Feed Me To The Fish: September 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

When will the last leaf fall?

Lee Kuan Yew said, “I’m not saying that everything I did was right,” he said, “but everything I did was for an honorable purpose. I had to do some nasty things, locking fellows up without trial.” And although the leaves are already falling from the tree, he said, the Lee Kuan Yew story may not be over yet. He quoted a Chinese proverb: Do not judge a man until his coffin is closed. “Close the coffin, then decide,” he said. “Then you assess him. I may still do something foolish before the lid is closed on me.” [Link]

With his recent hospitalisation, there are many who execrate him. Why such vitriol? [Link]

Rich or poor, prince or pauper,

To every life, a little rain must fall.
Everyday, we live a little, we die a little.

We live, we die.

What 'bucket list" would a man like Lee Kuan Yew have?

With his riches and power, would he have fulfilled his "bucket list" long before he kicks the bucket?

Regardless of the good wishes of those who benefited from his actions or the curses [Link] of those who suffered from his power or are disappointed with him, the time for him to go is the time to go. Nobody can make it earlier or later.

If he gets better, he gets better. If it's time for him to go, he goes. It is beyond us. As much as I resent his chutzpah and nastiness of locking people up without trial, I wish him a good health if he survives. I wish him good death, when it's time for him to go. The art of living is to die young... as late as possible!

When he finally walks, would someone say something like this, "Yes, there was corruption. Yes, he gave favours to his family and his friends. But there was real growth and real progress. I think the people of Indonesia are lucky. They had a general in charge, had a team of competent administrators – including a very good team of economists to build up the country." [Link ]

Only time will tell.

feedmetothefish

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Marxists' Conspiracy: Vincent Cheng Speaks.

"Around the world and especially in Asia at that time, Catholic social action flourished. Philippines was a case in point. Because the churches played a big role in the overthrow of the dictator Marcos, the Singapore government feared a similar experience would take place here. Several church organisations and catholic priests were targeted and warned. The final onslaught came with the use of the Internal Security Act to unleash Operation Spectrum in a massive exercise called the Marxists' Conspiracy."

Vincent Cheng, alleged marxists' conspiracy leader in his enlightening speech at Speakers' Corner, Hong Lim Park on 25 Sept 2010.

Vincent Cheng was denied the opportunity to speak at the National Library [Link]. At long last, at Hong Lim Park last evening, I get the chance to listen to him relating his traumatic experience of being a victim of Operation Spectrum, serving 3 years of imprisonment and solitary confinement as an alleged leader of a Marxists' Conspiracy.

Below is what I extracted from his speech:

"People asked me, 'How come then that the government is able to unveil such a long list of your subversive activities. 'My truthful answer is: Because the ISD tortured me to confess what they wanted to hear. I was arrested at 5am on the 21st of May 1987. Having only had 3 hours of sleep before the ISD came to my house. I was interrogated in an extremely cold room deprived of sleep for days, verbally abused, assaulted with slaps on my face and beatings on my chest and back and a knock-out punch to my abdomen."

"Before the assault, I firmly stood my ground refusing to be intimidated. After the assault, I succumbed and allowed them to make me into a docile puppet writing and signing long texts of self-incriminating lies and half-facts. When I was made to appear on television to confess my activities, I quietly protested by changing my hairstyle to that of Lee Kuan Yew's."

"How can I be rehabilitated to a lie? You can only be rehabilitated to the truth."

"But let us not forget the hundreds of other ISA detainees who who have suffered much much more without the chance of seeking redress especially those who have gone to their grave in a blanket of silence. We who are still alive owe them the duty to seek out the truth and accordingly proclaim their contribution to the true history of Singapore."

He ended his speech by saying, "We must fight for the abolishment of ISA. If we do not redress history, history will repeat itself. The first step toward redress if for victim to open their mouth, or to pick up their pen. Victims have kept silent for too long. It is time to stand up for our human right. Thank You."

With Dr Lim Hock Siew's speech [Link] and "
Beyond the Blue Gate: Recollection of a Political Prisoner" by Teo Soh Lung and the above revelation by Vincent Cheng, we are seeing more and more skeletons falling off the stinking cabinet.

"We who are still alive owe them the duty to seek out the truth and accordingly proclaim their contribution to the true history of Singapore."

Thank you Mr Vincent Cheng for your courage in speaking up on the injustice and for teaching us some.

And thank you SDP and Chee Soon Juan for organising the event.

Hopefully we may see the video soon here or here

feedmetothefish