role of an Opposition within a democracy and hold the Government accountable, that is when Singaporeans get a bad deal. The amount of the reserves goes unchallenged and the PAP get away with inflating the total spending figures in the Budget and diverting them into the reserves through a variety of dirty tricks. LHL’s and Lawrence Wong’s unproven assertions that Singaporeans need to pay more tax go unchallenged or the Opposition go to great lengths to prove that revenue can be raised by other sources, thus validating the PAP paradigm that state resources are almost exhausted due to the demands of feckless and greedy citizens who dare to fall ill or grow old.
To take just one example of how ineffectual our Opposition is, it was not until I told Sylvia Lim and Pritam Singh that they should ask a question about Ho Ching’s salary that the WP plucked up courage to do so. Sylvia Lim even tried to argue with me that it was disclosed in the Temasek Holdings Annual Review. Even then they failed to ask a direct question instead asking what the remuneration of the top three management was. They were far too easily fobbed off with contempt by Lawrence Wong who said that Temasek was a private company and having done what they felt was their duty promptly sat down and have not raised the issue since. WP have accepted the role that Indranee outlined for them in her speech, of “reflecting genuine ground concerns”, nothing more.
Singaporeans need to be less genteel and civilised and more like Georgians in demanding the truth from their Government and refusing to put up with repressive laws designed to entrench the PAP in power. and keep their leaders, spouses and relatives monopolising the top jobs and paying themselves billions while lying to the people about the resources available. I promise that if elected to Parliament I will, like my father, be neither genteel nor civilised but instead be dogged in pursuit of the truth, no matter the cost.
Kenneth Jeyaretnam
About the author: I’m a Singaporean economist who became an opposition activist. I blog to provide an alternative to the porkies that the Pinkies tell. It just so happens that my alternative is the truth. That’s why I’ve never been sued in any civil or criminal court no matter how hard hitting my criticism. I’m quoted and interviewed and asked to speak across the world but largely censored in Singapore in an effort to silence my political opinions. The left hate me because they think I split their vote and because I eschew their outmoded economic models. Models that don’t work. The Right and the Conservatives hate me because I’m a liberal. I’m not sure what the middle think of me. I don’t think there are more than a handful of people in the middle, here in Singapore. I’m a Singaporean born and bred, dual heritage, my parents Singaporean established here before the State of Singapore was created. I’m not Eurasian. I read economics at Cambridge and could be broadly described as from the Keynesian school but I believe in interventions. I was formerly a successful hedge fund manager. After economics and politics my greatest interests are history, film and Makan. I run but I run so I can eat like a Singaporean.
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Sgs are poor sheeple,always in trepidation rather than full of hopeful anticipation.
Even oppo MPs tread with trepidation in the HOUSE,what more daft sheeple.
Sheeple even think they need to produce cotton?
How to roar like lions??
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Great essay. Reminds us that ‘certain absolutes’ must be upheld. Without strong oversights and investigative powers, it is too easy for the government to hide wrong-doings. Unfortunately, a bulk of our Oppositions have lost any inkling of moral authority/moral power; lack the courage to be anything other than a profit motivated risk to the entire nation. Truly a sad state of affairs as far as I can see.
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Let me say again and again Mr. Kenneth Jeyaretnam must be sent into parliament for god’s sake.
A prolific writer with an exeptional execellent comand of the english language, no parliament in the commonwealth can do without him.
Not even Rishi Sunak measures up.
He will drop the jaws of the leader of the house and her bozo entourage.
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WP is a disappointment as a credible opposition.
While should never appose the Government for the sake of appose, need to show to do what it is supposed to do as opposition.
Give alternative views/ideas and champion the interest of the people ,especially the vulnerable and the poor.
WP need to do more or should give way to those that can…
No more excuse…
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We need good oppo sgs to carry honest and sincere CHECKS N BALANCE.
KJ,DR TAN,LMW,DR ANG,DR CHEE,PROF PAUL,LIM TEAN ,JEE SAY ,GMS N others are sgs who will synergise very meaningfully if they work in ONE TEAM in parliament.
It has been my hope these sgs come together by setting aside their individual differences which are insignificant compared to the objectives they could achieve for the CONMON GOOD OF SGS N EVEN OPPO SGS themselves.
It is saddening not to be able to see the oppo sgs *CONVERGE*.
