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This
is not an SDP issue. It cannot be. It is a matter that is bigger
than any one party or personality. It concerns all of us as
Singaporeans regardless of whether we are party members or civil
society actors or as an individual. We must all pull together
because we are all in this together.
Making
suggestions for change is very different from taking pro-active
and concrete measures to bring about change. As long as we leave
our views in the pages of our manifestos, nothing will change.
We
must have hope. We must believe in ourselves that we can make the
change. We must get rid of the mentality that we are powerless. I
have said this before and I will say it again: The biggest
struggle is not against the PAP, it is against what the PAP has
done to our minds. Once we break the mental shackles of fear and
helplessness, half our battle is won. Believe.
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Dr
Chee Soon Juan's interview with TOC on election reform
The
Online Citizen
18 Jan
08
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/01/18/%e2%80%9cthe-
people-look-to-us-for-leadership-let-us-provide-
it%e2%80%9d%e2%80%93-dr-chee-soon-juan/#more-641
Forum: Reform
of the Elections System in Singapore
Date: 20 Jan 08,
Sunday
Time: 2 pm
Place: Allson Hotel, Victoria Street
TOC:
What do you see as the one issue, as far as the elections in
Singapore
is concerned, which must be
addressed before the next elections?
Dr
Chee: There
is not just one problem about the election system but a myriad
and, let's face it, we are not going to resolve them by the next
elections. What we must do is to start the process now because if
we continue to procrastinate, we will never make our elections
democratic. The PAP is not going to agree to make the electoral
process free and fair just because we ask for it. It will
continue to scheme and machinate to ensure that it maintains its
grip on power. I hope that Singaporeans see the enormity of our
task.
At the same time, however, let us not stand in awe
and fear of the PAP's power. If we are willing to commit
ourselves to tackling the problem, we will achieve our goals. So
let us not talk about the problems anymore. Instead let's roll up
our sleeves and get on with the work starting this Sunday.
One
of the first things that we need to look at is to take the
conduct of elections away from the Prime Minister's Office and to
establish an independent elections commission. How are we going
to do this? Come on Sunday and we'll develop a strategy.
TOC:
"This
forum hopes to kick-start a national effort to address and
rectify an election system that is politically moribund."
(SDP
website ) How do you intend to go about
kick-starting this "national effort"? Does the SDP see
itself as the leading or driving force in this effort?
Dr
Chee: This is not an SDP issue. It cannot be. It is a matter
that is bigger than any one party or personality. It concerns all
of us as Singaporeans regardless of whether we are party members
or civil society actors or as an individual. We must all pull
together because we are all in this together. The synergy that we
create by coming together will be a force to be reckoned
with.
What the SDP is doing is to provide an opportunity
for all of us to come together. Who is going to kick-start the
process? The people who come forward on Sunday and volunteer
their time and expertise to work towards the change.
But
first let us come to the table of hope and belief - the belief
that we can change politics in Singapore if
we are willing to work and make sacrifices for it.
TOC:
What would you say or how would you explain to the average
Singaporean why such reforms are necessary and important?
Dr
Chee: We don't have to. The average Singaporean knows how
unfair the elections are and they understand the need for reform.
He knows that without a democratic election system, Singapore
will remain a one-party state and the people will not have a say
on issues like the ministers' salaries, price hikes, income
disparity, etc.
What they need now is leadership -
leadership to help empower them and to help organise them to
effectively demand reform. When they see their fellow
Singaporeans willing to stand up to the PAP, they will be
emboldened. This is why the SDP is calling those of you who yearn
for change to show up on Sunday at the Allson Hotel.
TOC:
Do you think that any such effort will have to entail the
participation of all political parties, especially the opposition
parties? What has been the response from the other opposition
parties to your invitation to participate in the public forum?
Why do you think the response has been such?
