Monday, April 21, 2014

Wit, Candour and Angst

Timothy Eugene Garlock must have felt he's not one of the welcomed visitors in our midst, now that his commentary has been deleted. As an American citizen, he can't be accused of harboring vested interest in the looming Battle Royale for Ngee Ann Civic Plaza.

Singapore is unique that its citizens are called names by its elected leaders. "Quitters" and "moaners" came from Goh Chok Tong, Lee Kuan Yew preferred "champion grumblers" (National Geographic, Jan 2010). Of late, the labels are getting uglier, "bigots" and "xenophobes" are now de riguer. Worse, when the slurs are hurled by a general presumably sworn to defend his countrymen.

Explaining the 150th World Press Freedom ranking of the mainstream media here, Reporter Without Borders did write, "in Singapore, (where) the authorities are on edge". Fortunately we do have on record someone saying, "Do you believe everything you read in the Straits Times?"

Since most of the politically incorrect posts have been redacted, we won't know what is the disgrace and abuse allegedly attributed to Singaporeans. We do know that Singaporeans are fully capable of writing with wit, candour and angst. The following samples were culled from the social media pages of u-know-who:

First the angst:
"we do welcome visitors, but not when they climb over your head.
i was at botanic gardens sometime back with my daughter for a picnic. we were in this Pavilion with out picnic mat, books n foods for about an hr. then this group of philipinos both male and female decided that they wanted the place, they started putting their stuffs around us, taking off their shoes and putting them next to our food. i got fed up, packed up and when we were about to leave, 1 guy said "THANK YOU, YOUR COUNTRY VERY BEAUTIFUL, HAHAHAHA" THE WHOLE GROUP LAUGHED. i would have punched the guy in the face if my daughter was not there.
Dear PM, this is what common folkes like me are getting from these people.
before saying i dun know what its like out there, i spend the first 10 yrs of my working life overseas in many countries, never have i shown disrespect to the people in my host countries.
BTW, national day was over a drink at a pub with the few Singaporean i can find, not a mass gathering in the heart of the city."

Then the candour:
"Dear LHL,
Please consider properly the comparison you've made with Singapore. You do realize Singapore is a small little island, which is privileged enough to be called a country. I don't know if you realize how big London and every other country on the Earth is. See... London is huge and by huge, they have cities and a thing called 'Capital', which is England. Singapore, however, is an island itself and has no such opportunity to have a capital, therefore we are known as Singapore, Singapore.
Comparing Singapore to London feels like a joke which I find extremely hilarious. Hence, please do some of us the favour of not comparing us, an island, to a country that has cities and a capital.
Regards,
Someone who has thought long and hard and feels sad that you made such a comparison."

And finally the wit:
"I'm so happy to have such an understanding leader in Mr. Lee. It's good to celebrate the Independence of Philippine. However, would it be unfair to only celebrate Philippine's Independence Day? Could it be made a public holiday for us to celebrate with them? I mean, come on, let's go the extra mile in celebration. Let us celebrate for the rest of the 189 nations too. Let us not be a disgrace by showing grace to other nations. I wouldn't mind having an extra 189 days of public holidays... Let's show the world that Singaporeans are the most welcoming of all nations."

If listening to Singaporeans is such an ardous undertaking, just heed the voice of Timothy Garlock: "Remember, Singaporean citizens must come first above all other regardless of their nationalities".

25 comments:

  1. Tim Gerlock seems to have a far better sense of proportion than the inheritance Prime Minister and his minions. Imagine if 50 thousand Sikhs were to gather in Oxford Street to celebrate the Guru's birthday! Sure London is cosmopolitan, but that won't happen, and they won't even bother trying. Somehow, the elites here thrive on creating situations to belittle their voters. Anyhow, even if its tiring to repeat, the papigs are getting really good at digging their own graves with each passing moon :)

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    1. PIDC should be most welcome, at no less a dignified venue as the Istana. Same same for the Malaysians, China Chinese, Taiwanese, Indians, Thais, Indonesians, North Koreans, etc. I'm sure LHL would be more than happy to grace these celebrations, so read them and weep, you disgraceful Singaporeans, you!!

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    2. I think Istana already booked, for the PRC national day parade. Where would India and Bangladesh hold theirs, Oxley and Nassim? I think pinoys won't want the self-appointed local mayor (pinkie) to be their guest of honour la. People with bad breathe and poor social etiquette is like modern day lepers, only red dot wuld take them as pm.

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  2. like Lee Teng Hui, his old fart daddy was always proud to be a Japanese subject, having worked really hard and bore no grudges even when riffle-butted. Perhaps at the next election someone would remind pinkie that he is more famous as the unelected mayor of an offshore pinoy province? That would make the general a captain of the local pinoy neighbourhood watch squad? I think as long as they get their millions of kickbacks, the title won't matter much, agreed!

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  3. We have a bundle of moron ministers running the country. A pinky PM who likes foreigners more than his own citizens. It is a disgrace to S'pore to has such a PM. An Acting Manpower Minister who take care of foreigners workers more than S'porean workforce and label us as bigotry and xenophobes. It is a disgrace to S'pore to has such an acting manpower minister. A defence minister who accept Indonesia's "No apology" at face value for naming 2 warship after the Macdonald House bombers. It is a disgrace to S'pore to has such a defence minister.

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    1. All that half-time wonderful report by the shit times must have gotten to their heads already. So quickly patting themselves on their backs for doing a good 'patch up jobs' with the citizens. But deep down, they still favors the foreigners and name-calling their own citizens, relegating them to an option and prefer prioritizing 3rd world cheap labor that add nothing and create no value to our productivity.

