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| Has Amos Yee been treated fairly by the law? |
1. One rule for those who criticize the PAP, another rule for those who support the PAP
Amos Yee's arrest doesn't surprise me actually, given how he taunted the prime minister to arrest him. In the words of Yee, "so if Lee Hsien Loong wishes to sue me, I will oblige to dance with him. Come at me, motherfucker." Honestly, this is Singapore - what was Amos expecting? Did he seriously believe that he could make a taunt like that only for it to be ignored? He deliberately kicked the hornet's nest and the results were predictable. In my previous post, I did talk about the importance of knowing your audience (marketing 101), but knowing the social context of your message is equally important. Perhaps that's marketing 102 and that's a lot for a teenager to take in - perhaps as a 38 year old who has been working for so many years, it's often easy to forget that I knew none of these important business principles when I was a teenager back in Singapore.
Then again, since when was making threats to physical maim or harm 16 year old teenagers not a crime in Singapore? The Facebook page where Cookie Tan made the threat disappeared off Facebook once it was apparent how appalled the public were by his violent threats, so is he going to be let off the hook by the authorities who are just going to pretend that it never happened? After all, Amos Yee has taken his controversial video offline already, so why doesn't Amos Yee get the right to pretend it all never ever happened, why is Amos Yee arrested and is now facing trial? Cookie Tan (aka Jason Tan) isn't just another disturbed teenager spouting rubbish online - oh no, he is a PAP grassroots leader, he is an adult in a position of authority, yet he is able to get away with this kind of behaviour?
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| Cookie Tan (Jason Tan) is a PAP grassroots leader. |
I'm not saying that Amos Yee should be let off the hook - Amos should and will face the consequences of his actions, he really should have known better. But if you are going to arrest Amos Yee, then you must arrest Cookie Tan (aka Jason Tan) as well and make Tan face the consequences of his actions as well. Why is there one rule for those who oppose the PAP and another set of rules for those who are supporting the PAP? If the PAP wants to retain any credibility in this case, then they need to apply the same laws fairly to those who are guilty of making threats against Amos Yee and his family. But then again, I think most Singaporeans are way too brainwashed to see this glaring blindspot in the government's handling of this incident. And let me be clear: this is as much a criticism of ordinary Singaporeans as it is of the justice system in Singapore.
2. Being disrespectful isn't a crime.
Was Amos Yee disrespectful to LKY in his video? Of course he was. Oh there's no doubt about that. But since when was being disrespectful a crime? Do Singaporeans even know what the definition of a crime is? What crime did he actually commit? Allow me to quote my reader Di Talasi who has offered a very sensible perspective on Amos Yee:
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| Being disrespectful isn't a crime. |
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. I just about fell off my chair when she 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.
Sadly, this is so ingrained in Singapore's culture. This relationship with authority is uniquely Singaporean and so wrong in so many ways. I remember when I was a child growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, a very common saying used by parents would be, "你不听话，我叫警察来抓你去监牢!" or the Singlish version, "You don't listen, I call police come and catch you go jail!" Oh how many times my parents have made that threat to me whenever I misbehaved as a young child. Yeah right, as if the police would have arrested an 8 year old child for not finishing his maths homework - of course, in hindsight, it sounds ludicrous but Singaporean parents never really believed in using their own authority and parenting methods to handle a situation, preferring to default to an external threat. Singaporeans are taking this old saying all too literally by making police reports whenever they hear someone say something they don't like online.
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| Do you know when a crime is actually committed? |
It is all rather infantile I'm afraid, it just reminds me of the way the kids in my primary school used to run to the teacher for every little minor complaint. I can see why an 8 year old might default to a teacher to resolve one's conflicts, but surely the sensible thing to do as an adult would be to respond to Amos Yee directly by offering your point of view on the subject of LKY's legacy and engage him as an adult. 8 year old kids students need to ask the teacher permission to go to the toilet - as adults, you can go to the toilet whenever you want, so isn't it time you Singaporeans realized that you are actually adults and can actually act like one without having to default to figures in authority for the slightest dispute? Can't you attempt to try to settle your differences like adults for a change?
