I shall begin by wearing my marketing/PR specialist hat - the first rule about marketing is to always know your audience. And in this case for Amos Yee, that would be the Singaporean public: you're creating a video for them. Now in choosing such an aggressive, provocative tone, he would have instantly alienated the vast majority of his audience. Even those who are not fans of LKY would probably thought that his tone was really over the top and all that swearing was uncalled for. Not only is he offending LKY's supporters, he is also potentially alienating those who do not support LKY but disapprove of his approach. As such, this video will only appeal to a very small proportion of Singaporeans who not only agree wholeheartedly with Amos but wish they had the guts to say what Amos has said.
If Amos had asked me for my opinion before shooting the video, I would have asked him to tone down the angry rhetoric and smug tone in the video - after all, he can still make all the points he wanted to make without actually being so provocative. Calling the prime minister "mother f***er" was really over the top, even in my opinion because such a choice of words would make you lose credibility with a lot of your viewers. I also felt that the video was too long and he could have probably summarized it, left out some points, edited the script a bit more to keep it to around 5 minutes; that would have been long enough to have made the same impact. Furthermore, he could have offered more of a reconciliation in his video - there was a bit of that towards the very end when he wished for a better future for Singapore, but by that point, those who have been offended would not be open to any kind of message of reconciliation from Amos Yee. That was a waste and it should have been more prominently featured in his video.
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| The infamous Amos Yee |
2. What is the intention of this video?
What is the intention of this video then? If it was to try to contribute to the discourse of Singapore's political future in a post-LKY era, then sorry, he has failed because of the way he has alienated so many Singaporeans. If it was simply an angry rant to get off his chest, then fair enough, it was very angry and I hope he feels better after that. But if it is to try to get attention, then he has definitely succeeded - with this video he has certainly succeeded. In the last 24 hours, he made the video private today though, just as it made the headlines. If you wanted to make a point, then follow through and stand by what you did. Don't make a grand statement like that and then back off as if it has never happened. Did Amos Yee actually expect this video to get him this kind of attention? I don't know - certainly whilst he is no stranger on Youtube (that's how he became famous in the first place), none of his videos have ever gotten him this much attention. Many of his other videos have also seen a huge increase in the number of views since this latest controversy.
3. He has actually made some very valid points.
Whilst you may find his tone very offensive, the fact is Amos Yee did make some very valid points in his video. The way that LKY has treated his political opponents is no secret but something that Singaporeans prefer not to bring up this week. Likewise, he also brought up the fact that Roy Ngerng was recently sued by the prime minister - this made headline news in Singapore and again, it was no secret since it was reported by the Straits Times. So if it is okay for the ST to report on what happened, somehow it becomes a grave offence for a private citizen to bring it up on Youtube? Likewise, he has questioned 'our parents' judgement of PAP, given that older Singaporeans are far more likely to be fans of the PAP and LKY, it is a very valid point, but again, rather clumsily put. He used the words "fucking delusional, ignorant and stupid your parents are" - now I'm afraid even though he does have a valid point, in insulting the viewer's parents, he's far less likely to put his point across successfully. Other points he raised about the very long working hours, unequal income distribution, Singaporeans being miserable and unhappy, the government's spending on healthcare and social security - these are all very valid points that concern the well-being of ordinary Singaporean citizens, we should talk about such issues. What a shame that so few have actually listened to Amos Yee's points after they got offended. Sometimes, it is not about being right - it is about getting others to listen to what you have to say.
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| Did Amos Yee cross the line in his video? |
4. The American accent is grating and unpleasant.
I'm sorry Amos, but I really don't like your American accent. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't expect you to speak with a Singaporean accent. I certainly don't sound anything like my Singaporean parents (my dad doesn't even speak English). Amos totally fails to pronounce the TH digraph properly and turns it into a T, D, F or V at various times. Whilst not everyone in America manages to pronounce the TH digraph correctly, it tends to be richer, more affluent Americans who do manage to get that TH digraph right whilst it is the poorer, working class, less educated Americans who get it wrong. The is a wide range of accents across America representing not just regional differences, but the different social classes as well. Amos picked a rather unattractive American accent and that's a bad choice: his parents don't have an American accent so he was free to pick and choose any American accent he wanted - so why this one? Who not a more refined American accent? May I refer you to Ms Sweet Brown who became an internet viral sensation with her line, "ain't nobody got time for dat" - note how she turns the word 'that' into 'dat', the same way Amos Yee does. And just to be fair to Amos Yee, here's a video of me speaking English as well after Sweet Brown's video.
You may not like what he said and I know you certainly don't like the way he said it - but at the end of the day, he should be able to voice his opinion. Like why should he be not allowed to talk about Christianity - why should religion be a subject that is totally off limits? I have talked about Jeraldine Phneah being forced to censor herself on her blog and it now seems that Amos Yee has been forced, pressured or coerced into taking that video off Youtube. Ironically, many Singaporeans have rushed to rescue the video and have reposted it - I don't know what their intentions are: given the Singaporean mindset, I suspect it is an attempt to embarrass Amos Yee or to try to hold him accountable for his actions. I am actually glad that they have done so, because I don't think Amos Yee should have taken that video off his channel in the first place. It is funny how his haters are actually doing him a favour: go figure.
6. Violent, psychotic Singaporeans who threaten violence
Allow me to refer you to the case of Cookie Tan, aka Tan Kok Whee Jason - Cookie Tan had threatened to cut off Amos Yee's dick and put (it) in his mouth. Oh and it was revealed that this Cookie Tan is a PAP Grassroots leader. What kind of sick fuck is this Cookie Tan character? Is this the kind of sick fuck you want in your local PAP Grassroots movement? This man will threaten a 16 year old child with graphic violence and I say, a police report should be made - this Cookie Tan character is dangerous and a menace to society: this man should be locked away in jail or at least be in a padded cell in Woodbridge. Whose child would he threaten to maim and attack next? Would you feel safe if you left your child near Cookie Tan - what if your child blurted out something that offended Cookie Tan? Would Cookie Tan then whip out his parang and maim your child? Why hasn't Cookie Tan been arrested yet for making such threats?
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| Cookie Tan should be arrested and jailed! |
Oh but this psycho sicko PAP grassroots leader Cookie Tan is but just one of a large number of Singaporeans who have made nasty threats online to harm, maim and kill Amos Yee. Even on TRS, the comments describing graphic acts of violence get the most Facebook likes. What kind of sick, perverted society do we live in? Did any of these people consider debating the issue with Amos Yee in a dignified and calm manner like civilized adults? How are you guys any different from the evil terrorists who behead hostages? I say this at a time when the painful memories of the Charlie Hebdo massacre are still fresh in our minds. If I may remind you, this was when some Muslim terrorists didn't like the way a French magazine was depicting the prophet Mohammed, thus they went to the Charlie Hebdo offices and killed 11 people and injured another 11. What is it with your Singaporean obsession with this kind of violence? The way some Singaporeans choose violence over reason is extremely disturbing - Singapore may be a rich country, but the way some Singaporeans have behaved is downright primitive and barbaric.
I know you may be offended by what Amos Yee has said, but are the threats being made to Amos Yee right now any different from the ones made to the Charlie Hebdo office? And here's the scary thing - if Amos Yee is found murdered tomorrow, the vast majority of Singaporeans would not be shocked at the barbarity of the murder. They would probably say, "yeah he deserved it, give the guy who did it a medal for public service." Are we just one step away from turning into a country where you take the law into your own hands and form lunch mobs when you get angry? What does this tell us about the Singaporean education - does it teach students how to express their opinions without using their fists? What does this tell us about the kind of values that Singaporean parents teach their children - that it is okay to respond with threats of physical violence if you're simply not happy with what someone has said online? I know you're upset but geez, some of these Singaporeans are seriously fucked up - I know that some of what Amos Yee said is fucked up but some of you Singaporeans are far worse than him. He is a 16 year old kid for crying out aloud.
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| Why can't you Singaporeans react with words, not violence? |
7. As for Amos Yee's parents...
As for his parents, I have rather mixed feelings about the way people have attacked Mr and Mrs Yee over this issue. On one hand, did you actually think that as a 16 year old teenager, Amos Yee would have asked for his parents' permission or opinion about his activities on social media? Hell no, by 16, most teenagers are desperate to prove that they are adults and are prepared to make up their own minds very independently. On the other hand, what kind of relationship did Amos Yee have with his parents? Were they blissfully unaware of what he was getting up to? Have they actually watched any of his Youtube videos? If they had no idea what their son was getting up to, then they're no better than the parents of the British teenagers who ran away to become terrorists.
8. What next? It will depend on what happens to Amos Yee.
So, Amos Yee has been arrested - the report appeared on the ST website on the 30th March (Monday) at 2:32 am local Singapore time. There have been no further details at this time but perhaps by the time you're reading my blog, there may have been further developments. I would be curious to find out how he was arrested, if he went voluntarily to the police station or if his home was raided in the middle of the night as if he was some kind of dangerous criminal (rather than a naive teenager who made an ill-judged video for Youtube)? Would he be given a stern lecture and let go with a warning? Or would he be charged with a whole range of offences from sedition to obscenity and end up going to jail for a long time? Will he be shown leniency for his age or would they throw the book at him? Would there be a groveling apology from Amos Yee or would he stand his ground and be as smug as ever?