Dr
Chee: Without a doubt. The participation of all opposition
parties is vital to the reform process. Unfortunately, of the
political parties only Mr Jeyaretnam and his soon-to-be
registered Reform Party has agreed to speak at the forum. It is
disappointing that the other parties have not responded to our
invitation.
It is not for me to speculate why they haven't. What is important
is that we start the ball rolling and continue to persuade
everyone to contribute to the effort. Let us put our differences
aside and come together for this common cause. The people look to
us for leadership. Let us provide it.
The Malaysians and
the Hong Kongers have demonstrated that political parties of
different persuasions can band together to work for democratic
change. Independent civil society organisations and bar
associations have joined in the cause. Why not us?
Remember,
the outcome will not just benefit the SDP but all opposition
parties. Most of all it will benefit Singaporeans and this
nation.
As a start, however, those who show up on Sunday
will be the ones to help get the initiative off to a start. I am
reminded of what Margaret Mead once said: "A small group of
thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only
thing that ever has." Let's not wait for the next guy to do
what we all know to be our noble duty. Let me relate to you a
little story:
There were four people who had a very
important meeting to attend. The meeting would determine the fate
of their careers. All four anxiously anticipated the meeting.
When the day came, the four excitedly put on their smartest
business attire and raced to the car that was going to take them
to the meeting downtown. They all hopped into the car ready to
proceed.
They then realised that no one was in the
driver's seat. They turned and looked at each other, waiting for
the other to drive. All four knew the route and were willing to
act as navigators. But everyone was afraid that they might incur
a traffic violation which would ruin their personal careers.
Worse, the driver might get involved in an accident and end up
having to pay for damages. And so they waited, no one wanting to
assume the responsibility. Night came and all four were still in
the car waiting and wishing that someone would drive. Finally
they gave up, went home. No one attended the meeting.
TOC:
Have you spoken to any of the other opposition parties' leaders
about election reform? What are their views?
Dr
Chee: There is not an opposition member or leader whom I've
spoken to that does not realize how stacked up the elections are
against us. If you've been through an election and experienced
first-hand how the PAP dictates and manipulates the process, you
cannot but come to one and only one conclusion.
TOC:
In the SDP website, it is stated: "Reform of our election
system is a matter that concerns not just political parties but
also civil society, lawyers, academics, journalists, etc –
in other words, all citizens of this country." What can
these non-political groups, organizations or individuals do? Do
you see their participation and involvement as vital to the
success of the reform agenda?
Dr Chee: As I
mentioned earlier, everyone's participation in the effort is
crucial. There is no one segment of society that can afford to
say, "I'm not interested in politics." Elections
concern all of us, our future, and our children's future. As to
what non-political party groups and individuals can do, we are
limited only by our creativity on how we go about tackling the
problem.
At the forum we would like to propose the
formation of a committee to spearhead the reform effort. I cannot
stress enough how important it is that this committee encompasses
a broad spectrum of society including political parties, NGOs,
academics, members of the legal fraternity, bloggers and private
individuals. What should be the task of such a committee? We will
leave it to be discussed at the forum itself.
TOC
: Are there any plans for other activities or events, besides the
public forum on Sunday, to further the effort?
Dr
Chee: This forum is intended to be the beginning of a process
that needs to develop in a logical and systematic manner into a
fully-fledged campaign. The activities and events organised will,
of course, be determined by the leaders of the reform effort.
TOC: Are you of the
view that ordinary Singaporeans' involvement, particularly the
heartlanders, is important as well? How do you hope to engage
them in this?
Certainly. Without their support
how can the effort succeed? But before we can engage the people,
the leaders must first get our act together. If we are able to do
this, we can reach out to them and get them on board. But first
things first, let's meet on Sunday and the rest will
follow.
TOC: What is
your view on the Workers' Party election reform suggestions
contained in its 2006 election manifesto?
Dr Chee:
I think they are excellent ideas and I commend the WP. They are
similar to what the SDP
and, I suspect other parties, have also
proposed. Back in 2000 Jeyaretnam and I, when we formed the Open
Singapore Centre, published Elections in Singapore: Are the
Free and Fair? in which we
made similar proposals. I have also written about them in my
books.