In any case, I have always stuck to the principle that respect is earned, not demanded. LKY was a politician and as such, he was engaged in a popularity contest to win respect and votes from the electorate. Such in the nature of politics and democracy, if he has done well, then yes he will earn the respect and votes from Singaporeans. But it is not for anyone to demand that an individual like Amos Yee (or any of LKY's critics) must offer unconditional respect for LKY - no, every individual has the right to come to his/her own conclusion on the issue. Even Amos Yee has the right not to respect LKY. I tell you what happens when you demand that everyone must offer unconditional respect for a late leader. Please allow me to quote CNN travel writer Kate Whitehead on the subject of visiting North Korea:
3. Who gets to define what Singaporeans values are?
There has been much talk about how Amos Yee's actions run contrary to the Asian values in the context of Singapore - but then again, can there ever be a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to identifying the values that define Singaporean society? Anyone who tries to use the 'Asian values' defence when it comes to justifying arresting Amos Yee is failing to recognize that Singapore is in fact a very complex, modern city of nearly 6 million people - there are many different cultures, ethnic groups, social classes living together in this city, creating a range of different attitudes amongst the residents of Singapore. Let's recognize this wide variety of opinions, rather than insist on conformity.
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| Can you even try to define Singaporean values? |
I have already talked about the herd mentality prevalent amongst Singaporeans, but surely this is the time to take into account of the fact that there are actually many Singaporeans who feel that Amos Yee actually needs help. He is ultimately a teenager who will turn 17 later this year - he is clearly eloquent and articulate. On that note, may I recommend the excellent post on Alvinology entitled Olive Branch for Amos Yee and his parents. I am glad that there are at least Singaporeans amongst us who are willing and able to show compassion to Amos Yee and his family; such is the mark of one's humanity. As for the Singaporeans who have made violent threats to Amos Yee and his family, you're just barbarians who are no better than the terrorists who behead hostages. So what are Singaporean values then: what do you condone? Compassion or violence? Which do you prefer?
4. Why mention the race riots?
Now many Singaporeans have mentioned the race riots (of 1950, 1964 and 1969) as justification for the sedition act. As I have mentioned before, I am appalled at how many Singaporeans actually know their own country's history well. There were a very specific set of circumstances that led to the riots in 1950, 1964 and 1969: in 1950, it was the fallout from the Maria Hertogh verdict. In both the 1964 and 1969 riots, external factions from Malaysia and Indonesia were involved and Singapore got caught up in a wave of instability that affected the wider region. The race riots were a scary period in Singapore's history and none of them want them to happen ever again, of course. But did anyone seriously believe that Amos Yee's remarks about Christianity in his Youtube videos would really lead to more race riots? Get real. Some Christians were very offended by his words but nobody has any intention to start a riot. .
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| Can you draw a correlation between the race riots and Yee's video? |
Riots usually happen when people are already very unhappy with their situation and are so wretched they have very little to lose by rioting, Take the 2013 Little India riots for example - it was the migrant workers who work very long hours for very little money rioted, not ordinary Singaporeans. Likewise, in the 2005 riots in France, it kicked off in the most deprived neighbourhoods of Clichy-sous-Bois and it was mostly the poorest in French society who took part in the riots. In the 2011 England riots, again it kicked off in Tottenham, one of the poorest parts of North London - even though the riots did spread throughout England, they usually kicked off in the poorest neighbourhoods. The main reason why Singaporeans don't riot is because they have a good life: they have jobs, their children can get an education, there is food on the table and whilst things are not perfect in Singapore, people definitely do not want to break the law and jeopardize their future. Ironically, it was the great success of LKY's economic policies which have prevented Singaporeans from rioting, rather than his draconian censorship laws.