If Amos Yee is not punished for this (or if he gets away very lightly), would others follow in his footsteps and make more videos, openly criticizing the PAP? Many police reports has been lodged and Singaporeans are certainly keen to see Amos Yee punished. In the meantime, Amos Yee's public Facebook page has suddenly been taken offline (it was last online on Sunday morning Singapore time 10 am, but by 10:50 pm when I next checked, it had been taken offline) and his Youtube video has been made private. Given the huge public outcry over his video and the generally negative reaction to his video, does the government still need to punish Amos Yee? Imagine if his video had been well liked and well received, who knows - things may have been very different. But given Amos Yee's very aggressive tone in this video, it was never going to go down well with his core audience: Singaporeans. They are simply not used to people speaking up like that. If Amos had been British and he did a rant like that about Margaret Thatcher when she died in 2013, probably nobody would have bat an eyelid as it is perfectly acceptable to voice an opinion like that in the UK.
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| Nobody in the UK would bat an eyelid at a video like Amos Yee's... |
This leads me to just one conclusion: Amos Yee reminds me a lot of a good friend of mine, Alvin Tan. Both of them are intelligent but hated life in Singapore. To a certain degree, Amos even reminds me of a younger version of myself when I was a JC student, growing up in Singapore. But then again, I chose the path of least resistance. Yes I was like Amos Yee back in the day - I didn't like things in Singapore, I chose to leave quietly when the opportunity presented itself in the form of a scholarship to study at a British university. No fuss, no controversy, no problems - I quietly took my leave and got on with my life in Europe. I didn't stay and fight for a better Singapore - but then again, I also understand how democracy works. Change will come to Singapore when the people want it and are ready for it and judging from what we have seen this week, nothing is going to change in the short run or the medium term. Alvin Tan has already found his way to America and I do keep in touch with him - life in America has been good to him and he is busy getting on with his new life in California. Need I state the obvious? Amos Yee should just do what we did - leave Singapore when he is old enough to do so. In the meantime, just keep your head down and stay out of trouble.
So that's it from me on Amos Yee for now. Please do let me know what you think about his video and the points that I have discussed here. What do you think is going to happen next? What do you think will happen to Amos Yee? What do you think he should do next? Have Singaporeans overreacted to Amos Yee's video? Many thanks for reading.
Part 2 follow up: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/what-arrest-of-amos-yee-tells-us-about.html
I did notice some of the rather rude comments on Amos Yee's video when I watched it. There is no need to threaten violence on him even if you do not agree with him. Yes, Amos Yee was rude and offensive intentionally, but to threaten violence on him over disagreements with his points or argument or personality indicates something more troubling with the commentators, and that they are no different from those who fired at the illustrators at Charlie Hebdo.
ReplyDeleteAmos Yee is quite young, and I seriously wonder what will happen to him. If they make an example of him the same way they did it to the vandals in Toa Payoh, then it draws attention to the way the government is impervious to criticism in Singapore....just so typical......He is too young to be jailed for nothing. All that "free speech comes with responsibility" hodge-podge that some Singaporeans come up with to defend the suits of the government against its detractors is mistaken as far as it concerns me, because speech that is self-censoring is not technically 'free speech', is it?
I agree Kev, what is wrong with these psycho Singaporeans whose first response is to threaten him with physical violence? What kind of sick, violent society do we live in? What bubbles underneath the veneer of civility in Singapore?
DeleteI call it passive-aggressive behavior. People who do not like what they see and yet often are forced to accept it due to the rules of the game, so to say, often take to online 'keyboard warrior' mode by disliking, hating and even spamming every comment they read with negative and destructive words. I suspect that the grassroots leader has no real guts to do that act of violence he threatened, and more so, because he knows that under Singapore's punitive laws, he is equally guilty if he did what he claimed he would do. So, in a way, he is like "wanking off" online via his words and indulging in his own sense of passive-aggressive behavior.
DeleteHi Limpeh, I've learnt of his arrest this morning. Made me truly sick. This is a batshit insane overreaction and I wholeheartedly disagree - and thus is stirring up distracting thoughts in me to want to leave SG soon once again. I was still speaking to him when his video was under investigation, and he seemed quite apathetic to the threats & consequences of his videos and subsequent posts then. This was also before he removed his accounts and videos, and it makes me wonder if he was coerced into doing so, with some help from the police? Am wondering if you've read this? http://therealsingapore.com/content/local-teacher-says-we-have-only-ourselves-blame-amos-yee I think it's quite well written (a rare gem on TRS). If I recall correctly, he has expressed to me previously that he does wish to leave Singapore, but only because of NS, and doesn't really think seeking greener, more liberal pastures (e.g. going to the West) would serve his causes. I suppose what he probably meant was also that there's more 'work' to be done here. Since his blog was taken down too, I came across an old post of his here: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/%5Bwot%5D-amos-yee%92s-exciting-adventure-zhonghua-secondary-school-5010254.html - his stance on making a career out of fighting these "flawed established social structures", hasn't changed much. I really wish Amos would be okay, putting him in jail is just such a waste. =/
ReplyDeleteHi MentosKick, yup, somehow I was not surprised by the arrest but saddened all the same. It is of course an overreaction - but I did think that they could get him on Sedition because he was talking about Christianity and in Singapore, that crosses the line (whilst in the West however, that's perfectly fine).
DeleteAnd such is the problem with people like Amos Yee who find themselves in such a position: they are young, well educated, speak English as a first language and as a result, consume mostly liberal America + (British, Australian, etc) Angmoh media instead of local media and they get used to a certain style of liberal expression within the kind of media they consume. Whilst the Singaporean government cannot really stop someone like Amos Yee going online and watching say a British comedian like Frankie Boyle mock religion (oh yeah, bring it on - I love Boyle's comedy), if he tried to do what Frankie Boyle did in Singapore, then he is going to get into a lot of trouble, probably end up in jail for daring to make fun of religion.
This is hardly a big problem for now - given that the vast majority of Singaporeans do not really broadcast themselves on social media; they are mostly passive consumers of websites like Instagram, Youtube and Vine. They may go as far as to post messages on Twitter and even photos on Facebook, but otherwise few would think about loading a video onto Youtube - but all that is changing. I've seen some appallingly bad Singaporean videos on Youtube - like seriously, these are just young people talking into the camera. No script, they ramble, they talk crap and 10 to 20 seconds in I cut my losses and surf away. But at least that is a sign of change happening - when more young Singaporeans dare to do this, then maybe they will start to think about expressing themselves the way they can in the West if that is the kind of media they are already consuming on the net anyway.
S'poreans, many of them live their lives with high degree of 'conformity'. An unorthodox person is quickly ostracized, demonized, and punished - possibly because of Cognitive Dissonance and Belief Perseverance. They are uncomfortable with contradictory statements. They are also unable to reason well using logic and intellect, dissect tones from actual arguments, they mostly rely on intimidation and personal attacks in a discourse. In addition, they often reasoned with emotions in order to justify certain social norms that they transgressed based on expediency. All in all, it is gradually changing.
ReplyDeleteTotally true my friend, totally true, well said.
DeleteIt is interesting that your description of these 'conformed singaporeans' can be handily lifted and applied to Amos Yee.
DeleteTherein lies the dilemma - which I will cover in my follow up post on Amos Yee.
DeleteNo, he should not have been arrested. He is a twit, but he is entitled to say his bit. The fact that this twit got arrested for hating LKY proves what you said in the last post --- conform or die. Singaporeans drove Anton Casey out of the country because he was not one of them. Now it's Amos' turn. Why? Because Singaporeans cannot bear to hear anyone say anything negative about them, about their country, about their government. Get a life, Singaporeans. Ignore Amos Yee like you should have ignored Anton Casey. Spend your energy on more worthwhile pursuits.
ReplyDeleteOh Di - can you imagine them arresting someone in Canada, the US or UK for doing something similar? Like, no way that's ever gonna happen in the more liberal West!
DeleteI was pretty surprised actually, when he was arrested. I wonder what on earth they might charge him with haha.
DeleteLike a said a couple of months before, don't know if you remember, there's a horribly stifling culture of self censorship here. Notice how Singaporeans made 20 police reports against him, just because they couldn't stomach the contents of the video (I haven't watched it by the way, but I can imagine what it was like). And they're probably the same people who complain about the government being excessively paternalistic!
Hi. You mean, in your chosen country of residence, some one can call you, or a public figure, a "motherfucker" and get away with it? I can accept if he said things like "I feel in my heart that he is not a good person or leader". But to claim that he had sexual relations with his mother, is to invite retaliation.
DeleteMr LKY sued his political adversaries because they accused him of wrongdoings in which they could not provide proof. That's defamation. Ultimately, they provided him a tool to use against their own selves. It's politics. We all know it's to a large extent a dirty game.
Hello Tony, the short answer to your question is YES. Yes you can call a politician or any important public figure 'mother fucker' in the UK and get away with it.
DeleteThe long answer will have to wait as I am meeting my friend in 35, not wait 34 minutes and if I don't leave now i am gonna be sooooo late.
But yes, you'll be amazed - just come to the UK and turn on the TV after 9 pm and see what is on the main channels. It's extremely liberal ... and then when you go to somewhere like the Netherlands or Germany where it is even more liberal.
Yes, Tony Teo. In my chosen country, my home country by choice for the very fact that Singapore is so ridiculous as proven in this incident, one can call me or a public figure a nasty name and get away with it. As for you saying that Amos accused LKY of having sexual relations with his mother --- are you kidding me? When I say that someone is an a-hole, I do not mean that someone is literally an a-hole. It is impossible to be an a-hole. It meant that he was a nasty jerk, or in LKY's case, a ruthless tyrant. You cannot simply arrest someone because you do not like what he said. You have to prove damages. Even then you do not arrest that person. You can file a civil suit. In my country, the judge will say, "Grow up, and don't be childish. get a life, both of you." If everyone start suing everyone for things they do not like to hear, can you imagine the chaos in the judicial system? Lawyers will be even richer and busier than ever. There is a whole other world out there, Tony Teo. And it's a much more democratic one.
