Tag: Lee Kuan Yew

Kenneth Jeyaretnam: Why A By-Election Should Be Called In Tanjong Pagar
The death of Lee Kuan Yew leaves his seat in Tanjong Pagar GRC vacant. Recently a Bloomberg journalist asked me to comment on the suggestion that Lee’s seat in Tanjong Pagar be left vacant as a mark of respect. Her resultant article can be read here. Some commentators have suggested that the Opposition should boycott any by-election, giving the PAP a walkover similar to the ones it has enjoyed ever since Lee Kuan Yew’s constituency was included as part of Tanjong Pagar GRC. In addition a lot of people have been asking me whether I think a by-election will or even must be called.

The fact that any one could even suggest that denying the democratic rights of the citizens of one ward to choose their representative is a way to show respect for the founder of our one-party authoritarian system goes a long way to explaining how far from being a democracy that system is and how far we have to go to become a developed nation in terms of our political and legal structures.

LKY’s seat had of course been effectively vacant for some time. For many years other MPs in the GRC had performed his constituency duties. Ill-health and advanced years also meant that his appearances in Parliament after his unopposed re-election in 2011 were mostly perfunctory. In a democracy an MP who was incapacitated by advanced years or ill-health would have resigned to allow a new and fitter incumbent to perform the duties that he was no longer able to.

In addition because of LKY’s deliberate creation and reinforcement of a climate of fear, and the very real measures he took to crush anyone who stood up to him, the voters of his GRC have been denied the right to choose their representatives for several decades. Even in 2011, when every other seat was contested and our aim was to see Singapore’s first non-walkover GE , a team of independents ran out of time in filing their nomination papers and were disqualified. The fact that the people of that ward have gone without choosing their representatives for so long means that there is a more urgent need to hold a by-election in his constituency now. But can the PM leave the seat vacant indefinitely in defiance of every democratic norm but as has been normal PAP practice until recently?

The short answer and the absolute legal fact is that it would be unconstitutional not to hold a by-election unless the Prime Minister decides to call a general election within the next three months or so.

The argument ( thanks to Article 14) runs like this.

Article 49 of the Constitution states:

49.

—(1) Whenever the seat of a Member, not being a non-constituency Member, has become vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of Parliament, the vacancy shall be filled by election in the manner provided by or under any law relating to Parliamentary elections for the time being in force.

It was established by the Court of Appeal decision in Vellama d/o Marie Muthu v AG (2013) that the calling of a by-election is mandatory and not discretionary and that it has to be held within a reasonable space of time, normally three months.

The Parliamentary Elections Act (PEA) seems to contradict this requirement when it states in Article 24-2(A) that:

(2A) In respect of any group representation constituency, no writ [for a by-election] shall be issued under subsection (1) for an election to fill any vacancy unless all the Members for that constituency have vacated their seats in Parliament.

However this places Article 24-(2A) of the PEA at odds with the Constitution. Where this is the case the Constitution clearly overrides any laws enacted by Parliament, as stated in Article 4 of the Constitution:
1. This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic of Singapore and any law enacted by the Legislature after the commencement of this Constitution which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.
Article 24-(2A) of the PEA is clearly inconsistent with Article 49 of the Constitution. Therefore under Article 4 of the Constitution it is void. Therefore the Prime Minister must call a by-election for Tanjong Pagar GRC, or at least for the constituency vacated by his father’s death, within the next three months.

If the PM refuses to do so, I (and I know my Party members would join me) would support an application to the Court to declare that the PEA is inconsistent with the Constitution and that a by-election must be called. It should be easy for Lee Hsien Loong’s poodle, the Elections Department, to carve out Tanjong Pagar SMC from the GRC if the PM does not want to call a by-election for the whole GRC. However as it was uncontested in 2011 it would be right now to hold an election for the whole GRC.

In the event that the PM observes the Constitution and calls a by-election, it would be good for the Opposition parties to come together and agree to field a joint “A” team against the PAP under an umbrella with all our strongest candidates combined. This would be an important step in the process of transforming the Opposition in the eyes of the electorate into a credible force that is ready to form an alternative Government.

Source: http://sonofadud.com
April 24, 2015
Lee Wei Ling: Honour The Spirit Of What Lee Kuan Yew Stood For

On April 6 a journalist from the Chinese evening paper Lianhe Wanbao sought to interview me about my father Lee Kuan Yew.

