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Old 29-04-2011, 06:28 AM   #61
ymmij
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An Email from a Moulmein resident about PAP's Lui Tuck Yew.
I am forwarding you an email I sent to the incumbent MP for Moulmein, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, and his subsequent reply. (They are reversed in order below). I have only deleted my name/addresses and Mr Lui's address for the sake of privacy in the event that you may wish to forward this to your own friends. I trust you will not use this email to "flame" (hope I used the term correctly), but instead to educate and perhaps generate informed discussion.

I am sending my friends this because I feel that it is important that you hear what happened to me personally, and how Mr Lui reacted to me during what I thought was a simple, agreeable conversation. Those of you who know me well know that I do not go around deliberately antagonising people or creating trouble of any kind. So the flow of the conversation that took place left me shocked, and I must admit, sad. Mr Lui explains his "disengagement" in his reply attached below. I will leave you to read the whole story and the two emails and then come to your own conclusions.

First, the background to this whole incident.

I have been a resident of Moulmein my whole life, and not once have I ever had the chance or privilege to vote. So you can imagine how excited I was when I realised that there may be a strong possibility that Moulmein would be contested this time round. Prior to Mr Lui being the walkover MP, our MP was Mr Khaw Boon Wan. If Mr Khaw had still been our MP, I would most likely have voted for him as Mr Khaw had made his presence felt strongly in Moulmein, even at a social level, and it had always been a very reassuring presence. Mr Lui, on the other hand, has not had much of a presence.

So, on a recent walkabout in Moulmein, I happened to have what I thought at the time, was the privilege, to meet Mr Lui and get to know him better. He started off very friendly and handed me the Moulmein newsletter. He asked how long I'd been living here, and I let him know that I have been in Moulmein my whole life, and that this was the first time I may get a chance to vote. His immediate reaction was, "Yes, blame the Opposition! I don't know what they ..." and he went on to say something more which I couldn't hear because my brain was trying to process the fact that he had actually openly said, "Blame the Opposition" in a serious tone, laced with annoyance. He might have sensed my confusion (I'm guessing here). I then changed topic and pointed out to him that I had felt Mr Khaw's presence much more than his, and I requested for him to let me hear some of what he had done for Moulmein.

He told me to refer to the newsletter. I then said that I really wanted to hear from him, and not read what other people (ie his grassroots team) had created. He immediately started listing all the playgrounds they had done up (there was always the word "We") and spoke about a unique-to-Moulmein schools programme, which I liked very much. I interrupted him a few times to clarify a few things he had said.

I next asked him to let me know why I should vote for him. (I'm serious about voting, and I have thought this through so carefully. I told myself that no matter what, it was my duty to try and understand each candidate and approach them one-to-one before I cast my vote. And it was, and still is, my resolve to ask each candidate this question - why I should vote for them.)

I'm now going to recount the dialogue word-for-word as it is still clearly playing itself over and over in my head:
Me: Could you please tell me why I should vote for you?

Mr Lui: You should NOT vote for the Opposition because they ...

Me: The Opposition? No, I want to know about you. Please tell me why I should vote for you.

Mr Lui: You should vote for the PAP because we ....

Me: The PAP? No, no. I'm not interested in the PAP or the Opposition. I'm interested to know about you. Why should I vote for you?

At this point, Mr Lui shot me a look of pure anger, waved his hand about in the air, declaring, "We could spend all night talking about me!", pointed to the newsletter and snapped, "It's all in the the newsletter!" He then swung round and stormed off.

I remember standing there, in total shock, wondering what on earth I had done wrong to deserve such an intense reaction. I watched as he couldn't get beyond two or three steps as he was stopped by someone else wanting to meet him. I watched as he switched on his smile, said a few polite words, thrust the newsletter into her hand and disappeared, still angered. (Those who know me well, know I did my MA in nonverbal language, and know how accurate I am with "vibes".) I watched as his posse scurried after him, not one of them daring and/or caring to turn to look at me or say goodbye, not one of them.

I had asked a simple question. I was not expecting rocket science for an answer or any deep psychological profile to be shared. Just a simple answer from the heart would have sufficed, or even a more measured response. But not anger, never in a million years would I have thought anyone would have, or could have, responded to my simple question with anger.

And I feel sad.

Sad that after all these years, what people have been saying has finally been proven true to my face, literally.

I then turned to the Moulmein newsletter, ploughed through it in the hope that perhaps there was a lot about Mr Lui in the newsletter. No, there wasn't. Not a thing. Instead, I was left very impressed with the Moulmein Citizens Consultative Committee, the various Neighbourhood Committees and the Residents' Committees - all of which I am sure will not disappear if there is a change in leadership.