5. Singapore's (already) tarnished image abroad and LKY's international legacy
Did you guys realize that the Amos Yee story has made the news in countries all over the world? Just go a Google search: from the UK to India to Australia to the USA; from the BBC to CNN to Yahoo News - Amos Yee has finally achieved the fame that he so desperately craved for. A Singaporean friend who has met Amos Yee described him as someone "who craves attention and publicity more than oxygen"; no wonder Amos Yee was smiling for the photographers today after he was bailed by his parents. In the words of an American friend of mine on Facebook, "Singapore commemorates the death of Lee Kuan Yew by throwing the book at a 16 year old teenager over a Youtube video. #LKYlegacy" Just a few days ago, people abroad were treated to a very positive story about LKY who delivered Singapore's economic miracle as the nation mourned his passing. It has gone to the other extreme: Singapore is now portrayed as a draconian totalitarian regime who would jail teenagers for Youtube videos. The kind of comments made by non-Singaporeans on the Guardian's website (the Guardian is a British newspaper) are certainly worth reading.
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| Ironic how Amos Yee is going to have quite an impact on LKY's legacy abroad. |
Singapore is well known for taking an uncompromising stance when it comes to law and order. However, what Singapore does to this teenager has much further repercussions when it comes to her international reputation. Thus you have to balance out the need to appease angry Singaporeans with the damage that will be done to Singapore's international reputation should a judge decide to jail Amos Yee over this video. It is a no-brainer - really, very little can be gained from persecuting Amos Yee whilst so much damage can be done to LKY's international legacy if the whole Amos Yee incident is allowed to overshadow the death of LKY. Allow me to put on my marketing & PR hat for a moment and offer you a piece of advice. If you loyal, patriotic Singaporeans are seriously interested in protecting LKY's legacy around the world, then you need to be aware that the world is watching and if Amos Yee is harshly punished, then that is what people will remember LKY for. The two events are already meshed together in a way you cannot separate, whether you like it or not and Singapore's international reputation is at stake here.
So that's it from me for now on the issue of Amos Yee. Sorry if I have not been able to respond to all of your comments but given how fast this story is moving, I'm desperately trying to keep up as a blogger. Thanks for reading!
I'm really baffled people thinking a video made by 16 year old can incite people to start rioting or cause extremists to wreck havoc in Singapore. I think the video would have been a nonevent if people just ignored him and went on with their lives.
ReplyDeleteI was browsing reddit when I stumbled upon this post. I'll really like to hear your thoughts on some of the opinions in the thread.
ThatGuy, hello and thanks for your comment.
DeleteYou cannot start a revolution without followers and unless Amos Yee has a strong social media presence and has several thousand followers who actually see him as some future leader of Singapore, all he will be is an annoying kid ranting on Youtube. In the UK however, I do see some Muslim extremist preachers who used to just preach their hatred in mosques, radicalizing the people who attend their mosques. Now with modern technology, they are broadcasting their hatred through social media - there needs to be laws to deal with people preaching this kind of extremist ideology, to prevent the radicalizing of young Muslims through social media. But please, that's another issue altogether and has nothing to do with Amos Yee. I would have thought that ignoring him would have been the best thing to do.
I think you are missing a few points. He is charged under POHA (max $5,000 fine so no biggie) and the other two are under the penal code which is really the 'meat' in this case. One for distributing obscene images and the other for inciting religious hate. He was not charged for being disrespectful of LKY because, as you have pointed out, that is not a crime.
ReplyDeleteYou missed the point that his own mother reported him to the police. (news articles reported a 'reliable source').
Don't worry too much about our 'international reputation' and lack of democracy and freedom of speech which you seem to be obsessed about. Despite having a poor reputation on all of these, we are still loved by businesses for the infrastructure and connectivity to the region. This keeps money flowing through the system and jobs and the economy humming along.
Regarding the riots, whether there is a remote possibility of a riot as a result of this is irrelevant. The law only cares about setting a precedence.
Midnitefrog, I think you're mistaken.
DeleteFirstly, I am not trying to provide a summary of everything that has happened thus far in the case - I certainly cannot (as it is such a fast moving case anyway, every few hours something new emerges) and it is an opinion piece. I have selected 5 bullet points to focus on and whilst I am aware of the charges, that's easy enough for others to find online and read about. As a blogger, I'm trying to give my readers a little added dimension which is my analysis - it's not a summary of everything that's happened thus far.