This was two weeks after Papa died, yet the outpouring of adulation from usually unemotional and often undemonstrative Singaporeans remained unabated. There were long queues to see Papa’s memorabilia at the National Museum. Stories and anecdotes about Papa continued in the media.

One example was a short telegram Papa sent home telling when he would arrive and a cryptic one word, “battleship”, which he used to tell his family he wanted steamboat for dinner. Unfortunately, no one understood what he meant and there was no steamboat for dinner. While it was entertaining, I found the story neither newsworthy nor educational.

One village in Tamil Nadu is planning to build a statue of Papa, another a museum, while a third wants to devote a memorial hall to honour his memory. If Papa were not cremated, he would be turning in his grave in shock and distress.

Closer to home, I was baffled by the news that our MPs were suggesting naming various structures or institutions after Papa.

Papa had worked hard to prevent any personality cult from growing around him. It would most certainly go against what he would want and what he stood for in life, such as service to Singapore and Singaporeans, because that was the right thing to do, without any ulterior motive, least of all self-promotion.

In life, Papa had to face publicity as he galvanised Singaporeans and put his views across to them, to persuade them to accept his decision about what needed to be done for their own welfare. He never courted publicity merely for the sake of publicity. When I wrote articles that mentioned him, I always checked with him before doing so, and his reply would be, “OK, but no hagiography”.

His reply to an ex-MP’s suggestion to name a monument or public structure after him was simply: “Remember Ozymandias.”

Ozymandias was a pharaoh in ancient Egypt. A sonnet by the 19th-century English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley refers to a huge but fragmented statue of Ozymandias with these words carved on its pedestal: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

But nothing remained except the desert. Shelley’s moral was that all prominent figures and the empires they build are impermanent, their legacies doomed to decay into oblivion.

The best response to Papa’s passing is to honour the spirit of what he stood for, which is the welfare of Singaporeans. There is much that we can all work towards for this purpose.

Similarly, to fuss over Papa’s personal objects or portrait defeats the purpose that he had strived for so diligently in life, which was the welfare of Singaporeans.

Yet, what I am told is stirring up Singaporeans is the house Papa lived in which was built more than 100 years ago. In his book, Hard Truths, he said he wanted it demolished because it was too expensive to preserve.

That he did not want the house preserved is obvious from his will which states: “It is my wish, and the wish of my late wife, Kwa Geok Choo, that our house at 38 Oxley Road, Singapore 238629 be demolished immediately after my death or, if my daughter Wei Ling would prefer to continue living in the original house, immediately after she moves out of the house. I would ask each of my children to ensure our wishes with respect to the demolition of the house be carried out.

“If our children are unable to demolish the house as a result of any changes in the law, rules or regulations binding them, it is my wish that the house never be opened to others except my children, their families and descendants.

“My view on this has been made public before and remains unchanged. My statement of wishes in this paragraph may be publicly disclosed notwithstanding that the rest of my will is private.”

Fellow Singaporeans, let us move on in a post-Lee Kuan Yew era and continue to behave with kindness and consideration towards each other and work for a better Singapore for Singaporeans.

If we, by the way, also benefit fellow humans who are not Singaporeans, that would not be a bad thing either. We are all born into this life and we shall all eventually die. Our existence between these points in time would be more meaningful and fulfilling if we can help other fellow human beings.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

April 20, 2015
Ho Ching To Take 3 Months Sabbatical Leave From Temasek Holdings

Chief executive officer for Temasek Holdings, Ms Ho Ching, will be on sabbatical leave for three months, said the state investor in a statement on Wednesday.

No reasons were given for the leave. A Temasek spokesperson told Reuters that the leave “is not related to any retirement plans”.

Ms Ho, who is also the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, will continue with her Board duties and specific stewardship duties, said Temasek Holdings.

“Mr Lee Theng Kiat, President of Temasek, will cover her on all normal course of business at Temasek as an investor and shareholder, as an institution, and as a steward,” said Temasek Holdings in the statement.

Ms Ho, 61, joined Temasek as a director in January 2002 and has been its CEO since January 2004.

