Chee - A Man Ahead of his Time

scroobal said:

The first time I heard this idiom was just after Chee was defeated by Matthias Yao by a significant margin. Chee garnered 34.9% of votes. It was unexpected as Chee challenged Matthias Yao and then Prime Minister to carve out Macpherson from Marine Parade GRC as an SMC. GCT agreed. The results however was disappointing. The blame was assigned to the voters who apparently the party supporters felt did not understand the man.

That idiom began to serve to 2 purposes. It became the Albatross around Chee's neck who must have believed that it was the residents and the voters who were at fault and not him and his politics. Secondly it gave much comfort and became the security blanket for his followers. They too took solace that voters were again at fault at each and every contest. And it was to continue. It eventually became the party mantra and led to open protests and confrontations to educate the supposedly meek, unsophisticated and unworldly Singaporean on the realities of politics.

It stands together to other well worn local idiom used commonly by poorly performing soccer managers and coaches in Singapore and Malaysia after a defeat - "the ball is round"

The set of alternative policies that was drawn up by dedicated teams made up of members and supporters became the latest manifestation of this idiom. If the open protests did not educate the masses maybe these alternative policies will. It never occurred to them that maybe the voters had issues with SDP as a party, the way they operate and even the quality of their candidates. It did not occur to SDP that they needed to be a worthy and credible contender first before a voter even looks at your detail plans.

Ironically it might actually be the case that the voters were ahead of the times. They knew enough to whack the PAP and bring the Prime Minister to his knees and elicit an unexpected and unprecedented apology and a cry for mercy in 2011. Look at how the voters treated Desmond Lim and Kenneth Jeyaretnam. The fact that the latter was the son of JBJ did not amount to a can of beans. He got 353 votes compared to Lee Lilian who got 16k votes. And mind you KJ has got 1s class honours from Cambridge.

Continue to belittle and berate the Singapore voters and it will cost the party dearly. I expect the Singapore voters to continue to ride the PAP dragon until they see more credible opposition candidates take to the polls.

Click to expand...

kingrant said:

LKY managed to turn a trivial issue like using NUS postage to deliver his thesis into a political storm. Had Chee been the one involved in the Nassim Jade, LKY would have persecuted him ruthlessly with all the armaments of SPH and the CPIB. And whose integrity would be more questionable - NUS technical error or Nassim Jade's shenanigan and subsequent shielding of his family and brother?

So he shouted at GCT. I would too. But I would insist that I was not accusing him of corruption but more of lack of transparency.

Click to expand...

kingrant said:

LKY managed to turn a trivial issue like using NUS postage to deliver his thesis into a political storm. Had Chee been the one involved in the Nassim Jade, LKY would have persecuted him ruthlessly with all the armaments of SPH and the CPIB. And whose integrity would be more questionable - NUS technical error or Nassim Jade's shenanigan and subsequent shielding of his family and brother?

So he shouted at GCT. I would too. But I would insist that I was not accusing him of corruption but more of lack of transparency.

Click to expand...

steffychun said:

Ahead my foot! He is behind everything!!!!

Click to expand...

tonychat said:

pls specified what are the things Dr Chee is behind.. i will pay special attention to what you will be saying. Dun just say behind behind.. describe it.. do you know what the word "describe" means?

Click to expand...

scroobal said:

The first time I heard this idiom was just after Chee was defeated by Matthias Yao by a significant margin. Chee garnered 34.9% of votes. It was unexpected as Chee challenged Matthias Yao and then Prime Minister to carve out Macpherson from Marine Parade GRC as an SMC. GCT agreed. The results however was disappointing. The blame was assigned to the voters who apparently the party supporters felt did not understand the man.

That idiom began to serve to 2 purposes. It became the Albatross around Chee's neck who must have believed that it was the residents and the voters who were at fault and not him and his politics. Secondly it gave much comfort and became the security blanket for his followers. They too took solace that voters were again at fault at each and every contest. And it was to continue. It eventually became the party mantra and led to open protests and confrontations to educate the supposedly meek, unsophisticated and unworldly Singaporean on the realities of politics.

It stands together to other well worn local idiom used commonly by poorly performing soccer managers and coaches in Singapore and Malaysia after a defeat - "the ball is round"

The set of alternative policies that was drawn up by dedicated teams made up of members and supporters became the latest manifestation of this idiom. If the open protests did not educate the masses maybe these alternative policies will. It never occurred to them that maybe the voters had issues with SDP as a party, the way they operate and even the quality of their candidates. It did not occur to SDP that they needed to be a worthy and credible contender first before a voter even looks at your detail plans.

Ironically it might actually be the case that the voters were ahead of the times. They knew enough to whack the PAP and bring the Prime Minister to his knees and elicit an unexpected and unprecedented apology and a cry for mercy in 2011. Look at how the voters treated Desmond Lim and Kenneth Jeyaretnam. The fact that the latter was the son of JBJ did not amount to a can of beans. He got 353 votes compared to Lee Lilian who got 16k votes. And mind you KJ has got 1s class honours from Cambridge.

Continue to belittle and berate the Singapore voters and it will cost the party dearly. I expect the Singapore voters to continue to ride the PAP dragon until they see more credible opposition candidates take to the polls.

Click to expand...

RandomNexus said:

Scroobal, so many stuff you have uttered, I cannot help but agree. Well-written piece and hope more will come forth to post here like you do.

Click to expand...

OverTheCounter said:

his crazy idea of electing SDP candidate but town council run by WP.

Click to expand...

OverTheCounter said:

I have some remarks. When SDP supporters say Chee is a man ahead of his time, they express a hope that his ideals will be accepted by others some day in the future. It is not a comment made to gloss over present failing.

But that being said, SDP supporters are indeed blind to Chef's failings. Those who are not have tried to express their view, and when they were rebuffed they left Chee.

I personally stopped supporting Chee after the punggol east saga when he tried to sabotage WP's bid first with a 3 corner fight and then with his crazy idea of electing SDP candidate but town council run by WP.

Click to expand...

scroobal said:

No issues when it was uttered in the early years and as I stated they included professionals. But to flog this dead horse of an idiom became symbolic of giving both Chee and his supporters false reading and false hope. A vicious cycle if you may began. It did not allow him or the party to examine their internal and external issues and reduce the mistakes and stop where he was in a position of strength. He did make one major change and that was the move away from confrontational politics which was readily received. Believe me I more than anyone wanted him wipe the smug of a smile from Viv Balakrishnan's face. It was not to be and we wait anxiously for that day.

If he, the party and the supporters have no issues on how they performed, blaming the voters will continue. So the natural consequence is why bother to fight for an electorate that has no confidence or in their view, too stupid to vote for SDP.

Click to expand...

Satyr said:

I give kudos to Chee for building the party. He now needs to step down from the leadership and pass it on to somebody electable. Only then will he see his work come to fruition. Moses led the Israelites to Promised Land but could not enter himself. If Chee passes on the baton, he will always be remembered. It is time to face reality.
If he does not, all his work will die with him.

Click to expand...

RandomNexus said:

Well-written piece and hope more will come forth to post here like you do.

Click to expand...

OverTheCounter said:

I have some remarks. When SDP supporters say Chee is a man ahead of his time, they express a hope that his ideals will be accepted by others some day in the future.

But that being said, SDP supporters are indeed blind to Chee's failings. Those who are not have tried to express their view, and when they were rebuffed they left Chee.

I personally stopped supporting Chee after the punggol east saga when he tried to sabotage WP's bid first with a 3 corner fight and then with his crazy idea of electing SDP candidate but town council run by WP.

Click to expand...