The obscene image that you've talked about involves a bad drawn picture of two people having sex - one of them being LKY the other being Thatcher. I've seen that image - Amos twitted it and it was on his FB page. Now is that disrespectful to LKY? You need to see that picture for yourself - but IMHO, it was. Obscene, no it wasn't, as the art work was so bad that you couldn't make out any real anatomy nor did the picture come close to being pornographic. But was it meant to mock LKY? Oh most certainly so. But it was shrewd of them to use 'obscenity' rather than disrespect over that picture. Again, that's my opinion and my analysis.
A further charge Amos faces is that of "Allegedly making an insulting video clip online containing remarks about Mr Lee which was intended to be heard and seen by persons likely to be distressed by the same." Boom. There you go. He's upset the feelings of those who respect Mr Lee. Disrespect, once again?
As for his mother's own report to the police - dude dude dude, you really think this is some kind of Singapore exam izzit, where I as a blogger, have to scribble down in 60 minutes everything I remember that is relevant to the case izzit? Aiyoh. I am aware of it, but I had already dealt with my feelings about his parents in the last post, so I chose not to address it in this post. Duh.
You may not give a damn about your international reputation, but others do. Heck, look at Saudi Arabia with their appalling human rights record but as long as the oil keeps flowing, everyone still wants to be their friend. Now Singapore doesn't have oil - you're dependent on creating and fostering a good business environment that goes beyond infrastructure and connectivity to the region especially when you are facing fierce competition today. You need to build trust and relationships internationally and that's why your reputation is very important: you can't afford to just do what Saudi Arabia does when it comes to international reputation.
As for your final point of the riots, then you do not understand how law works I'm afraid. You're using the wrong law in the wrong case because there is no chance of Amos Yee inciting a riot with his ridiculous video. Save that law for when some hateful preacher comes along and starts his own Youtube channel in Singapore.
talent win over frog..
DeleteIt never was about disparaging Christianity, was it?
Deletehttp://kaffein-nated.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/its-never-been-about-christianity-it.html
Kaffein
Hi Alex. Thanks for a timely history reminder and triggering another nostalgic school remembrance session. I now realise why that whole race riot thing sounded so weird to my perspective. I do not know how the history texts are like now but certainly the Maria Hertogh fallout in 1950 and the Malaysia and Indonesia Konfrontasi cases in the 60's were being taught during history lessons. I still fondly remembered we had a very engaging history teacher who raised the point that the instability and agitation were the root causes for the riots and that riots are unlikely now (that was in the late 80's) as we are having a good environment and good jobs and people have roofs over their heads. So I am surprised why people will associate the discussion of ethnic and religious issues as being so sensitive that riots will get triggered. Over sensitive?
ReplyDeleteI think that some Singaporeans simply over reacted and blew a shortfuse which resulted in the heavy handed approach where police were called in to handle a teenager for an attention seeking youtube video. Actually, there is an online petition, ironically started by a Christian, that Amos Yee ought to be released from his charges. https://www.change.org/p/the-government-of-singapore-release-amos-yee?recruiter=267297271&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=mob-xs-no_src-no_msg. So there are still some cool heads out there.
Unfortunately, there will always be those who would rather resort to pitchforks and burning people at the stakes or run to the authorities at the first sign of ambiguity. Or like your example of the 8 year old that runs off to the teacher "Teacher, teacher, Shane did this, he did that..." That triggered another poignant memory which I really want to forget, since I was one of those bad kid who somehow would get picked and called out by the other kids in primary school to the teacher. I suppose people are still in the process of growing up and trying to figure out that you can't make everything childproof and kindergarten standards.
Hi and thanks for your comment Shane.
DeleteWhy are Singaporeans reaching for the race riot defence? I don't know - perhaps that is part of the PAP's propaganda to justify their kind of censorship. Either that or some Singaporeans are actually dumb enough to believe that their civil society can be destroyed by a stupid Youtube video like this.
And yes I do recognize that some Singaporeans who think that the government (and their fellow citizens) have gone too far - hence that's why I have talked about compassion vs violence in this blog piece.
