Thursday, August 20, 2009

Were they highfalutin ideas?

The poor Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Viswa Sadavisan did not really expect the massive fury of none other than the benign Minister Mentor (MM) to land on him. For him it was no doubt a signal honour to be appointed an NMP and, brimming with the ebullience of a people's crusader, he made what he thought a maiden speech in Parliament befitting his altruistic aspiration. Let's examine what he said that brought the wrath of MM upon him.

There was nothing wrong, indeed it was patriotic of Mr. Sadavisan, to quote the National Pledge to remind the government to adhere to its principles in its management of the affairs of the State based on racial equality enshrined in the National Pledge. It was a fair proposition and there was nothing highfalutin about it except in the person's imagination.

MM Lee may have been moving on a higher political plane in recent times jetting to the West and China to exude his charismatic charms on his guillible audiences so much so that he is detached from the political reality of a section of the people, especially the non-chinese. If he is not like the ostrich burying its head in the sand he should not miss the rumblings, faintly perceptible because of a climate of fear, of racial inequality among a section of the non-Chinese. In fact it took an intrepid patriot like Mr. Sadavisan to draw attention to such a phenomenon, knowing that it would not be viewed with any kindness. One can live in a fool's paradise and, one fine day, finds the ugly reality explode in his face.

As an elder statesman MM Lee thinks that it is in incumbent upon him to entertain the rakyat from time to time, whenever he feels the occasion for it, with his so-called inspirational speeches. He delights in giving such evangelical speeches as it gives him the satisfaction of assuming himself to be a messiah. So it is in his innate character that he would use such bombastic words as "bring the house back to earth" in his highfalutin speech in Parliament. It would not come as a surprise if House Members, who have been so used to his snide remarks, have taken this in good spirit.

Of course his memoires could only be a glorification of his exploits and do not reflect a verdict of his so-called statesmanship. He has used the Chinese proverb:"When the coffin is closed, you will have the verdict" to explain that he would leave it to future historians to judge him. To judge him now may be a bit premature and unflattering.

3 comments:

Alan Wan said...

Isn't it very unpatriotic of him rather to talk only on our racial history (it is a non-issue as far as I am concerned) and chose instead to be silent on the massive losses by Temasek & GIC!

Does that make him a hypocrite ?

Unknown said...

I believed if he talked about Temasek he would have been rebutted by the PM and the FM. So its really lose-lose for this guy. Instead he talked about racial history, which was the Old Man's bugbear, so he had to rise up to chastise this wet behind-the-ears newcomer, otherwise the other NMPs may have such 'dangerous' notions as to 'speak up for justice', 'question the truth' and 'disagree with the mini-stars'
Pity though, he could have been a good speaker if he was in in another country's Parliamentary sitting. Except that he was in Singapore. With the might of the Old Man you must cower before him.:p

Unknown said...

I heard that young men and women are having sexual releases and adventures at the One Hourly Hotel Room Service outlets! Its a good sign that anthropologically speaking , the natural urge to have sex assured de surviavl instinct of the human race is thereby preserved ! God made sex a pleasure so that mankind will multiply and populate the Earth! They the men and women don't commit crimes of violence in there,other than having fun so the Singapore Government and Hoteliers shouldn't interfere with this Freedom of Association activity, its as natural an event as night follows day , and as long as its done civilly and consensually it follows in harmony with the Freedom of Association Right ! Even the King of Thailand is the Chief Patron of de Freedom of Sexual Relations in Bangkok! It is said he has Bang-Cock Luck !

Gerald Heng Sr.Esq.
Greater Boston, MA.USA.