12 Apr 2006

MM Lee's blunt talk on Opposition, GE

The election campaigning is in full flow. The PAP wheel out their big guns to undermine the opposition. If I could ask one question to Lee, it would be -

"When will opposition politicians/parties be given one full hour of mass media exposure in the run up to the 10th general elections?"

Wednesday • April 12, 2006

Lee Ching Wern
chingwern@newstoday.com.sg


A SINGAPORE completely devoid of opposition — is this really what Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew (picture) wants?

Why did the People's Action Party (PAP) have to sue political opponents like J B Jeyaratnam to the point of bankruptcy? Is Mr Lee pulling the strings in the Government led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong?

As Singapore gears up for its 10th General Election since independence, the Minister Mentor answers these candid questions in a television forum Why My Vote Matters — A Dialogue with the Minister Mentor.

The forum, which will telecast on Channel NewsAsia at 8pm tonight, sees Mr Lee sitting down with a group of young Singaporeans — all under 30 years of age — and addressing their questions on Singapore politics and the election. The group, which included seven journalists, two students and a professional, questioned Mr Lee on whether the political playing field in Singapore was level. One even asked whether the PAP was "power crazy". Mr Lee was asked if a complete elimination of the Opposition would be good for Singapore.

Mr Lee said if he were an Opposition leader — like Mr Chiam See Tong or Mr Low Thia Kiang — he would first seek to win a single seat. He would then eye a Group Representative Constituency (GRC).

"I will find four or five equally capable people, and I will choose a GRC and say, look, you compare them, you compare us," he told the panellists.

"And with the ground in Singapore as it is, wanting an opposition ... all of you want an opposition right? You are young, you want to vote, and you want to see a fight in Parliament. You want to see the heat and dust of clash in the arena. If they are any good you will vote for them," he said.

The path he sketched out roughly mirrored his own journey. From winning a single seat in the 1955 election, Mr Lee expanded his base and built up his following went on to become the country's Prime Minister.

Challenging the two Opposition Members of Parliament to do what he did, he said: "I suggested to Low Thia Kiang and Chiam in a straightforward way … Chiam has been there 20 years, Low Thia Kiang has been there 15 years. He has had all the exposure in Parliament ... (so) take on a GRC. But watch whether he will do it or not."

The hour-long programme will be shown tonight at 8pm and 11.30pm on Channel NewsAsia.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

LKY rightly challenges opposition to contest GRCs; I challenge the PAP bigshots to go to Hougang and Potong Pasir to increase PAP's chance of winning there; if GCT stands against Chiam and wins, he will go down in history; even if he loses and retires from politics, it would be a dramatic even heroic act; singapore needs some such examples

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I challenge the PAP to allow the opposition and all LOCAL (i.e. within the territory of Singapore) dissenters the right to express their opinion - in public, in print on the net... whatever... without FEAR of persecution or proscecution.

Fuck you, Lee Kuan Yew!

Anonymous said...

Those who have missed the programme, there'll be a repeat on Friday at 6.30pm and Sunday at 7.30pm (Ch U)

Look at how old man defended and "attacked" one guy.

Anonymous said...

Did LKY actually say something to the effect (right at the end of his demolition of the Straits Times guy about his survey on the perceived fear of the public on voting against the PAP) that it's the Straits Times guy's duty to educate(?) or let the people he surveyed know that the PAP is not what the public perceives (the fear factor) it to be? *eyebrows raised* Isn't that the PAP's PR co's job to do so?

Anonymous said...

well, LKY just couldn't open up his mind and get over the fact that he will lose this S'pore baby oneday.

S'pore doesn't belong to PAP.

You guys will never win LKY in debating.
LKY is a LAWYER, and he twists facts or lies and speaks very very well.

The current PAP one party rule reminds me of the Korean drama 'Jewel Of the Palace' - DA CHANG JIN.

In that drama, the CUI FAMILY had ladies as the TOP PALACE LADY for 5 generations. Thus, the current LADY CUI just want to maintain this power....fear and threathened by anyone who will overtake their family's honour.

So she will do anything to become a TOP LADY through connection and bribery, as well as oppressing her opponenent.

The story seems so familiar in real life.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if LKY did any favours for his PAP by bulldozing over that group of youngsters. Lee Hsien Loong needs to work overtime to undo his old man's hardline tactics.

Anonymous said...

Did you all notice of late, minilee does not visit foreign countries and is more home-based, receiving foreign visitors instead while MM and SM do the visiting on his behalf.

minilee's last foreign visit was to China. Only 2 weeks ago, he went to Indonesia to commemorate the Batam industrial park.

Anonymous said...

well the poor man's 82, and still has to go on TV shows to argue with kids who question his ideas; also remember his wife suffered a stroke a couple of years' ago

but he did go somewhere recent; forgot where/when

Anonymous said...

the old man made himself looked bad and out of touch! Yes he speaks well but if one really listens to the words that are said, his really just trying to make sense out of nonsense. This is final confirmation that the world has passed him by. He is doing more harm than good by hanging on.

LET's MOVE ON!

Anonymous said...

Après moi le déluge

Anonymous said...

recruit ong is right. he has long already lost his touch. get dr chee and him to debate one on one on live telecast with no censoring whatsoever, PAP is gone.

akikonomu said...

Where is the videocast of this forum? If Papalee is really that bad, more people deserve to see this - especially foreigners who only get to see his PR performances on US talk shows.

Anonymous said...

i think channel news asia has this video clip on the forum with those young reporters

Anonymous said...

if your parents or relatives or friends who can't understand english, mediacorp is going telecast the forum again with chinese subtitles on sunday at 9pm ch 8

Anonymous said...

"but he did go somewhere recent; forgot where/when"

Yes, i think mideast for 5 days just recently

Anonymous said...

The real frustration, is watching my mother and sister condemn the youth as being extremely rude. And a second sis who would rather watch Superband, despite not being a teenager anymore.

It's great if everyone here is singing in chorus. But we need to sing louder.

Anonymous said...

no matter what you people put on this website....i will still stay close to the PAP........look at the fabulous bus system in sg....i am proud we don;t have clowns unlike other people from their countries...........i will still put my vote with PAP no matter what is posted in this website

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