And as for my primary school analogies, LOL - perhaps that's me proving to you that we are products of the same system, aren't we?
Hi Alex, I am pretty sure we went through a similar education mill. Though I do hope you had an easier time in primary school. It was tumultuous for me being a kampung boy. My English sucked and I was more comfortable speaking in Teochew rather than Mandarin - big no no in that 不在用方言，大家说华语 era. The school was uber strict on which week was to be English speaking, which week was to be Mandarin. I was too daft to figure that out several other kids and myself got reported perpetually by everyone else. It also didn't help that I was bloody questionsome and did not know how to go away when adults refused to reply. Not going to get popular with the class. Public caning by the discipline master was certainly not unfamiliar to me. So when my misbehavior got to my folks, they were ashamed and yielded the rod at home too.
DeleteThere were many other kids growing up then that got the same rod treatment. That has gotten quite unacceptable these days thank goodness. If not for a benevolent teacher / coach in secondary school, I am pretty sure I would have turned out really screwed and would probably be one of those who would have threatened Amos Yee with violence.
Thankfully, there are still enough level headed folks to keep things sane and I am forever grateful to this teacher. I just hope people are kind enough to give Amos Yee a second chance after being censured for the misguided foolishness.
Hi Shane, Oh yeah, I was totally a kampong boy. Look up Sembawang Hills Estate School - no longer exists but it was very kampong indeed. That was my primary school. In hindsight, I don't think I was unhappy - they say ignorance is bliss and perhaps that was it. I didn't know what I lacked or was missing, hence I was happy enough. My grades were good enough so that spared me the worst of the primary school experience. I didn't get along with my parents even then, so I actually really liked school, as going to school meant spending a long part of the day away from home with my friends, away from my family.
DeleteI met my benevolent teacher in JC - Mr Truman - he was the one who encouraged me to go the full nine yards, do the S papers and apply for scholarships. I owe so much to him, he believed in me in a way that my parents never did, such teachers are amazing. If I had never met him, I have no idea how I would have turned out.
What a coincidence. I lived and grew up in Sembawang, near the old Sultan cinema. I only moved away after 1982 when my folks insisted on sending me to a primary school where they heard all my more civilized cousins were doing some well. They probably regretted.
DeleteI guess we were lucky to have encountered great teachers who made a difference.
Shane Chua, "Wa ya si Teochew nang!" Well, there is nothing wrong with your English now! Yes, Amos should be given a second chance.
DeleteHi Di, how nice to meet a ka ki nang here on Alex Limpeh's virtual blog. Hope all ok on your end. Sigh, it is increasingly challenging to converse in Teochew and so many of those Teochew delicacies and kuehs are being phased out due to non commercial viability. It is also tough among peers as I was the last grandchild to be brought up by grandparents and younger cousins may as well be thinking I am alien for conversing with the elders in Teochew. Wondering why my mother tongue was supposedly Mandarin when both my grandparents and parents were primarily Teochew speaking at home.
DeleteTotally Shane. None of my grandparents spoke a word of Mandarin - ever. The languages my late grandparents spoke were Hakka, Hokkien and Malay - they were all rather good at Malay, that being the lingua franca in the region long before English took that place.
DeleteThus Mandarin is a foreign language for me. Supposedly, my mother tongues should be Hakka and Hokkien - Hakka is a lost course for me since my dad never ever taught me a word of it, but I am still pretty confident in Hokkien (though what I speak is a very colloquial Singaporean version with plenty of Malay, Mandarin and English loanwords). Yesterday I had to tell the story of Amos Yee to my mother in Hokkien and that was challenging.
Sorry typo: lost CAUSE. Hakka is a lost CAUSE for me. I cannot edit the typo in the comment.
DeleteShane: do not even go there by mentioning Teochew food! Miss kiam chai and kiam her.
DeleteGuys, such a pity dialects were not encouraged. In my family, we spoke English, Teochew, and some Malay. I was the only one forced to study Mandarin. Guess what? Failed!
Hi Di, Alex.
