‘I will fight for democracy in Singapore’ – Pre-U seminar participants tell it straight in the face of DPM Teo
Posted by temasektimes on June 2, 2012
During the Pre-university seminar held recently which was graced by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, students from polytechnics, junior colleges and centralized institutes were asked to leave comments about their aspirations in a miniforum.
The comments were projected on a screen and when one comment “I will fight for democracy in Singapore“, the participants broke into loud applause much to the surprise of DPM Teo who appeared momentarily stunned before putting up a fake smile.
Another ‘popular’ comment welcomed by the participants is – “I will fight for Hougang Teochew Porridge”
One participant later blogged:
“Clearly the future leaders of our nation knows their shit. If these was a forum of “average” apathetic youth, none of that would have happened. The mainstream media tried to spin it as a constructive dialogue. But we were there. We saw the patheticness of it all.”
According to another participant, DPM Teo was bombarded with sensitive questions from the students such as the state control of the Singapore media, Singapore’s one-party system and the lack of an effective opposition to check on the ruling party which he either ‘act blur’ and did not reply directly, skirt the question altogether or counter with another question to confuse the audience.’
Despite the desperate attempt of the mainstream media to spin the session as a ‘constructive dialogue’ between DPM Teo and Singapore youth, the reality is far away from the truth and judging from the responses so far, it is pretty obvious that the PAP is completely disconnected from the ground and it will be severely punished by disgruntled young voters in the next General Election.
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sun jia ru said
3 cheers to our new generation of young and vocal “buay kia chenghu”(no fear of govt.) 17 year olds!!! they dare to voice out openly without fear and will be our next in line new voters for GE 2016. the signs are clear and spells of the inevitable downfall of the incumbent. always remember that “pride goes before a fall” and “the strongest horse will fall one day” and it may just be 2016!!
Zam said
Well said.
Jack Ng said
I see HOPE
spotlessleopard said
Ha ha ha……..”THE END IS NEAR”………for the PAP.
Ah loot said
Mubarak jailed for life
lover said
Fuck PAP, Fuck DPM teo. Idiot are ruling the country. Fuck all foreigners.
Green Apple said
I LOVE U!!!
Older Singaporean said
Yes, youth…go ahead to fight for your future!
Singaporean youth will soon be the slave of PAP or PAP imported foreigners in near future if the youth of today cannot make a decision to fight for their own survival.
What PAP want just money and boost GDP and continue to remain world highest pay cabinet……we only have miserable 3.5 millions of singaporean and how to feed their appetite of millions dollars cabinet?
PAP don’t care the singaporean, if they care, they will think of innovative/creative or even revolutionary ways to terminate/restrict S-pass or EP permit issued to foreigners and think of other ways….So, all these PAP scholars and elites resort to the fastest and cheapest way to import foreigners to boost economics and money to satisfy their own greed!
I already to fate already as many of my generation have soft heart even now many of them lost their jobs to foreigners……….whenever election come and PAP will use the same old tactic to issue national bonus/ welfare benefits, rebates, etc, etc to singaporean and start to say sorry/ start to cry/ start to carry your baby and all kinds of wayang and wayang…… all they want is to continue their “own millions dollar rice bowl”……
…….but once they got regime in hand like May 2011….whatever promises and slogans of “singaporean come first” will just put to waste bin and continue to earn its millions and continue to import million of foreigners to boost economics….and SMRT/S|BS/NTUC go all out china to get more foreigner come in singapore…..so you will see crowd public transport, thus more breakdown of MRT, thus this MRT shareholders ask for more “YOUR” money to maintain the MRT and serve crowd which majority is “FOREIGNERS”…….more foreigners crowd and demand of housing higher and rocket price of HDB/Condo/COE………
We feel very shameful of being Singaporean now as our own government do not protect its own singapore citizen but allow all Tom, Dick and harry foreigners to come in to take our jobs unreasonably.
We have family burden with young children or older parents to take care and how to compare those imported foreigners who come here alone to find job…..May be If PAP think of innovative policy such as tax high levy on foreigner and each levy go to middle or low income singaporean as commission for each foreigner PAP take in, then, may be singaporean think it is win-win situation………
Uncle Mama.. said
right man ! vote for our right !
working singaporean said
exposed and fugged
Aberdyn said
What a disgraceful episode. A leader of a nation could not explain and convince the young when asked for his opinion and advise. Teo Chee Hean the DPM is a complete disgrace. As a DPM is expected to give his opinion and views objectively especially to these students who are curious and very interested to know of the leader’s ideas and vision for the country. Particularly, like hot issues as mentioned by the students to the DPM. Regrettably, The DPM avoided all those questions directed at him and digress the subject pointedly.
