The Feud, The Brother, and Elected Presidency
Things are starting to come more in focus for me. As we all know, the recent changes to the EP procedures, requiring a Malay to be elected for this next round of the EP was thought by many, including myself, to stymie the bid of Tan Cheng Bok for this position. TCB came close in the last election, but no dice. But TCB is really in my opinion, a PAP stooge and collaborator. he was in the PAP for many years as an MP, and even in their all important CEC. He has never revealed publicly the reasons why he seeked the Presidency. Was it because he was not happy with the PAP? Was it for the money? Was it for the public good? How will he change the way things are in singapore for the better? I expected TCB, if he was allowed to run and if he was elected, to fully comply with all PAP policies as the President, and dutifully rubber stamp whatever the PAP put before his plate.
But what if, just what if, the new law was written not to stymie him, but to stymie Lee Hsien Yang from running? After all, he would meet all the criteria for it. If this round of EP was open to all ethnic groups, he would have won if he had run. But we now know his relationship with his older brother, he is openly hostile to him. If he had been elected as President, there will be no free lunch for the PAP anymore, and they will face a President opposed to them. Any laws that he does not like can be vetoed by him by simply not signing it. He could use his position as President to foil, hinder and harass his brother. he would in effect have some control over his brother. With Wei lIng and Suet Fern behind him, his presidency would provide a strong counter weight to Hsien Loong and his govt. His hatred for his brother will ensure a miserable time for LHL. TCB would never dare do such a thing to LHL if he was elected as President.
SO what if they actually changed the law to make sure the LHY did not qualify on race and run for EP? Once the change has happened, he would have to leave the country anyway. he would have been opened to harrassment from his brother, once his brother found out that he intended to run. No unapproved EP will be allowed to win in Singapore, but LHY's name and experience would make him almost immune from PAP attempts to shut him down. So, instead he will leave the country, rather then face more years of threats and what not, till the next election. Maybe he will come back for the next EP after this one? Most certainly if left alone in Australia to plot his return, he can do what he needs to do without being under constant surveillance. who knows? But I would strongly encourage him to run for the EP at the next earliest opportunity and try and right some of the wrongs that he says his brother has done.