DeleteOoooh let's try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmmomV-ax-s it was before Thatcher had even died and they were making jokes on prime time BBC comedy programmes about her funeral.
DeleteOh finally found another one from prime time British TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sph8Qu8wLAk Do you finally get it? British people find it totally okay to use the F-word on prime time TV. As long as it's after 9 pm when presumably the younger kids have gone to bed, then yeah you can sing a song like that on prime time TV and people would share it on Youtube and enjoy it. Never mind a public figure - this guy called the Pope a mother f**ker and it's not like a shocked everyone when he did it; it was a well rehearsed comedy problem on TV and Tim Minchin is one of the UK's most popular comedians!
DeleteThanks, your link worked. I stopped watched after a minute. Not because I was offended, but because he kept repeating the same word. I thought the first punch line ending with "pope" was amusing. After that, it was repetition. See, by ignoring it, not that many people knew about it. Giving Amos attention was exactly what he wanted. How silly.
DeleteI actually do not agree with what Tony Teo said. Attack ads are a very LEGAL way of campaigning in Canada, and it is welcome as a means of highlighting the other side and opponent's failings in politics. It might appear to be rather brash, but I actually find it refreshing as a means of highlighting all the things that inept politicians refuse to admit about themselves and their failings. What Amos Yee said was rude and offensive to a certain extent, but if he had edited his video to be more appealing, he probably would not have gotten into the trouble that he got into. Think, there are others like Stefanie Koh who made their own videos taking on Singaporeans for their herd mentality, and nothing happened to them beyond a mere screaming and shouting at them, but Amos Yee actually got to this stage of police arrest and interrogation only because he brought in the topic of religion which was touche in Singapore as well as his in-your-face type of 'sex' talk such as 'stroke/suck the c--k of ______". If we always go on this censoring move, it just shows the large degree of intolerance for honesty that is latent in Singaporean society.
DeleteA friend of mine on FB does not have a Blogger account and he wants me to cut & paste this comment:
ReplyDeleteI met this Amos Yes a few months back and he is merely an attention seeker. He wants hits on his YouTube Hanney which generates ad revenue. So he succeeded and I am sure now he is arrested is channel might see more traffic even though the video is deleted.
A quick look summary, he was canvassing the gay community as an ally and created a video saying how gays in Singapore are responsible for sustaining 377a.
He had a rant video about religion, reposted it even on a pastors fb page wou told him off and blocked him.
And now this.. Like I said. A little attention seeker and now the attention might come back to bite him.
He may be an attention seeker, but at least he's an engaging and witty one. Have you seen his ads for tuition classes. Makes me want to sign up for some even though I'm 10 years too late in try to conquer the mind numbing o levels :D
Deletetwenty tree
Oh trust me, I know people who know Amos and in their words, he craves attention more than he craves oxygen and would do anything for attention. Unfortunately, he went too far this time and crossed the line.
DeleteHi Alex. I know it is disappointing but somehow, I already expected they will put up a strong reaction to a 17 year old teenager who happened to be an attention seeking loose cannon. It is a symptom of a rather primitive mindset that any unfamiliar and ambiguous situation is going to be resolved by hook or crook.
ReplyDeleteI actually see some parallels with what happened to Roy Ngerng - fired by his employer (TTSH, public hospital) and sued by the PM. And RN didn't even cause anyone to be injured. Another example was the infamous Ello Ed who made nasty remarks against Singaporeans and threatening to evict all singaporeans out and replace them with pinoys and challenging Singaporeans to fight on the street against filipinos. The hospital (TTSH again) eventually fired him after much social pressure and public backlash. As a knee jerk response, they even wanted to ban all staff from assessing facebook and social media, including on their off days (http://newnation.sg/2015/01/tan-tock-seng-hospital-to-ban-all-staff-from-using-facebook-social-media/). There is a problem, blame facebook and the media, no questioning on the underlying issue. It is like the analogy of using a watermelon basket to contain longans, then blame the longans for being small and falling out, rather than questioning the framework - basket was not meant for longans.
There is a remarkable lack of interest in asking questions, challenging status quo and a preference to just accept what comes along. It really is an extension of the primary inability to communicate concepts, engage in debates and respond to dissent. The reaction is thus a shortfused blow using all the weapons and apparatus available to a powerful state and state media. Distilled to its essence, this fundamental dislike of shades of grey and ambiguity plus the instinctive preference for a one size fits all approach, is the seed, the microcosm of the uniquely Singapore software where every slight is being managed with a sledgehammer. There is a term in Chinese for this, which is 宁可杀错，不可放过. I am not convince it is totally an educational system thing but more a reflection that Singapore's hardware has progressed disproportionately quick while the software (civic society, social equity) has not advanced as far.
There is still a lot of maturing and growing up needed. With LKY's passing, hopefully the orang tua kanak naks will realise they truly have to grow up. Lucy had finally consigned Linus' security blanket to flames. There is no hero to the rescue.
In reply to censorship, I do think that we pale in comparison in terms of freedom of speech. But if I might add, the Asian context is nothing like the West. I honestly do not think that it will be beneficial to compare the Western values against Asian ones; simply because of the upbringing and the way the culture is built. Asians tend to be reserved, rather than outspoken, and I don't believe the herd mentality is present only in Singapore - it should be present almost anywhere you go in Asia. While it is true that in a globalised world, in this time and age, old practices have to go, that we should learn to embrace human rights, etc, would Asian roots have no place in the world?
ReplyDeleteI do think that tact and a bit of wisdom is required in social media postings. Even if you were to go up against the biggest leader around, directing accusations at him/her would do you no good. Would you say that there could be other ways around it? Talking about issues could be done in a more amiable way, and I don't believe that every single issue should be tackled by "fighting", it isn't elegant and often is not well received. Why not take the soft approach?
The social fabric of Singapore is built on a premise of secular dealings, while giving room to race and religion. If you live in Singapore, you abide by a sort of social contract and understanding, to not attack this part of Singapore's well-being. Certainly I hope that this wouldn't be undermined, because it definitely is nice not to be punched by a person from another race, or be excluded service by another. So I might think Amos, in this case, has gone too far, considering he hit on religion, and for the fact of sheer bad timing, when Singaporeans have heightened gratitude to our founding father. Yet, I'm sure it shouldn't warrant murderous intent/replies.
Hope to hear your comments. Thanks!
Asian roots is not just conformation. From my experience, it is more of a showing a united front. If you have problems, do speak and ask, but it is better to be done in private, instead of telling everyone. Depending on situation this may be a better method. For problem solving though, its utter crap. Still showing a united front makes it a better showing against those considered competitors, and enemies, of course.
DeleteTact and wisdom is something that comes with age and maturity. Still, I believe Amos Yee is being foolhardy, especially since previously he's had videos and posts that already offends the sensibilities of others. Yet he still persists. If no punishments were enacted, would he learn? Or would he just carry on, until one day he insults someone who will just murder him in cold blood? Would that be a better choice? And please do not say he can and will learn without punishment, cause it is obvious that it is not the first time he posts something like this and has been informed it is not welcome.
His actions does not warrant murderous intent/replies, but a stern punishment would be needed, imo. It seems he has gone for too long without proper chastisment that he no longer understands appropriateness of his actions. Hopefully, something useful like maybe community service instead of fines though.
Dear J., Thanks for your comment. Allow me to offer you a reply.
Delete1. I think you are making a mistake when you talk about the Asian context and Asian values as if they are so different from the West. You sound like my parents - you see, because I speak French and have lived, studied and worked in France, I feel very much at home in France and I realize, oh once you get past the fact that they are speaking a different language, we share so much in common, in our common humanity, in our common values. Whereas people like you (and my parents) choose to focus on the difference and you think, oooh the French are so so different, they are like aliens to us Asians ...
2. You see, you talk about the difference - but you aren't quite even able to tell me what those differences are. When I challenged my parents, they picked the most superficial things rather than anything really all that fundamental which may shape our views of the world. Like the way you claim that Asians tend to be reserved rather than outspoken - are you then assuming that all white people in the West are outspoken? That is hardly the case and you're simply defaulting to stereotypes rather than actually basing your opinion on facts.
3. ALL of these so called Asian values you talk about are present in other parts of the world like Europe, South America, Africa etc - you are making the mistake of imagining that they share none of that common humanity with you. You are focusing on differences rather than what you share in common and that is very sad. If my parents came up with that, I can understand (they didn't have a great education) but to hear a younger person like you come up with this - that is very disheartening to hear. I would've hoped that your better education would have given you a better understanding of our world beyond Singapore.
4. I didn't defend the way Amos Yee chose to attack LKY - I did defend his right to air his opinions. I do believe that his approach was wrong and that he achieved little but getting himself into trouble. He needs to understand his audience and cater his message for his audience.
5. Where do you draw the difference between not attacking Singapore's cohesion and censoring everything that anyone has to say about Singapore? You seem so nervous that Singapore as we know it is going to disintegrate and fall apart the moment people start having conversations about Singapore's social issues. What gives? Why are you so nervous? Whilst Amos' tone was certainly very ill-judged, I don't see anything wrong with people talking about the issues he has raised (but they should do it in a less provocative manner, of course).