The students got frustrated and so annoyed by the DPM negative response. What is the point holding such seminars if the students were not given the opportunity to discuss and asked questions to the DPM and in return gave them a diligent answers.
It seems he was bombarded with sensitive questions from the students and the DPM did not reply directly but change the subject abruptly. It shows he was caught by surprise with the students’ reaction. So it’s again proven that Teo Chee Hean is not fit to be a DPM because he is not a real leader material. He is useless and hopeless. In fact most them in the PAP are non-leader materials. It was very unfortunate for the students did not gain what they are looking for, that the knowledge they are seeking from the supposedly state politician that they thought can taught them better in the seminar’s discussion, but it turn out to be a big let down.
George Tan said
I disagree that come 2016 these disgruntled young punks will be able to swing the support against the pappies. Tan koo koo. Their numbers are too small compared to the number of grateful new imported FT citizens who will definitely show their appreciation for being granted citizenship with goodies through the ballot box.
Anthony Tang said
Why do you think the garment is still allowing FTs to be PRs and eventually citizens. This is a no brainer.
ttt said
Don’t be surprised if the law is changed such that PR can vote; no need to convert anymore.
Leica Lim said
It PR can vote also then this very last privilege of a citizen vs PR will be lost forever.
I hope PAP would not introduce this new rule. They are not even allowing citizens
over 18 but less than 21 to vote.
P Koh said
Whatever is being said, the fact remains that there are far too many citizens who are unhappy with how the country is being run at the moment. Praises are few and far in between so it is time for the ruling PAP to take a serious relook at all the unhappiness which are written all over the internet and to quickly start the machinery to rectify and pacify the disgruntled many due to the high-handed ways in which various policies that affect the lives of the citizens were carried out. Time now for the ministers to use their heads instead of their tongues. If you analyse the old fashion Chinese character of the word “listen” you will be able to see that the king is one who listens with his ears, uses his eyes to see and one heart to make decisions.
Jason siaw said
Perhaps need to define what is democracy in its true meaning to him and the rest to know.
hOt said
I salute the JC student. I believe this student echoed the voices of many Singaporean. I also wants to join this student to f**k all the PAP’s whom only give us lip-service…..
I’ve my own encounter too… if u dont want to help, just tell us…. dont pretend & give us “A POLITICIAN REPLY”. They always says it is the policies…. cannot change. Fuck them ALL… if policies are wrong, then the Government should change from the top down… instead of making life miserable for us.
NL said
Clap! Clap!! Clap!!!
Singaporean said
These Students thirst long to learn and prepared their homework by thinking of questions again and again to write in the paper queuing up to ask question and ………………..yet, what DPM threw the cold water at all of them as he himselve not prepared and not seriously going to answer and just laugh it out……
Of course hurted those students deeply !!!! FXXX him!
Observer said
They have to find the root of all this problem and not import FT or cheap labour as an easy way to boost GDP. Running a country cannot be the same as running a company . I think main reason for cheap labour is still the levy that govt collect , example If $200 collected every month than per year is $2400 for one worker. Singporean earning 30K don’t pay that sorts of income taxes. So whatever this govt does is to generate income to justify their million dollar salary.
solaris8899 said
life in sg is getting tougher and tougher…..thanks to our papa
Cheese said
“May the odds be ever in your favor!”
PS. Those who went will understand what I mean.
龙的传人 said
亜贤Y〇U must take ati〇n ，敎育部长你必须向亜贤解释。
为何你敎的学生是这种德行。让我们的亜贤没颜面。
cherry Girl said
wow ! i am JC student too…nobody ever mention it to me except my daddy
1st World Nation - 3rd World Governance said
These PAPies are only good at running a profit-making company. They have still yet to learn how to run a nation.
No. Correction. They fare just as badly in running a company. Look at how many billions Temasek Holdings and GICs lost.
We are talking about billions of taxpayers’ hard-earned money.
Probing Questions from 17 year olds said
I would like to give credit to the 17-year olds who were not afraid to pose probing questions to DPM Teo. They displayed a lot of enthusiasm, and I see hope in our youths. Its just unfortunate that not many of these questions were not answered. DPM seem unprepared for the questions, which is embarrassing. Perhaps he was tired, and drained out after an earlier roasting at the Hougang By-elections.
Rustle said
Funny all you can do is praise the students’ behaviour and express hope for the future because of such behaviour. There is a way to make your point without being rude and disrespectful.
You are so blinded by opposition to government that any form of anti-expression against government is acceptable to you.
If I’m parent of one such participants, I would be about my child’s behaviour.
