Heated exchanges between TT and TJS

[loveikan]

Not sure where to link this subject so created a new thread for it.

There is a video in the link below.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singa...102136263.html

Tony Tan, Tan Jee Say clash over ISA in heated exchange
By Alicia Wong | SingaporeScene – 35 minutes ago
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Tan Jee Say and Dr Tony Tan clash over the relevance of the Internal Security Act. (Terry Xu/The Online Citizen …
Presidential candidates Dr Tony Tan and Tan Jee Say clashed over the issue of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in a heated exchange during a dialogue forum held on Thursday held at the Fort Canning Centre.
Responding to a question by a participant over the arrest of 22 people under the ISA in 1987, investment advisor Tan Jee Say said, "I believe the ISA has outlived its usefulness."
"I don't even know if it was justified in the first place because the ISA has been used on political opponents and those who (are) on the other political side of the law," he said, adding that "the history is such that is has been used for political purposes".
At this point, Dr Tony Tan jumped in, stressing, "When one says this is used against political opponents, I think this is a very serious charge. You must be able to back it up."
Tan Jee Say shot back, "The people who have been detained have opposed the government. That's what I'm saying."
Dialogue moderator Viswa Sadasivan attempted to get the latter to withhold his comments until the debate session later but an agitated Tan said, "I have been attacked on my understanding of the English language. No, no Viswa, let's be fair, what's in his English dictionary about political opponents?"
Dr Tony Tan, who earlier stressed the reality of terrorism, did not respond to Tan Jee Say further.
On the 1987 case in question, 22 people were arrested under the ISA and charged for a Marxist conspiracy to replace the government with a Marxist state. The ISA allows the government to arrest and detain people without trial.
During that time, Dr Tony Tan and Dr Tan Cheng Bock were part of the government as Education Minister and head of the Feedback Unit respectively, while Tan Jee Say was principal private secretary to then deputy prime minister Goh Chok Tong.
Describing the ISA as a "very blunt instrument", Dr Tan -- who has also held posts of Defence Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Defence -- said before the heated exchange that "It should only be used in the most extreme circumstances and where the government really feels that there is such as need."
"I also feel that in the present world in which we live in, needs arise where the government will have to use the ISA and only in the most extreme of circumstances," he stressed.
"This is not a comfortable statement for people to receive but that is the reality of the world today and we have to keep society safe in Singapore. We have to keep our homes safe, our people safe."
On the Marxist conspiracy, he said the cases were "very carefully discussed" in the Cabinet but declined to divulge details as they are covered under the Official Secrets Act.
"I subscribe to the principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet. Whatever be the discussion in Cabinet, once the decision is made, it is the responsibility of the whole Cabinet to abide by the decision and take responsibility for it," said Dr Tan, noting that any future steps on the matter depends on the new information made available.
Watch the heated exchange here.

Meanwhile, Dr Tan Cheng Bock wanted to see new evidence before taking any action, while Tan Jee Say and Tan Kin Lian proposed a commission of inquiry to find closure to the matter.
The two-hour dialogue was organised by online news site The Online Citizen.
It was attended by some 20 participants, including socio-political blogger and civil society activist Alex Au, property agent and ex-journalist Teo Hwee Nak and lawyer Harpreet Singh.
Other topics covered include the evolving role of the Presidency, how each candidate would keep in touch with Singaporeans' if they are elected and who they would appoint to the Council of Presidential Advisers.
What do you think of the exchange between Tony Tan and Tan Jee Say?

[AlvinLeong]

YouTube Video

Kudos to TJS ! He who dare to speak up should be the President !

[dave6238]

Teh Tarek sounded like a PAP mouthpiece in the dialogue session..... what he said about ISA n terrorism are what MM Lee, SM Goh n MM Lee would say.... so how independent can he be as president?

[loveikan]

Kudos to him! Think he scored a point against the other three.

[loveikan]

Originally Posted by AlvinLeong

Thank you bro!

[richardg]

TT doesnt sound convincing.
Talks about 1987 when there wasnt any "terrorist" threat here and then led to Oslo which shldnt even be classified as terrorism as so much a lone mad man. Blame it on their gun laws lor.
Incoherent argurment imho which didnt even answer the qn.

[hkh]

Enough of eating white porridge....let's add some spices instead....

[Aroboy II]

TSJ salute you man!

[Aris]

Like LHL, he did not answer the question but brought everyone on a tour to Norway. Next time he should not be invited if that is all we getting out of him.