bump! good thread.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Dr Lim Hock Siew was a founding member of the PAP. But like many of his anti-colonialist colleagues of the PAP, Lim broke away from the PAP and formed the opposition Barisan Sosialis in 1961. .
as an alternative to SPH's MIW Book i recommend the book below...
Paths not taken: political pluralism in post-war Singapore By Michael Barr, Carl A. Trocki
books.google.com.sg/books?isbn=997169378X...
Paths not Taken: Political Pluralism In Post-War Singapore
Author: Michael D. Barr & Carl A. Trocki (editors)
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Excellent book - Chua Beng Huat is right behind this one.
Dear Scroo
Thanks for clearing up PAP's story :_)). I have always assumed SB was not stupid and heck "putting two in the head" using Australian SAS :_)). I would say that there were better targets up the totem pole then old LKY.
Locke
I'm disappointed that Ong Eng Guan chose to remain mum. He holds the key to a lot of controversial info. Those who know history would know that the UPP which he led had in way handed PAP the victory over BS in 1963.
The biggest dissapointment by far was Devan Nair. After being banished to canada, he could and should have laundered every dirty little PAP secret that he was privy too. I have to say he holds much more sensitive info than Ong Eng Guan. He was already in a safe place in canada, untouchable by the PAP, and he should have exacted his revenge for the way that he and his wife was treated. He should have published his memoirs before he died, and if Con you didn't like it, he can go to canada and sue him.
One of the 3 authors is dead scared of his wife, so I am not sure if he has it in him to be bold in this instance. ...
Dear Scroobal
History as always is selective especially self reflective pieces on the PAP written by Pro PAP people. But as more is written and more question are asked, and left unanswered , then very much like Chin Peng's autobiograhpy, we can see the gaps which later generations will fill in. Firstly the writers could not touch the oral histories at the National Archives embargoed by the witnesses to historyI believe till after LKY dies. These will add in another set of memories which as indicated will conflict with LKY's account of first amongst equals. Heck even the accounts of him being appointed PM are fraught with conflict with his own old guard. OK so here are the possible gaps in Men in White to be filled in later and probably more sensitive due to the need of the PAP to remain in public eyes as monolithic.
1. Internal Party Rivals and Feuds. That with the communists and their left wing supporters is well documented. Less well documented are people who were not with the communist,who were left leaning chinese educated and who were either rivals to LKY for political power within the party or sough some party check on his power. That part is still quite murky. The portrayal in the book was that LKY's rise to PM was inevitable due to superior .... and..........I suspect that it was in fact less than inevitable and there was loads of scheming in play.
Cheers
Locke
please feel free to add the blanks
Firstly the writers could not touch the oral histories at the National Archives embargoed by the witnesses to historyI believe till after LKY dies. These will add in another set of memories which as indicated will conflict with LKY's account of first amongst equals. Heck even the accounts of him being appointed PM are fraught with conflict with his own old guard. OK so here are the possible gaps in Men in White to be filled in later and probably more sensitive due to the need of the PAP to remain in public eyes as monolithic.
Lim Hock Siew has been ready to tell his story and in fact is supposed to be writing a book. He was not approached.
The title is misleading, the article leading to the launch is misleading and these charcters as well as Yip should have been more honest to their trade and say that it is a version of the PAP in their eyes.
As a side issue, it will also help explain why the Singapore teachers are the highest paid in the world and how they and the PAP breached the IM.