And exactly what ‘democracy’ do you have in mind when you talk about fighting for democracy? Maybe you should define what you mean by democracy.
DIY said
Many people still believe that democracy is freedom. Freedom to scold, abuse, terrorize and make utterances from the mouth. Attend political rallies and got worked up by the fiery speeches produced by the opposition leaders. A dumb and mute people can never be a political leader; that’s for sure. The student was at an impressionable age after being won over his ‘heart and mind’. Reading the internet, blogging and twittering shows unnerving challenge.
Actually the only freedom we have is breathing the pure oxygen available in the environment. See, what will happen when the smog from our neighbouring country affected us.
The US president Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as ‘by the people, from the people and to the people’. He did not mentioned ‘rule by the people’. But people cannot rule other people, they have to form political parties and debate issues to win the hearts and minds of the voters. During GE people cast their votes and the result will show the political party with majority votes has the mandate to form the ruling government. Prior to democracy, society had been ruled by kings, emperor, warlords, chieftains and monarchs. The feudal system is called monarchy. This is the difference.
What to say next. Sigh!
ClickCluck said
eh..DIY.. before feudalism, there was democracy. a la Greek version.. I think that was how the word democarcy came about.. it was probably the earliest form of government..
DIY said
In the Greek version; the blind Socrates was championing the rights of the minority must be heard.
In a situation where 99% majority’s view is on the upper hand, the 1% minority’s view must be taken into consideration. The senators agreed and challenged to a proposal that if the majority were to offer Socrates a cup of poison; would he drink it? To prove a point, Socrates drank the poison and died.
R.I.P.
P Koh said
What is the moral of the story.? The Great philosopher drank hemlock rather than go into exile. Is that the way our society wants the country to be run.? A dead hero is useless in championing the course for reforms. We need good leaders who can think in any situations not one who merely throws the problem back to the challenger.
DIY said
The moral of the story is mathematics. Either 99% vs 1% or narrow down to 51% vs 49%.
In the PE campaign, Tony Tan won by a majority of 0.025% against Dr Tan C B. In Potong Pasir SMC MP Sitoh won against Mrs Chiam with a difference of 110 votes.
We don’t need to drink hemlock or any kind of poison to prove a point. Below is the chronological events that democracy have evolved. I simplify the situation.
Democracy Ver 1.0 — Year 2 BC — Socrates, champion of the minority views.
Democracy Ver 2.0 — Year 1824 — Abraham Lincoln, by the people, from the people, to the people or simply said rule by the people.
Democracy Ver 3.0 — Year 1900 — Jefferson, elected by the people, replaced by the people
Democracy Ver 4.0 — Year 1998 — Participatory democracy, media networking, citizen journalism
Democracy Ver 4.1 — Year 2012 — Occupy Wall Street
So the answer is not freedom but mathematics.
DIY said
Addenda
I surfed the internet and came upon other forms of democracy. One example, France was ruled by a monarchy King Louis XIV. I added a few more versions.
Democracy Ver 1.1 — Year 1799 — The French Revolution, majority of the Frenchmen questioned the king ‘what rights have you to rule’, removed him and chopped his head
Democracy Ver 3.1 — Year 1947 — The Indonesian Revolution, Sukarno declared ‘guided democracy’, 51% of parliamentary seats reserved for the Army
Democracy Ver 3.2 — Year 1980 — Formal Democracy, the sultan of Brunei declared independence from British, constitutional parliament, only 1 political party registered
Democracy Ver 3.3 — Year 1988 — Singapore legislated the GRC, ‘participatory form of government’, a multiracial society, at least a minority race represented in parliament.
Will continue reading.
crap@sickening.com said
Almost all PAP jia liao bee. No calibre and piece of shit.
crap@sickening.com said
His attitude is like if not happy sue lah just like wat he said to LTK that he can take legal and against him…
'Mk Chin said
Singapore youth gets bolder nowadays…… 😉
Siapa Rajah said
Hope all Singaporeans wake up now. We want our CPF monies back by the age of 55. No more rubbish of minimum sum for CPF Retirement account. Medisave withdrawal without any rubbish restriction. Allow couples to adopt babies from other countries to increase population and not to flood so called by the “White Rats” “Foreign Talents”. Bring back realistic HDB pricing!. Create more jobs for our own people! Basic infrastructure like transportation such as MRT and SBS buses should not be privatized thus making citizens to pay more for their fares in order to satisfy foreign investors and institutions. It is the duty of the government to ensure these basic needs really affordable and subsidized to the citizens because Singaporeans is the only natural resource to boost our economy. Do away with Maids levies as I do not understand why should we be paying. All responsibilities and liabilities are being shouldered by the maid agencies and owners (HK do not pay levy for maids). Many more that I can’t continue….etc, etc. Looking after us or penalizing us??? Ask yourself “White Rats”.