Source: http://business.asiaone.com

April 15, 2015
Preservation Of Monuments Act Allows Government To Protect Oxley Road House

The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s explicit wish was to have his Oxley Road house demolished after his death, but heritage and legal experts say the law allows the Government to protect it by preserving it as a national monument.

Under the Preservation of Monuments Act, the National Heritage Board can ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth to gazette the more than 100-year-old bungalow.

This is provided the property fulfils criteria such as having historic, cultural, traditional, archaeological, architectural, artistic or symbolic significance, and being of national importance.

Senior consultant Gopalan Raman of law firm KhattarWong’s litigation department said yesterday that the property is clearly of “great historical value”.

“It is the house of the first Prime Minister, who has done so much to develop Singapore to the state that it is in today with his early comrades,” he said.

The Act also trumps Mr Lee’s wish in his will for the house to be demolished after his death – or immediately after his daughter, Dr Lee Wei Ling, who lives there, moves out

Singapore Management University heritage law expert Jack Lee said the state has “power over personal wishes”.

“A will of any person cannot override the ordinary law of the land. For instance, if someone were to will that his house becomes a casino, land zoning laws would take precedence,” he said.

When a property has been identified for its heritage value, the authorities generally engage the owner over their plans.

The owner’s consent is sought as the task and cost of the upkeep of the monument falls on the owner, said experts. So when a declaration to preserve it is made, it is presumably with the owner’s consent, they said.

In the case of an unwilling owner, the law allows the Government to step in to acquire the property, said Dr Jack Lee. But this has rarely been done.

There is also no annual budget for acquisitions, said Dr Kevin Tan, president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites Singapore.

The experts yesterday acknowledged the late Mr Lee’s wishes and noted that his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, told Parliament on Monday that Dr Lee intends to continue living there.

“Therefore, there is no immediate issue of demolition of the house, and no need for the Government to make any decision now,” PM Lee said of the property and Mr Lee’s wishes, in response to questions from MPs.

Dr Tan said it was unlikely that the Act would be used to acquire the house any time soon, owing to the difficulty of doing so.

Still, most experts said the formal process of assessing its historical significance should get under way. The Oxley house is where the People’s Action Party was formed in 1954 and key decisions made in the early years of independent Singapore.

Dr Tan also believes that by the time the Lee family makes a decision on the house, a Founders’ Memorial would have been built. This would allow Singaporeans to commemorate Mr Lee and the first-generation leaders without the Oxley premises in focus.

Since Mr Lee died on March 23 at age 91, calls to preserve his house have grown. An online petition gathered 1,700 signatures in about a week.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

April 15, 2015
Lee Kuan Yew DVD In High Demand

More than 10,000 DVDs on the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew have been sold over the week of April 6 to April 11.

The three-part documentary, Time Nor Tide, was part of a series of special programmes broadcast by MediaCorp to commemorate his life and legacy. The documentary can be watched online, but was made available on DVD due to public request.

Net proceeds of the first public sale will be donated to the Community Chest, said MediaCorp, adding that they will also be releasing other programmes on Mr Lee on DVD by end-April.

These include In His Own Words: A six-part series of his key speeches over the years, and Forging A Nation: A compilation of short stories capturing significant moments and issues in Singapore’s history.

The DVDs have been flying off the shelves since they hit the stores on Monday (April 6) and by the evening of the first day of its release, there were more than 1,000 people on a waiting list across Poh Kim stores.

Video CD store Poh Kim says its customers usually ask for more than one copy with some reserving as many as 10 to 40 copies. Bookstore Popular set a limit of 2 copies per customer due to overwhelming demand.

One lady at Poh Kim told Channel NewsAsia on Monday that she had bought 10 DVDs on the late Mr Lee – both for herself and her friends who live overseas.

“I was very surprised,” she said. “I understand that it is being launched today, but 15 minutes into store opening, I called up several stores — at least five or six of them — everyone told me they were out of stock.”

Another lady at Popular said: “I had already put my name on the waiting list. So I quickly rushed here because I was scared the second batch might be snatched away by the people.”

“I can view at my own leisure and I don’t have to worry about it being taken down anytime soon,” said a man at Popular after he bought the DVD.

One lady at the bookstore said it was expected that there was such high demand for the documentary.

“He is our founding father,” she said. “And everyone will want to keep a copy of that for memory’s sake.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

April 13, 2015