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Chiam See Tong Beat Mah Bow Tan at ‘O’ Levels and Other Revelations

Former Opposition MP Chiam See Tong’s reputation over the years has been recast to one of an elder statesman, well-respected by the ruling party and the opposition alike.

One observed how Chiam is respectfully treated by the Prime Ministers this year.

Chiam is indeed a politician of his time. As founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew observed in his memoirs, Chiam took the “shrewder line than Jeyaretnam, was more in tune with the sentiments of the population, that the PAP was doing a fair job, but could do better and should listen more to criticism”.

Now there is a book that will set his life on paper.

Let The People Have Him, a book by academic Loke Hoe Yeong that traces Chiam’s birth to his winning of the Potong Pasir seat in 1984, is a reminder that Chiam’s rise as a national opposition is no easy feat.

Below are ten revelations from Chiam’s biography that will interest every well-informed Singaporeans about 1970s/1980s politics.

1. Then PM Lee Kuan Yew compared the ‘O’ Level results of the two candidates for Potong Pasir – Mah Bow Tan and Chiam.

Lee said, “Mah Bow Tan, age 16, took his ‘O’ Levels – six distinctions, two credits.

Mr Chiam, age 18 – six credits, one pass.”

The residents of Potong Pasir chose Chiam. Chiam won 60.28% of the votes, compared to Mah’s 39.72% in the 1984 General Elections.

2. Staffers from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) apologised to Chiam for an error Mr Lee Kuan Yew made in a 1984 GE rally speech.

The PMO also conveyed an apology from Lee himself for the error. Chiam had gotten seven, not six credits in his ‘O’-Level results.

3. Chiam sued then Foreign Minister S. Dhanabalan and Defence Minister Howe Yoon Chong for defamation.

Then Workers’ Party Sec-Gen and MP JB Jeyaretnam represented Chiam in filing a writ in the High Court seeking damages for slander made in the election speeches by Dhanabalan and Howe.

Dhanabalan called Chiam “a two-bit lawyer orchestrating a three-piece band whose members only appear once every four or five years”.

Howe called Chiam “a twice unsuccessful lawyer” and “a lawyer who is not even very good at law”.

4. Both Foreign Minister S. Dhanabalan and Defence Minister Howe Yoon Chong apologised to Chiam.

Howe: “I, Howe Yoong Chong, hereby unreservedly withdraw all imputations against the professional capacity and competence of Mr Chiam See Tong made by me on December 21 1980 and published in the issue of this newspaper on December 22 1980.” Business Times, 13 Feb, 1981.

Dhanabalan: “I acknowledge that there was no foundation for any of the imputations and I sincerely apologise to Mr Chiam for having made them”. Business Times, 28, 1981.

Chiam accepted the apologies and withdrew his lawsuits against them.

5. The origin of Chiam’s name.

The name See Tong roughly translates from Teochew Chinese as “timely” or “punctual”, given to him by his paternal grandfather.

6. You are never too old for public life.

In December 1976, Chiam entered politics at the age of 41.

7. The distant family relationship between Chiam and Lee Kuan Yew

Chiam has never met Lee in person until he was sworn into Parliament in 1985.

However, other members of Chiam’s extended family were on cordial terms with Lee’s extended family. This relationship stemmed from the marriage of Chiam’s maternal grandfather Lim Liang Quee’s daughter to a member of the Kwa family, from which Lee’s wife was.

8. Chiam thought of giving up politics.

After losing three elections, Chiam entertained the thought of giving up politics. His friends and relatives had been coaxing him that he would be able to live a contented life as a lawyer.

9. Chiam successfully sued the mainstream media for damages.

Chiam sued the now defunct Singapore Monitor for damages when it ran a headline on its frontpage: “Chiam See Tong charged with criminal trespass”.

10. When Chiam first met Lee.

Chiam (extending his hand): “Mr Prime Minister, may I congratulate the PAP on winning the elections”.

Lee (firm handshake): “See you in Parliament”.

“Let The People Have Him – Chiam See Tong: The Early Years” is available for purchase online at Epigram Books. Check out Mothership.sg’ interview with author Loke Hoe Yeong tomorrow.