      I now have no qualms booting out Tan Chuan Jin along with Tin Pei Ling and the so-called Emeritus lot.

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    2. glob
      not too late, what took you so long ha?
      maybe spare the kate spade fan la, she couldn't have said no coz hubby's career was at risk had she refused to be the seat warmer for old fart's grandson to be MP (and pm) before kicking the bucket. Hopefully youngest lee will do a "kim Jong Un", send his uncle (btw who is his uncle ha?, not the current PM right??!) to be executed> Does he have a weird "hairdo" that hng kiang doesn't like?? :o

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  4. I love foreigners. I love celebrations. But hey, not when they take over my living room and celebrate there. That's just not sensitive. I say go Istana to celebrate since LHL loves them deep deep.

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  5. As a traitor, whose father is also a traitor. He would never understand. Forget it. Just vote him and his party out. Remove his wife and uncle too. I do not recognise him. He wasn't elected but selected.

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    1. For one fact, LHL was not a PM voted in by Singaporeans but specially picked by his father to be our chosen leader. It could have been any other Tom, Dick or Harry as long as their father is LKY. The same goes for the next PM, again single-handedly chosen by whoever is that current Tom, Dick or Harry.

      Frankly if LKY still insists this is our unique democracy system, please remember to ask him honestly who are the people who has the exclusive right to vote for our PM ? If he still tries to evade this question, then don't we know for sure someone is still trying to lie to us when none of those ass-licking PAP members even have a say in choosing the man to be our next PM ?

      The whole thing is simply a political scam to begin with.

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  6. Like father like son. If dad worked for WWII War Criminals, doubt the Son have qualm working for the benefits of aliens.
    Sinkies however, cannot blame aliens for given privileges and special treatments in Sin. The Aliens work hard and paid to live in Sin, they did not rob nor bully the locals.
    It is more a care of Sinkies selling off Sinkies just liked some Sinkies working for enemies of their compatriots in the past.

    Do know who are responsible for selling and betraying You.

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    1. You hit the nail on its head.

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  7. Frankly if our very own Singapore citizens are not even allowed to gather without a police permit, to rent some public meeting place to hold some socio-political event or even to operate a Trade Fair organised by some opposition constituency ward, what right do Pinoys have to rent some public place to celebrate their Independence day right in the heart of the city ?

    So PM, don't talk about graciousness when the same level of graciousness are not being entended to all Singaporeans ? Come on PM, don't be a hypocrite ?

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  8. He is much more than a hypocrite, worse than his father who worked for the Japanese during their occupation of Singapore.

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  9. The sinkings of the Italian cruise ship Concordia, and the South Korean ferry Sewol, have shown that one man, an incompetent Captain, can cause a disaster. Think sampan 2.0 Singapore. So vote wisely.

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    1. Not only were both captains responsible for the disaster, they were amongst the first to abandon ship....and I cannot help thinking Singapore will face a similar fate if PM Lee and his bunch of stooges continue to remain at the helm.

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    2. Certainly agree with anyone that believes the Rulers will be the Ones that flee first whence Singapore is in trouble.
      There should be no doubt about it.

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  10. Singaporeans only allowed to gather in Hong Lim Park.
    But Filipinos allowed to gather at Ngee Ann City in Orchard Road.

    What the Fuck?

    Who is the citizen and who is the alien?

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    1. Even though I am sympathetic to the Pinoy event, I have to agree with your point.

      Either LHL truly embraces diversity and treats his own people with respect, or he does not have the moral authority on this matter. Singapore is NOT London. Londoners are graceful (to embrace Singapore Day) because they live in a free country.

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    2. Thank you for your views.
      I have no problems with the Filipinos gathering at Ngee Ann City.

      My unhappiness is with the way the PAP government discriminates against Singaporean citizens.

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    3. The Filipinos have held their independence day celebrations at Hong Lim Park without bother. This time their choice of Ngee Ann Civic Plaza is nothing less than sheer provocation. They are extending their tentacles, and counting on the PM's support to raise a middle finger at Singaporeans.

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    4. Looks like all those PAP policies totally unfair to Singaporeans are beginning to slap The PAP Govt right in their faces. They must be having it easy all this while but slowly & surely, more & more Singaporeans are beginning to realise that this has been PAP's deceitful betrayal of the people's trust starting with :

      * CBT of the peoples rightful entitlements earned from CPF savings
      * manipulation of HDB housing leading to unaffordable escalation of runaway prices
      * expensive healthcare becoming more & more unaffordable to the average families
      * manipulation of commercial & industrial properties leading to unstoppable escalation of rentals & high inflation of basic necessities
      * out of control immigration policies leading to unconcienable employment displacement for locals
      * discrimination of scholarship & many beneficiary opportunities towards locals in favour of foreigners
      * betrayal of the people's basic rights as guaranteed by our constitution and yet continue pretend to be concerned

      We just have to question ourselves have our PAP govt failed us in every respect of the above?

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  11. Its funny how S'poreans are told to embrace foreigners while positions in power and authority are still entrenched by some people. If they think competition is good, then open up thier own positions as well. Walk the talk and do not just told c**k. Bear in mind that we have the power of the vote, use it wisely and do not be swayed by empty talk and promises. Enough is enough.

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    1. In a famous exchange with John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, where the latter exclaimed, "Sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox," Wilkes is reported to have replied, "That depends, my lord, on whether I embrace your lordship's principles or your mistress."

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  12. What is preventing LHL from trying to be a PM in Pinoy land?

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