Janil Puthucheary for Minister of Defence ?

[Khun Ying Pojaman]

and Foo Mee Har Minister of Finance ?

That would be 'radical change', in my view.

Pinky says he has opted for a radical change in the new Cabinet line-up. But didn't Pinky also say that all the retiring ministers, including the 3 stooges - WKS, MBT and RL - wanted to leave the Cabinet even before the Election but Pinky wanted them to stay ?

Is the 'radical change' forced on Pinky because it was the decision of the retiring ministers ? If the retiring ministers had indeed decided to leave the Cabinet before Election, then Pinky is not entitled to say that he opted for radical change.

What if the same ministers had no intention to leave the Cabinet ? Would Pinky have the balls to drop these ministers ?

The statement from Pinky that he wanted a radical change is contradictory. The retirement of the ministers is either Pinky's decision or the ministers' decisions. Pinky cannot have it both ways.

 

[Cruxx]

Janil Puthucheary for Minister of Defence? That would be the ultimate insult!

 

[karmabear]

Janil Puthucheary... haiz.... to me, he is the greatest insult to the Singapore people. Far far worse than TPL. Not only did he not serve NS, he betrayed his father, Dominic Puthucheary. His father was held in prison for YEARS without trial. But to Janil, that is perfectly fine... I can't even find the words to describe this.... It is just very sad. I think Dominic Puthucheary, now residing in KL, just tries his best not to think about it and wish the best for his son. So poor thing...

Dr Janil Puthucheary, who is currently working as a paediatrician at KK Children and Women hospital and as Assistant Professor at Duke-NUS medical school, may be fielded as a candidate for the PAP in the next general election due by 2011.

Dr Janil is the son of Mr Dominic Puthucheary, a founding member of the PAP who later defected to Barisan Sosialist in 1961. He was arrested and detained without trial for a few years under Operation Coldstore in 1963. After his release, he was banned from entering Singapore until the orders were lifted in 1990. He now lives in Kuala Lumpur.

A grassroots leader with Radin Mas CCC under Tanjong Pagar GRC, Dr Janil raised some eyebrows when he was given the rare honor to speak at the PAP Party Convention last November leading to speculations that he may contest in the next general election.

In his maiden speech titled “Turning challenges into opportunities”, Dr Janil urged Singaporeans not to be afraid to take risks and accept setbacks in the process of turning a series of challenges into opportunities.

Dr Janil has indeed walked his talk by joining the PAP which once put his father and other Barisan leaders under detention without trial.

Besides Mr Dominic Puthucheary, other key leaders of the Barisan Sosialist who were detained by the PAP are Lim Chin Siong, Fong Swee Suan, James Puthucheary, Dr Lim Hock Siew, Dr Poh Soo Kai and Chia Thye Poh.

Chia Thye Poh was detained for 32 years without trial followed by Dr Lim (19 years) and Dr Poh (16 years). They were never charged in court for any offences.

Recent declassified documents from the British National Archives suggest that the “communist threat” was “played up” by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to persuade the British and Malayan governments to agree to a joint security operation to eliminate his political opponents in Singapore.

In a letter to London by a British senior official in Singapore, Lord Selkrik wrote:

“Lee is probably very much attracted to the idea of destroying his political opponents. It should be remembered that there is behind all this a very personal aspect…he claims he wishes to put back in detention the very people who were released at his insistence – people who are intimate acquaintances, who have served in his government, and with whom there is a strong sense of political rivalry which transcends ideological differences.”

[Source: British National Archives]

 

[Khun Ying Pojaman]

Janil Puthucheary for Minister of Defence? That would be the ultimate insult!

But even your Chief of Army didn't think too much about National Service. He said it's what you can contribute in the future, not so much whether you served NS before.

 

[lianbeng]

lianbeng says, "that would be interesting. nvr had an indian MOD before - have?"

 

[Khun Ying Pojaman]

Why hasn't Janil Puthucherry assume the post of Minister of State for Defence ?