Source: http://mothership.sg/

October 30, 2014
Indonesia’s Chief of Defence Force Calls for Greater Regional Cooperation Against IS

Indonesia’s chief of defence forces General Moeldoko has called for greater regional cooperation in the global fight against the Islamic State (IS) threat.

He spoke in Singapore on Wednesday (Oct 29), at a lecture organised by the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies. These were his first public comments in Singapore since the appointment of Indonesia’s new President, Joko Widodo.

In a lecture titled TNI Future Challenges and Opportunities, the General sketched out the broad challenges for the Indonesian armed forces and the importance of regional cooperation. A key focus was the IS threat and the danger it may pose in the future to this part of the world.

“There have been several people from countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia who have gone to Syria and Iraq to join IS. We need to find a common understanding among the ASEAN Chief of Defence Forces, to anticipate the future risk, when these fighters return to their home countries. We need to think of concrete steps to deal with this threat,” he said.

The General said it is hard to predict the strategy of IS militants and this is why it is critical for regional forces to come together, consider future scenarios and come up with action plans.

To this end, he said he intends to propose a meeting of regional defence chiefs to discuss the IS threat, at the ASEAN Chief of Defence Forces informal meeting to be held in Malaysia next year. Indonesia hosted a similar meeting earlier this year for military and peacekeeping personnel from 33 countries, at its Peace and Security Centre in Sentul, West Java.

General Moeldoko emphasised in his lecture that the IS ideology does not represent Islam: “I am a Muslim and I can tell you that IS does not represent the Islam that I know. There will be no chance for IS to spread in Indonesia.”

He also touched on President Widodo’s vision of making Indonesia a global maritime axis. He said Indonesia plays an important role in maritime security and stressed the need to enhance regional cooperation, to protect the lucrative trade route along the Straits of Malacca.

The lecture was followed by a 30-minute closed-door question-and-answer session involving more than 100 people. Issues raised included Indonesia’s relations with a rising China, as well as territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the impact on regional security.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore

October 30, 2014
Response to the Supreme Court Ruling on 377A

Statement from Gary and Kenneth.

“We are deeply disappointed with the judgement of the Court and though it has ruled that it is beyond its judiciary function to help the lgbt community, we are thankful that the justices have taken the time to consider this appeal in detail. We hope that parliament will be able to do so as well.

While the legal road for us has ended, we believe and hope that this case has inspired Singaporeans – straight, gay, bisexual and transgender – not to keep silent in the face of prejudice and inequality.

We have been in a loving relationship for over 17 years and this past year has been an incredible milestone for us. We decided to embark on this journey because we felt that the LGBT community deserves to be recognized as equal to the rest of society in the eyes of the law and have been witness to the discrimination and unfair treatment of the LGBT community on the basis of S377A of the Penal Code.

Being a part of this historical campaign provided us the opportunity to show young LGBT people that there are gay and lesbian couples in Singapore who have weathered the discriminatory nature of our society and though we have to strive harder than heterosexual couples to be together, it can be done. We hope that we and the many other LGBT couples who are increasingly telling their stories will help others, and we hope that Singaporeans will see this as a minor setback for equality and fairness, and that we can as a country recognise the value of LGBT people.

We would like to thank the many people who have supported us on this fight. From the many who have donated funds to the legal case, to those who have contributed their knowledge and expertise. We also thank our lawyers Deborah Barker and Peter Low both of whom have been immensely supportive during the 2 phases of our legal challenge.

This particular journey may have ended for us but it continues for the rest of the community.

Thank you”

Source: www.indiegogo.com/projects/fundraising-for-s377a-constitutional-challenge

October 30, 2014
Challenge on 377A Rejected by the Supreme Court

The nation’s highest court today (Oct 29) ruled that a law that criminalises sex between men is constitutional.

The Court of Appeal found that Section 377A of the Penal Code did not infringe on the rights of 51-year-old artistic therapist and social volunteer Tan Eng Hong.

Mr Tan was arrested for engaging in oral sex with another man in a public toilet in 2010. He contested the law but had his application dismissed by the High Court in 2013.

Mr Tan’s lawyer M Ravi noted that the case had been before the courts for four years and its precedent could be “far-reaching”.

