WP Supports UNEQUAL Treatment of Citizens?

[makapaaa]

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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_subtitle align=left>Thu, Aug 20, 2009
The Straits Times </TD></TR><TR><TD height=15>

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</TD></TR><!-- Story With Image End --><TR><TD class=bodytext_10pt colSpan=3><!-- CONTENT : start -->by Clarissa Oon
IN A rare intervention in Parliament, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew rose yesterday to 'bring the House back to earth' on the issue of racial equality in Singapore.
Spelling out the Government's approach to the treatment of different races, he pointed out that the Constitution of Singapore itself enjoins the Government to give Malays a 'special position', rather than to 'treat everybody as equal'.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width=300 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="/static/ads/scripts/adsimu.js"></SCRIPT><!-- AdSpace 300X250 A1-STI IMU --><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 type=text/javascript src="http://ads.asia1.com.sg/js.ng/site=tasiaonenews&sec=asiaonea1news&pagepos=1&size=300X250"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><!-- /AdSpace --><SCRIPT src="http://ads.asia1.com.sg/DartRichMedia_1_03.js"></SCRIPT><!-- Sniffer Code for Flash version=80 --><SCRIPT language=VBScript> on error resume next ShockMode = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.8")))</SCRIPT><NOEMBED></NOEMBED><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>He rebutted as 'false and flawed' the arguments by Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan calling for equal treatment for all races.
<HR>Low: Don't invoke Pledge for the sake of argument

by Jeremy Au Yong
The Pledge, said Mr Low, should be read as a whole, not broken down and 'over-analysed'.
'My view is that we should read and understand the Pledge as a reminder of the fundamental statement of what we want to be as a people, as a society and as a nation,' said Mr Low.
'Some may want to argue over the details or even how to formulate or implement policies to conform to every word of the Pledge. But I believe we should leave the Pledge as it is and not attempt to interpret it in one's own way, breaking it down into its component parts for application in argument.'
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[makapaaa]

National Pledge is Singapore's ideology

Excerpts from NMP Viswa Sadasivan's speech calling for Parliament to reaffirm the principles of the National Pledge:
'It has often been said that Singapore does not have an ideology - that pragmatism is our mantra and modus operandi.
'But if we examine our National Pledge closely, it is our national ideology - a set of inalienable values, precepts that demand adherence in the face of the lure of pragmatism.
'It is designed to serve as the moral compass for us as a people - we lose it, ignore it, or misabuse it to our peril.'

• On citizenship: 'The words I was introduced to, made to understand experientially as an officer cadet in the Singapore Armed Forces in 1978, still ring true in my heart - 'Duty, Honour, Country'.
  'If this is how a citizen ought to feel - unqualified commitment to country - what then is the 'duty' of the country to us? Citizens should be made to feel our commitment is appreciated and not taken for granted. Rewards and privileges must be significant and discernable, and accorded without being asked for.'
• On multi-racialism: 'Time and time again my friends and visitors from overseas remind me of how lucky we are to be in an environment with such a level of racial and religious harmony - that we should not take it for granted.
  'Yes, we are guilty of taking this for granted. We need to take pains to illustrate these values experientially to our younger generation so that we don't risk losing them.
  'In order to prevent healthy scepticism in our people, especially our young, from becoming entrenched, we, as a society, need to address apparent contradictions and mixed signals.
  'Examples are the issue of Malay-Muslims in the SAF, SAP schools and cultural elitism, the need for ethnic-based self-help groups, the need for us to maintain the current racial distribution in society, and whether Singapore is ready for an ethnic minority Prime Minister.'
• On strengthening democracy: 'A roof over the head, a clean living environment, a good education and good health-care system - today these are for many Singaporeans nothing more than basic factors; things any good government is expected to deliver.
  'In short, the government has created conditions for success, which in turn today gives it the challenge of managing the success and the expectations that come with it.
  'Accountability requires the government to go beyond lip service in addressing the call for greater democracy, civil liberties and choices. In the political arena...what is increasingly demanded is fairness and justice, not just in form but substance.'
• On instilling rootedness among the young: 'Recently, I met a young lady who had a good honours degree from a local university, who didn't know the difference between the President of Singapore and the Prime Minister.
  'It is not just confounding but upsetting to be confronted by such realities.
  'Whatever the case might be, one thing is clear to me, what we have right now has not worked well enough, and if we don't intervene promptly and creatively, the tenet of being a united people will not happen in substance.'