DeleteWell Di, I really wouldn't mind about Teochew food at all. I love my food and pastries and I like to cook. I think the nicest thing I love in Teochew food is the classic steamed dao chioh (Chinese Pomfret??) with kiam chye, ginger, some chilli and generous garnish of tomatoes and peh bak (fat). Yums. Certainly won't go wrong to follow up with braised duck, png kuey and fried orh luat. Damn the cholesterol and calories since they are all lovingly handmade stuff. I didn't have much issues with Chinese but it took almost two years afte entering primary school before my English got up to scratch - my folks just didn't use English. Thankfully, mum had enough wisdom to sign me up for a weekly speech and drama class ran by a British teacher whom I will be forever grateful to.
Alex, I think most Singaporeans will be using a creole of dialects. Loads of Malay borrowed terms which if we use on native speakers from Taiwan or Xiamen, will sound totally Greek. E.g. lor ti (bread, from roti), lui (money, corruption from Indonesian duit), leh lio (radio). We conveniently mix them in Teochew too, trust me. All from the same min nan dialect groups, so I guess there is enough mutual comprehensibility.
Shane, do you know what is ngoh her? It's a fish I used to eat as a child with brown bean sauce. I want to know the English name so that I can look for it here in Canada. My sister thinks it's sea bass, but it doesn' seem like it.
DeleteHi Di, ngoh her is called threadfin. It is strictly not just one species but a generic term for a whole genus of closely related fish. Definitely not sea bass - that is kim mak lou or barramundi. Since threadfins range widely, I am pretty sure you can find them in Canada. I think you may find them especially in Vancouver. While I have never been in Vancouver, I was in Seattle last year and I certainly saw threadfins being tossed about in Pike Place.
DeleteWill suggest you can try steaming the ngoh her fish steaks with ginger slices, chilli, salted vege, bit of sesame oil and chinese wine. If preserved sour plums for steaming (sng buay) are available, wala - perfection. Serve them hot off the steamer with scallions and coriander and drizzle fried shallot and hot oil as a finish - heavenly, classic Teochew style!
Thank you, Shane! A definite answer after all these years away. I am pretty sure I have seen threadfish at the Chinese store. Your recipe brings back happy memories. My next project! If you are in Vancouver, let me know.
DeleteThanks Di, will do. Vice versa if u swing by Sg ;)
DeleteSingapore's international reputation has taken a beating due in no small part to the public and online reactions regarding recent events. Recalling Ma Chi and Anton Casey, their actions brought out the very worst in Singaporeans for all to see. Yet, did Singaporeans even realize the consequences of their actions? Apparently not.
ReplyDeleteThe Youtube video made by Yee touched a raw nerve, and again the reactions from Singaporeans is so predictable. Those seeking redress probably do not realize or are not bothered that Singapore's international reputation is at stake. Now it waits to be seen what the court's decisions will be.
To quote a comment from the Guardian's article: 'If your civil society is threatened by an 8 minute video of a squeaky-voiced 17 year old then you have a very weak civil society.'
Hi Alveenoo and thanks for your comment - I like the quote you have chosen from the Guardian website!
DeleteWhat do you make of midnitefrog's assertion (see his comment above) that Singapore doesn't need to really care all that much about her international reputation given it has other things to offer and will keep on attracting international businesses to Singapore anyway? Do you really care what the rest of the world thinks about you?
Hi there, midnitefrog's assertion is reflective of both the complacent attitude and very myopic viewpoint Singaporeans have. Even if Singapore does not want or bother to care about her international reputation, the international business community that have a presence in Singapore do.
DeleteIn the age of the internet, businesses are recognizing that it is no longer just only the bottom line and that a strong brand is also necessary. The increasing prominence of the internet has also given consumers greater access to information to decide how and where they spend their money. Should Singapore's international reputation negatively impact both the bottom line and brand reputation, companies will re-evaluate the cost of doing business in Singapore.
And if midnitefrog thinks that infrastructure and connectivity to the region is all it takes to attract and keep the MNCs, think again. With the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) starting operation later this year, the Asia region should in the near future see its fair share of infrastructure projects. Trying to compete with only having a good infrastructure is not going to cut it any longer.