So I sat down, and penned an email, which I have since sent, to Mr Lui. I chose to be polite and measured in the email, and not angry nor accusatory because to be angry would have been to stoop to Mr Lui's response towards me, and that would not do anyone any good. If he's going to continue as Minister (and it does look like he's on the PAP fast-track if he's voted back in), then really, he needs to hear, he needs to understand, he needs to be educated. And he needs to learn how to answer simple, non-threatening questions!

It's such an irony that prior to the dissolution of Parliament, he was the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts.

You'll find the email below, and Mr Lui's response (in reverse order), which I just received a short while ago.

If you should choose to share my experience with any of your friends who need or would wish to read this, I request that you not include my email address and name.
Lui Tuck Yew replies:
Dear [Name Redacted] ,

i am sure this may not apply to you given that you have now taken the trouble to write this note but unfortunately I encounter some people whose minds are made up and whose main intent seem to be to slow us down in our outreach. And nothing, we say, no explanation we give whether to do with cost of living, etc will ever be good enough.
The pragmatic way to deal with this is simply to disengage at an opportune moment.
Dont worry, it didnt leave a sour note with me nor a poor impression of you.

Regards,

Lui Tuck Yew

Sent from my iPad

First Email sent:
On Apr 21, 2011, at 10:18 PM, "[Name Redacted]" wrote:

Dear Mr Lui,

We met briefly at the walkabout at [Location Redacted] last evening. Unfortunately, I seem to have upset and angered you which was not my intention at all.

If I appeared rude or aggressive in any way, then I apologise. I don't usually take too well to answers that are off-tangent, they tend to confuse me, and I always re-direct answers back to my original question which often means that I can appear too direct or clinical and therefore somewhat aggressive. As a teacher by training, I have always emphasised the importance and merits of listening carefully and answering to the point questions that are addressed to my students.

I hope you understand that this is the first time in my life as a Singaporean I may be asked to vote. I take that responsibility very, VERY seriously, weighing all factors involved. Each political party has its own aims and objectives and track record (or none where some of the opposition are concerned) all of which I am very well aware of. The ONE thing which is not clear, and which is difficult to determine, is the individual politician - the person who will represent me in my constituency. It is this individual politician that I am genuinely interested to know. I need to know and understand what this individual can bring to the table.

That is why I was so keen for you to convince me why I should vote for you. Not why I should not vote for the opposition. Not why I should vote PAP. But why I should vote for you. I was genuinely interested to hear your answers. Instead, not only did I not get direct a reply from you, I caused you to turn away in anger. Maybe it was the end of a very long day for you, maybe my tone and questions threw you off-centre. Either way, it left a sour note behind, I believe, for both of us.

Right after you left, I immediately sat down to read the Moulmein newsletter cover to cover (the bits in English) exactly as you suggested I should do to find out more about you. Unfortunately, it doesn't shed any light on your as an individual or as the leader of Moulmein. It tells me instead about the wonderful grassroots teams and wonderful committees that have come up with truly great ideas, which I like very much. But it doesn't tell me about you. And so I am still left clueless.

The questions I asked you will be the same questions I will be asking whoever decides (if at all) to stand against you in the elections. If the opposition candidate is equally stumped and/or angered by me, then you can rest assured that I will be forced to find another way to come to a decision well-thought through.

Before I end, I would like to stress that I am not against the PAP in any way, nor am I for any particular opposition party. I am merely a Singaporean, proud and excited at the thought of a chance at finally being able to exercise my right to vote.


With Regards
[Name Redacted]

Source: http://singaporeelection.blogspot.co...ting-with.html
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Old 29-04-2011, 10:00 AM   #62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ymmij View Post
whose main intent seem to be to slow us down in our outreach
If he view residents or citizens queries as intent to slow down his outreach, might juz simply dun go round and juz broadcast at the coffeeshop TV.

Quote:
The pragmatic way to deal with this is simply to disengage at an opportune moment.
Sounds like "throwing the driver out" by someone juz spoke.

Why vote for ppl that have no time for the citizens or residents?

They seems to be from the same sch. The horse in Tampines also behave the same way.
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Old 29-04-2011, 02:19 PM   #63
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If you have read, the reply by the pap guy was really arogant.

To put it crudely, damn Quai Lan ....
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Old 29-04-2011, 10:14 PM   #64
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Guest essay by Loh Peiying

I am 20 and I cannot vote.

