Fuck lah..If the botak head NMP so confident of himself, he should go for election..be it independent or join a opposition party..he now can KPKB in parliament becos PAP give him the oppotunity. Tell him be a man, stand for a election. BTW how much pay does a NMP get?![]()
Appreciating what PAP did in the past or even present does not mean that we should not contest against them. In fact, by providing the real political competition against PAP, it keeps PAP alive by being nimble and responsive to citizens' views and needs. This is ironic but it is true. Else, PAP may have a prolonged life but in the end, it will be totally destroyed by its own monopoloy of power that corrupts its moral authority totally. Many ancient Chinese dynasties have gone through that different phases in history.
Steve Chia is really not that bad. We are not expecting SAINTS to be in politics; in fact I would be very worried if every politicians portray themselves as SAINTS or PERFECT HUMAN BEINGS or GOD-like in anyway. Many politicians in history that portray themselves as GOD-LIKE one time or another had created great pain, harm and destruction to their people. Prime examples are Chairman Mao, Japanese Emperors, Hilter.... the list goes on.
Democracy exists basically because we must always keep in mind that politicians are IMPERFECT human beings that need to be put into checks and balances. Any politicians that claim that they are PERFECT and do not need anyone to check on them are not to be believed at all.
Steve Chia may have erred on few instances but it only put reality in perspective; politicians are just human beings. You have never seen flaws of other politicians exposed does not mean that they are perfect at all.
Goh Meng Seng
Good point especially when we are all "imperfect" as you put it.
In fact, for decades, PAP used the strategy of modelling a politician as clean and with high academic grades. It was a successful strategy for years as it painted the opposition badly. Only Chiam and Chee managed to manouveure, nothwitstanding old man's assualt on Chiam school academic results which led to an apology by old man for getting it wrong.
Our generation must cast aside that sainthood associated with anyone running for politics. The fundamental attributes should be
- act as an effective backstop to the PAP
- effective in representing the constituents
- effective in parliament
- desire to look after this country and its people
I am not sure I would do so for a maid abuser or a married man breaking his vows. The opposition parties have a responsibility to field people of some moral standing.
Dr Chee don't have much support of the Singaporeans, the results of SDP in the last election is only 20+. Mr Chiam and Mr Low managed to know how to maneuver over PAP so they stayed in the Parliament for 25 years and 18 years respectively
If the maid did not consent, the police would have charged him for outraging her modesty. I am sure the PAP would have relished that. Since the wife reported the matter to the Police, the opportunity for the maid to come out of the situation would have become available and the question in terms of imbalance in position would have been reduced significantly.
Did I miss out on something else that was reported in terms of maid abuse.
As to infidelty, that puts an awful lot of pressure on possible oppostition candidates. PAP has a string of chaps that had more than a roving eye. I know of well known MP who was beating his wife and this was known to her family and people close to him and mind you they were educated and well placed people. Then the well known shennigans of our Minister of Home Affairs who was given a month to get married to square off the conservatives before the appointment. The Press or anyone else will not carry such stories.
I do not condone infidelty but either your conviction are too strong or you might have been conditioned like many of us to think that PAP is squeeky clean morality wise. I would suggest the "it takes a thief" approach until this despotic govt is set aside. Then the purge on immoraility can begin.
The playbook has to be practical.
Of course, there has to be a line when thiefs and philanderers plan move to more immoral activities and no such individuals should be nominated.
If the maid did not consent, the police would have charged him for outraging her modesty. I am sure the PAP would have relished that. Since the wife reported the matter to the Police, the opportunity for the maid to come out of the situation would have become available and the question in terms of imbalance in position would have been reduced significantly.
Did I miss out on something else that was reported in terms of maid abuse.
As to infidelty, that puts an awful lot of pressure on possible oppostition candidates. PAP has a string of chaps that had more than a roving eye. I know of well known MP who was beating his wife and this was known to her family and people close to him and mind you they were educated and well placed people. Then the well known shennigans of our Minister of Home Affairs who was given a month to get married to square off the conservatives before the appointment. The Press or anyone else will not carry such stories.
I do not condone infidelty but either your conviction are too strong or you might have been conditioned like many of us to think that PAP is squeeky clean morality wise. I would suggest the "it takes a thief" approach until this despotic govt is set aside. Then the purge on immoraility can begin.
The playbook has to be practical.
Of course, there has to be a line when thiefs and philanderers plan move to more immoral activities and no such individuals should be nominated.
I do have a thing about infidelity within marriage. I don't see why people can't have the decency to at least separate from their partner (if not divorce) before they start on another relationship. It's basically about not taking responsibility for their action. It also involves secrecy and breaking somebody's trust, and causing suffering within the family. I don't see why we should allow a person who is capable of causing such unhappiness to lead the country. Private morality is linked to public morality. If he can cheat on his wife and family, he can cheat Singaporeans too.
Remember how shocked and betrayed Americans felt when John Edwards' affair during his presidential campaign was exposed? The wife had been supporting him for the campaign, she had just been in remission from cancer, and he does this? How can you accept someone like that into politics.
Affairs prior to entering politics aren't important. We can always give the benefit of the doubt--that the person has learned from the incident. But during his political tenure, no way. .
. But usually, in Singapore, extra-marital relations involve a betrayal of trust and secrecy and unhappiness being caused to other disempowered parties like the partner and children.
You must be bored to cook up something like this or there is no item to sensationalise.
I.
don't underestimate Wayang Party's 'power' bro
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Too many unknowns about the issue--.
i think there is something to be said for the french political culture which does not encourage prying into the private lives of their politicians...
btw i wonder who leaked steve's wife's police report to ben nadarajan @ ST![]()
I think its wrong to suggest that the maid did not consent. Neither am I suggesting that she consented. I would suggest that its very much unknown. As the Police was involved, she could just as well seek embassy help and screw the Chias for all they got plus a criminal conviction.
I am well aware that morality is an issue for the vast majority. The point that I make it is to judge both the PAP and the opposition on equal footing.
flesh is weak my dear...but that does not necessarly mean that it shall affect and compromise one's performance as a political leader save for perhaps the issue of blackmail...now i wonder why PAPs recently passed legislation preventing private surveillance being carried out on elected officials![]()
Flesh is weak? Does that mean marriage, with all its conditions, is an unnatural institution? Maybe we should change it then. Allow both husband and wife to have affairs outside the marriage. Or abolish marriage altogether.
But as long as we want to keep the institution, we should respect its conditions and not make excuses for ourselves. It's not the flesh that is weak--it is the mind. Sexual desire is a mental thing.
Did you read John Edwards' explanation for why he had an extra-marital affair? He said he wanted to see what he could get away with. Somewhat like kleptomaniacs. Would we accept kleptomaniac political leaders?
Oh yeah, of course, we need to judge them equally.
Also, yes, we don't know enough about the case to consider whether she consented or not. But whether she consented or not does not let Chia off the hook. It's maid abuse. It's not on her contract is it that she should allow him to take semi-nude pix of her?
I looked up the Employment Act, and it said the place where someone works is a public place. Hence, the home where she works becomes a public place for a domestic worker. So, Chia did the picture taking in a public place. Can he be prosecuted for an act of indecency then?