But let us be absolutely clear. Making suggestions
for change is very different from taking pro-active and concrete
measures to bring about change. As long as we leave our views in
the pages of our manifestos, nothing will change.
The PAP
will continue to amend the rules, introduce new ones, intimidate
and bribe the voters so that the elections are never a genuine
reflection of the people's voice. Our manifestos will then
forever remain as beautifully written, but ultimately academic,
pieces of literature prettifying the archives of the National
Library.
TOC:
Personally, you have been and are disallowed from contesting the
elections in Singapore. Do you hope to contest again? Is winning
parliamentary seats important to or is a priority for the
SDP?
Dr Chee: My personal situation is not the
issue. The issue is that our society desperately needs an
electoral process that can change the very many problematic
policies that beset us. Without free elections, these problems
will be like infected sores that will eventually turn malignant,
if they haven't already.
Naturally as a political party,
winning elections are important to the SDP. We can best serve the
people by changing the policies as parliamentarians. However,
given the present situation, our first priority must be to fight
for free and fair elections and to empower Singaporeans so that
they can vote and speak up without fear. (We've explained this
more clearly here.)
In
this context, whether I or my colleagues (Siok Chin and Gandhi
Ambalam are also barred) contest in elections in the future is
secondary to the issue of political reform.
When that
time comes, when the parties are truly free to campaign for votes
and the people are not fearful to vote for whichever party they
choose, I have every confidence that the Singapore Democrats,
with our policies and the quality of our candidates will gain the
support of our fellow Singaporeans.
Until then, it is
superfluous to talk about seats in Parliament. So what if the SDP
or WP or SDA wins a GRC? What's to prevent the PAP from revising
the rules to grab it back? When that happens, ten years will have
passed and nothing will have changed. How has that helped the
hundreds of thousands of long-suffering Singaporeans labouring
under unthinking PAP policies?
I read the story of the
Three Little Pigs to my children and it never fails to strike me
that, as simple as it is, the moral of the story is often
forgotten by us adults. And what is this moral? Delayed
gratification. Build your house on solid foundation. It may take
a little longer but if we put in effort and make the sacrifices
to lay a solid foundation, we will not be blown away when
adversity visits. Let us get our foundation of elections in place
before we start talking in earnest about winning seats.
TOC:
What are your expectations about this – what, in your view,
are the chances that the government will institute the reforms
which the SDP is calling for?
Dr Chee: As I
mentioned, no government will voluntarily institute changes to
allow their power to be eroded. The people must demand it. We
must press for it. The reality is that the PAP, like all
authoritarian regimes, respond only to power, not suggestions
from the feedback unit.
It is not wishful thinking, nor is
it braggadocio when I say this: Change will come. The question is
when and how. If we persist, if we have the courage and the
fortitude, if we have our hearts in the right place, change is
inevitable.
We must have hope. We must believe in
ourselves that we can make the change. We must get rid of the
mentality that we are powerless. I have said this before and I
will say it again: The biggest struggle is not against the PAP,
it is against what the PAP has done to our minds. Once we break
the mental shackles of fear and helplessness, half our battle is
won. Believe.
TOC: Is
election reform going to be a regular feature in the SDP's
agenda?
Dr Chee: We have every intention to
continue calling for election reform. But more importantly we
will also be part of a bigger group (if such a group is
established) playing our role along with everyone else to bring
about electoral reform.
TOC:
Lastly, what specifically are the reforms which the SDP is
calling for? And what are the counter-proposals or alternatives
that the SDP would like to put forth?
Dr Chee:
I would like to leave the discussion of proposals to the forum
proper with the participants and speakers on Sunday. Let me,
however, say this in closing: Failure comes not when we don't
achieve our goals; it comes when we don't try. We must not fail.
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