Political Offensive Against Pan-Opposition Movement

This is my letter to TRE in response to one of their post.

Dear Editors,

I write to you in response to the article you have put up on Sylvia Lim & Quah Kim Song saga. It has inaccurately portrayed me “criticising” or “attacking” WP or Sylvia Lim. For the record, these photos of QKS with his ex-girl friend were not put up by me at all. I only make comment on the observations on how Sylvia Lim has been entrapped by such personal attachment and public life in which she was slowly led or misled into a politically vulnerable and dangerous situation.

Die hard opposition supporters like you in TR Emeritus (TRE) may not take it as an important issue over the photo revelation but we should always bear in mind that Singapore political battles are fought over the middle ground, not over die hard opposition or PAP supporters.

PAP has been on the “defensive” right after GE 2011 in which the Prime Minister himself has lowered himself and apologized during last GE. Apparently PAP has come to different conclusion now and it has adjusted its political posturing and position, moving off from defensive to offensive mode.

This can be seen from the Ceiling Gate Saga and the open criticism on prominent opposition member, Ravi Philemon over the Haze-N95 Mask saga. Such offensive has been extended by some sectors (ISD, PAP people, SPH or otherwise) to cover all other opposition members and bloggers like Vincent Wijeysingha, Alex Au etc.

I regret that amidst of the recent launch of new political offensive initiative by the invisible hand against Pan-opposition movement, TRE has chosen to divert attention and focus from the key message I have put up on the forum.

The key concern is the observation of the latest political offensive and the call for prudence on Sylvia’s part in dealing with her own private relationship else she may find herself victimized by those who have planned all these deliberate, well planned offensive against all people who are anti-PAP or anti-establishment (including SPH etc) regardless of whether they are bloggers or prominent opposition members.

We have seen deliberate attacks on individuals and website like yours by pro-PAP netters as well as the main stream media (MSM).

As much as WP Low Thia Khang has wished to “walk his own path” from other opposition parties, WP and its MPs will always be seen as part of the “Pan-Opposition” movement. People with the agenda to prolong PAP’s monopoly of power in Singapore will not stop or be merciful in finding all means to attack WP, even if it means to use underhand tactics as such, leveraging on its members’ private lives to undermine the whole Pan-opposition movement.

Many people may portray me as “Anti-WP” which is totally inaccurate at all. I am first and foremost, part of this Pan-opposition movement. But I also think that the only SUSTAINABLE way of keeping effective opposition presence in parliament is to keep opposition MPs in parliament up on their toes and not to be complacent. Especially so when the question of integrity, democratic values and principles are at stake, opposition movement must always be seen Whiter than the White PAP and keep ourselves on the Moral High Ground.

Anyone, especially the die hard supporters, who may always point to “Oh PAP also do that” are doing a great disservice to the whole opposition movement. If opposition parties or MPs are so much the same as PAP in some undesirable traits, then it begs the question on WHY would the MIDDLE GROUND voters want to vote for Opposition Parties instead of PAP since both are as black as they are? Furthermore, if opposition MPs cannot clear any doubts or questions on their integrity and such, it will compromise their position in parliament as an effective check and balance in parliament because they have lost the Moral High Ground.

As we can see and will see more in future, PAP will use diversion tactic whenever WP MPs want to question them on various issues….eg. they will shoot WP at Ceiling Gate, FMSS Gate when WP want to question PAP on AIM saga…etc. Such situation is detrimental to the Pan-opposition movement.

In fact, PAP is now trying to portray itself as “clean” and “white” again with the recent actions taken against errant civil servants, its own ex-MP and even its own MP cum Speaker of Parliament in Palmer-Gate. It is trying every means to create the impression or perception that it has the Moral High Ground of impartiality to enforce necessary punishment to its own kind. This is done concurrently with the effort to “expose” WP’s weakness or even create doubts on its overall integrity. Yes, die hard supporters may just brush this off as political smearing and such but we must again remind ourselves the the battle is fought over winning the minds and hearts of the middle ground.

If Pan-Opposition movement cannot show that it is impartial and fair in commenting and making reasonable remarks on the shortcomings of ourselves, we may risk losing credibility in the minds of the middle ground.

I shall use a quote from a prominent Malaysian businessman to end this article:

失败是成功之母，成功也是失败之母。

“Failure is the mother of Success, Success is also the mother of Failure”

I hope that the Pan-opposition movement in Singapore can develop healthily and shall maintain its Moral Compass in maneuvering through the rough seas of political struggle.

Goh Meng Seng