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Yes, WP should give way to those that can help Singaporeans like PAP.
WP should just stop wayanging. WP is just a Wayang Party.
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that’s funny Kenneth – hahahaha
oh you were serious? let me laugh even harder – HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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Our “Parliament” is a club where members meet occasionally for some genteel and civilised chat or to have a peaceful, undisturbed nap. The only exceptional members at present are Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Phua. We need to usher in people like KJ, Dr Chee and Lim Tean – men with the passion and conviction to do right by the people of Singapore – to shake up this cosy arrangement.
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Kenneth thought Singaporeans are stupid.
Kenneth thought Singaporeans can be easily fooled to take to the street to protest while he hide away fine dining like Martin Lee, the CIA mole.
Man questioned Martin Lee fine dining with pastor
https://bit.ly/429oISn
I urged all Singaporeans to download this video and share it.
Do not be canon fodders for Kenneth or pastor while they hide away fine dining.
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In Singapore, the Opposition has to be careful as the PAP will pull them down in many ways. WP has its share of knocks from the PAP and some of its leaders are still facing possible police action over the RK’s case. I celebrate that they have resilience to remain as the Opposition and have increased their nos. in Parliament. They are sincere in serving the people and have adopted a style that outwits the PAP and shows the unpreparedness of the PAP MPs. KJ has raised good points but it is not his turf to dictate how the WP should represent the Public in Parliament. He can do it with his own party. The Public has failed itself when we refuse to elect the Opposition,all for the fear that our HDB estates will lose out on upgrading and the prices will fall. It is regrettable that KJ is critical of the Opposition and am suspicious of the intent. He is an excellent economist and should be voted into Parliament.Perhaps he should take on MacPherson Constituency.
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It is such betrayal for our ELECTED MPs/ministers to brand sgs as ungrscious anx xenophobic when,averagely,we have been much more gracious and welcoming than ALL THE ANGMOHS,INDIANS,PINOYS ,ETC who are dumoed here as FTs to take over the jobs sgs have had done more productively.
PLS KEE CHIU N APOLOGISE IN PARLIAMENT THOSE MPs n ministers who have PUBLICLY CALLED sgs such.
What LMW did in Parliament is so MILD as compared to elected PAP MPs/ministers oublicly calling us xenophibics,can any MPs decently deny?
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Look,our ministers are all over-hyping thenselves and being overhyped by the people.
Name one current minister here who has the stature n public service qualities of our 1G.
Me thinks Cambodia’s Dr Kao ,SG OF ASEAN,is head and shoulders above all our 4G.
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The speaker post shd not be a party handme down job!
It should be an arbiter, completely removed from partisanship.
I dare not suggest a retired judge caused ……..you know the answer, right?
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A Kentucky man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, the harshest penalty handed down to date, following hundreds of similar cases linked to the unrest.
A federal judge accused the man of acting as a “soldier against democracy”.
Safer to protest in HK.
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KJ makes good points. But the WP is a successful OP and people like their approach. Unfortunately people do not like KJ’s way. There’s a way to go about things in parliament. Outside parliament it is the people who need to stop giving the government blank cheques and to demand answers. Opposition politicians are then justified in taking these things up.
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The Chinese were never a united race. It’s not uncommon for each family member to turn on one another. Standing up for a political cause or to wrong a social injust is so rare throughout their history. No doubt dynasties were overthrown by peasant uprisings in the past. But often these uprisings occurred because the peasants were on the verge of dying. When pressed against the wall by corrupt cronies and an inapt Emperor, they saw how others around them were dying like flies, it finally dawned on them that they had to revolt just so that they and their children had a chance to live another day amidst the corruption and oppression.
But they never learned their lessons. Time and again the same story repeats itself throughout their long history. Corruption, cronyism and incompetent leaders…..beginning to sound familiar? That’s why in the competition of culture, civilisation and countries; Chinese culture, civilisation and China itself had been sacked so many times by foreign forces.
One thing that the West did right was to figure out a better way to tackle this problem of corrupted and incompetent leaders who colluded with scheming merchants and businesses to rip off the commoners. Yes, I am talking about democracy but it’s a only a better way because it’s not a guaranteed way to stop power hungry, greedy and corrupted leaders. Why? Because the commoners are daft and gullible. They willing pawn their dignities and their children’s future for some asset enhancements, Swiss standards of living and “more good years”. The dafts would rather break their own backs then make their leaders work harder with more honesty.