“Today’s decision has legitimised discrimination against gay men and approved the criminalisation of the conduct of their private lives by statute,” he said in a statement to the media. He called the ruling a “huge step backwards for human rights in Singapore”.

The Court of Appeal is also hearing a separate appeal to have Section 377A declared unconstitutional, from two men — Gary Lim Meng Suang and Kenneth Chee Mun-Leon — who have been in a relationship for the past 16 years. The High Court had ruled against them in 2013.

Source: www.facebook.com/TodayOnline

October 29, 2014
Amir Khan: MMA Fighter

Every other second, his head snaps to the side; his right eye and mouth squeeze shut.

Then the twitches give way to a powerful, lightning-quick barrage of punches and kicks.

Slightly more than two minutes later, it’s all over, with Singaporean Amir Khan knocking out his hapless opponent on his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut.

While the 19-year-old’s impressive skills captured the attention, so did his repeated, uncontrollable tics, with some even wondering if he was having muscle spasms.

What Amir has is Tourette syndrome – a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements.

U.S. footballer Tim Howard is the most famous athlete with the condition, which recently came into the spotlight after the ex-Manchester United goalkeeper pulled off a record-breaking 16 saves at the 2014 World Cup.

What’s clear, however, is that Amir doesn’t suffer from it.

“Maybe it helps because it’ll distract my opponent and he can’t read my eyes. That’s an advantage,” the One Fighting Championship (ONE FC) signee joked, as he spoke to Yahoo ahead of his next bout against Pakistani Waqar Umar on 7 November at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Turning serious, Amir said: “I don’t mind living with it, it doesn’t really affect me. But I’m trying to control it every day, slowly, and as I get older hopefully it’ll reduce.”

He’s had Tourette’s since childhood, but it never landed him in any serious trouble – perhaps because one would think twice about trying to bully a teenage Muay Thai champion.

Looking at his lean, muscled physique now, it’s hard to believe Amir’s first taste of competition was in golf, a sport his dad Ansari coaches in.

But it was also father who stumbled upon son, then 13, sparring with friends at a void deck. Instead of pulling on Amir’s ear, he encouraged him to take up Muay Thai.

A year later, as a Secondary Two student, Amir found himself fighting in Thailand.

Another year later, he was back in the Land of Smiles, battling older opponents for a championship belt – which he won.

The talented lad then made the natural progression to MMA, choosing to spend the next three years in the United States training, studying and biding his time to emerge on the global stage.

Asked if he ever dreamt of fighting for American-based household name Ultimate Fighting Championship, Amir said, “I got an opportunity for ONE FC, and I think it’s going to be the next greatest thing, so I took it.”

“I’m not really stuck on ‘Oh, I need to be in the UFC’,” he added. “I’ll take whichever opportunity comes first.”

In Singapore, Amir trains twice a day, full-time, with the fêted Evolve Fight Team – a step up from six sessions a week when he was in the U.S.

Winning his first big battle in dominant fashion was evidence of the payoff, but it was also an impressive display of calm and composure belying his youth.

“I’ve been through a lot of fights,” Amir explained.

He also credited his father for “doing everything” from planning his diet to providing moral support to doling out advice.

“I think winning or losing doesn’t matter, as long as I do my thing in the cage,” Amir said. “I don’t really worry about being embarrassed; I don’t really care about the outcome – as long as I know I train hard.”

Training, practicing – the constant quest for personal improvement seems to be Amir’s goal, whether it comes to his fighting profession or medical condition.

He faces a potential roadblock when Singapore’s mandatory two-year National Service comes knocking, but Amir is not running away from his duties.

“I plan to serve the nation. I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” he affirmed. “I just hope I’ll still be able to train every day, if not at night, or else I’ll train harder over the weekends. As long as I’m still training, it’s fine.”

Tickets for ONE FC: BATTLE OF LIONS on 7 November in Singapore are on sale now at Sports Hub Tix (http://www.sportshubtix.com). Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VIPs at S$378 followed by Arena S$158, Terrace S$58 and Balcony S$38. Prices exclude ticketing fee.

Source: sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs

October 29, 2014