Which goes to show that recession is indeed around the corner and people are desperate to score cheap shots at the Oppos, just so that they could be noticed by the Familee and be rewarded by a dog biscuit or two.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Political opposition for its own sake is not right
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MY LATE grandfather, Mr Lim Choo Ten alias Lim How Chiang, stood in the 1959 Legislative Assembly elections as an independent. He contested in the district of Tampines and lost his deposit.
I was born in 1963. As a young boy, I often heard my grandfather vehemently criticise the Government. Not once did he tried to poison my young mind, however. I remember watching then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew make an election speech on a black and white television set and declaring to my grandfather that I would one day like to be part of the People's Action Party (PAP) Government. Not once did he chasten me; he simply frowned.
Can we say the same of the state of the opposition? It depends. If we are speaking about our elected opposition, I would say yes. Opposition politicians such as Mr Low Thia Khiang and Mr Chiam See Tong fall into this group. As much as some would like to deny it, they are pro-Singapore opposition. They have healthy respect for the law and try to work within the framework of the law. I am not shy to admit I am pro-government, and no prize for guessing how I would vote. But I would not find it difficult to vote for the opposition if I lived in Hougang or Potong Pasir.
It is the type of opposition I see emerging that worries me. These people are against the law. What does disrupting worship in a mosque have to do with the development of democracy in Singapore? What does breaking the law have to do with advancement of human rights?
Come on, let's give some credit to the ruling party. Even if one argues that our progress came 'naturally' and not thanks to government policies - which I know is not true - at least give the Government credit for allowing it to happen 'naturally'.
I am not exactly a beneficiary of our education system. I graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in 1983 with a diploma in mechanical engineering. I was not able to progress further in Singapore and had to go to Canada for my undergraduate degree. I did not qualify for a scholarship or government assistance. But I am not bitter. The Government has developed a system where a teacher whose wife does not work is able to send their son overseas for his studies. I am the product of such a system.
I have been inundated with e-mail messages since I wrote against Dr Chee Soon Juan some time ago. (sounds like a big shot, but wait a minute...(see below)) These messages are bent on poisoning others against the ruling party.
I end this letter with the message that being pro-Singapore is not about being pro-government. But by being anti-Singapore, the opposition may succeed one day in bringing down not only the Government, but the whole of Singapore. Just think of the consequences.
Lim Yao Ho
http://www.itu.sde.nus.edu.sg/teamITS.html
IT Support
<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Lim Yao Ho
</TD><TD>Lab Officer
</TD><TD><SCRIPT>mailme('sdelimyh','[email protected]');</SCRIPT>[email protected]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Cheh! Just a small civil servant, whose job is currently being take over Indian FTrash! Now you understand why he needs to hum tum CSJ!
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Political opposition for its own sake is not right
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MY LATE grandfather, Mr Lim Choo Ten alias Lim How Chiang, stood in the 1959 Legislative Assembly elections as an independent. He contested in the district of Tampines and lost his deposit.
I was born in 1963. As a young boy, I often heard my grandfather vehemently criticise the Government. Not once did he tried to poison my young mind, however. I remember watching then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew make an election speech on a black and white television set and declaring to my grandfather that I would one day like to be part of the People's Action Party (PAP) Government. Not once did he chasten me; he simply frowned.
Can we say the same of the state of the opposition? It depends. If we are speaking about our elected opposition, I would say yes. Opposition politicians such as Mr Low Thia Khiang and Mr Chiam See Tong fall into this group. As much as some would like to deny it, they are pro-Singapore opposition. They have healthy respect for the law and try to work within the framework of the law. I am not shy to admit I am pro-government, and no prize for guessing how I would vote. But I would not find it difficult to vote for the opposition if I lived in Hougang or Potong Pasir.
It is the type of opposition I see emerging that worries me. These people are against the law. What does disrupting worship in a mosque have to do with the development of democracy in Singapore? What does breaking the law have to do with advancement of human rights?
Come on, let's give some credit to the ruling party. Even if one argues that our progress came 'naturally' and not thanks to government policies - which I know is not true - at least give the Government credit for allowing it to happen 'naturally'.
I am not exactly a beneficiary of our education system. I graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in 1983 with a diploma in mechanical engineering. I was not able to progress further in Singapore and had to go to Canada for my undergraduate degree. I did not qualify for a scholarship or government assistance. But I am not bitter. The Government has developed a system where a teacher whose wife does not work is able to send their son overseas for his studies. I am the product of such a system.
I have been inundated with e-mail messages since I wrote against Dr Chee Soon Juan some time ago. (sounds like a big shot, but wait a minute...(see below)) These messages are bent on poisoning others against the ruling party.
I end this letter with the message that being pro-Singapore is not about being pro-government. But by being anti-Singapore, the opposition may succeed one day in bringing down not only the Government, but the whole of Singapore. Just think of the consequences.
Lim Yao Ho
http://www.itu.sde.nus.edu.sg/teamITS.html
IT Support
<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Lim Yao Ho
</TD><TD>Lab Officer
</TD><TD><SCRIPT>mailme('sdelimyh','[email protected]');</SCRIPT>[email protected]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Cheh! Just a small civil servant, whose job is currently being take over Indian FTrash! Now you understand why he needs to hum tum CSJ!
