TR EMERITUS

Lee Hsien Yang (LHY) has declared himself a political refugee from Singapore, the land of his birth. The land his father and his team had built up. UK is currently the land he seeks protection from. He has gone back to his colonial masters for refuge. “I sought asylum protection in 2022. The Singapore Government’s attacks against me are in the public record. They prosecuted my son, brought disciplinary proceedings against my wife, and launched a bogus police investigation that has dragged on for years.” “On the basis of these facts, the UK has determined that I face a well-founded risk of persecution, and cannot safely return to Singapore.” Well, the optics will divide the minds of Singaporeans, left and right. Perception is everything. The glasses we wear determine what we want to see, and confirm what we want to believe in. Everyone has a pair, and they vary in degree, literally. Some take the time to do regular check up to keep the lenses in focus on the details that matter. Others prefer lenses that are long due for adjustments because they have already decided on what they want to focus on. The dark side of success is that you risk a society being divided into those who will not question you and those who will not stop questioning you. Suspicion is the soil that nourishes the later, and devotion is the soil that nurtures the former. Either extremes risk destabilising society. It’s the difference between dry matches ready to light at the touch of heat and wet matches that stay unlit even in places most humid. Human nature embraces equality. They are at rest when their neighbours are no better than them. They are restless when they have reasons to compare class and status with their neighbour and suspect special patronage. Look at the countless numbers of sibling rivalries and you get more than a glimpse of what I mean. It is the same with success, for it is fiercely exclusive. The accumulation of it transforms the leadership to become skittish and protective. It can turn a leader into a nervous wreck. Status quo is a cursed condition, especially when it has been one-party dominant for more than half a century. It does not fit into our idea of what is frank and fair election or transparent and honest leadership. Perception is infinitely elastic, volatile; reality is grounded, largely unseen. Like the deep secrets of the Order of the Knight Templars or the exclusive gatherings of King Arthur’s round table knights, there is just something lurking in the cabinet, a secret hidden in political catacombs, as perception goes. Going back to LHY, for context, he is what you would call an all-rounder. He would have been the perfect son of Singapore. He is a scholar. He studied in the best universities (Cambridge and Stanford). At a commanding height, he led SingTel as CEO, Fraser and Neave as non-executive director, and CAAS as its chairman. And to top that all up, he was a brigadier general. Schools, army and workplace, you name it, LHY has done it all and scored a perfect 10. He could have retired more than comfortably embracing what the status quo had enabled him to achieve. But after a passing and a death wish denied, he and his sister left a place of perpetual rest to a place of perpetual unrest. Alas, he lacked nothing, but one. It’s what money cannot buy. Neither status nor titles can bankroll. He will struggle to find peace again. Whether he is running away from his ghosts or from a brother he thinks has an axe to grind, I suppose every year he will be watching the NDP from afar (he will still be with family though). And he would recall a time the place of his birth was his home. A safe refuge. It has given him so much. Now, the only person left is someone he deeply distrusts. To him, his home is now no more than a dry empty husk.   Michael Han * The author blogs on Facebook.    Read More →

Ever since PAP came into power in 1959, party which had fought for "Democracy" has actually turned into the Demonic Monster of Democracy. Most people have lost count of total number of Political Detainees and Refugees (who have seek refuge or asylum elsewhere on Earth) but I have seen a whole list of ISD political detainees prepared by Function 8. I believe even this list isn't exhaustive. As for Political Refugees, there are many unaccounted for but there are just a few prominent ones in my era: 1) Tan Wah Piow 2) Francis Seow 3) Tang Liang Hong 4) Lee Hsien Yang For a tiny little country like Singapore, I believe we have a very high number of Political Refugees per capital. PAP gov has always tried to defend itself from the negativity optics arise from the "confirmation" of Political Refugees status by other countries. However, when we are getting so many registered as political Refugees, most of us no longer find it strange that dissidents would be granted such status. The implications of a foreign country granting Political Refugee status to prominent individual like Mr Lee Hsien Yang is actually enormous. It is basically a big slap on PAP Gov when a country like UK which is supposed to be one of our traditional allies, has basically agreed and confirmed that PAP Gov has literally "persecuted" the son of the ruling party's founder, LKY! This is the reason why I find it shocking. By granting LHY the status of Political Refugee based on the reasons he has put up, it basically means that the UK Gov has agreed that all these legal matters could be regarded as part of deliberate political persecution. Most Singaporeans of my age or older would not find it difficult to accept political persecution as part and parcel of PAP rule but it is time for us to reflect, rethink and decide whether we should allow such "norms" to continue. A Norm doesn't mean it is Normal or acceptable. It's Time To Change. Yes We Can.   Goh Meng Seng      Read More →