I hope this helps, thanks.
Alex
Dear LIFT,
DeleteIf i may be so bold to offer a perspective.
In my opinion, the primary difference between the societies in the east and the west has to do with the individual's rights.
By and large, (usual caveats about IMHO, YMMV and all that) the smallest unit in society in a western context is the individual, however, in the east, the smallest unit of society is the family unit.
This is not just a perspective on a 'practical' level, but has its roots deep within the psyche of the society. This is not to say whether one perspective is 'better' or 'worse', just different.
It is evident that there is a definite 'western' bias that implicitly assumes that the only 'correct' lens to view the world is through that of 'western democracy. i.e. the individual's rights are constitutionally enshrined and inviolate. This can be seen in some very interesting quora discussions like this one:
http://www.quora.com/Why-cant-a-billion-people-overthrow-the-Communist-party-and-make-China-democratic?no_redirect=1
In Singapore, within our Cultural DNA, we are a nation born (as all nations are wont to be) out of adversity and many Singaporeans still remember the race riots just a few decades ago. Enshrined again within our national identity is ‘regardless of race, language and religion’. Arguably, we are one of the very few nations who have managed to maintain this comfortable middle ground of compromises that allow them all to co-exist in harmony. (Certainly France would be one of them… but even then… united in the single language…).
Amos has very very foolishly created a video that tramples on some of these long held beliefs that are part of the Singaporean identity and DNA. He certainly has the right to speak, just Singapore has the right to respond. I think it would be unnecessarily dismissive to just attribute the responses to ‘brainwashing’.
Even the west… Individual rights reign supreme.. until they don’t..
In practice as the most hard-fought and cherished values of western ideology are also held in high regard. For example, the Bald Eagle represented, esoteric abstract that is called ‘Freedom’, or the second amendment right to bear arms in the United States. Imagine if you will someone making a clearly confrontational video as abrasive as (INF)Amos’s, about taking away their ‘freedom’ or their guns. The whole country would be up in arms and there would be much unfriendliness and death threats aplenty.
Freedom of expression works both ways. The court of public (online) opinion is also very democratic in its one man, one voice structure. An individual may speak and the public has the right of response. It is a mob for sure… but it may be more useful to examine the furore in its cultural context than to dismiss it as merely reactions of unthinking sheep.
Just Starting
DeleteYour hope of community service and/or a fine unfortunately is not going to happen. Once something is reported to the police, they have to investigate. And according to the charges that the AG have decided to level against Amos a fine and/or community service for a crime this magnitude isn't going to cut it. While the 20 or so of the people have problems with Amos, I have a problem with them. These people simply don't understand what proportionality means, Nor do I think they understand that sentencing is not a pick and choose game for judges. It's guided by procedural law. Too complicated for you to understand, maybe understand this. DO NOT use the police as your FIRST recourse they have a very specific job to do--which is not to teach a 17 year old a lesson. That belongs to the job of the schools which in this case have failed spectacularly as Limpeh has pointed out---know your audience. In this case, Amos didn't know his audience and just like in English Composition, not knowing your audience means a fail but in this case this fail is a lifelong permanent mark on Amos.
Does anybody even understand the purpose or gravity of a police report anymore. If Singaporeans did, I'm sure i do not have to explain everything like a 101 class to Just Starting. There wouldn't even be 20 police reports sitting on some poor officer's desk forcing him to work overtime.
Twenty-tree
Dear PSSG,
DeleteA few points in reply to you.
1. I don't think it is useful to make any assumptions about the differences about Eastern/Asian values vs Western values. Many people fall down that trap by trying to spot the differences whilst blatantly ignoring what they share in common. Furthermore, they also fall into the trap of assuming "oh all Angmoh people are like that and all Asian people are like that" - the fact is, our human societies are far more complex than that and this kind of one-size-fits-all approach doesn't serve us well at all in our modern world.
2. Singapore is an interesting example of creating harmony amongst difference ethnic groups. Sorry but I really, really hate the word 'race' - that is a very un-PC term that us more enlightened people have chosen not to use anymore. I use the word 'ethnic group' to avoid using the word 'race' and whilst I might use the word 'racist' to describe someone who is, well, racist - when you talk about Malays, Chinese, Indians etc in Singapore, you are talking about different ETHNIC groups. There is only one race - the human race. So Singaporeans have held on to a term that is incorrect because it stems back to less enlightened times when white people actually believed that black people were of a different species altogether when now we know that we are all at the end of the day, humans - whether we are black, white or Asian. OK PC lecture over.
In short, race riots and other forms of 'riots'/unrest kick off when people are unhappy about their living conditions - this often stems from a perceived notion of unfairness, when one group is doing better than another within the same society. If people are well-fed, well-clothed, have jobs and are comfortable, they won't riot and by that token, it is the success of Singapore's economy (thanks to LKY) that has contributed mostly to the well being of ordinary Singaporeans. I don't think it is as much to do with draconian censorship laws as it is as much to do with people being happy enough with thier lives not to want to riot. The fact is when you riot, you are breaking the law in Singapore and it is only when people feel like they have so little to lose that they don't mind/care if they get arrested - if people feel like they do have a good future to protect, then they will not do something that will jeopardize it.
3. In the case of Amos Yee, he had grossly misjudged his audience - his priority was to be controversial enough to boost his Youtube hits, he failed to pay heed to the need to cater for his audience.
muchopunk
DeleteThanks for the clear up on the law part. I admit I'm totally pants at law.
However, a question: If we do not use police as a first recourse, then what should we do? And before saying things like being the mature, sensible one, or something like that, do remember that in Singapore, people DO make police reports if their neighbours make a din after 10pm.
I'm not here to question the law, as this is not the topic. However, please do realise that in Singapore, there are a lot of 'norms' like making police reports for what most may deem irrelevant in other countries.
Back to topic, muchopunk, what would you recommend to be an action taken before making a police report? Do note: There have been many people who posted on youtube and on his fb and blog pages, and he is likely to have understood that his video is offending others sensibilities, yet he did not taken it down. So there must be an action taken, and before you appeal to the 'mature sensibilities' of people, some people do feel justified, especially in the wake of Amos' bail, he still looks smug about the situation.
I have no idea why, but people seem to think that schools are the only ones who are responsible for teaching students. Not parents? I would say Amos' parents share part of the blame. While I do not advocate going to ancient times when parents cane their children (nor shifting houses thrice for the child, cause it just freaking expensive in sg lol), perhaps if Amos' parents had been more firm with him and been more interested in his actions, it might not have led to such a situation. How can blame be solely place on schools, where each teacher has to deal with some 40 students per class, and parents only have to deal with say 2 to 4 children max? Please don't just blame the schools. I feel really sad for the teachers now, granted, not all of them are good.
I belief some people do understand the gravity of a police report, and they believe that it warrants one. Not me, but some people do. But considering that in sg, people, tend to make police reports about 'common' things that offends their sensibilities... Remember, sg is a place where people make police calls about cosplay...follow link below:
http://kotaku.com/cops-called-for-underboob-cosplay-controversy-1464257715
Thank you for your input.
DeleteI feel that not only is it useful, it is absolutely crucial to understand the differences. Though it is my wish that the west takes a while more to discover this. I say that because I make a living doing this cultural arbitrage, bridging East and West. There is a divide, and neither culture really understands the nuances of the other culture. As a Singaporean who is 3 generations out of China, but raised largely as an MTV generation digital native, I appreciate the differences so much more and it is this understanding that I bring to the table.
The fact is, that enshrined within the history, philosophy, festivals, constitutions and laws of the land are the nuances that define a people. I’m not sure how recognizing that is tantamount to ignoring what they share but suffice to say that this one point
“ that western nations are made of individuals and Asian societies, the individual is defined by how he/she sees him/herself within the context if the family group”
Clears up many of the conflicts and helps one understand why different cultures respond differently. In my case, it underpins how I make a living :)
Race and Ethnicity are two different concepts. I understand that it might offend one’s PC western sensibilities, unfortunately they refer to different concepts.
Race refers to ones biological distinction and physical characteristics and defined by birth
While ethnicity refers to a shared cultural memory, language, and perspectives that set one people group apart from another. The differences are Learned.
The taxonomic distinction made by our pledge “Race, language or religion” does refer to the concept of race, not ethnicity. Where there are people who came from geographical locations far enough apart to develop physical characteristics that would give them their discernible physical uniqueness to allow one to define them as a separate race.
That said, I do agree that the classifications: Chinese, Malay and Indian could well be ethnic distinctions as opposed to Racial ones but it’s a matter of semantics.
Of course, within the context of the post-enlightenment, post-modern, post industrial western PC construct, one has to be careful that one’s ‘words’ don’t offend the delicate fragile sensibilities of others. After all, we don’t want to be like those ‘other’, ‘less enlightened’ (but 200 times older) cultures.
Hmm..
We of course digress from the topic at hand. For that I apologize.
However, I do stand by the point that to understand the nature of the responses towards Amos one has to understand the cultural subtext and motivations. It is not merely a simply mob lynching, there is a fundamental difference in even the context that the word ‘freedom’ is used.
The debate is one of Freedom of an individual to assert his individuality, and the Freedom of an individual to assert his individuality within the context of his society. (notice many commentators talking about his parents and his upbringing)
In other words, it is the East vs West ideological divide.
JS, I've been thinking about how I should respond to your comment but I can't help but wonder, why the burning desire for Amos to see 'our' point and the need for him to take whatever advise coming his way? This need burnt so bright that 21 people walked into a police post to lodge a report about the same thing.
