Chee speaks up on Chiam

[cheekenpie]

Feb 28, 2010
Chee speaks up on Chiam
By Jeremy Au Yong, Political Correspondent

SINGAPORE Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan has addressed two often controversial issues that have shadowed him: whether he gets funds from foreign sources, and his role in Mr Chiam See Tong's exit from the party.

He spoke on these issues in an interview that LianHe Zaobao published on Sunday in conjunction with the SDP's 30th anniversary.

In it, he acknowledged that he received some funds from foreign sources for research work, and played down his role in Mr Chiam's departure from the party in 1993.

Asked about how he supported his family, he told the Chinese-language daily that his income was mainly from the sale of his books and occasional financial assistance from friends and family.

'We live a simple life, and I invest the extra resources in the fight for democracy,' said Dr Chee, who lives in a three-room HDB flat in Toa Payoh with his wife and three children.

He was declared a bankrupt in February 2006 after failing to pay $500,000 in damages to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew for defaming them during the 2001 General Election.

 

[cheekenpie]

The coming around of Chee Soon Juan and SDP?

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/02/the-coming-around-of-chee-soon-juan-and-sdp/

Five years ago in the police station, I was interrogated by the police over the making of my documentary Singapore Rebel. Photographs and minutes of the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) meetings and activities were produced in front me, and I was asked to identify faces in those snapshots. How did the photographs and minutes end up with the police? Did the police have moles planted in the opposition? Is Lee Kuan Yew an autocrat? You go figure.

What was unmistakable to me at that time was that there was a concerted attempt by the Government and the police to create a spectre of criminalization around Dr Chee Soon Juan and anything/anybody that he engages. The agenda couldn’t have been more plain : Isolate Chee, pick him off, and like Lee himself said many years ago as an opposition MP, the outcome would be that miraculously everything will be tranquil on the surface.

Last night, SDP held its 30th Anniversary bash at the Concorde Hotel. Amid the pomp and pageantry were about a hundred guests, including foreign diplomats, civil society activists and members of the opposition. Noticeably absent, and perhaps an indication that the Government’s decade-and-a-half campaign to marginalize Chee is still holding sway, is the no show from the entire Workers’ Party, including Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim, and the founder of SDP himself, Chiam See Tong, now with the SPP. Strikingly, all three are currently the only opposition members of Singapore’s Parliament. Surprisingly, joining the list of absentees was a new kid of the opposition block, Kenneth Jeyaretnam of the Reform Party.

But having witnessed the trajectory of Chee’s political career – from the toil of libel suits, bankruptcy and relentless criticisms to the merrymaking last night – it was a kind of a miracle to behold. Not the tranquil kind that Lee alluded to, but of a coming around – For Chee, his party and the people who now saw no fear to be seen fraternizing with the Government’s favourite whipping boy.

There is also a coming around of sorts with the authorities. Two years ago, Government censors showed up with the police to seize a dvd of a film premiere organized by the SDP. (see video here and here). Last night, videos of congratulatory messages were blasted without interruptions.

Then this morning, the most glaring coming around happened. The mainstream press, a longtime accessory of the Government’s character assassination campaign against Chee and SDP, suddenly saw fit to publish a review of the anniversary dinner and an almost full page interview with Chee himself.

When did you last see a smiling Chee Soon Juan in the newspapers? And the group photo in the Sunday Times looks fit for a propaganda piece for the PAP, except that the uniforms are red, not white. What gave rise to the Sunday Times and Zaobao’s sudden habit-breaking behavioural switch to feature Chee Soon Juan and SDP in their pages? And without the usual demonization too?

Perhaps there is a tacit recognition that a bankrupted Chee is already a spent force and thus not a political threat? Perhaps Lee Kuan Yew, after clashing with the Chee siblings in court, saw for himself horns didn’t grow out of their skulls? Perhaps the political desks of ST and Zaobao needed to fill their quotas of articles per month?

Whatever the motivations are, one thing is certain – Chee Soon Juan and the Singapore Democratic Party are not the sort to crave for mainstream media coverage. Anybody who knows Chee can attest that there isn’t one Singaporean who distrusts the MSM more. In recent years, the party has resigned itself to the use of the internet and street hawking of publications to engage the citizenry.

That the MSM has now come knocking on Chee’s door, despite his open criticisms of them, is something of a revelation. More interesting to me, are how the dynamics in opposition politics have suddenly shifted. Now that the press has nudged SDP closer to the mainstream, will it then follow that the absentees of the night’s function will be less afraid to associate themselves with Chee and SDP?

One of my principal aims when making Singapore Rebel was to inspire a rethink of perceptions, but now ironically, the mainstream press has done what I set out to do five years ago. Perhaps I need to look for another subject to break perceptions and taboos with..

 

[cheekenpie]

Looks like SDP is powering up this year....

 

[tonychat]

Wonderful.. all the way SDP!!!

 

[Maximilian Chua-Heng]

No Way.....!

