5/02/2013

What to make out of May Day at Hong Lim?



I was there as an observer, met some bloggers who have followed my blog and listened to the views of Singaporeans there, mostly negative. One thing, the crowd was much smaller than the previous rally, probably less than 3,000. But this time there were more media representations. The other point to note was the predominantly older crowd. The young were less represented, perhaps more busy having a good time while it still lasts.

I must say that despite the smaller crowd, the speakers were more enthusiastic this time and speaking with more vigour. Leong Sze Hian made his often statistics laced speech simpler and easier for the people to understand. And the star speaker must be Ravi, the famous lawyer of the downtrodden. He posed for a photo shot for me. Ravi was simply exciting and witty in his speech. I remembered him saying that it needed a cleaner like Vellama to sweep clean up the Constitution or something to that effect. The crowd loved him. He was furthest from the stigma that he was having some mental problem. I think the people having mental problems are those who think so.

Many issues were raised in the presence of a respectable crowd. The main issue of 6.9 took the main platform. But after all have been said, would it have any impact on the Govt? Would the Govt be bothered to listen and reflect on this big population game plan and tone down on the aggressive ambition? I think the Govt is likely to ignore this Rally totally as if nothing happens.

There was a lone independent speaker who spoke generally about the same issues. He must have felt very passionate about it to mount a little mountain in Hong Lim with his own loudspeaker to speak to the crowd. And beside him was a poster that said it all. ‘You call us noise. We call it truth!’.

To some, what were being said are plain noise. But for the noise makers, it is their version of truth. Who’s will shall prevail? No prize for the answer. Looks like Hong Lim Rally will just be another rally that will soon be forgotten as most Singaporeans are busy making money and have no time for it. 6.9m or 10m, so what, they will take them in their stride.

Gilbert and his team and their hope for a bigger turn out must be feeling a bit dejected though they were not showing it. The Singaporeans that would be affected by the outcome of a huge population were not coming forward to support the cause. The Govt won hands down. The White Population Paper will be executed duly and in good time. Singaporeans should just live with the 6.9m comes 2030.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think it was reported that 20000 was watching the live streaming so likely explain why the crowd was smaller. It's a bad idea. The event should be telecast after the event and not live and more people may turn up.

This is something the organizer should learn from this event. Also there were less write up in the social media unlike when fish was around. Also others like lucky tan and yawning bread also gone plus not a lot of coverage in tre and online citizen too

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Forgot to mention one interesting point at the Rally. The speakers were all ordinary Singaporeans like you and me. They spoke of their aspirations and dreams, the ordinary dreams of being Singaporeans and what they would want Singapore to become.

And they struck a chord with the rest of the Singaporeans there who stayed for 3 hours to listen to them, not to listen to anyone particularly important. It was a rally of the people and by the people and speaking for the people.

Anonymous said...

Actually it was reported on CNA that 5000-6000 attended. Which is pretty cool!

The said...

Should avoid holding it on a public holiday in future. Saturday is okay. But most people would prefer to spend their holiday with friends and family. There is an open house at the Istana.

Perhaps do it on a Friday during lunch time - this way there will at least be a crowd of office workers.

Anonymous said...

In the end, it all boils down to votes in GE 2016.

And how active are dis-enfranchised Singaporeans willing to fight for their own self-interest.

Definition of DISENFRANCHISE
: to deprive of a franchise,
of a legal right,
or of some privilege or immunity; especially :
to deprive of the right to vote

The adjective disenfranchised describes a person or group of people who are stripped of their power, like disenfranchised immigrants who pay taxes but aren’t allowed to vote in elections.

Being disenfranchised is no fun. The rules work against you, your rights are constantly violated, and you have little power to change your life for the better.

The Old French word enfranchir means “to make free,” and when you add the negative prefix dis-, disenfranchised means “made unfree.”

A disenfranchised population doesn’t rest easy, and often they organize and fight back against their condition to demand their basic rights and freedom.

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/disenfranchised

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disenfranchise

Raymond said...

Occam's razor. Fewer people turned up because fewer people agree with the protests.

Your mind is so clouded by Opposition rhetoric that you can't see something as simple as that.

Anonymous said...

