It's All About The Money, Really

She is too young and innocent for the brawl of the hustings, so her minders ("handlers" may infer she's some kind of female dog, not nice) are teaching her to reach for the Party bag of dirty tricks. Specifically, the recent amendment to the Parliamentary Elections Act in March to include a penalty of a fine or jail term of up to 12 months, or both, for anyone who publishes false statements about the personal character or conduct of a candidate "for the purpose of affecting the return of any candidate." A good example would be labelling Tang Liang Hong (Chinese: 邓亮洪; pinyin: Dèng Liànghóng) as anti-Christian, a Chinese chauvinist, and a dangerous man during the epic Cheng San electoral battle of 1997.

Lee Kuan Yew has his own attitude about such niceties. One former detainee recalled that he had challenged the Prime Minister, to whom he had been quite close, for describing him in public as a communist while knowing full well he was not. Apparently, Lee's reply was a lame "You shouldn't be upset - that's politics". (James Minchin, "No Man Is An Island", pg 217)

More interesting is how Lee feels about the Internet "noise" referred to derogatorily by George Yeo, Lui Tuck Yew, Shanmugam et al. What's most illuminating about the following exchange on the subject in "Hard Truths" (pg 89-90) is that all those lawsuits against The Economist, International Herald Tribune etc, were motivated by monetary considerations:

Q: You talked earlier about how, you know, if the mainstream media continues to publish untruths you will go after them if it's libellous.
A: Yes, of course.

Q: But at the same time, what's already out there on the Internet is defamatory, far more damaging.
A: What's out on the Internet everybody knows can be utterly scurrilous and no action can be taken, because it's very difficult.

Q: Some of them are very open about their identity.
A: But they are worthless people, they've got no money. You take them on, you waste money and then what will you get in compensation? Nothing.

Q: But doesn't what they say chip away at the credibility and the integrity of government?
A: No, I don't think so. After a while people understand it's just rambling and ranting on the Internet.

Q: Precisely because people know the record of the PAP government, do you need to nail every lie to protect your reputation at all cost?
A: Put that question to the new leaders. I defended my position tooth and nail. I succeeded. I fought against the media in Singapore and internationally. I won because I've persuasive powers. I can speak to the people over the blather of the media. In a way, I'm like a local Ronald Reagan. And I deliver. When I say I'll do something, they know I'm going to do it. So when I say I'm going to fix that guy, he will be fixed. Let's make no bones about it. I carry my own hatchet. If you take liberties with me, I'll deal with you. I look after myself because when you enter a blind alley with the communists, only one person comes out alive and I have come out alive. So, I'm not afraid of going into an alley with anybody, let alone the foreign press. What can they do to me? Can they influence my votes? They can't.