You had studied in ACS during the 1950s, no simple feat considering the times. Those who had studied there were often seen as relatively wealthy and smart. You had only 5 'O' Level passes but you had never let that put you down. Unlike another old man, you did not have the privilege to study in UK and settled for NZ.
After graduating, you went and become a teacher in Mahmud Secondary School in Malaysia between 1962 to 1963, before moving back to Singapore and taught in Cedar Girls for eight years.
You had fit the typical PAP mould. English-educated, studied in one of Singapore most elite boys school and of course, a lawyer. Similar to another old man. You could have joined the PAP elites, be merry and safe for many years without anybody daring to challenge against you. However, you chose a different path, a path so shocking during the early years of Singapore. That is, to run against the PAP at its peak during the 1970s.
You had nothing to gain and everything to lose. Slowly, many of your friends cut off ties with you because they fear repercussions if they helped or even have any link to you. Despite you facing this, you persevered, because you did not wish to join an 'elitist' party. You ran at Cairnhill as an independent 1976, only to lose to Mr HDB. You ran for the by-election at Potong Pasir at 1979 and lost again.
You then decided that being independent was not such a good idea after all. You formed the SDP in 1980 with an engineer. You contested under the SDP banner for Potong Pasir at 1980 and lost again, but your support had increased to 41%. Your first break arrived in1984, when you run against a young PAP member and won the decisive battle with a 60.3% support. The PAP member who lost later hid in the coat-tails of a GRC and is now the anchor for Tampines GRC.
Everybody remembered Potong Pasir as a neighbourhood with no exclusive amenities but there is always a caring MP who is willing to listen to the people unconditionally. Conservancy charges are kept at a minimum and so are market rentals.
In the 1991 GE, you inflicted more damage on the PAP by winning two more seats in Nee Soon Central and Bukit Gombak, Of course, a seat in Hougang was won by a young and ambitious man. This sent the ruling party into panic, that four seats were just gone. You were even considered to be the de facto leader of the Opposition, such is the respect accorded to you.
However, things took a change for the worse. You recruited a young upstart to be your protégé, hoping he will be your next trump card. However, this young upstart started to act unreasonably and used open defiance against the ruling party, while cursing it. You, as Sec-Gen, thought it was out of line of your idea of clean politics without any attacks, decided to censure this upstart. Fate dealt you a cruel blow as your CEC refused to cooperate and instead, supported this upstart.
Disgusted, you quit your Sec-Gen post but continued with the SDP. The SDP tried to remove you for criticizing the party in public but you won the court case preventing them to do so. You joined the SPP in 1996.
It has been heartbreaking to see the party that you founded slowly becoming the laughing stock of the nation with its mega-aggressive tactics and credibility reduced to zero. All your hard work all went down the drain because the CEC thought you were too nice and preffered confrontation. Nevertheless, the state press had a field day trying to open the cracks but you just chose to move on.
Despite the PAP dangling carrots at your doorstep, the Potong Pasir residents refused to give in for 27 years. That itself is a testament to your popularity. People there knew that you cared and listened to them, regardless of status. Lee Kuan Yew could not even find fault on you and could only find fault with your ‘O’ Level results. In fact, LKY had no choice but to praise you and respect you, as according to his memoirs.
You are not flawless, for you had played the game too safely and did not dare to challenge a GRC until you are old and frail, unlike the WP. You did not go for the kill earlier and you did not let the residents of Potong Pasir focus on your party instead of solely you. But let it be clear that your dedication to serve people has never been doubted.
Let this be a tribute thread, not a PAP vs SPP thread.
After graduating, you went and become a teacher in Mahmud Secondary School in Malaysia between 1962 to 1963, before moving back to Singapore and taught in Cedar Girls for eight years.
You had fit the typical PAP mould. English-educated, studied in one of Singapore most elite boys school and of course, a lawyer. Similar to another old man. You could have joined the PAP elites, be merry and safe for many years without anybody daring to challenge against you. However, you chose a different path, a path so shocking during the early years of Singapore. That is, to run against the PAP at its peak during the 1970s.
You had nothing to gain and everything to lose. Slowly, many of your friends cut off ties with you because they fear repercussions if they helped or even have any link to you. Despite you facing this, you persevered, because you did not wish to join an 'elitist' party. You ran at Cairnhill as an independent 1976, only to lose to Mr HDB. You ran for the by-election at Potong Pasir at 1979 and lost again.
You then decided that being independent was not such a good idea after all. You formed the SDP in 1980 with an engineer. You contested under the SDP banner for Potong Pasir at 1980 and lost again, but your support had increased to 41%. Your first break arrived in1984, when you run against a young PAP member and won the decisive battle with a 60.3% support. The PAP member who lost later hid in the coat-tails of a GRC and is now the anchor for Tampines GRC.
Everybody remembered Potong Pasir as a neighbourhood with no exclusive amenities but there is always a caring MP who is willing to listen to the people unconditionally. Conservancy charges are kept at a minimum and so are market rentals.
In the 1991 GE, you inflicted more damage on the PAP by winning two more seats in Nee Soon Central and Bukit Gombak, Of course, a seat in Hougang was won by a young and ambitious man. This sent the ruling party into panic, that four seats were just gone. You were even considered to be the de facto leader of the Opposition, such is the respect accorded to you.
However, things took a change for the worse. You recruited a young upstart to be your protégé, hoping he will be your next trump card. However, this young upstart started to act unreasonably and used open defiance against the ruling party, while cursing it. You, as Sec-Gen, thought it was out of line of your idea of clean politics without any attacks, decided to censure this upstart. Fate dealt you a cruel blow as your CEC refused to cooperate and instead, supported this upstart.
Disgusted, you quit your Sec-Gen post but continued with the SDP. The SDP tried to remove you for criticizing the party in public but you won the court case preventing them to do so. You joined the SPP in 1996.
It has been heartbreaking to see the party that you founded slowly becoming the laughing stock of the nation with its mega-aggressive tactics and credibility reduced to zero. All your hard work all went down the drain because the CEC thought you were too nice and preffered confrontation. Nevertheless, the state press had a field day trying to open the cracks but you just chose to move on.
Despite the PAP dangling carrots at your doorstep, the Potong Pasir residents refused to give in for 27 years. That itself is a testament to your popularity. People there knew that you cared and listened to them, regardless of status. Lee Kuan Yew could not even find fault on you and could only find fault with your ‘O’ Level results. In fact, LKY had no choice but to praise you and respect you, as according to his memoirs.
You are not flawless, for you had played the game too safely and did not dare to challenge a GRC until you are old and frail, unlike the WP. You did not go for the kill earlier and you did not let the residents of Potong Pasir focus on your party instead of solely you. But let it be clear that your dedication to serve people has never been doubted.
Let this be a tribute thread, not a PAP vs SPP thread.
Tonychat!! where r u?? I kinda miss tat guy now...