To be honest, I was never really bothered with politics. I had a father who was very political but that was as far as it went. He would always nag at me for being so apathetic. Like everyone my age, there are more fun things I could do with my life. I can watch Glee, spend hours painting my nails or queue for a cup of bubble tea from KOI. I lead a comfortable life, I have a spot in the university… what more could I ask for. Why should I even care?

Worrying

At my age, few care about politics. Exams are stressful enough. But now I’m tweeting and sharing political news almost 24/7 like nobody’s business. Some of my friends think I am crazy.

What sparked off this interest in politics? Nothing much really. Perhaps it was boredom during lectures at University. I made a radical decision to ‘like’ The Online Citizen on Facebook which has been updating me daily with alternative news. All this information merely compounded what I already knew from my father.

The more I read, the more concerned I became. I do not know where even to begin with what is wrong. So instead of making a list of reasons, I shall share my personal experiences instead.

Recently I saw an advertisement for a three-room flat near my place. It was going for over S$400,000. That scared me. The amount set off alarms in my head. I went to ask my father for more details. He told me he had bought our current five room flat in 1983 for S$123,000, but today’s market value for it is approximately $650,000. That’s just insane. I know life is not meant to be a bed of roses, I know I would have to work hard, but these prices seem insurmountable. Moreover, I believe the prices will continue to climb if nothing effective is done to solve the rising costs of living. Does that mean that to have my own place, I have to live an eternity of debt? What about kids? Do I even dare consider raising any?

What about others who are less fortunate than I am? What are they going to do?

I have some friends who aren’t as lucky as me. They did fairly well for their A Levels or their GPAs but it was not enough to make the cut for our local universities. I understand that the system is based on merit and that is fair and justified. What I cannot stomach is the number of foreign students studying in our local universities, on our money. What gives our government the confidence that these people will stay and ‘integrate’?

While I was doing a stint as a relief teacher, an elderly cleaning lady came up to me and complained that students were pouring paint into the sinks and clogging up the plumbing. She implored me in Chinese, “Please tell your students not to do this anymore. We lead a very hard life you know. Each month I only earn $500, it is tough enough already.”

What? $500? She is so much older than me and my salary then was more than twice hers. Her work is so much more taxing and how is $ 500 enough to survive?

There is this old lady near my block. She is always hunched, pushing a trolley and picking up cardboard boxes. Once I saw her fighting viciously with another old man for a cardboard box. Is this our so-called modern and First World society? I am sure she’s not the only one in Singapore living like this.

Why are there people like her living on the streets, while our ministers earn so much? What justifies this gulf of disparity and why aren’t they doing anything? This makes me so angry. How can we just stand by and watch – and not do anything?

Being paid so much, there should be accountability. Is there?

I have become disillusioned with the ruling elite in the ways that they trample on our rights as citizens and cut our vocal cords on politics. There is something very morally wrong with the way we are governed.

Why this election

Whoever said, “do not underestimate the power of the social media” seriously was not joking. Ask any young person and he will tell you that Facebook is his death knell. We surf the internet for hours when we should be studying. Yet at the same time, social media has allowed me to hear the opposition’s voice where it has been hushed in the Straits Times.

I would probably still be living in ignorance if not for Facebook.

Things in Singapore already seem pretty bad but to make things worse, the new People’s Action Party (PAP) candidates take it on to a whole new level of scary. If candidates like Tin Pei Ling are going into parliament, we ought to be very worried. She has failed to show the critical depth that is needed to handle national issues. When I showed a friend Tin Pei Ling’s introductory video, he commented that she sounds like a brainwashed robot.

The recent reports circulating on the internet involving Lui Tuck Yew also raised some eyebrows. How can someone like him lead the people? Members of Parliament (MP) are here to serve the people, not the other way around. Also, PAP’s Desmond Choo mentioned on the news that “progress” to him was to make a resident in Hougang hesitate voting for the Worker’s Party. What is up with that? Is defeating the opposition his main goal? Can this be an indication of the type of mentality that runs within the ruling elite?

In contrast, the opposition holds so much more appeal for me. For one, they are not pretentious. Their sincerity is apparent in their videos. They know what it is like to be an average Singaporean, they have got credibility, and last but not the least, they are sacrificing so much for us. The Workers’ Party’s First World Parliament proposal and manifesto is very impressive. Also, Nicole Seah has really moved me and many youths with her ability to speak up for my generation. We are all fans, buzzing with admiration.

Building up to the election, the blunders made by the PAP are bigger and the challenges we face as a nation are larger. Sometimes it feels like there is no space to breath. This cannot keep up. It cannot go on.

Volunteering

I’m not here to represent all of the youth in Singapore, and I am not much different from them.

