Prof Darden's question to CSJ and KJ in Nov 2012

“In what sense are you the opposition, right? Cause on some level you’ve failed electorally, right?
We do have an opposition out there, as was pointed out [by the previous questioner], which is the
Workers’ Party who, apparently, were not invited.”

You might think that these remarks – directed at Dr Chee Soon Juan and Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam -- were made by some PAP politician. However, this is not the case. These remarks, framed as a question from the floor, were made by Professor Keith Darden at a Yale University forum on 30 November 2012. You can watch Professor Darden asking his question at 1:18:03 in the following YouTube video. (The actual remarks are at 1:18:42.)

[video=youtube;PsWQKD4tPKk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsWQKD4tPKk[/video]

There is a general policy practiced universally in the mainstream media’s approach to politicians, i.e., a politician is usually entitled to a public platform if he can demonstrate that he commands some level of support in his home country. And there is a very easy measurement of that level of support – just one parliamentary seat. The bar is set as low as that. The question arises: is a political party entitled to a public platform to air its views if it fails to even surmount this very low bar?

PoliticalDialogue said:

You might think that these remarks – directed at Dr Chee Soon Juan and Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam -- were made by some PAP politician. However, this is not the case. These remarks, framed as a question from the floor, were made by Professor Keith Darden at a Yale University forum on 30 November 2012. You can watch Professor Darden asking his question at 1:18:03 in the following YouTube video. (The actual remarks are at 1:18:42.)


There is a general policy practiced universally in the mainstream media’s approach to politicians, i.e., a politician is usually entitled to a public platform if he can demonstrate that he commands some level of support in his home country. And there is a very easy measurement of that level of support – just one parliamentary seat. The bar is set as low as that. The question arises: is a political party entitled to a public platform to air its views if it fails to even surmount this very low bar?

Click to expand...

The question then is why is the Workers Party not invited or why did the Workers Party choose not to attend? Why does the Workers Party hardly speak up on national and international issues? Would the Workers Party have attended if Low Thia Khiang can speak proper English?

Professor Keith Darden was on the defensive as CSJ and KJ [may have] "attacked" Yale University so he counter attack CSJ and KJ by saying they failed electorally. KJ answer to Professor Keith Darden was the opposition is there to check ruling govt and yet the Workers Party worked with the govt on every issue, in coalition with PAP.

The outcome would be different if Workers Party is represented at this forum.

ahmad said:

The question then is why is the Workers Party not invited or why did the Workers Party choose not to attend? Why does the Workers Party hardly speak up on national and international issues? Would the Workers Party have attended if Low Thia Khiang can speak proper English?

Professor Keith Darden was on the defensive as CSJ and KJ [may have] "attacked" Yale University so he counter attack CSJ and KJ by saying they failed electorally. KJ answer to Professor Keith Darden was the opposition is there to check ruling govt and yet the Workers Party worked with the govt on every issue, in coalition with PAP.

The outcome would be different if Workers Party is represented at this forum.

Click to expand...

The WP has limited outside exposure and being so it would be considered to be an immature party by the community beyond our shores.

Prof Darden has raised an issue that all parliamentary democracies grapple with.

For instance, in the UK, the main broadcasters are currently deciding which parties should be invited for a leaders' debate. Back in the 2010 UK GE, only the leaders of the 3 main parties were invited. However, now because UKIP has won 2 seats through 2 by-elections over the past few months, its leader, Nigel Farage, will be invited to debate with the other 3 leaders. You see, you just need to have 1 or 2 parliamentary seats to secure the credentials and formal status that you speak for some portion of the electorate. In UKIP's instance, it has just 2 seats in a house of 650 seats, and yet its 2 seats are sufficient to burnish its credentials as a serious player, that should be taken seriously.

Couple Of Points:

1. You used the wrong moniker to post. harrych is supposed to be the gaylord. :p

2. Better to do what CSJ and KJ do than to do nothing out of perpetual fear of potential repercussions for your gutless self.

harrych said:

The WP has limited outside exposure and being so it would be considered to be an immature party by the community beyond our shores.

Click to expand...

That is why LKY regime is fearful of 知识分子。 Ah Bengs like LTK is okay! hehe..

As a general observation: A person who often goes overseas to speak at conferences tends to work on the assumption that: (1) the audience would be friendly, and (2) most, if not all, the people in the audience would NOT know what is happening politically back home.

Occasionally, he gets into a situation where there is someone in the audience who knows exactly what is happening and in fact is an expert on the subject, and who is prepared to ask tough and pointed questions. Then what ensues tends to be evasiveness.

This highlights the vast gulf between giving a speech before a friendly audience, where one will get cheers and applause, on the one hand, and giving a robust speech in Parliament, where one will draw a very hostile response, on the other. As to the second, the person could be politically neutralised or lose all credibility just after one or two parliamentary sittings. When that happens that person should not start asking for help from others to bail himself out. Because that is called the moral hazard. You made your own bed...