DeleteWhy the preoccupation?! I don't get it because the more I read measured response just like yours, the more I can't help but feel that it's 'our' inability to deal with cognitive dissonance and differing opinions rather than a pure case of Amos being rude and insensitive to religious matters is the very worrying issue. At the root of it, I think the police report is more about bringing out the sledgehammer against somebody we feel is stubborn. This has a lot to do with the preoccupation of Singaporeans with conformity (which limpeh has pointed out in his last post) than giving Amos an opportunity to see the errors of his ways. In the end, all I see is a lynch mob trying to hammer Amos into shape by using the police as a means of punishing him.
the same argument that people have leveled at Amos can be applied to the use of police reports. Amos having the right to express his ideas doesn't mean he should. Likewise, the same thing can be said to the 20 people and the people who hate cosplay is, just because your taxes pay the policeman salary doesn't mean as long as something doesn't sit right with you means you can lodge a report. The thing is, if I said this to the same 20 people, guess what? They most probably would have a response along the lines that's it's their right as a citizen to do that---so how is that any different from Amos expressing his views less the expletives as a citizen? His right to freedom of expression is equally protected as your right to lodge a police report is it not? It's not that hard a concept to grasp. Or is it?
The better alternative is to go xiaxue's way. She saw something that really pissed her off so what did she do? She used one year of her time to write 2 blog post to explain what she saw so wrong about gushcloud. the fact remains that with the information she had regarding the singtel brief she could have sued gushcloud or something to that effect but she didn't. She instead traded barbs, long back and forth she with her rival bloggers and still managed to get a huge audience to see her point about bad advertising practices.
Do some research on Amos, he himself admits that he is bored out of his mind by the school system; I'm willing to wager his parents are equally as unstimulating as school (I don't blame his parents, i blame him for landing himself in hot soup): so what's a guy to do to let off some of the steam that is already up to his neck. Make some videos! Singaporeans In his mind are such low hanging fruits seeing how our threshold for the controversial Is set so low, just about anything would bring him what he craves most---attention.
It's their fault alright. In Amos' own reflection of his secondary school life, he notes how those 4 years has been an utter waste of time. And I agree with him. If he is that bright a student and yet none of the teachers have managed to 'tame' him and teach him structure of thought and tact, guess whose fault is it? The teachers. Heck the teachers can't even seem to interest him enough to want to study for e maths 3 days before a test. So how is it not their fault if people like him leave school so inept in tabling an argument for a very specific audience? It is the school system and those teachers that failed in their duty to teach him proper discourse and the consequences for not knowing the correct approach to it. Instead what you have now is the police picking up the slack of those teachers which IMO is a complete misuse of an already stretched SPF and AG
Twenty-tree
I appreciate your reply and I have read it thoroughly. Allow me to offer my response PSSG.
Delete1. I still don't believe in this one-size-fits-all approach you are advocating. Looking at Amos Yee sometimes reminds me of a younger version of myself. I didn't get along with my parents when I was a teenager but I was very passive-aggressive in my response. So instead of openly defying them, I irritated the hell out of them by becoming as white as I could culturally - and I succeeded. For the last 25 years I had refused to touch their culture and now Chinese is my third language (probably soon to be my fourth). I may have been born & bred in Ang Mo Kio, but certainly that doesn't mean that would automatically render me Asian. There is a huge range of different cultural perspectives in Singapore and a lot of that has got to do with the individual's personal choices and education - hence that is why I dislike the way you seem to want to go on and on about what this Asian culture or identity is when it is at best an academic construct of what a stereotypical Asian identity may be. You talk about culture defining a people - I say an individual has the right to accept or reject that culture and it is a personal choice, I may have inherited my parents facial features, but I certainly have not inherited their culture - I had actively rejected it for the last 25 years in a passive-aggressive bid to upset them subtly. My dad's so stereotypically Chinese hence me pretending not to be able to speak Mandarin drives him nuts.
I have to inform you that your definition of 'race' is wrong - the amount of difference in our DNA between a white, black and Asian person is so small. If you insist on saying that say an African person is of a different race, then you're saying that he is of a different species and that is biologically untrue. We are all of the human race - white, black, Asian alike. Amongst the human race are people with different physical characteristics and it seems almost racist to focus on those physical differences rather than look at cultural differences.
Perhaps it is because of the way I have black friends (both black-British and black-American) here in the UK - I don't talk about their blackness because it seems racist to point out the obvious. Their blackness doesn't come with a specific language (they speak English and are often monolingual English speakers) and apart from their skin colour, their cultural identity isn't that distinct from their white counterparts. So I suppose we have created a colour-blind way to look at people of different skin colours and it is a sensitive subject: hence in some more enlightened Western circles, they would read what you have written above (about Chinese, Malay and Indians being of different races) and scream:HOW DARE YOU? THAT IS SO VERY RACIST YOU IGNORANT FOOL! WHAT CENTURY ARE YOU LIVING IN? What can I say? What is normal in Singapore can be interpreted as extremely racist in the West.
Sorry if this is a very sore topic for me, but I get extremely worked up when anyone make assumptions about my Asian-ness and I fear you're about to do that. I would prefer to be judged on my cultural identity, not my skin colour.
A good analysis of his video and possible motivations.
ReplyDeleteThough, I would like to say a number of things:
1) The intention of the video is probably just to rant. From the way he says his final 'reconciliation messages', I really doubt he means them. It seems more like being sarcastic, but I could be wrong...
2) This is not the first time he is posting his videos, and quite a few of them are fairly offensive. Additionally, I find that he tends to 'parrot' instead of having true understanding of the issues that he espouses. Like what you stated above,definitely attention seeker.
- For example, in his Chinese New Year video, he seems to have little to no knowledge of traditions, and how they came about, especially about the reasons for Chinese new year. Maybe due to western influences and mostly how the western ways are portrayed in film and arts, he seems to think that Western ways = better than Eastern ways. Not going to comment much on that, but before commenting, people should have a good enough knowledge of the basics. If an 'ang moh' comments on such a thing though, I wonder if people will lambast that 'ang moh' as they will a 'mere Singaporean'.
- Another point of his lack of true understanding would be to note that he states LKY sues all his political opponents. Maybe, maybe not, and since I'm not following them so closely, I'll not comment... much. Just that not ALL oppositions get sued. So instead of stating a blanket statement of LKY sues all political opponents and LHL does the same, he should look for opponents not sued, and find out why those who are sued are being sued. Well, personally, I'm of the opinion that those who are sued make blatant remarks that can be construed as an attack on a person's character, aka, libel or slander. After all, people like Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang haven't been sued yet, as far as I know. If you do have evidence of them being sued, do enlighten please. And before going into 'freedom of speech', let's take a step back and follow the law first. If you get into trouble with the law, its unlikely you can change it.
Hi Just Starting, allow me to respond to your points:
Delete1. My friends who do know Amos Yee tells me that he did it just to get more Youtube hits. He is so attention seeking he would do anything just to become a Youtube sensation. He is young and impulsive, he didn't think it through.
2. I would forgive the CNY video, he did that when he was 14. That was the product of an immature 14 year old boy.
3. He has done ample research on the LKY issues and the lawsuits (trust me, I know people who know him) - it's just that a lot of that was lost in the edit of the video. He could rattle off a long, long list of case studies and examples as it would interrupt the flow of the video. That is an editorial flaw with his video.
ReplyDelete3) Some valid points yes. But the way he glosses over most if not all them (as in no evidence but pretty much making sweeping statements only) signals to me the following:
- He is only somewhat good at searching for information, but not understanding it. Wrong inference can also come from correct information due to fundamental attribution error, confirmation bias, etc, and he is very likely making his opinions through 'parroting' what he read on sites, especially when he lists SDP. Note that personally I do not have a very high opinion of SDP, given that Chee Soon Juan seems to lack control, and his many opinion pieces have landed him in lawsuits.
- The concerns that he listed also seems to stem from late LKY to after LKY is no longer PM. So pretty much he is writing a hate piece about PAP, but instead of choosing his target correctly, uses LKY as a mulberry. My point if WTF! If he is so brave, target the group he is targetting! If he isn't, he needs to refine his points and think more before commenting. You know the saying about being and idiot? Fits him to a T.
4) Right to express PoV.
Well, nothing much, half the time he is insulting and trying to provoke a response than to express opinion. Personally I gave him the benefit of the doubt when I first saw the video. Then I saw his other videos... Expressing an opinion is more like "LKY is a terrible leader, becoz..." not "M**********r". What he did is an insult, and personally, I agree with restricting of "freedom of speech" in Singapore. Mainly because of people like him and cookie. These people will throw flames to powderkegs, and soon Singapore will be having religious war or something.
5) What Happens to Amos Yee?
I do believe he should be punished. However, it should be something constructive like community service instead of fines. If its fines, well, its pretty clear what it means...Though personally, I would suggest he spends a few years in other developing economies before living in Singapore. Being as ungrateful of how easy his life has been, his actions have been disruptive, and 'cutting him some slack' as some of the people are clamoring for does him no good. In addition, it will teach him to be more sensitive, and think before speaking and lashing out (hopefully)
And onto part 2...
Delete3. Again, it is an editorial flaw. The key to good Youtube videos is not to try to take on a huge topic like LKY's legacy but to focus on one small topic that you clearly define and then do it justice in the period of about 5-10 minutes.