Don’t believe me….just see how hard our neighbour’s politicians are working for their lunches nowadays. https://coconuts.co/kl/news/surprise-visit-or-pr-opportunity-johors-chief-minister-takes-on-traffic-issues-at-border-checkpoints/
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Why they tried unsuccessfully to hack into the Opposition member’s iPhone, a ‘relatively genteel and civilised’ government no longer exists.
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Where is your link? Please provide irrefutable facts.
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For example, I can provide you irrefutable facts below.
Namibian President Humiliates German Diplomat Lecturing Him about China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QRi12ldhos
U.S Reporter Hates China in Africa Gets Schooled about the West’s Brutal Tactics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl3wQTVTPVo
Above two man are lying through their teeth singing praise of China.
This is The true face of Chinese
https://shorturl.at/vEKV3
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you so clever, you refute it.
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So difficult to provide a link ?
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/uniontown-man-sentenced-14-years-jan-6-riot/
Advancing to a tunnel entrance, Schwartz coordinated with two other rioters, Markus Maly and Jeffrey Brown, to spray an orange liquid toward officers clashing with the mob.
“While the stream of liquid did not directly hit any officer, its effect was to heighten the danger to the officers in that tunnel,” Bond wrote.
Verdict: Guilty. 14 years in prison.
Our Judge must follow this line of sentencing.
“While the arm swinging Singaporean man did not directly hit any officer, its effect was to heighten the danger to the officers near him.”
Verdict: Guilty. Singaporean man to serve 14 years in prison.
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A “rancorous, confrontational approach” by KJ might have been a good thing, but it is no longer a level playing field now. The evidence of the past 63 years leads me to conclude that one side of the current political spectrum tends to employ ‘unfair tactics’ that tend to vitiate any sort of serious debate. Castigating ‘the opposition’ with ‘ad hominem attacks’ might feel like a noble cause; might even seem worthwhile to them.
Of course, there is no doubt, value in attempting to understand the ‘greater good’ for the nation but looking through rose-colored glasses is not the answer. It isn’t about purple skies or blank cheques; but a deeply held emotive-philosophical belief about the role of WP. First they have to find a spine.
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https://sea.mashable.com/life/23501/malaysia-ranked-3rd-highest-in-world-for-crony-capitalism-by-the-economist
Russia reigns supreme at the top of the list of 18 Crony countries, with the Czech Republic in second place. Singapore landed in fourth place, where the billionaire profiteers of “crony sectors” make up 10% of the country’s GDP…. while singapore sheeples are one of the most transparent socioeconomic societies in the world! (Transparency International)
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Where do you crawl out from?
If you love this kind of behavior, you should be very happy with the communist party in China. Men and women of all ages joined the communist party to fight the political and social injustice under the warloads, rich brutal landlords and KMT.
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@Royale Craps
I disagree that WP does not have a spine.They will not be in Singapore’s Parliament. There have been MPs who have scooted in the past during LKY’s tenure. WP’s non confrontation approach is the best way to beat the PAP and it is working. The increasing Public support is testament to it. If you pay attention, they cover almost all their bases in a debate.An example is the LHY absconding issue that Shanmugam raised.All SL did was ask if a police order had been issued.The answer was negative. The debate ended then.So the rest of Shanmugam ‘s comments was for theatrical purpose. There was really no need to further respond. It takes restraint over emotions to win and also a discerning Public which is the actual audience. The PAP being in power for decades have forgotten who is the audience and think they are winning.
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“rancorous, confrontational approach” ?
Following the greatest Democracy America way of dealing with rioters, KJ and you both should be handed 14 years of prison term.
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/uniontown-man-sentenced-14-years-jan-6-riot/
extract:
Advancing to a tunnel entrance, Schwartz coordinated with two other rioters, Markus Maly and Jeffrey Brown, to spray an orange liquid toward officers clashing with the mob.
“While the stream of liquid did not directly hit any officer, its effect was to heighten the danger to the officers in that tunnel,” Bond wrote.
Verdict: Guilty. 14 years in prison.
Our Judge must follow this line of sentencing.
“While KJ and Royale Craps words did not directly hit any officer, its effect was to heighten the danger to officers by instigating others to be violence”
Verdict: Guilty. Singaporean man KJ and Royale Craps to serve 14 years in prison.
