2/20/2013

Govt’s response to Hong Lim Spring



So far only two ministers, actually one minister and one ex minister have commented on the Hong Lim Rally. And as expected, nothing flattering. One said the unhappiness to the White Paper was expected but forgot to complete the sentence…would go away after the venting of anger, nothing to worry. Another, just rhetoric, or another way of saying, all sound and fury but no substance. He added, the views were one sided and appealing to emotions.

The PM and DPM have not said anything, or maybe it was nothing important and not worth talking about. What can 5,000 people standing under the rain do? Standing under the rain actually has a very significant meaning. Hsien Loong recalled proudly the National Day Parade when he was a drum major, I think, and how the whole parade, soldiers, working adults and students, stood under a heavy downpour at the padang. So too were the ministers and MPs, and the President, all braved the rain to make a point, a proud nation and a people that would not be subdued by a little rain, a little difficulty or discomfort. They stood their ground as one proud people, united and resolved to face the future and whatever difficulties and challenges there be.

Hong Lim Rally was not a National Day Parade, no national leaders, no parade commander or regimentation. The people were there on their own accord, and could walk away freely. There was no need to brave the rain, no compulsion to get wet all over, with mud under their feet. But they stood the ground to make a point. They were unhappy, angry and wanted change.

Can these people be ignored? Are they alone, or each one has a family and friends that shared the same thoughts? And there must be many more that would like to be there but could not be there for some reasons. It was not 5,000 people that opposed the flooding of the country with more foreigners and a bigger population. There were more.

I am sure the political leaders know that the unhappiness was not limited to those present at Hong Lim. Many who were overseas too wrote to express their support for the movement. How widespread is this movement and how serious are they to want to oppose the White Paper?

My gut feel, there are many more not there that felt the same way. Ignore them if you dare and want to be re elected in 2016. Dismiss them as mere noises, rhetoric, lunatics that thought it was fun to stand under the rain, or plain stupid. Just do that. No need to bother with these lunatics. Less than 3 years to ignore them.

The seed of a new Spring has been planted in the mud of Hong Lim, and watered by the Spring rain on 16 February 2013. It will sprout roots and new shoot, and take a life of its own.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

RB, I can tell you that I represented five voters in the family to attend. So we can say direct support is around 25,000. May be still small number to them.
If there is a next protest, I hope Gilbert can invite tan cheng bok and Chen shaw Mao or Sylvia lim

virgo49 said...

LHL, just a drum major in the 1968 NDP.

Still studying and taking pocket money or no need pocket money. Eat at home after school, cannot go anywhere.

Wheras we, the first few batches of NS men standing in the heavy downpour with SLR in our hands and helmets on our head.

What a difference!!!!

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

redbean: Please lah. You're coming across as a whiny child.

Don't engage in a cause because you "expect" something good to happen. Do it because you BELIEVE in that cause, and you're willing to flog that cause, no matter how long it takes or how much it costs simply because you ALONE believe it is the right thing to do, and not try to hide behind numbers of 5000 or 10,000 or what ever the fuck number makes a you "happy" deluded fool.

And another thing: what did you expect the government to do? Drop the whole idea just because a few fuckers with umbrellas and signs convened in a park near Boat Quay to complain about life, rather than getting blind drunk and horny in a bar at Boat Quay?

Come on lah. Get fucking real. And when you get "there": Keep it REAL.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

KNN Matilah, I want to be whinny cannot meh? I want to be deluded, and that's your opinion, the truth will surface to prove who is being deluded, cannot meh?

At my age, I always tell people that it is a privilege to be a grouchy old man. You don't like it, just too bad : )

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I also have that privilege. But I keep it real.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

My reality is as real as yours.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

How do you know that?

You are not me. I am not you. Anyway, you can't handle my "reality". It is too awesome for you.

Anonymous said...

Orchid spring would have a nicer tone to it? No?

Anonymous said...

Matilar, at your age, you can still fuck everyday meh? Enough bullet or not?

Anonymous said...

You believe him? He needs to brag to redeem his ego.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

You believe what you want to believe lah.

@anon 133:

Not everyday lah. Bullet still got enough. not plenty like when I was 19yr old NSF, but enough to make a nice finale in a porn movie. ;-)

Stay healthy. Exercise. Sleep. Don't eat rubbish. Don't smoke.My blood pressure: 118/62, my resting heart rate 65. My 5 km run time: 25-28min...not fantastic, but not bad for an old fella,
lah

I'm not special lah. I just do what I can to be happy.

Can or not?

patriot said...

He got plenty if viagra and cialis and You too can do it till You die lah. You can also make yrself into a sex cyborg and the sex addicted will reward You forever.

No need to envy.

Anonymous said...

When they cannot convince, they confuse.

When they cannot confuse, they contort.

When they cannot contort, they conjure.

When they cannot conjure, they condemn.

When they cannot condemn, they convict.

When they have no reason to convict, they ISA.

Anonymous said...

It is the same response when they saw the crowd at WP rallies. Nothing to worry about. People are just there to enjoy the fun and will not translate into votes.

How marvellous it was to see them losing Aljunied GRC. Come BE Hougang, they dared not say that the crowds mean nothing. Come BE Punggol, they were dumbstruck by the crowd and brought out the big guns, but were overwhelmed by the harmless crowd putting the WP candidate into Parliament.

Let them brush aside the Hong Lim Spring. Better that they think nothing and do nothing. It is a blessing in disguise.

Anonymous said...

There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.” ― J.K. Rowling

I suggest we boycott shops that employed foreigners.

Anonymous said...

PM, where were you when 5,000 people want to talk to you? What happens to your natcon?

Anonymous said...

Natcom is a selective listening exercise. They only listen to their hopeless grassroot people, who gave them false hopes in the recent Punggol BE.

Let them continue with their self denial mode, while Singaporeans get ready to deliver the knockout punch in GE 2016.

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