Good views by Scroobal, Macro and TF.
We now can look back and saw the mistakes made in the past.
In the beginning, it was Chiam and people like Fok Tai Loy who started the journey in an era dominated by fear and constant arrest of opposition figures by ISD. It was a pity that Fok Tai Loy died early and his name was unknown to most Singaporeans. He could have won a seat in the early eighties when there was a tide rising for more opposition voices.
Chiam made the mistakes of bringing not-so-bright folks like Ling, Cheo and Wong Hong Toy into his party. Does he have a choice? I also have to argue there was a dearth of good bright folks wanting to enter into opposition politics. Clearly he could have done better and scrutinise who he brought in. All these 3 turned out to be incompetent and clueless, and turning against Chiam with CSJ was a big mistake. Clearly they were unaware that the public would turn against them. It was Chiam and SDP that was the brandname of that day. Without it, Ling and Cheo would struggle and they thought they were the ones who went in by their own effort. Well the same thing happened again when these 2 folks turned against CSJ themselves much later on. Ling and Cheo are representative of some the folks in SBF, clueless and love to shout but they underperformed as MPs and not surprisingly were soon booted out. The average Singaporean whom some of you in this forum like to decry, turns out to be savvy and aware of what he wants. He is more sophisticated than what many of us give credit to.
The folks can shout and criticise Chiam etc. Really, how many of you would dare step out there and stand against the mighty MIW? Now this is a different era with the advent of social media, and open criticism is now tolerated and MIW does not dare to employ the oppressive mechanisms of its early days. Sammyboy was started in an era where fear dominated in the streets and folks here were able to express what they could not do. Of course, it now went to the ridiculous extreme end.
Give Chiam his due. He did what few dared. He won PP consecutively with increasing margins against firstly, MBT who was rated a must-be Minister by LKY and later other MIW folks. Due to Chiam's presence as MP and need to guard against how people felt about matters, the government backtracked on the unpopular graduate Mothers scheme and also CPF-late retirement withdrawal. PP was the beacon in the eighties till the entry of LTK in 1991. Agree much with Scroobal that without Chiam and including JBJ, there will be no LTK and the present WP of today.
The only thing Chiam did not do is to gather good men. Desmond Lim, a stout-hearted folk who laboured besides Chiam, just did not cut out to be an opposition leader. As long as you speak broken English and unable to articulate out your views, you cannot make it. There were possibilities like Wilfred Leung and Benjamin Pwee but they too fell out. That is a pity. TJS was said to be interested to join this grouping but Chiam was suspicious of him. Chiam might well be right.
There was the SDA, a grouping of conveniences that turned out to benefit no one as these opposition folks can ride on Chiam's name. Again, I will say the average voter is not dumb to see through a grouping of conveniences. We can say the eighties and nineties could not raise good men of calibre and in year 2000 onwards, more are coming forth. Yet Chiam faltered and the bad decision was to put out Lina Chiam. Was it not obvious that PP folks now turned against Lina Chiam in the last election?
The journey is tough for any opposition folk and it was now time for Chiam to retire to a good name and the good fight he has put up. SPP need not be close but inevitably the inability to grow beyond Chiam, is already a death knell.
Give Chiam his dues and nobody could have done what he has done.
We now can look back and saw the mistakes made in the past.
In the beginning, it was Chiam and people like Fok Tai Loy who started the journey in an era dominated by fear and constant arrest of opposition figures by ISD. It was a pity that Fok Tai Loy died early and his name was unknown to most Singaporeans. He could have won a seat in the early eighties when there was a tide rising for more opposition voices.
Chiam made the mistakes of bringing not-so-bright folks like Ling, Cheo and Wong Hong Toy into his party. Does he have a choice? I also have to argue there was a dearth of good bright folks wanting to enter into opposition politics. Clearly he could have done better and scrutinise who he brought in. All these 3 turned out to be incompetent and clueless, and turning against Chiam with CSJ was a big mistake. Clearly they were unaware that the public would turn against them. It was Chiam and SDP that was the brandname of that day. Without it, Ling and Cheo would struggle and they thought they were the ones who went in by their own effort. Well the same thing happened again when these 2 folks turned against CSJ themselves much later on. Ling and Cheo are representative of some the folks in SBF, clueless and love to shout but they underperformed as MPs and not surprisingly were soon booted out. The average Singaporean whom some of you in this forum like to decry, turns out to be savvy and aware of what he wants. He is more sophisticated than what many of us give credit to.
The folks can shout and criticise Chiam etc. Really, how many of you would dare step out there and stand against the mighty MIW? Now this is a different era with the advent of social media, and open criticism is now tolerated and MIW does not dare to employ the oppressive mechanisms of its early days. Sammyboy was started in an era where fear dominated in the streets and folks here were able to express what they could not do. Of course, it now went to the ridiculous extreme end.
Give Chiam his due. He did what few dared. He won PP consecutively with increasing margins against firstly, MBT who was rated a must-be Minister by LKY and later other MIW folks. Due to Chiam's presence as MP and need to guard against how people felt about matters, the government backtracked on the unpopular graduate Mothers scheme and also CPF-late retirement withdrawal. PP was the beacon in the eighties till the entry of LTK in 1991. Agree much with Scroobal that without Chiam and including JBJ, there will be no LTK and the present WP of today.
The only thing Chiam did not do is to gather good men. Desmond Lim, a stout-hearted folk who laboured besides Chiam, just did not cut out to be an opposition leader. As long as you speak broken English and unable to articulate out your views, you cannot make it. There were possibilities like Wilfred Leung and Benjamin Pwee but they too fell out. That is a pity. TJS was said to be interested to join this grouping but Chiam was suspicious of him. Chiam might well be right.
There was the SDA, a grouping of conveniences that turned out to benefit no one as these opposition folks can ride on Chiam's name. Again, I will say the average voter is not dumb to see through a grouping of conveniences. We can say the eighties and nineties could not raise good men of calibre and in year 2000 onwards, more are coming forth. Yet Chiam faltered and the bad decision was to put out Lina Chiam. Was it not obvious that PP folks now turned against Lina Chiam in the last election?
The journey is tough for any opposition folk and it was now time for Chiam to retire to a good name and the good fight he has put up. SPP need not be close but inevitably the inability to grow beyond Chiam, is already a death knell.
Give Chiam his dues and nobody could have done what he has done.