 

[halsey02]

we the sixty cents of SIN gapore...why tthe suddenly they are so patriotic?...you sell out..you SELL OUT!..what is there to analynize the pledge, the crest, the National Anthem, the Flag...

Whitter the SIN gaporeans....

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

i must say i too am puzzled by Low's approach...Low's appears to be misconceived on this issue, he does not seem to understand the thrust of Viswa's povs...which is strange because Viswa has made it quite simple...

would appreciate if any WP member/supporter could explain the rationale behind Low's position?

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=560><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=350>

</TD><TD width=5>

</TD><TD vAlign=top width=200 align=left><TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD height=81>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_subtitle align=left>Thu, Aug 20, 2009
The Straits Times </TD></TR><TR><TD height=15>

</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left> </TD><TD height=15>

</TD><TD vAlign=top align=right><FORM method=post name=emailToFriendForm action=emailToFriend.jsp> </FORM><SCRIPT> function openEmailA1AdminWindow(emailToFriendForm) { var emailToFriendPageURL = emailToFriendForm.emailToFriendPageURL.value; emailToFriendForm.action = emailToFriendPageURL; emailToFriendForm.target="_blank"; emailToFriendForm.submit(); } </SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3><!-- TITLE : start -->MM rebuts NMP on race <!-- TITLE : end--></TD><TR><TD height=15 colSpan=3>

</TD></TR><!-- Story With Image End --><TR><TD class=bodytext_10pt colSpan=3><!-- CONTENT : start -->by Clarissa Oon
IN A rare intervention in Parliament, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew rose yesterday to 'bring the House back to earth' on the issue of racial equality in Singapore.
Spelling out the Government's approach to the treatment of different races, he pointed out that the Constitution of Singapore itself enjoins the Government to give Malays a 'special position', rather than to 'treat everybody as equal'.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width=300 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="/static/ads/scripts/adsimu.js"></SCRIPT><!-- AdSpace 300X250 A1-STI IMU --><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 type=text/javascript src="http://ads.asia1.com.sg/js.ng/site=tasiaonenews&sec=asiaonea1news&pagepos=1&size=300X250"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><!-- /AdSpace --><SCRIPT src="http://ads.asia1.com.sg/DartRichMedia_1_03.js"></SCRIPT><!-- Sniffer Code for Flash version=80 --><SCRIPT language=VBScript> on error resume next ShockMode = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.8")))</SCRIPT><NOEMBED></NOEMBED><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>He rebutted as 'false and flawed' the arguments by Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan calling for equal treatment for all races.
<HR>Low: Don't invoke Pledge for the sake of argument

by Jeremy Au Yong
The Pledge, said Mr Low, should be read as a whole, not broken down and 'over-analysed'.
'My view is that we should read and understand the Pledge as a reminder of the fundamental statement of what we want to be as a people, as a society and as a nation,' said Mr Low.
'Some may want to argue over the details or even how to formulate or implement policies to conform to every word of the Pledge. But I believe we should leave the Pledge as it is and not attempt to interpret it in one's own way, breaking it down into its component parts for application in argument.'
<HR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Tiu Kwang Yew]

jialat liao, who wanted the HDB quota go up the lorry ???

the pledge wayang the harmony but HDB quota for malays below 25%.

knn, beri confused, revolution coming!!