aka THE LAST WISH OF LEE WEI LING, LEE KUAN YEW AND CHINESE EMPERORS OF YORE It's no surprise the recent passing of Lee Wei Ling brings back the issue of the fate of the late Lee Kuan Yew's residence to hit social media again. LKY had wished that after his death, and after his daughter Wei Ling no longer resides there, 38 Oxley Road is to be demolished. Singaporeans understood, and respected LKY's well-known disdain for any monument or memorial of any kind in his name. The government of Singapore, under the premiership of Lee Hsien Loong, had made the decision to retain the house as a heritage site against the wishes of LKY. An acrimonius sibling fued arose with elder son Hsien Loong standing with the government decision, and Wei Ling and younger son Lee Hsien Yang adamant on honouring their father's dying wish. The disagreement has torn apart the family of Singapore's first Prime Minister. But I wonder in every Singaporean houshold where they have younger ones, how do they explain to their children. I wish for them the matter can be resolved and the surviving brothers can find closure. It is really sad that the matter has to come to the stage that a daughter had to speak from the grave through a request to her younger brother Hsien Yang to include in his eulogy an appeal to Singaporeans to help honour their father's wish for the demolition of the house. Try to wrap your mind around this. In the last couple of years battling progressive supranuclear palsy (a Parkinson-like illness) when death was imminent and with a ravaged body, her thought was on the fulfillment of her father's final wish for the demolition of the house. Some folks may be asking why is this such a big deal. Unless one appreciates Chinese culture, the point is lost. This has been a dagger at the heart of one of the highest moral values of Chinese culture - filial piety. In ancient Chinese history, many emperors had their last wishes granted posthumously. Most of these wishes involved burial arrangements, succession plans, or political instructions. Some last wishes shaped the actions of their successors and affected the course of Chinese history. I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of these. Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BCE) The first emperor of a unified China and founder of the Qin Dynasty, Shi Huang Ti wished to be buried with a vast army of terracotta warriors to protect him in the afterlife. His wish was granted, and the Terracotta Army was constructed in his tomb near Xi'an. This army of life-sized figures, consisting of soldiers, horses, and chariots, was discovered in 1974 and stands as one of the most remarkable archaeological finds in history. It must have cost the Treasury significantly, but the fiscal spending must also have increased their GDP as hordes of workers must have increased domestic consumption with their wages. Emperor Wen of Han (203–157 BCE) Emperor Wen of Han was known for his benevolence and frugal rule. His final wish left in a will was for a simple burial. He emphasized that there should be no extravagant funerary goods or large-scale constructions for his tomb. His son, Emperor Jing of Han, honored this request by ensuring a modest tomb with fewer adornments, aligning with his father's Confucian ideals of simplicity and restraint. Hmmm I hear an echo here somewhere. Emperor Wu of Han (156–87 BCE) Wu, one of the longest-reigning emperors of the Han Dynasty, was remorseful for certain military campaigns and extravagant spending toward the end of his reign. In his final years, he issued an edict to limit the power of court officials and reduce the financial burden on the people. His successor, Emperor Zhao of Han, honored this wish by implementing reforms that stabilized the economy, reduced military campaigns, and reduced taxes on the population. Emperor Xian of Han (181–234 CE) During the Three Kingdoms era, the last emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Xian, was a puppet ruler under the power behind the throne, warlord Cao Cao. He was eventually forced to abdicate and the throne given to Cao Cao's son Cao Pi.. Xian was allowed to live as a noble. Not quite sure if that was due to the magnanmity of Cao Cao or a matter of appeasement to the remaining loyal officials. Emperor Xian’s request was to be buried with honor after his death. Even though the Han Dynasty had ended, Cao Pi ensured that Xian was given a respectful posthumous title and burial. Emperor Taizong of Tang (598–649 CE) Taizong, one of the greatest emperors of the Tang Dynasty. He had a wish for his favorite general, Li Shiji, to help his son and successor, Emperor Gaozong, in matters of state after his death. After Taizong's death, Li Shiji faithfully served under Gaozong, fulfilling his former emperor's last request, helping the young Gaozong stabilise the empire. Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1638–1661 CE) Shunzhi's deathbed wish was for his third son, the young Kangxi Emperor, to succeed him under the regency of trusted officials, including his own uncle, Oboi. The regents placed Kangxi on the throne at the age of 7 and helped him ride the throes of palace intriques and power struggles during his youth, thus maintaining stability till Kangxi eventually took control and became one of the most successful emperors in Chinese history. Emperor Yongle of Ming (1360–1424 CE) Yongle was one of the most influential emperors of the Ming Dynasty. he wanted his massive naval expeditions, led by Admiral Zheng He, continue after his death to project Chinese power and expand trade routes. For several years after Yongle's death, his successors continued his wish, allowing Zheng He to complete further voyages, although the expeditions were eventually halted by later emperors. Emperor Hongzhi of Ming (1470–1505 CE) Hongzhi was a careful and competent emperor. His dying wish was for his son, Zhengde, to maintain his reformist policies, reduce corruption, and care for the people. Emperor Zhengde respected his father’s legacy for a while. Unfortunately, he later turned dishonourable and became extravagant and irresponsible. So Hongzhi's wish was partially honoured Emperor Guangxu of Qing (1871–1908 CE) The hated Empress Dowager Cixi casted a powerful shadow over the last years of the Qing Empire. She was the effective power behind the throne. Emperor Guangxu was largely controlled by her. Guanxi expressed a wish for reform and modernization having actively pushed for the Hundred Days’ Reform in 1898, seeking to modernize China’s political and educational systems. During his lifetime, Cixi stifled many of the emperor's reforms. After his death, honourable officials were the late reformers who eventually implemented several of his reforms whcih continued into the early Republican era. The shift toward modern governance and institutions aligned with his wishes. THE EMPEROR IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR Baring no malice and within confines of legality, our sense of decency demands the dying wish of someone dear to be carried out as best we can. It is not just a matter of honouring the dead, but a message to the living of what encompasses responsibility and discipline.   Patrick Low * Article first appeared on Down The Rabbit Hole.      Read More →