Comments on: NY Times Profile: Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, Singapore politician http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/451 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:30:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Prem http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/451/comment-page-1#comment-12882 Prem Thu, 22 May 2008 13:55:56 +0000 http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/451#comment-12882 I always hear Sri Lankans going on and on about how we should emulate Singapore. I always ask them - do you want a one party dictatorship? A country where there is only one newspaper that parrots the government's line? Where if you're in the opposition you can be sued out of existence for questioning the government? Sri Lanka is certainly no role model but at least there are multiple political parties, a vibrant opposition and democratic elections. And as was seen after the elections for the EPC, the opposition can lambast the government in public, protest in the streets and do the same with its media. Alongside India Sri Lanka is the only country in South Asia that has continued its democratic tradition. What we can emulate in Singapore is the cleanliness and the zero tolerance policy of corruption. Their swap to English has been touted loud and wide, but it has left in its wake a cultureless generation who want to run away from Singapore at the drop of a hat and settle elsewhere. Singapore today has no identity. Singapore may have learned from our mistakes. It's time we learnt from theirs. I always hear Sri Lankans going on and on about how we should emulate Singapore. I always ask them – do you want a one party dictatorship? A country where there is only one newspaper that parrots the government’s line? Where if you’re in the opposition you can be sued out of existence for questioning the government? Sri Lanka is certainly no role model but at least there are multiple political parties, a vibrant opposition and democratic elections. And as was seen after the elections for the EPC, the opposition can lambast the government in public, protest in the streets and do the same with its media. Alongside India Sri Lanka is the only country in South Asia that has continued its democratic tradition.

What we can emulate in Singapore is the cleanliness and the zero tolerance policy of corruption. Their swap to English has been touted loud and wide, but it has left in its wake a cultureless generation who want to run away from Singapore at the drop of a hat and settle elsewhere. Singapore today has no identity.

Singapore may have learned from our mistakes. It’s time we learnt from theirs.

]]> By: R.S.Ganeshan http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/451/comment-page-1#comment-12543 R.S.Ganeshan Tue, 20 May 2008 19:30:12 +0000 http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/451#comment-12543 Singapore's evolution and progress into what it is today can be attributed to Lee Kuwan Yew who was supposed to have been a member of the Communist Party of Gt.Britain in his student days. When Lee in Singapore laid the socio- political foundation for Singapore, the war in Vietnam offered ample opportunities which he exploited well. Today's Singapore can be best be described as what the anonymous sixteen year old student has said 'narrow minded'.No one need to guess why she wanted to be anonymous.So how can there be any place there for the likes of J.B Jeyaretnam in Singapore? I was there recently and could not find a readable news paper like the 'Independent' in UK nor 'The Hindu' in Chennai nor could I find in any one of Singapore's shopping malls, bookstore or news stand selling the works of George Sorres, Michael More, or John Pilger let alone a wad of chewing gum ! That is the Singapore which President JR wanted to emulate in Sri Lanka and today Sri Lanka is....? Singapore’s evolution and progress into what it is today can be attributed to Lee Kuwan Yew who was supposed to have been a member of the Communist Party of Gt.Britain in his student days.

When Lee in Singapore laid the socio- political foundation for Singapore, the war in Vietnam offered ample opportunities which he exploited well.

Today’s Singapore can be best be described as what the anonymous sixteen year old student has said ‘narrow minded’.No one need to guess why she wanted to be anonymous.So how can there be any place there for the likes of J.B Jeyaretnam in Singapore? I was there recently and could not find a readable news paper like the ‘Independent’ in UK nor ‘The Hindu’ in Chennai nor could I find in any one of Singapore’s shopping malls, bookstore or news stand selling the works of George Sorres, Michael More, or John Pilger let alone a wad of chewing gum !

That is the Singapore which President JR wanted to emulate in Sri Lanka and today Sri Lanka is….?

]]> By: Anonymous http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/451/comment-page-1#comment-11970 Anonymous Sat, 17 May 2008 13:23:20 +0000 http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/451#comment-11970 J.B as he is affectionatelly addressed by Singaporeans is not only possibly the only politition in Singapore who could stand upto the tyranny of Singapore establishment but also a highly sensitive social worker.He had a wide support among the singapores public. Many a Singaporeans have faught with the establishment could not withstand the PAPs tacticts and migrated to other countries such as USA Australia Malaysia.Future generations of Singaporeans will wonder the determination courage and sacrifice J.B had. J.B as he is affectionatelly addressed by Singaporeans is not only possibly the only politition in Singapore who could stand upto the tyranny of Singapore establishment but also a highly sensitive social worker.He had a wide support among the singapores public.

Many a Singaporeans have faught with the establishment could not withstand the PAPs tacticts and migrated to other countries such as USA Australia Malaysia.Future generations of Singaporeans will wonder the determination courage and sacrifice J.B had.

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