 

[lockeliberal]

Dear Porf

My 2.5 cents worth. Fundamentally the points raised by Visawan, the substance, has been raised in some form by all Opposition parties. However what is NEW is the direct linkage or packaging to the pledge to UNIFY all the various threads under one theme

Mr Low has always been in my view against excessive politicking or politicization but that stems I believe from his chinese edu background.




Locke

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Dear Porf

My 2.5 cents worth. Fundamentally the points raised by Visawan, the substance, has been raised in some form by all Opposition parties. However what is NEW is the direct linkage or packaging to the pledge to UNIFY all the various threads under one theme

Mr Low has always been in my view against excessive politicking or politicization but that stems I believe from his chinese edu background.

Locke

I only have one word, DISAPPOINTED.

I have put up the idea of reading the National Pledge for the last rally in GE 2006 as the closing segment, so to reinstate our patriotism and belief in building a democratic, progressive and prosperous nation for Singapore. Low has accepted it back then.

Such act has hit hard on PAP and even PAP has to use the same political posture for this year's National Day, reciting the Pledge during National Day.

However, his present performance and comment is totally disappointing. A lost ship without light house.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[singveld]

so for LKY

class is like this

LEE's
PAP cronies
malay
FT
sinkies
FW
criminals
opposition

 

[sinren67]

By now, it's known to everyone that WP members position themselves as mature politicians, and for this reason, they don't oppose for the sake of opposing, being opposition members. Low is right that the Pledge mustn't "over read", since what's written in WP Constitution is very different from the way their members being managed, in reality.

My suggestion - if our Pledge is no longer reflects the reality and it's for the good cause for our country, change it.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

what has this got to do with Low's puzzling stance???

Fundamentally the points raised by Visawan, the substance, has been raised in some form by all Opposition parties. However what is NEW is the direct linkage or packaging to the pledge to UNIFY all the various threads under one theme

i fail to see the logic...Viswa was telling the truth (what lots of singgies would like to say in public but for whatever reasons fail to do so) and speaking from his heart with sincerity...the Pledge is just the point of reference...

Mr Low has always been in my view against excessive politicking or politicization but that stems I believe from his chinese edu background.
Locke

 

[Perspective]

what has this got to do with Low's puzzling stance???

i fail to see the logic...Viswa was telling the truth (what lots of singgies would like to say in public but for whatever reasons fail to do so) and speaking from his heart with sincerity...the Pledge is just the point of reference...

Bro sorry don't get the issue. Did Low impressed that he had defiled the pledge or meant the opposite should be done.

 

[Ramseth]

The pledge begins with "We the citizens of Singapore..." Nothing to do with PRs and foreigners. The pledge ends with "...for the nation." This part may be contentious. Shouldn't it be "for the citizens" or at least "for the people"?

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

The pledge begins with "We the citizens of Singapore..." Nothing to do with PRs and foreigners. The pledge ends with "...for the nation." This part may be contentious. Shouldn't it be "for the citizens" or at least "for the people"?

Your party boss says cannot split the pledge and interpret like that! Naughty you!

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

your guess is as good as mine bro...that is why i posed the Q to WP members/supporters...

to me this ST forum contributor has captured the esence of viswa's speech and his reliance on the Pledge

'Increasing the sense of rootedness among young Singaporeans.'

MR KANG CHOON TIAN: 'The focus on Nominated MP Viswa Sadasivan's focus on the Pledge ignored other key concerns in his maiden parliamentary speech, namely increasing the sense of rootedness among young Singaporeans by improving the study of Singapore history, liberal policies in bringing in foreign workers that depress wages of low-income Singaporeans and whether university students are politically apathetic. The Government should examine how the young feel about nationhood and patriotism.'

Bro sorry don't get the issue. Did Low impressed that he had defiled the pledge or meant the opposite should be done.

 

[Perspective]

Bro, best to read the original. Found this. Good that WP was prompt to put up:

http://www.wp.sg/wordpress/2009/08/singapore-national-pledge/

Doesn't say much, but doesn't defile or disbelieve the pledge (though ingrates trying to hit out at their exparty try to turn it otherwise). Seemed like LTK was accusing Viswa and others for doing that actually.