Presently, I am residing in California so the opinions above are based on someone looking in from the outside.
On a different note, you mentioned attending Sembawang Hills Estate School. Small world! I attended the same school from 81 to 86. It is rather sad that the valley where the school was situated got filled in and now an up-scale residential neighborhood sits atop it all. Then again, we are talking about Singapore where nothing ever stays the same.
Hi there, I totally agree with your evaluation of midnitefrog's assetion, it is a typically Singaporean response to the situation. The term sour grapes comes to mind - "I never wanted to eat those grapes anyway, I bet they're probably sour." Singapore's international reputation is already tarnished by this episode and midnitefrog can't do anything to repair it, so s/he says instead that he really doesn't care what others think. But the international business community does care because you're not just in Singapore to do business like someone jetting in for a meeting, hanging around for 24 hours and then leaving. We're talking about people who are coming to live in Singapore to work for a few years as expats and they are concerned about what kind of environment they are going to have to cope with.
DeleteBesides, Singapore faces huge competition from other hubs in Asia who do offer cheaper alternatives - Singapore by that token is a victim of her own success: it is far cheaper to do business in BKK or KL and Singapore will attract those businesses who absolutely have to be in SG, but miss out on those who are just looking for a regional hub to reach out to the wider regional market.
And on a different note, crikey SHES - I was there 83 to 88 to we could have well set next to each other in the canteen or passed each other in the basketball courts etc. Fond memories.
Alex, yes it is one more example of the Machiavellian way of the PAP govt to constantly and surreptitiously keep Singaporeans in line. The PAP do not really care one way or the other about its international reputation as long as it gets its way with people/organizations/countries where and when it matters to it. There is a lot of cunning and unscrupulousness involved. Basically, unless even more Singaporeans grow up and are able to stand and think on their feet, the PAP govt is gonna continue to exact and extract to its maximum advantage anything and everything that's got to do with them remaining dominant and in full political control over the red dot and its brainwashed 60.1%!
ReplyDeleteWell Gary, even if the PAP doesn't care about its international reputation, the international community will still pass judgement on Singapore whether you like it or not.
DeleteThink about a restaurant saying, "oh we serve the best food in town, we don't care about what the critics say or what kind of reviews we get in the papers or websites. People will still come anyway if they want good food." Yeah right, you may be confident about the quality of the food you serve and even if the food is really good - you still don't understand the way public perception and opinions are going to impact on your business. This is why businesses spend a lot on money on marketing & PR because simply focusing on the product per se is never going to be enough in a competitive business environment.
The PAP govt has always known what button to press or lever to pull to get its way with people, organization and countries. But I should say a lot of it had got to do with LKY who is no longer around. It is interesting to watch if his son has the same gravitas or shrewdness. With his father gone it would seem that junior is trying to imitate his father's propensity to sue adversaries into silence and using the law as we have seen in recent months.
DeleteWell we still don't know if Amos would be thrown in jail for a long time or if he would get away with a slap on the wrist - I do hope it will be the latter but I have no idea what might happen... One hopes for the best.
DeleteI read that Alvin's mother was one of the people who made a police report. Therein lies one of the problem. His parents do no know what to do with him. When desperate, they call the police. He doesn't need the police. He needs counselling and therapy (family therapy?). Perhaps this has been an issue all this while. They have a child who is very intelligent and precocious. He craves attention, and he needs an outlet for his talents. They need to challenge him. Is he in a gifted program? What does he do outside of school and the confines of his room making videos? Are there programs in Singapore where kids like him can take on leadership roles in the school and community? Can his parents and family help him find a cause? Can a 17-year-old work part time in Singapore? I don't want to judge his parents' competency to parent. I think they need guidance as well. I can only speak my for myself as a parent. Let me me clear before I say more --- I am far from perfect, and I am still learning along the way. As a parent, I keep my child busy. There are sports, service in the parish, school work (I set high standards), and chores to do. There is also volunteer work we do as a family regularly. At meal times and during our commutes, we talk about many things --- religion and politics and lifestyle choices are just some of them. Perhaps Amos' mother thought that her tough love will fix him. I am saying I doubt it. He is getting the attention he wants. If he does smarten up, it's because he got a taste of the judicial system, and out of fear, he makes better choices. However, does that fix the problem? He has untapped potential which needs to be channelled so that he can achieve his goals and contribute to society. Jail time or a fine may only curb his enthusiam at best. I don't have all the answers, and like I said, I am far from being the voice of all mothers out there. I just hope there is more mindful consideration for his consequences rather than just what the man-made laws dictate.
