The Void Deck Interview

The Void Deck interviews Goh Meng Seng... eh? Who is Goh Meng Seng? He is from the...(drum roll) Workers' Party lah! The kaypoh Void Deck ppl poke its big pimply nose into where it does not belong. hehe On Sunday March 6th, New Paper published the report about Workers Party - 'Politically bochap? No, says Workers' Party yuppies'. The report very short niah and as we all know, local newspapers got not enuff space lah, muz prioritise wat they think we should read and know lah, and only dramatise useful bits etc. we cannot believe that everything was captured. So we interviewed Goh Meng Seng and asked him wat really really happened so that the guys at the Hammer can give their side of the story....hehe

Kaypohs: You tio protrayed as a merely a "disgruntled Cheng San voter". From a reader's pt of view, New Paper like making you seem as if you join politics only because you tulan cannot vote? Is there more to it behind your decision to join opposition politics?

Meng Seng: I think the reporter is just making a catchy angle out from the two hour interview. To be exact, Cheng San was not the primary reason that make me join WP else I would have joined back in 1997, not 2001.1997 elections actually made me want to plan for emigration out of Singapore as I do not want my children to be poisoned with the immoral pork barrel politics of HDB upgrading.It was in 2001, on the run up to polling day, one PAP veteran in one heated argument over internet forums (soc.culture.singapore) has questioned me why I want to support the opposition parties that have no working faculties at all? This made me think hard and I come to the conclusion that I either shut up, pack up and emigrate or I join one credible alternative political party, contribute, make a difference and make it work. I didn't chose the easier way out and I finally signed up WP membership during the heat of GE2001.

Kaypohs: What is your view on GRC? We at The Void Deck suspect that the gahment plans to set up a 20-MP GRC criteria real soon to outwit outplay outlast the opposition. Do you think it is our crazy idea or if the ruling party is unchecked soon, it might happen one day?

Meng Seng: Anything is possible but I doubt PAP will want to do that. Too high a stake; the present 6 member GRC is managable even for "freak results" to happen. ;)

Kaypohs: Brudder, you damn on in the Internet increasing WP support among Sgporeans despite the attacks against you in some forums. Do you think Sg will be like South Korea where the reformists elevated a new era in Internet campaigning with Roh's successful election as president? Do you think WP has a role to play in the Internet to push for a "better more mature political system"?

Meng Seng: Objectively speaking, WP website is one of the better managed political party site. I do believe that with the present situation in Singapore, internet is one of the viable option left for our public outreach.My presence (with some of my comrades) in internet forums is not without political risk. Our opponents will definitely use our exposures to study our mental profiles and try to use them to their advantage. And if we did not perform well in internet forums, the outreach may just backfired as experienced by others.With FACTS' recent petition exercise over the internet, we could roughly guadge internet activism of fellow Singaporeans. 27,000 is merely 0.9 percent of our total population. But hopefully with the multiplier effects, the potential of the outreach effort would be much bigger. We are risking wasting our time and effort which will bring us little returns or effects but we are willing to try it out. So far, I am pretty satisfied with the present development as we are able to recruit people to help us actively in research work or policy studies.However, I seriously doubt Singapore could be changed from the internet perspective. But we will still try our best. Ground presence is still the more effective ways to move things and garner votes to initiate change to the political environment.

Kaypohs: What other issues and information did the New Paper leave out in your interview? Did they oso miss out information from Ti Lik and Wai Leng?

Meng Seng: They miss out the most important message that I have for my peers out there. Singapore is no longer an "immatured" society with a underdeveloped economy. Our people has one of the highest literacy rate in the world and they are matured to decide on the nation's political future. There is this unwarrented "FEAR" in PAP of losing more seats and they are basically kiasu. We deserve a better, more matured political system than what we have right now. And we won't get it if we don't fight for it. It is our call, not PAP's.

Kaypohs: Any comments you want to add. hehe Nothing defamatory hor otherwise we oso kena hoot jialat jialat.

Meng Seng: I think the TNP has put up a positive article on us overall. Admittedly, I am more frank and sound more like "smarting" especially when I comment on theresponsibilities that the mass media has to take, in opinion moulding that cause the cynism in Singaporeans towards "opposition" parties.I specifically say that I detest the general "label" that mass media has put on us, "opposition" which makes us an easy target when some members of other political parties made mistake. It is never about "so and so of that party" but instead using "opposition member so and so". The word "Opposition" has a negative connotation. That is why I prefer "alternative", or best, use the party name as far as possible. I think that is why the headline reads "Politically bochap? No, say Workers' Party yuppies...." instead of "Politically bochap? No, say Opposition yuppies".What I merely ask is for the media to be FAIR to us, not even asking them to side us.

See Guai Lan10.03.05

http://www.thevoiddeck.org