The Day Of Infamy

It's the final pork barrel giveaway - an extra day off. Never mind about the loss of productive man-hours, the incumbents are still relying on the easier method of productivity growth, shipping in more foreigners. Besides, Friday starts with a "F", as in "Fifty", used ad nauseam to mark the golden jubilee, although some may associate it with an unprintable four letter word.

Punters were placing their bets on September 12, since the last general elections of 2011, 2006 and 2001 were all held on a Saturday. September 11 is, and always be, remembered as a day of infamy. That was the day a powerful nation woke up to the danger of a foreign threat. Our own version of 911 happens to mark the first election since Independence without the horrible person making his ominous presence felt at a nomination center.

His image, however, is still being milked to the hilt by the mainstream media. That, and scary archival footage of falling bombs when the Brits were having their butts kicked during WWII. Goh Keng Swee was on duty with the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (SSVF), assigned to the "Battle Box" (an underground signals centre) at Fort Canning, when the air raid sirens sounded. Another volunteer was Edward William (EW) Barker, member of the Machine-Gun Company, comprised mostly of Eurasians. The infantry E Company was filled by Chinese recruits, while the Armoured Company manned by Europeans. There were about 2,000 men in the SSVF. ("Goh Keng Swee, A Portrait", by Tan Siok Sun, page 41)

Most of them are dead, many probably killed in battle repelling the invaders. Not for them the honours that were bestowed by the daft on two wartime collaborators, or richly rewarded with princely appointments. 911 is a reminder of unsung heroes, not fictitious champions of our down trodden. The tragedy that will unfold on Black Friday is that more will have to repent before true democracy can prevail on this island.