JBJ, the Tough Fighter Politican, NCMPs and NMPs

JBJ had always been a fighter till his last breath... I remember many years ago when I was having lunch with a friend at the Civil Service Club at Demspey road..of Samy's nasi bryani (not nasi 'bryan ti' for sure, our Facebook political analyst) and fish head curry, I spotted JBJ sitting at a table alone having lunch.

I was feeling funny...why a man known to many was eating alone? Where were his friends in need? I went up to him and said hello and sat down for a few minutes chat,while waiting for my lunch to be served at my friend's table.

JBJ's indomitable spirit became the target of PAP and many MPs in parliament. How he fought his lone battle without much support from other opposition parties. In truth, the oppositions were there, but where were the voices outside parliament, only two meek ones in !!

JBJ would, with Lim Teck Siong, his trusted lieutenant, stationed themselves at Centrepoint to sell his books. On those two occasions I bought his two books separately with his signature and date "Make it Right for S'pore" and "The Hatchet Man of S'pore". (one on 3rd Sept 2000, the other 22nd Dec 2005..both which he personally signed on the spot. It is my treasure till this day!).

Our modern day politicians are a far cry as compared to JBJ. No one to this day can hold a candle to him.....I guess just a tiny toothpick !! How do we rate KJ !??

JBJ's court case which was brought about by the very PAP...ultimately would strain all his resources till he was made a bankrupt...The most draconic court case was when JBJ appealed to the Privy council, was acquitted...S'pore abolished any appeal subsequently to the Privy Council. And when then senior magistrate Michael Khoo (correct me if I am wrong) acquitted JBJ on one of the charges brought about by PAP....(Michael Khoo was re-assigned to the Attorney Chambers...that was the judiciary system then of S'pore..so is there any different now?? Higher executive power !!

And the legacy is now passed to Kenneth Jeyaretnam (KJ), the 'maverick' politician who lived in London for 45 odd years (am I right?)
Has he carried on the legacy of JBJ...to honour his father who died fighting the totalitarian rules of the PAP ??

KJ should not speak too soon, too unmindful. NCMP..though seen by all as the mechanism of PAP's rhetorics...to tell the voters..well you need not vote for opposition ...we will give them a place in as 'winner of the loser.' How magnanimous is the PAP government !?..My foot! We all know the reason behind the NCMP...it is just like a toothless tiger...can roar but cannot bite!!

This coming election will increase more NCMP seats.... Not only KJ but I think Goh Meng Seng (GMS) secretary-general of NSP also did say that if he scores a high percentage...he will not take it up too..

Personally, I never like the idea of NCMPs or NMPs...but after the performance of JBJ and Steve Chia and now Sylvia Lim...it really was and may be a 'pain in the ass' to PAP and those MPs who got the brunt of each NCMP's questions. JBJ and later Steve Chia put up a credible performance! At present , Sylvia Lim is not doing too badly...meaning she did well enough!

But this time round...the election will be totally different. I strongly believe that more opposition MPs will be voted in in grander manner then shooed in as NCMPs.

I have no comments on NMP, only many are cronies picked by PAP to 'wayang' their way into not making the PAP MPs look too stupid without 'oppositions to engage them for engaging sake! One very obvious 'chorus' (yes lady!) came from Paulin Straughan (wrong spelling maybe..don't even bother to know her name). Only NMP Viswa showed he has the direction of his own!

Our two legitimate MPs are too mild but enjoyed sitting in the luxurious leather sofa of parliament, with Chiam See Tong (CST) enjoying 25 years of MP-ship with his party stagnant for membership renewal and succession and his final showdown with Desmond Lim !! The impasse is still not solved yet.

We sincerely hope that KJ and GMS will be voted in in a grand fashion so as not to be in agony to decide on what they had said and at the same time harboring wishes to stay in as NCMP if not voted into parliament by "the front door but by the back door."...It will be tough swallowing your own 'principled words!' LOL!

Low Thia Khiang is still digesting his 'solid words' when he said his party WP will not take up the NCMP position in 2006
but he relented and put Sylvia Lim as NCMP into parliament through the back door when WP amassed the highest percentage of approx.44% vote in Aljunied GRC !!

Let us "MAKE IT RIGHT FOR SINGAPORE."(how apt the title of JBJ's first book)...in a grand tribute to JBJ..this coming election to vote more oppositions into parliament through the FRONT door rather than the BACK door.

PAP are so artistic to bring many of their MPs through the back door and yet did not want to legalize Section 377A !!...if legalized, then there will be alot of 'legal screwing', LOL !!

patrick lee song juan

Legends:

JBJ.....Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
NCMP....Non constituency Member of Parliament
NMP.....Nominated Member of Parliament
NSP.....National Solidarity Party