Being a History Major, I have learned that young people are a catalyst for change. Many of my friends are already frustrated with the system. We are saying, “Enough is enough”.

The opposition needs help. The odds are stacked heavily against them. The PAP always emphasize the need to vote wisely and to beware of a ‘freak result’. But as Mr. Brown sings, “bookies confirm don’t play because we already know who’s the winner.”

Some of my friends actually believe that I’m going to get called up by the ISD or have my face printed all over the papers. Such ridiculous thoughts really make me laugh, but at the same time, it gives me an inkling of the fear and apathy that exists.

As V from the movie V for Vendetta says, “People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.” The first step is to get alternative voices into parliament as checking mechanisms and to ensure accountability. There are good candidates in the opposition who can represent people like me and be this alternative voice. I want democracy but democracy is nothing without options.

So if I cannot vote, I will do the next best alternative. Volunteer.



Right before I submitted the volunteer form to the Workers’ Party, I was actually watching Martyn See’s compilation of the IMF incident with Chee Soon Juan and his sister, Chee Siok Chin. The police were trying so desperately to stop Chee Soon Juan and Chee Siok Chin from demonstrating. They surrounded the two and linked arms, entrapping them with human barricades so they could not walk. I cried a little because I was so embarrassed by the huge spectacle the government made. But I also cried because I felt helpless.

I chose to help the Workers’ Party because I believe in their cause. Although I personally disapprove of their silence on the issue of gay rights, I think they are still our best bet.

When the Workers’ Party called for volunteers on Facebook, I hesitated. I opened and closed the link at least 5 to 6 times before actually filling it out for submission. I was scared like everyone else my age yet it is so silly because I know that there is nothing to be afraid of. I don’t want to live in fear anymore. This is my country and I’m merely exercising my rights as a citizen.

I love Singapore and I want to make it better. A lot better.

Source: http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/20...itical-apathy/
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Old 01-05-2011, 11:59 PM   #65
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GE 2011: Vote for change

YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.
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Old 02-05-2011, 12:08 AM   #66
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ymmij View Post
GE 2011: Vote for change

YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.
This video is so much better than simi hollywood blockbusker movie.....
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Old 02-05-2011, 12:27 AM   #67
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Good , exercise yr rights ,it should be the garment afraid of people and not ppl afraid of garnment
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Old 04-05-2011, 12:20 PM   #68
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PAP's Cynthia Phua And Her Most Famous Moment as an Aljunied MP

Today I will tell you a story. It is a sad story, so sad that it could almost be a Taiwanese soap opera. Unfortunately, it is not fiction, but a true story. (And here is the SPH newspaper report to prove it).

Once upon a time, there was a woman who lived in Aljunied (we don't know her real name, so let's just call her Julie). She was 53 years old, and she had a 17-year-old son (again we don't know his real name - so we'll just call him Ah Teck).

Julie was poorly educated. She had only studied up to Primary 6. She worked as a part-time cleaner, earning $400 a month to support herself and Ah Teck. Meanwhile, Ah Teck had low IQ and was attending a special school for mentally handicapped kids. He also had thalassemia, a blood disorder.

Ah Teck's father had run away several years ago and could no longer be found. So there was absolutely no financial help from him.

One day in January 2009, Julie was at work. She was standing on a chair to clean a fan. Suddenly, she slipped and fell. She broke her wrist. Thereafter Julie lost her job, for she could no longer perform her cleaning duties.

The money soon ran out and they could not pay their HDB mortgage instalments. So Julie and Ah Teck were about to lose their home - the HDB was taking action to repossess it. The HDB agreed to rent her another flat. But Julie did not even have $138 to pay for the rental deposit.

So Julie and Ah Teck decided to go to see their MP in Aljunied. They hoped that the MP would sign an appeal letter for them, to waive the $138 rental deposit. They went to the town council and had a chance to meet Aljunied MP Cynthia Phua (yes, the same Cynthia Phua now running for Aljunied again, together with George Yeo).

What went on in the office, we do not know for sure. Cynthia later claimed that the conversation was cordial and went well. Her fellow PAP MP Lim Hwee Hua even claimed that Cynthia behaved in a manner that was "very helpful" and "very motherly". But we hear a different side of the story from Julie, and it goes like this:

".....shortly after they had entered the office, Madam Phua asked her son a series of questions: 'She asked him, 'Who are you? What are you doing? Why aren't you working?' .... The mother said she wanted to explain her son's condition, but wasn't given a chance. 'I felt like we were being scolded,' she said.