Like I said it is brief and doesn't say much, but I agree with the last para. Same as what Dr Chee SJ has been calling to Singaporeans in recent speech to SDP cadres - stand up for yourselves. Oppositions have been calling Singaporeans to stop letting PAP ride roughshod over them. Hope they listen in the next election.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

i don't think that is what is so puzzling about Low's speech...

perhaps it is this part instead

The National Pledge represents the spiritual part of our nation, and unless it is really necessary and justifiable, we should not invoke it for the sake of argument.

to me Low appears not to have understood the purpose and thrust of Viswa's motion and speech

Doesn't say much, but doesn't defile or disbelieve the pledge (though ingrates trying to hit out at their exparty try to turn it otherwise). Seemed like LTK was accusing Viswa and others for doing that actually.

.

 

[Perspective]

i don't think that is what is so puzzling about Low's speech...

perhaps it is this part instead

The National Pledge represents the spiritual part of our nation, and unless it is really necessary and justifiable, we should not invoke it for the sake of argument.

to me Low appears not to have understood the purpose and thrust of Viswa's motion and speech

Thanks for clarification, bro, that was what I was trying to find out from you. What is the purpose and thrust of Viswa's motion and speech?

BTW although I have sung praises of the man in the debate on SKH being dropped, I was kind of disappointed that his motion was amended by Ng Eng Hen from a PAP critical to a PAP praiseworthy one, and he went on to thank the minister for the amendments.

 

[NgEjay]

Dear Porf
Mr Low has always been in my view against excessive politicking or politicization but that stems I believe from his chinese edu background.

Locke

Excessive politicking??!!?

Mr Viswa made a speech explaining his ideals, including his ideals of free and fair elections. And LTK calls that politiciking?

Even PAP MPs bothered to debate the issue, even if their debate was one-sided, scathing. LTK did not even bother. He dismissed the issue entirely.

And at the end of his speech, he pushed the buck back onto Singaporeans rather than the Govt to "make it right for Singapore".

LTK wants citizens to stand up and make changes. yet when one particular singaporean, Mr Viswa, does so, he gets a thumbs down by NONE OTHER THAN AN OPPOSITION MP.

What a load of bullshit, if you ask me.

E=Jay

 

[NgEjay]

I only have one word, DISAPPOINTED.

I have put up the idea of reading the National Pledge for the last rally in GE 2006 as the closing segment, so to reinstate our patriotism and belief in building a democratic, progressive and prosperous nation for Singapore. Low has accepted it back then.

Such act has hit hard on PAP and even PAP has to use the same political posture for this year's National Day, reciting the Pledge during National Day.

However, his present performance and comment is totally disappointing. A lost ship without light house.

Goh Meng Seng

Low Thia Khiang is worse than a lost ship without a light house. He is a rudderless sampan that has been moored on the decaying swamp of confused priorities.

If he wants to join the PAP in criticizing Viswa's message because he himself also disagrees with it, FINE!

But to crudely dismiss the entire thing outright, and then say it is Singaporeans who must stand up and "make it right for Singapore" is just plain oxymoronic.

Didn't just Viswa do PRECISELY THAT -- stand up and speak in Parliament, in HIS BID to "make it right for Singapore"?

What the hell is LTK thinking??!?!

E-Jay

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

why don't you decide for yourself

http://nmpviswasadasivanmaidenspeech...speech-in.html

Thanks for clarification, bro, that was what I was trying to find out from you. What is the purpose and thrust of Viswa's motion and speech?.

if you are talking about Viswa i think he was just trying to be accommodative and seeking a compromise while maintaining his POVs...btw i think it was LKY and another PAP MP who made amendments not Ng

BTW although I have sung praises of the man in the debate on SKH being dropped, I was kind of disappointed that his motion was amended by Ng Eng Hen from a PAP critical to a PAP praiseworthy one, and he went on to thank the minister for the amendments.