Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The PAP politician I admired the most.

He is the former deputy prime minister; the former (and most well loved) president, the late Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

This great man is one, whom advocated the construction of the MRT, fought against the PAP against messed up accounts during his reign as the President. No other PAP politician had come closed to his greatness, perhaps with very few exceptions like Dr. Tony Tan.

I am reminded by him, of all places, from SDP's Chee Soon Quan article on his party's website - http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/3500-st-and-lhzb-censor-chees-letter-on-pap-undermining-singapores-interests

(on the site note, for the first time, i have to endorse his views. its a fair article from him that i concur)

Chee mentioned a part of history which i'm never aware of:

But perhaps the clearest indication that the PAP Government works against the interest of Singapore and her workers came from the late Ong Teng Cheong. In January 1986 Mr Ong, then deputy prime minister and NTUC secretary-general, had sanctioned a strike by the shipping industry which he did not inform the cabinet.

This was Mr Cheong's account: "The minister for trade and industry was very angry, his officers were very upset. They had calls from America asking what happened to Singapore - we are non-strike."

Why do American bosses need to call the PAP Government about a strike carried out by Singaporean workers? Why does it have to account to American businesses for what it does in Singapore? Who does the Government listen to, American MNCs or Singaporean workers?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong, actually, as the head of the trade union, did what trade unions should be doing - to fight for the rights of the workers; and actually sanctioned a strike. I'm hearted to know that my fav. PAP politician had always been that righteous and "for-the-people".

Younger PAP politicians, i hope you guys know what you guys are doing. learn from the right ppl...

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