4. I would like to think that Singaporeans are a bit more civilized and mature - that they can talk about politics and religion without killing each other in a race riot. Certainly people like Cookie Tan are psychotic and dangerous - but otherwise, you already have the internet today; how the hell are you going to stop people from going online an expressing their opinions online? The sensible way to deal with it is to simply say, "yeah accept the fact that not everyone is going to like your leader or agree with your religion. You are welcome to your own opinion about your leader or the religion you choose to embrace, but don't expect everyone else to feel the same way. If you're not happy with that, then kindly grow up." Singaporeans really need to grow up. Justifying censorship because of some ridiculous worst case scenario is just.ridiculous. You've been totally brainwashed by the PAP.
5. Ironically, I think he has already been punished - he is desperate for attention. He has been an actor and now no casting director in Singapore would touch him and certainly, I think any plea struck with the authorities would involve him no longer making any more Youtube videos. He would be expected to lie low and keep his mouth shut - for someone craving attention more than oxygen, that is enough punishment for him.
With regards to 4)
DeleteSensible way vs impulsive way. Problem with it is that, some people are NOT sensible. Youth are more hot-blooded than common sense. And for a small country like Singapore, where maybe more than 40% of our population are foreigners (let's just assume that people who have lived half their life here and understand Singapore culture are considered citizens as a rough guide. I know this is a big topic and have no intention to bring it up as discussion), and while educated for sure, I cannot say is very mature with regards to some of their actions. Who is to say that they will behave sensibly and not just be all gung ho and ready to fight?
And for Singapore, things like fights, riots, will decrease confidence in the country. I will not say much regarding other countries, but considering most countries have some resource other than manpower to leverage, let's say a riot happens, it might affect their economy, but their own resources might be enough to tide them over the rough times. Singapore? We do not have the luxury.
True, maybe I've been brainwashed lol...
Still, Singapore as a country now is still not ready for censorship to be completely removed. We can move slowly towards it, but as things stand, when people make death threats instead of laugh or make jokes over what they disagree on, its only going to reinforce the mindset that we need the censorship. When people mature, maybe we can start to reduce the censorship until it can be removed (I'm looking at like 10 yrs given the rate the incumbent seems to be performing), but at times from the reaction of the people, it seems like its two steps back for every step forward.
For 5)
Because I don't know him personally, I'll not comment on the justness of the punishment. Just that, from the video, I'm more of the belief that he is rather ungrateful. How you deal with it, is to strip him of the benefits for a time, before giving them back. At the very least it will teach him to be grateful for what is given instead of feeling entitled.
Hi Limpeh,
ReplyDeleteI like what you write, and how no matter what your stand is, you're always objective. Thanks for alerting us about Cookie Tan, I (and many of my friends) didn't know about this. Well he sure isn't getting any of our votes for the next elections...it'll be a surprise if he is even allowed to contest.
While I agree with most of your points, I do think the arrest of Amos Yee was necessary though. For one, like you highlighted, his tone was overboard. He was also extremely disrespectful - I do think he's an intelligent boy (his command of English is superb by the way, better than any of the GP kids I tutor) and some of his points were valid, but he need not have put down Christianity and insulted LKY while putting across his points. But his video offended many, and very insensitive towards Christians. Singapore is a civilised society that values our racial and religious peace more than freedom of speech, so he needs to pay a price.
However, this price need not be too high. I personally hope he will not be dealt with too harshly. Enough to warn people, but not enough to damage his future (except for his own self-inflicted damage, which will definitely surface in any background checks in the future should he apply for a job in a MNC or civil service). Have you read his blog post yet? He sounds like a troubled boy, and I hope he gets counselling to put him straight and teach him the right values. Given his brains, it would be a pity otherwise. Or perhaps you should teach him your marketing 101 lessons.
I'm a Christian myself, and was frankly extremely angry when I first watched his video. However, after realizing he's a troubled teen, I am angry no more. The boy didn't know better, and although he needs to be accountable and accept the consequences of his actions, I do hope the police and the courts let him off. I'm not sure if PM Lee Hsien Loong will sue him, but I doubt it, and hope he doesn't. This poor boy needs help more than he does a lawsuit...
Dear Budget babe,
DeleteThank you for your comment and please allow me to respond.
1. Cookie Tan is not just a psycho and a menace to society, his first reaction to turn to violence instead of reason shows what kind of value system he has. Whatever happened to actually trying to reason with someone you disagree with - only extremist terrorists go round with big swords beheading people and chopping off various body parts. He is barbaric to say the least.
2. I think Amos Yee needs to be reigned in - he needs help and I was thinking of perhaps his school being able to help him. Certainly his parents have not been able to do anything and someone needs to step in. But what good would it do arrest this kid and throw him in jail? Is he such a dangerous criminal and a menace to society? I know what he has said has upset some people - but really, should be he treated like a dangerous criminal? No - he made a very ill-judged Youtube video, that's all.
3. He has the right to express an opinion about Christianity the same way you and I have a right to talk about Christianity. Certainly, no religion should be off-limits and we should all be able to feel free to have a discussion about it in a mature, considerate and civil way. And if he doesn't like LKY, he should be able to express that as well. I do believe that should all have the right to express our opinions and whilst I will stand up for Amos Yee's right to express his opinion, I will condemn the very ill-judged tone he chose to express those opinions. He was too desperate for attention and was focused so much on getting more hits on Youtube than to consider the consequences of his actions.
4. I agree with you that Amos was being disrespectful - but then again, is that a crime? I do believe that the police should be dealing with people who actually do commit real crimes that harm others, a kid being disrespectful is an issue for parents to deal with, it should certainly not be something that should involve the police.
5. And even if he did insult Christianity, my gut reaction to that is... so what? Singaporeans believe the lie that if anyone dares to voice any opinion about religion, then it is all going to break out into race riots within 5 minutes. Really? As if the peace in Singapore is that thinly held together by strong censorship? Surely Singapore has evolved into a more sensible, mature society where people have moved beyond the colour of one's skin and have learnt to respect each other as human beings. I just think that it is completely wrong to assume the very worst of Singaporeans just to justify such draconian censorship.
6. He's just desperate for attention - there are other better ways to get it than via Youtube. I fed my need for attention through sports, there wasn't Youtube in my day.
Exactly. Like you, I will stand up for his right to express his opinion, but not in the ill-mannered way he did it. Even if his focus was more on attention, an individual needs to take responsibility for their deeds done. I'll use an extreme analogy to illustrate - a murderer may kill for attention (Cho Chang comes to mind), and regardless of whether he is a troubled person, he needs to bear the consequences of his act. In Amos' case, the same principle applies.
DeleteYou're assuming lots of things here though. Was Amos treated like a dangerous criminal? I doubt it. (But that's another point of debate altogether, we will have to watch the arrest to find out, or hear from the police officers themselves involved.) Are Singaporeans sensible enough to deal with this? Not everyone is. We're assuming people are smart enough to make rational conclusions even after his video, but does everyone have this level of intellect / judgment? No. Therein the age-old dilemma for and against the case of censorship everywhere.
OK I am glad we at least agree on one thing - that we should stand up for the freedom of expression but we both agree that the ill-mannered way that Amos Yee made his point was highly inappropriate. Was Amos treated like a dangerous criminal? Well, I would say that there is a certain unfairness in the way he was treated - yes he was highly critical and disrespectful of LKY in his video, but he used words to insult LKY (and LHL), no physical threats were made. If you could be arrested for words like that, then I would like to see each and every single Singaporean who made physical threats against Amos Yee apply - they should all be arrested. Why should the law apply to just Amos when the rest can make barbaric threats and the police turn a blind eye? Where is the justice in that?
DeleteEven if Singaporeans are not sensible enough to deal with this, what are you going to do then? Create a child-friendly Singapore for the stupid Singaporeans? You can wrap everything in Singapore up with pink bubble wrap, but you can't stop - for example, someone in Malaysia or America to post a similar video about LKY. What are you gonna do then? You can't go round censoring the internet because the internet doesn't recognize national boundaries. I'm sitting here in the UK talking to you from London and it doesn't matter where we are, you're accessing the contents of my blog and no Singaporean government is gonna tell me what I can or cannot write on my blog. You could silence Amos Yee by chucking him in jail - but you simply cannot censor the internet.
I personally feel Amos is an intelligent kid, but unfortunately for him he lives in Singapore, and here he has to play by our rules. It's really just too bad. Again, if we said we were a free democracy, then I would say such actions by the police are hypocrisy, but hey, we never claim to be a truly free democracy. Quite the contrary, we're an authoritarian democracy. Conditional freedom, if you may.
DeleteAre the rules good? Are the grounds for censorship completely justified? That's another debate altogether.
If someone in Malaysia posted a similar video about LKY / Christianity, I'd still think they deserve to be punished in some way. But if the Singapore law went after him, even I would protest, because they're not in Singapore, and we have no right to jail someone else for a deed that was not conducted in our land and sphere of power. Unfortunately for Amos, he lives here.
Don't get me wrong. I think dissenting voices like Amos are good to improve the quality of the dialogue. But there are better ways to do it. Your blogger friend Jeraldine, for instance, gives much more objective views even when she's from a different camp. Now, if he had delivered it better, then the value of his video would be much higher. Because the arguments he raised were valid, and definitely food for thought. Unfortunately, the way he chose it was wrong, and the reasons for doing so was wrong as well. Check out the news from his court charges today - the kid is obviously doing it for the attention, with deliberate intention to hurt. Now that, I cannot condone. Do you still think he deserves sympathy?