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TikTok tracked UK journalist via her cat’s account
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65126056
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“As US politicians rail against TikTok, politicians in Singapore are using it to their advantage”
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/us-politicians-rail-against-tiktok-politicians-singapore-are-using-it-their
Use stupid mobile apps, win stupid prizes.
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@SINGAROAR
It is frustrating as a guide for our current political situation precisely because those on the left—especially KJ, have been going to great pains to point out when PAP starts to praise you; it will be picked up and parroted in a snide and sarcastic form to attack WP’s weaknesses ie: genteel/politeness. Therefore, you must either fight them in an aggressive sense, and conquer them, or compromise in some manner, or submit to their will. These are the three choices.
To me the liberal view of KJ seems more nuanced and more in line with experience than the conservative view of WP, which seems more condescending. Therefore, it’s hard for me, a centrist, not to conclude that the liberal picture is ultimately more rational in some way than the conservative one.
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*genteel and civilised*.
Compliment or sarcasm?
Probably meant as *sheepish and timid*???
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”’10,000 trees to be planted to mark Lee Kuan Yew’s 100th birth anniversary”
LKY’s son , DIL and grandson were kicked out of the country SIX very short years after his death.
Probably NEVER able to return
Will LKY be very happy knowing the situation in the country?
Will he not be turning over in his grave?
What are we commemorating?
Papig 4.0—please do not live on reflected glory!
Try to achieve something on your own—no matter how small.
We know your ability is very limited —we do not expect much.
But do not waste time living in the past.
Thank you very much.
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@Royale Craps
If you do not follow any of the three choices that is predictable, you can create your own fields which you can control yourself. If any political party plays the PAP game they will lose. It is what Gandhi did in using no violence against the British to gain India’s independence. If the Indians had used weapons against the British, the British would have justified more killings.How long could the British keep shooting at unarmed men? The all powerful PAP party,in my opinion can only be brought down by being genteel and polite. This approach can change once there are 2/3rd Opposiition majority in Parliament.The leaders of the WP were grilled for hours during the RK’s saga. The Speaker of the House was also part of “the torture”. So it is excellent strategy by WP not to lose their “cool” and continue to represent the Public in Parliament.
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@SINGAROAR
Thought-provoking. Gandhi defies the stereotype of the positive freedom theorist as ‘authoritarian’ by stressing civil liberties. The extent of his affirmation of individual rights and civil liberty should be stressed. “Freedom of speech and civil liberty, “he asserted,” are the very roots of swaraj. Without these; the foundations of swaraj will remain weak.
We may argue the bounds of ‘veracious speech’, but my inclination is, always, to err on the side of greater freedom of speech. An idea is better aired, to fend for itself in an intellectual marketplace, than hidden away from examination. People tend to confuse power with force. Power is not having to use force.
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WP ,no matter what ,has failed as the leading opposition.
Its elected and PAID MPs are not much different from those PAP MPs.
Whats the real contribution to sgs?
So what if outnumbered?
Then why not attempt to form a true coalotion of oppo sgs?
Can WP take the lead?
Sure!
But does WP intend to ?
The answer is so damn clear.
WP are just skirting around real issues much like PAP MPs.
Both are WAYANGING.
We need n deserve REAL OPPO MPs.
We need sgs like Dr Tan,Dr Chee,Prof Paul,KJ,Dr Ang,Lim Tean,Jee Say who would be more sincere n willing to ask the hard questions for sgs’ COMMON GOOD.
There is overwhelming wayanging in the House and this comical act must not continue or more true blue sgs will suffer.
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”Mr Leong had asked for the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their families with a net worth of at least US$50 million (S$66 million) who have been granted Singapore citizenship annually since 2000.”
Why papigs Ministers think that they can choose not to answer questions?
”Sim Ann’s “stay tuned” reply to Leon Perera’s question on VERS draws flak from TikTokers”
All papig Ministers might as well give the STAY TUNED answer to every question.
We should just shut down Parliament and save taxpayers tons of money.
It is a very expensive place to run—does not seem to have any purpose.
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IMHO, the Parliament is in very bad shape, for democratic purpose. MPs have very limited time to speak. Furthermore, MPs are very restricted on what topic they can speak on. It’s almost as if MPs are taped across their mouths. It’s worse than a primary school classroom.
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