Whatever Cynthia Phua had actually said, we know that Ah Teck must have felt very humiliated and insulted. Perhaps it was not merely the words, but the tone, the demeanour, the body language. Whatever the case may be, we know how Ah Teck must have felt. That's because right after he walked out of Cynthia's office, he lost his temper in a big way. Ah Teck picked up a foldable chair, and slammed it twice on a door.

There was a small commotion, other people quickly restrained the boy and calmed him down. And then Julie went home, taking her mentally-handicapped son with her.

The story might have ended there, but it did not. Cynthia made a police report. Later that night, the police arrived and arrested Ah Teck. Criminal charges were brought against him.

Two days later, Julie went to see the MP again, clutching a handwritten letter of apology from her son. We are told that in this letter, Ah Teck wrote the following words: "'Please fodgive me for what I dad I am sinelely truely I'm sorry". (Note that Ah Teck has low IQ - that would be why his writing skills are so poor).

But there was no forgiveness. There was no kindness. PAP MP Lim Hwee Hua rejected the apology and refused to ask the police to withdraw the case.

Hwee Hua further claimed that Ah Teck's chair "could have killed somebody". (Personally, I think that the only thing you can kill by hitting a door with a chair is the door. Or the chair).

Charges were pressed and the hapless Ah Teck was required to appear in court on a certain date - 12th May 2009.

What happened next is not publicly known. I have surfed and googled, but the media does not seem to have followed up on the story and I cannot get any more information. This is probably because the boy was underage. In Singapore, juvenile court proceedings are generally shielded from the public eye and reporters are kept out of the courtroom.

So the story ends here - because we really don't know what happened next.

What I hope is that Ah Teck did not get some criminal conviction that would stain his record, and make his already-bleak future even more difficult.

I also hope that both Julie and Ah Teck had the good fortune to meet a judge who could understand their hardship and empathise with their daily struggles for money and a roof over their heads.

And I hope that the judge treated Ah Teck with more kindness and compassion, than the Aljunied PAP MPs had done.

Since the General Elections are here again, it is also my hope that you will take a few moments to reflect on the above incident.

Especially if you are in the Aljunied GRC, please vote wisely .... for MPs who are kind and compassionate, and who genuinely want to help their residents.
Posted by Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang

Source: http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/201....html?spref=fb
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Old 04-05-2011, 12:32 PM   #69
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Both of their replies to the reporter is very contradicting.

What I read were both Lui and Cynthia commented that they do not wanted to pursue the problems further but when told that they their people had already reported to the police. Both of them added that they cannot do anything about it which I doubt so.

That are definitely in a position to stop their people from reporting to the police.
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Old 04-05-2011, 03:27 PM   #70
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though i am very against the influx of FTs, i still treat them like a fellow being and have never look at them with a different perspective.

i was having lunch with a PRC colleague. shes a 24yr old gal who just graduated from NTU and now working in a MNC while waiting for PR approval.

just started a casual topic like, wad do u like about this country and how are u coping

so we get the standard reply. wad stuns me, was the answer to my next question.

me: " so wad makes u decide to come here"
PRC: " i didnt"

me: " wa, ur parents force u here or ur bf is here"
PRC: "neither, ur SG gahment invited us here"

me: " huh, wad do u mean"
PRC: " ur MOE went to our school in our village and told us they URGENTLY need students here, infact they were hardselling the whole scheme and many of us signed up"

me: " huh, wad did they offer"
PRC: " they offer us, ALL Expenses paid for our fees in NTU, including lodging and we even get pocket money"

me: *mouth open
PRC: "on top of that, they have send me the INVITATION letter to apply for PR after we grad"

i seriously begin to wonder the magitude of the FT problem has many more sides that many of us do not know,

i lose my pride as a sgporean after hearing this and i really wonder do they really care ?

if u give a PR who starts a business here and bring jobs to sgporeans, by all means.

BUT if u choose to so-call groom a FT and seemingly used up tax payers money to fund it, i totally do not understand the reason why.

my guess is, they bring in more FTs, give them the candy and they bring in more FTs, which i belive is working because she told her friends about this scheme and many of her friends are here now, at the expenses of home-grown sgporeans.

i myself was deprived the chance of studying in a local U.

but yet a villager from a faraway land with no visible society contributions gets the chance of studying here, all expenses PAID.

are we really worth this much to the gahment ?

is it really we got not enough pple here to study in NTU ? then why are they rejecting sgporeans who meet the pre-requisites ?

Source: http://www.mycarforum.com/index.php?...c=2663008&st=0

Last edited by ymmij; 04-05-2011 at 03:29 PM.
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