Btw, no Singaporean government has the right to tell you what you can or cannot write on your blog either.
DeleteI doubt they would though. Because you write objectively. And that, we welcome. Unlike Amos'.
@Budget Babe I don't think any religion should be off limits to criticism or what have you. If that were the case then Reverend Shi Ming Yi and the City Harvest gang would be immune from being charged in our courts. And I still think there is a very good chance one or more of the City Harvest gang would end up in jail.
DeleteActually you CAN censor the internet... Unless I'm understanding wrongly, a specific country's internet is completely censored... I'm not even sure if they have internet under their current rule
Delete@choaniki exactly. I'm a Christian, but even I am not supporting City Harvest and what not.
DeleteHi Budget Babe --- you cannot arrest someone for being extremely disrespectful to his elders. Disrespect is not a crime. As a Catholic, I was appalled by what he said about Jesus. To hear Jesus being compared to the anti-Christ himself was blasphemous. However, the twit had the right to say it. I was not angry either. Mortified perhaps. As a rational thinking person, I will ignore him. I cannot possibly dictate what people say about my Jesus, myself, or the government. Singaporeans need to stop the dictatorship. The great dictator is dead. Move on. Show the world that you are truly what you preach you are --- a free democracy. Welcome to the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteFinally, the voice of reason. Gosh Di, reading some of these comments tonight drove me nuts. Like what is it with people from Singapore who are sooooo brainwashed? They are seemingly well educated and write in perfectly good English but they are soooooo totally brainwashed.
DeleteHi Di, I'm not saying he deserved to be arrested for being disrespectful. The grounds of his arrest I am assuming are under the Sedition Act. Are we a free democracy though? I don't think so. I've been arguing my whole life, and teach my students to argue in their GP essays that we are in fact an "authoritarian democracy". It was the Westerners who gave us this term. Correct me if I'm wrong, but has the Singapore government refuted this before? If they have, then all of you have a point that Amos shouldn't be arrested. But at least to my knowledge, they haven't. And we as citizens are under no illusions that Singapore is a free democracy where we get to say whatever we want, least of all Amos Yee.
DeleteExactly, Alex. Educated but brainwashed. They do not grasp the concept of free speech. I mean, I just about fell off my chair when Budget Babe said Amos was extremely disrespectful and therefore it was necessary to arrest him. Personally, I want to slap the twit for being so annoying and attention-seeking and irritating. However, I would be the one arrested for assault rather than him, so I would never do that because he is not worth being arrested for. If he were my child, this would not have happened because I cannot stand precocious children. I would also know what my child is doing because that's just what I do. I keep track of my child. That's why it is exhausting being a parent! Luckily, I have a very lovely child. Amos has had a history of attention-seeking behaviour, and his parents have allowed his irritating tirades to go on. They have to share the blame. However, arrest? Seriously? What I do with students like him is I ignore them as best I can. That infuriates them even more, but it often works because they become person non grata, and they usually move on. I do not feed their need to entertain anyone or everyone who would listen.
Delete"Voice of reason" is right--thanks for the post, Limpeh, and the comment left by Di!
DeleteOh Alex, Di, do cut the plebeians a bit of slack. There has been so much gushing of feel good vibes of LKY having brought us from a third world to first world in 30 years. Not many have had the opportunity to live in a democratic nation or experience life in another country where the media is relatively independent of the political executive. Ultimately, Singapore is still a pretty young nation in terms of development.
DeleteMy thoughts on the discrepancies, putting things in context – not trying to be an apologist here.
1. Infrastructure and hardware development were prioritised. Marslow's theory in operation. For good or for bad, LKY and his team worked on getting the most pressing survival issues fixed first. There was much less focus on civic society, social discourse and creative arts under those circumstances. Due to the urgency in setting up infrastructure in double quick time, any form of dissent is severely discouraged.
2. Education system set up primarily to cater to the developing nation for working purpose - functional and reproducible. Sciences, engineering and business related courses were deemed as more relevant and worthy subjects over humanities and liberal arts as they were perceived to have higher economic returns potential. Pragmatism over personal ideals. Other than in a few elite schools and colleges, I rather doubt that debates, elocution and creative writing are much encouraged.
3. Educational system emphasis on model answers, 10 year series approach to ace exams. Students have been coached on the ways to maximize scores. This opportunity cost of this approach will be that natural inquisitiveness and curiosity gets curtailed since these are not sufficiently rewarding in local educational context. Remember, the mantra was results are what get you in, not the process.
4. Newspaper and Printing Presses Act of 1974 – essentially, the media is not free. Thus, citizens have a very limited access to other sources of information. When everything is one sided, it gets things communicated fast and consistent but the trade-off was a lack of all rounded view of the issue on hand. This could be one of the reasons why Singaporeans are so inept at piecing together multiple pieces of information from varying sources and looking at different perspectives as they are so used to seeing and hearing only one POV.
Yup, it was the hard skills which defined the early phase of Singapore’s development. LKY has passed on. With the hardware established, it is really up to Singaporeans to decide the direction they want the nation to progress. It is time to work on the software and soft skills. It sickens me to see the sort of violence being proposed by those who absolutely dislike what Amos Yee said. I guess this is the stark reminder that the Singaporean mindset is still third world despite living in a first world environment. Hopefully with more exposure to the wider world and to blogs such as this, they have a chance to wise up.
I do not envy LHL and gang as I think the soft skills and social development are going to be way more challenging and difficult and requiring people to wade within shades of grey to try and make some sense of things. There are no model answers in reality for this. I think it is fairly interesting times we are in during this transitional period, so for all the flaws and head cases I encounter, I can’t help feeling some excitement in being able to witness how things will play out for Singapore in this life time, even though I have already made plans to move away. Just hope that they learn to grow up now that abang LKY has moved on.
Don't forget the man he criticized taught his followers to turn the other cheek. There is no basis, apart from daylight hypocrisy, to make a police report or undertake any other retaliatory measure.
DeleteI mean unless your from TROP, then your course of action would be completely different. Haha.
Di, I never said it was necessary to arrest the kid. That's a ludicrous reason to arrest anyone.
DeleteI like how freedom of speech is being held up as the only way a society can "grow up". If you want to muzzle someone for whatever reason, you are obviously immature/brainwashed! Very sweeping generalisations. If you cannot hold a discussion without the urge to start shit flinging within two or three replies, then you should very well be denied the right to free speech.
DeleteReishiki, do you even know what the meaning of 'freedom of speech' actually is? According to you, if people start arguing and disagreeing with each other, then someone must swoop in and censor the conversation? Good grief. Is that your Singaporean version of 'freedom of speech'? Ie. you can say what you like as long as I like what you say, otherwise I will deny you the right to free speech.
DeleteListen, freedom of speech creates a messy situation I grant you that. But it is a mess that is worth fighting for - because without the freedom of speech, you will just have vapid emptiness when everyone is censored and too afraid to talk.
Budget Babe --- you wrote:
Delete"I do think the arrest of Amos Yee was necessary though. For one, like you highlighted, his tone was overboard. He was also extremely disrespectful - I do think he's an intelligent boy (his command of English is superb by the way, better than any of the GP kids I tutor) and some of his points were valid, but he need not have put down Christianity and insulted LKY while putting across his points. But his video offended many, and very insensitive towards Christians. Singapore is a civilised society that values our racial and religious peace more than freedom of speech, so he needs to pay a price.
You said his arrest was necessary and then you went on to support, for one, his overboard tone, extreme disrespect, the insult of LKY, and his offensive video and insensitivity towards Christianity. You said for that he had to pay the price.
The "price" being his arrest, and the reasons being all that you mentioned above. You can see why I wrote what I did.
Budget Babe, I wrote a reply to you, but it is gone now. Here it is again, but in a shorter version:
DeleteYou wrote:
I do think the arrest of Amos Yee was necessary though. For one, like you highlighted, his tone was overboard. He was also extremely disrespectful - I do think he's an intelligent boy (his command of English is superb by the way, better than any of the GP kids I tutor) and some of his points were valid, but he need not have put down Christianity and insulted LKY while putting across his points. But his video offended many, and very insensitive towards Christians. Singapore is a civilised society that values our racial and religious peace more than freedom of speech, so he needs to pay a price.
You said his arrest was necessary, and then you cited the reasons --- disrespect, insult to Christianity, and offensive video. That was why I wrote what I did. Insult and offensive video boils down to disrespect as well. He disrespected LKY and Christianity in his offensive video. You said he had to "pay the price" which I assume was the necessary arrest.
They should give the kid a medal.
ReplyDeleteHe got what he wanted - he's featured in the news from the BBC to CNN.
DeleteUpdate on the Amos Yee situation:
ReplyDeleteOut on 20,000 bail. He looks smug while his mother looks distressed...
LIFT, you still think that getting arrested is like a punishment for him? Its like he is truely enjoying his fame at his parent's expense...
The last thing he should do is break down. If he apologizes, he loses his moral high ground as a martyr.
Delete@Just Starting, to impose what we want to see is irrational and childish behaviour. Unless the person breaks laws, the law should not be abused to be used as a chastisement stick.
DeleteYou, like plenty of the extremist Singaporeans, appear to want the law to do something drastic to him so he will "learn his ways". No, that is not what the law is for: to appease citizens. The law is just, and should not be executed to appease people; otherwise this country would really have failed as a first world country.
Whether he learns his lesson is up to his parents. Not the community. Take care of yourself, your family and friends first. The community's responsibility is not to enact self-righteousness onto someone just because of something as petty as "I don't like what someone said". That's as childish as wanting to jail someone because you didn't like their face.