peking Dog xu sunn said
Most sporean claim they never heard this news
You are my voice said
fuck all racist pinoy…
Jenny Tan said
Don’t know what and how this DPM Teo has contributed to Singapore and her citizen, I have zero respect for him in the past, and more so after the Hougang BE. He deserved such treatment from that brave young man. Btw, not happy? sue him lor…
Tony said
We shall all fight for democracy and true freedom of the Press
Julie Ong said
Delighted that you are democratic and totally embrace freedom of the individual. I hope that more Singaporeans are like you and pursue change through debates and dialogues unlike the authoritarian ways of the PAP.
Hougang residents hopefully will be a beacon of truth and light for their fellow Singaporeans in that they dispel the myth that the opposition parties are bad. In fact WP under the leadership of Mr Low Thia Kiang and Ms Sylvia Lim have been outstanding. The latter is articulate and well educated. I saw her interview with Jim Middleton of ABC news here in Sydney, Australia and I am sure she would have impressed many Aussies.
Anyway I am confident that change is underway to the way Singapore is governed. The PAP must not walk all over the people. If they do more and more of their MPs will be kicked out. All said I believe that better days are ahead for Singapore, especially when it’s young men and women are prepared to speak up and be heard , unafraid of what the government may think or do.
hothot said
OMG how did our youth found out about the difference between Dictators and Leaders? Some one in the MOE is going to get in trouble for teaching them.
I guess no more Pre-U seminar from now on, built more detention camp.
Julie Ong said
It is so simple: the government is the servant of the people and not the master! Pity that this arrogant PAP leadership is still following after the footsteps of Lee Kuan Yew by talking down at the people. Unless you stand up and throw them out at the ballot box they will still carry on the way they like. However be ever prepared to not vote in charlatans and shysters as they can really be a detriment to us all. Keep up the agitation/pressure. Majullah Singapura!
Learhsa said
I think he will kena in NS, or maybe get into some sort of ‘accident’..
Learhsa said
I applaud his courage though
Dictator Lee said
Tiananmen left a bold page in China’s history: as it began with Beijing University students, it shall so begin with our students.
PAP made a fatal mistake by refusing to confront the truth.
Julie Ong said
I am terribly saddened. Singapore is my beloved country. Singaporeans overall are fun too! Back to business. Your CPF savings: are they safe??? I was led to believe that at age 55 we will get our lump sum back, free of tax. Now I know that I have been misled or lied to. The government has changed the rules and a sinister pattern is emerging in that they can rewrite the laws/rules however they like.People of Singapore you must stand up for your rights! Who is going to do it for you! I will be the last person to see or want anarchy in Singapore, but I cannot tahan when I see the people being oppressed or pushed around. More particularly the weaker and poorer ones. It is a terrible indictment to us all if we have the attitude of winner takes all. We live in a community and our focus should not only be on the economy! We pride ourselves as first world but frankly we have a long way to go. Appreciation, respect and everyday courtesy should be our style. For everyone and to everyone without exception. Yes, we live in a competitive and harsh world indeed. However we are Singaporeans and we are tough but gracious and honorable . I appeal to all that the way ahead is to work collaboratively. Sure we will have our differences, but we can still discuss/debate issues and come to a collective or majority decision. That’s the true beauty of democracy: everyone can have their say but the majority wins. No underhand or dirty tactics. We fight. Win or lose we move on and get on with the job. Yes, democracy is noisy, messy and sometimes even all too much but it is still the better system or way. I sincerely wish and hope that the acrimony towards foreigners in our midst can be resolved or at least better handled. It is certainly a bad look for Singaporeans when we are so hostile towards them or so it seems. We are an open and welcoming people. I believe that. First world characteristic in my opinion. We certainly have a great deal of work to do and a lot more to learn as well. Ever the optimist I am confident that the future augurs well for Singapore. I apologise for being long winded.
interdependence said
SINGAPOREANS WILL UNDULY ATTACHED TO MATERIAL THINGS, KIA-SIE AND KIA-SU,WILL EXPERIENCE VARIOUS PROBLEMS,FEAR,INSECURITY AND SUSPICIOUS WILL DISTURB THEIR PEACE OF MIND.UNLESS THEY WAKE-UP AND OPEN-UP IF NOT ALWAYS WILL BE DAMNED’.
http://www.oldbastards.com.au/forums/member.php?u=8485 said
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