Raymond, knn here u go again

denk said...

since nobody like a login system
the only way is dont feed the troll

many who attended the first rally have gone awol, scared by the recent high profile crackdowns ?
my friend says he wasnt going coz *they'll take my foto* !

as for the younger gen, what do they care as long as they get the latest smartphone ?

patriot said...

Me was dissapointed with the lack of participation of younger Singaporeans

Was there on both occassions and noticed the crowds were made up of mainly the elderlies. In my view, those that are likely to be affected by policies are those in their teens and younger. It then begs the question; why are the youth not participating?

Personally, me thinks young working adults are engrossed in material pursuits whilst those still schooling are not aware or interested. Me presumes that those schooling are provided for by their parents and can afford to care less. They could be pragmatic to the extent of comes what may in the future and hence apathetic to the developments taking place.

Many of us, the elderlies, are concerned for the future of our successors, the children, grandchildren and further down. We do not wish them to have difficulties getting a job or working long hours just to be able to survive. Much more so that we do not want them to be slaving for a small pigeonhole and end up having nothing for retirement.

What about if one is afflicted with sickness which will get not just oneself saddles with care and financial problems. The entire family of most sick person nowadays are drag into and mire with treatment, cost and care issues.

Have our problem got to do with the planned population growth? Plenty; space, time, job and resources are all squeezed and compromised. We have to work more and longer for less. We have to pay much more for less. We have to wait longer for treatment and cure when sick. We have to skip trains and buses because we cant get in and have to squeeze with others even at off peak hours. Do we want to pay through our noses for a pigeonhole for a lease of 99 years with much restriction?

Maybe Gilbert and Company may have to rouse the youths and make them prescient of their future. And the youths themselves must take a more proactive stance at the social and political developments that will affect them much more than the elderlies. Most youths are dependent and or supported by their parents. BUT, this does not mean that they do not have to comtemplate or plan about their future.

patriot

virgo49 said...


Right Patriot,

We oldies in the sixties probably would not see the DIASTER in the year 2030.

But the Gen Y Gen X in their thirties with their small children and families should be more concerned about their future.

My two children from Gen X and Y are both single without any baggage.They shall have the balance lease of our flat without having to pay a limb for their inflated ones if they choose to buy one.

Also, we are lucky that we have enough CPF monies and savings to last us our lifetime with prudent spending.

Come to the worse, four of us simply scoot off to a neighbouring country to settle down.

But the younger generations, married and with little kids, they have not much choice.

Sigh

Anonymous said...

Stop all these gloom & doom.
Focus on converting the 60% of your friends & relatives who voted for PAP.

Convert them into opposition voters.
You don't have to convert all.
Focus on converting just ONE.
That is your patriotic quota.

Anonymous said...

I almost wanted to make a turn back for home when I ran into a drizzle on the way there. Some others may have actually turned back.
Not a bad turnout of oldies when there was no chicken rice and no free bus from CC except a small bottle of Ice Mountain and a flag for some lucky early birds.
Two of my friends stayed home instead when they learned of the live streaming of the event, but their sentiment are with us.

denk said...

patriot
*young working adults are engrossed in material pursuits*

burying their faces into their smartphone 24x7, in the lift, on the train, taking a bus, walking across the street, oblivious of whats going on all around them.

a nation of techno zombies is a nation of perfect sheeples.

Anonymous said...

Don't assume that you see only a couple of bees around doesn't mean there is no bee hive. Anger are felt visibly and invisibly. People are drained of the policies that they want to accumulate their energy for the next election. This May day rally is just a tip of an iceberge. You should know how titanic sunk becase they didn't see the mass beneath the ocean.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I bypassed u when you sat down around the footpath and left b4 the event ended.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Ha, missed the chance to meet you. I meet several of them yesterday. Nice to meet my fellow bloggers.

I was there walking around since 3pm and my legs were starting to get sore.

Cheers.

Lee Cheok Yew said...

No hope lah. Sinkies deserve all the shit.

agongkia said...

Gilbert should learn to believe in fengsui.I am pretty sure they change the facing of the stage.
This shows that Sinkies do not mind the 6.9..
Can only kpkb in net.
Time to respect thier wishes and dun protest for the sake of protesting.