<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>P65 bloggers keen to engage in meaningful debate - no party line to toe
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WE ARE writing in response to the letter by Mr Choo Zheng Xi ('New P65 blog: Change a big let-down, Aug 15). We are writers who have been contributing to the blog since its recent relaunch.
Mr Choo said the following of the new P65 blog:
- MPs will no longer write on the P65 blog and this is a big disappointment; and
- It will stretch the imagination to assume none of the writers has any affiliations to the People's Action Party (PAP) and, if any of them do, their views may not be worth reading because they are available on other forums such as Reach and Young PAP.
It looks like the P65 MPs have addressed the first issue ('P65 MPs will be blogging on' by Mr Teo Ser Luck on behalf of P65 MPs, last Friday), so perhaps we writers should address the second.
The suggestion is that if any of the writers have 'affiliations' to the PAP, their views may not be worth reading. We come from different sectors and backgrounds and we all contribute to society in different ways. Some of us, like Mr Vikram Nair, are members of Young PAP, as he has written in a post on the blog. Others are not.
Whatever it is, we are expressing our views on the website as young Singaporeans keen to engage in meaningful debate and discussion on current issues. There is no official party line to toe, and none of us has to seek clearance from any individual before putting up a post on the blogsite.
The Internet is a space that is open to all. There are websites where people support the Government and websites where people condemn the Government. Some express their views with reason and facts, while others use cyberspace as a vehicle to vent their frustration.
As for the P65 bloggers, what we hope to do is to contribute our thoughts to cyberspace in a rational and responsible manner and engage in robust debate on issues that matter. We may or may not agree with government policies, depending on what the topic is. Among ourselves, we may even have different views on a topic. The views we hold are ours and ours alone and we welcome views on the issues we put up.
There is only one way to decide if it is worth reading out views. Visit us at www.p65.sg.
Khartini Khalid (Ms)
on behalf of the P65 bloggers
The letter carries seven other names
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WE ARE writing in response to the letter by Mr Choo Zheng Xi ('New P65 blog: Change a big let-down, Aug 15). We are writers who have been contributing to the blog since its recent relaunch.
Mr Choo said the following of the new P65 blog:
- MPs will no longer write on the P65 blog and this is a big disappointment; and
- It will stretch the imagination to assume none of the writers has any affiliations to the People's Action Party (PAP) and, if any of them do, their views may not be worth reading because they are available on other forums such as Reach and Young PAP.
It looks like the P65 MPs have addressed the first issue ('P65 MPs will be blogging on' by Mr Teo Ser Luck on behalf of P65 MPs, last Friday), so perhaps we writers should address the second.
The suggestion is that if any of the writers have 'affiliations' to the PAP, their views may not be worth reading. We come from different sectors and backgrounds and we all contribute to society in different ways. Some of us, like Mr Vikram Nair, are members of Young PAP, as he has written in a post on the blog. Others are not.
Whatever it is, we are expressing our views on the website as young Singaporeans keen to engage in meaningful debate and discussion on current issues. There is no official party line to toe, and none of us has to seek clearance from any individual before putting up a post on the blogsite.
The Internet is a space that is open to all. There are websites where people support the Government and websites where people condemn the Government. Some express their views with reason and facts, while others use cyberspace as a vehicle to vent their frustration.
As for the P65 bloggers, what we hope to do is to contribute our thoughts to cyberspace in a rational and responsible manner and engage in robust debate on issues that matter. We may or may not agree with government policies, depending on what the topic is. Among ourselves, we may even have different views on a topic. The views we hold are ours and ours alone and we welcome views on the issues we put up.
There is only one way to decide if it is worth reading out views. Visit us at www.p65.sg.
Khartini Khalid (Ms)
on behalf of the P65 bloggers
The letter carries seven other names