Being a faithful subscriber of the Straits Times, I read that Chee is a "sociopath", "megolomaniac" and even "psychopath".

Dudes, I am now confused by this contradictory Zaobao report on Chee.

See Link :
http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2008/06/chua-lee-hong-chee-is-nuts.html

 

[QXD]

In my heart of hearts, I acknowledge that it was for CSJ's hard hammering antics and in-your-face politics towards PAP that have made way for the modern moderate voices in the opposition to be heard.

Remember the days when moderates such as CST were openly ridiculed by LKY in Parliament, pull audacious accusations against political opponents of communism/treason?

Would Ass Loong even DARE to do something of similar measure to the moderate voices of GMS or Temasek Review without raising the ire of netizens?

CSJ is the heavy artillery, the deep air strikes we needed then and there to allow opposition voices to achieve the inroads that they have made today in alternative media, something that the PAP has obviously lost the war on.

And for that, for so much that he gave up for, I am grateful to him.

Thank you, Dr. Chee

 

[khaw boon wan]

Where is leetahbar, cass8088, internet brigade, boundthunter, etc????


:oIo::oIo::oIo::oIo:

 

[makapaaa]

In it, he acknowledged that he received some funds from foreign sources for research work, and played down his role in Mr Chiam's departure from the party in 1993.

=> Compared to the PAPee Traitors using Sporns' money to fund foreigners' leeplacement of Sporns. Who do u think should be sent to the FIRING SQUAD?

 

[Perspective]

In my heart of hearts, I acknowledge that it was for CSJ's hard hammering antics and in-your-face politics towards PAP that have made way for the modern moderate voices in the opposition to be heard.

Remember the days when moderates such as CST were openly ridiculed by LKY in Parliament, pull audacious accusations against political opponents of communism/treason?

I'm afraid I have to disagree. I don't know why CSJ is given sole credit. Ironically, your history is reversed as it was Chiam who had introduced the style of constructive, value-add (even to PAP) and objective opposition. Before Chee, folks like JBJ, FS and unknowns like Seow Khee Leng, Shamsudin Tong, Harbans Singh, Ho Juan Thai were already engaging the PAP in a very "Chee way" and although far different the result was the same - they were either jailed, fined, bankrupt or exiled. Chiam's paving of the way led to the NSP's and present WP's approach.

That being said, I don't disagree that CSJ has the right to exist. That's the voter's call, not mine.

 

[phouse3]

.......Before Chee, folks like JBJ, FS and unknowns like Seow Khee Leng, Shamsudin Tong, Harbans Singh, Ho Juan.......

What have you been smoking? What's wrong with Harbans Singh? What's wrong with Chee, JBJ, Seow Khee Leng, etc.?

Harbans asked for abolishment of NS: NS has been lowered to 2 years and reservist liability shortened
Harbans asked for free education: Primary education has been made free and EduSave created
Harbans asked for free housing: Housing grants are given
Harbans asked for no taxes: A tax haven has been created

Harbans Singh has great foresight, good intuition and is the chief architect of modern Singapore.

Chee asked for free speech: Speakers' Corner was created
Chee asked for peaceful protests: It is allowed at Hong Lim Park
Chee asked for allowing of political films: His wish came true

Care to let us know LTK's achievements?

 

[Queen Seok Duk]

Care to let us know LTK's achievements?

$13,000 MP allowance a month ?
Drives a MPV ?
Praised by LKY ?

 

[tonychat]

$13,000 MP allowance a month ?
Drives a MPV ?
Praised by LKY ?

$13,000 a month income is easily achievable. There is not a need to be a scum to get that.

 

[ray_of_hope]

In the interview Dr Chee mentioned that he had "written award-winning books". I am curious, what awards were these?

 

[Chinaporean]

That's why PAP needs to destroy SDP

They came, they saw and they cheered. From the lone voice of Dr Chee Soon Juan's 10-year-old daughter, An Lyn, singing the national anthem to the loud crescendo of the finale, the dinner commemorating 30 years of democratic service of the SDP was, judging from the feedback that was received, a huge success.

In was, indeed, a night to remember.

There was fantastic music, there was great food and drink, and best of all there was warm company. What more could a birthday celebrant ask for?

A night to remember

 

[tonychat]

Congrats to SDP, wish you success and more good years ahead.

 

[QXD]

CST made some mumblings in Parliament and had his mediocre GCE O Level results plastered all over Singapore...

Harbans asked for abolishment of NS: NS has been lowered to 2 years and reservist liability shortened
Harbans asked for free education: Primary education has been made free and EduSave created
Harbans asked for free housing: Housing grants are given
Harbans asked for no taxes: A tax haven has been created

Harbans Singh has great foresight, good intuition and is the chief architect of modern Singapore.

Chee asked for free speech: Speakers' Corner was created
Chee asked for peaceful protests: It is allowed at Hong Lim Park
Chee asked for allowing of political films: His wish came true

Care to let us know LTK's achievements?