Hi Seraphim, I totally agree with you. You could chuck him in jail but he could still emerge defiant and happy to have received so much attention. Whether he learns his lesson is not even up to his parents, it is only up to Amos Yee.
DeleteAnd Just_Starting, Amos Yee wants attention. He got what he wanted. As for his parents, of course they are distressed. But what can they do? Wash their hands of their son when he is in so much trouble? His mother has admitted to the police that she has no control over him. I want to feel sorry for his parents but then again, I kinda feel like they are to be blamed... at least partly. After all, how can you raise a child you have no control over? When you have a difficult child, simply using old fashioned Chinese parenting techniques like beating the crap out of the child doesn't work - you need to foster a real, meaningful relationship with the child in order to have some tangible influence over his choices and actually be a part of his decision making process.
DeleteI have written about this here: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/the-parent-child-relationship-in-age-of.html
Heck, I was pretty much like Amos Yee when I was 17 myself. My parents couldn't control me, I wouldn't listen to them, I didn't respect their opinion. Luckily for them, I wanted to study hard and get a scholarship so things kinda worked out okay. But the bottom line is, my parents never ever got to know me - not as a child, not as a teenager, not as an adult. My mother doesn't even know what the hell I do for a living and I often say that my regular blog-readers know me far better than my own parents.
Amos's fate reminds me of this part from Rene Girard's book on the scapegoat. There are probably more than enough atheists in Singapore who have the same views about religion as Amos Yee, but we do not see them being arrested or persecuted unlike Amos, simply because he shared his views publicly online. As cited,
Delete"In a world where violence is no longer subject to ritual and is the object of strict prohibitions, anger and resentment cannot or dare not, as a rule, satisfy their appetites on whatever object directly arouses them. The kick the employee doesn't dare give his boss, he will give his dog when he returns home in the evening. Or maybe he will mistreat his wife and his children, without fully realizing that he is treating them as "scapegoats." Victims substituted for the real target are the equivalent of sacrificial victims in distant times. In talking about this kind of phenomenon, we spontaneously utilize the expression "scapegoat."
The real source of victim substitutions is the appetite for violence that awakens in people when anger seizes them and when the true object of their anger is untouchable. The range of objects capable of satisfying the appetite for violence enlarges proportionally to the intensity of the anger.
The effectiveness of sacrificial substitutions is increased when many individual scandals come together against one and the same victim. Scapegoat phenomena, therefore, continue to play a definite role in our world at the level of individuals and communities, but they are scarcely studied as such. If we question our sociologists and anthropologists, most of them will recognize the existence and importance of scapegoat phenomena, but they will tell us they aren't sufficiently interested to investigate them. The deeper reason for this attitude is the fear of encountering religion and the sacred, which are really impossible to avoid once we go into the question a little more thoroughly. " (Rene Girard, "I See Satan Fall Like Lightning")
Kid's a hero, I'll give him that. Makes those small minded pricks bleat like the lambs in the slaughterhouse.
DeleteThank you very much for your thoroughly interesting, thought provoking and enlightening post. Personally speaking, I was actually flabbergasted with regard to the responses that the video received and not with the video itself.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I was brought up exposed to more Western media that I was really used to the idea of free speech. If you look at it in a broader perspective, Amos Yee's video is no different in terms of tone and content than videos that are put up by famous YouTube commentators like The Amazing Atheist and Thunderfoot. They also use extreme language to deal with controversial issues like feminism and religion. In fact, many of my friends and I did not find Amos Yee's video offensive in the slightest, but instead humorous with regard to its hyperbole and parody elements. We were able to delineate the content from the way in which it was delivered. Were we complicit in being disrespectful? How do you even define intangible ideas and concepts like respect anyway?
This brings me to my next point on the whole idea of respect. I can see why many might have been offended by the video. However, there have been comments that advocate his "rehabilitation" and teaching him good values like "filial piety" and "respect for elders". Perhaps I'm just postmodern, but I don't see why people have to subscribe to these values if they don’t want to. In fact, many of these values, if analyzed cynically, are just selfish and self-serving. For instance, people want to be treated well when they are old, hence they perpetuate the idea of "respecting your elders". The idea of having to be grateful to Lee Kuan Yew is also another idea that is commonly brought up by the dissenters. However, they are forgetting that as citizens, we are entitled to a certain standard of living and we shouldn’t need to thank the government for doing its job nor should it immunize them from criticism. This also ties in to the idea of a herdist mentality that you have mentioned in a previous post.
Continued…
ReplyDeleteThe same can also be said for the negative comments that he has garnered for his accent. There are some of us who don't find Singlish flattering and would want to sound mutually intelligible to an international audience (something that’s ironically promoted by Lee Kuan Yew himself). There are also some who are just educated and brought up in a different environment. I find it appalling that many have brought this up and I can only interpret it as class anxiety and jealousy - deeming those of us who don't indulge in Singlish to be pretentious or a race traitor.
Also, I am astounded that people actually lodged a police report. There are so many other videos that are available on YouTube analyzing and taking apart religion and people should be raging against those as well or calling for the outright censorship of the internet. The responses just showed how many Singaporeans lack the maturity to handle being offended (running to your parents when your friend calls you names). Just because they have the right to get offended doesn't mean that they have the right to silence others. Instead of silencing diverse opinion, they should teach people how to handle being offended. The myth is that Singapore is a diverse country and therefore we need to be careful with what we say. The argument fails when we realize that in this globalized world, there is hardly any country that is homogenized. Yet other countries allow freedom of speech and seem to do just fine. In fact, one could argue that freedom of speech is mechanism that fosters true harmony as we can fully accept and understand each other. By silencing us, it just breeds unrest. It's not harmony, it's just mutual tolerance.
The only thing that I believe Amos Yee miscalculated was the timing in which he released the video. With the recent passing of Lee Kuan Yew, many members of the public who have yet to come to terms with the idea of mortality may find it difficult to separate emotion from logic. As it stands, this incident has really made me realize how bad it is here in Singapore where everyone would rather conform than think independently and Amos Yee gives me hope in the younger generation.
OK people, part 2 the follow up is ready: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/what-arrest-of-amos-yee-tells-us-about.html Sorry I've not been able to respond to all the comments - I've been drowning in comments here. I am really grateful to you guys for reading my blog but I am also desperately trying to write new articles everyday as the story develops. I do promise that I am reading every single comment you leave me, even if I don't reply to all of them. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteOne of the charges against amos yee is allegedlymaking an insulting video containin remarks about mr lee which was intended to be heard or seen by persons likely to be distressed by the same.
ReplyDeleteThe video was entirled lee kuan yew is finally dead.
Surely that title would tell any reasonable person that the contents would not be flattering to lky. If a lky fan decided to watch the video willingly knowing it would likely offend him , then he would have lost the right to complain about it.
Amos did not broadcast videos illegally did he?
If i made a video ranting about how dumb a sport i think golf is , in theory i could be charged under the same law???
Aaaah noooo - you would upset Singaporeans who like golf!! Oh, wait... is that a crime? LOL.
DeleteAmos Yee probably chose that accent for maximum douchebaggery, ie, to piss off as many people as he could, on as many levels as he could.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, why did you bother to censor the word "motherfucker" when you use the word "fuck" so many times in the same blogpost? It seems inconsistent.
Guys, some weekend reading for you: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-arrest-of-a-teen-aged-youtube-star?mbid=social_facebook The New Yorker no less!
ReplyDeleteHi Limpeh!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you, at least, understand freedom of speech. Kudos to you for making the effort to try to explain why freedom of speech is important, and why Singapore should have it despite its potential abuse, to those who still don't quite fully grasp it.
Apart from Cookie/Jason Tan the PAP grassroots leader who ordered for Amos to be fed his own genitalia, some Singaporean YouTubers (Night Owl Cinematics in particular, who are somewhat famous, at least in Singapore) also publicly claimed that Amos deserves to be raped. And they're being defended by their YouTube friends like Jianhao Tan. What's even worse, is that their followers (especially young ones) are liking their anti-Amos videos and comments on YouTube and other social media.
I wrote a blog post about how Amos Yee is now, ironically, the target of online cyberbullying:
www.tinyurl.com/amosyee
And in case you aren't aware yet, there are celebrities who have weighed in on the issue:
http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/amos-yee-local-celebs-say-parents-are-blame
I just feel disheartened by the lack of maturity in some Singaporeans, especially adults who react with violence instead of reason, and think it would be funny for Amos to get raped in jail.
If Amos was arrested, shouldn't these YouTubers be charged for cyberbullying and perpetuating rape culture too? They have way more subscribers and viewers than Amos, and young kids who follow them are likely to pick up their horrid behaviour.
Hello there Hayley and thanks for your comment.
DeleteYou know, I used to subscribe to Night Owl Cinematics on Youtube as I found some of their Hokkien videos funny but when I saw the rape comments, my first response was to get into an argument and I thought, what's the point of even trying to pick a fight with people like that - who think that's an appropriate response? Maiming people, raping people - are we in Singapore or are we in some lawless state run by the most violent terrorist who use violence, murder and rape to control the people? So I just unsubscribed from their channel because I just refused to view their Youtube videos anymore after having read that comment. There is something terribly wrong with the education system in Singapore - but it goes beyond that, it is the whole culture and the way it stems from the way our parents bring up children in Singapore.
I have also wrote a piece about Amos Yee's parents based on that interview: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/can-you-blame-amos-yees-parents-for.html