ReplyDeleteHi Di, let me try to answer some of your questions.
Delete1. He most certainly isn't in a gifted programme - he was a student in Zhonghua secondary school, now apart from having a half-decent gymnastics programme (that's how I knew about that school, having competed against them many times), they are what you could consider an average, neighbourhood school for average to below average kids. Certainly, the kids who make the gifted programme would go to some of the best schools in Singapore - Zhonghua is at best average.
2. By his own choice, he was isolated - he had no friends as he felt a sense of superiority to his classmates at Zhonghua. Thus he reached out to various more interesting people - for example, despite being straight, he reached out to the gay community in Singapore to campaign for gay rights on their behalf and most gay people in Singapore were like, woah who are you and if you're not gay ... WTH? Thus getting Youtube hits has become an obsession for him as ordinary interaction with people just bores him most of the time.
3. Yes a 17 year old can work part time, but Amos has dropped out of school and may as well work full time. But he wanted to focus on turning himself into a Youtube star.
4. There are no programmes for kids like him for leadership roles as those are usually reserved for Singaporean kids who fit the mould of what is deemed a good Singaporean student. I had no shortages of those programmes in my day, but Amos would never be accepted into one of those given the mess he has made thus far.
5. As for his relationship with his parents - well, they're just going to drift further and further apart as Amos gets older.
Di & Alex, from a parental perspective, I can see where Amos' mother failed him by terming him "beyond her control". This is my theory but feel free to rebut if you disagree.
DeleteIt began from the time he was 13 and won a film award which got to his head, and his parents did not try to pull him back down to earth, because they were so proud of him.
Imagine him thinking "I am the youngest contestant, with the lowest budget, it was entirely a solo effort, and I got FIRST PRIZE. 100% of the credit goes to me, myself & I". Heady jubilation for barely a teenager.
He shot to stardom & fame, too fast, too young. He got addicted to attention and his parents did not realise how damaging it would be, so they did not put a stop to it.
In fact, I think they encouraged it. When he got a bit-part in a Jack Neo film (Neo had been a judge and argued strongly for giving first prize to Amos) they supported him when he criticised Jack Neo's film as "messy and confusing; my family agrees with me". Probably their mindset was "our son is so talented in film, he has the right to criticise Jack Neo, because his future will be brighter than Neo's".
Thus, they left him to continue making videos in his room, without really knowing what his subsequent videos were about. Most of the videos were indeed fun, intelligent, entertaining and extremely humourous.
But I dont think his parents fully appreciated this. If they had, they might have signed him up for maybe a script writing course, because of his gift for words.
Anyway, their next mistake was that they neglected his socialisation. He is an only child and when he kept to himself after school every day, they just let him be, perhaps in deference to his "Ive got it all figured out" attitude, not realising it was an act.
So when he finished his O-levels and decided not to continue studying, they must have been shocked, being S'porean, undoubtedly dark days for the whole family.
And in his frustration with everything (including the fact that his film career was reaching a plateau), he lashed out, a desperate last ditch attempt to stir up sensation, culminating in the LKY video.
True to his prediction, this caused an uproar which greatly embarrassed his mother, she being a teacher, one of many who respect LKY a lot.
People were saying Amos was badly brought up, blaming his parents etc. There was a need to "save face", so she reported him as being "beyond parental control" in order to distance herself from what he did.
Actually I dont think he is BPC. This term is used for at-risk teenagers, who join gangs, commit crimes, stay out at night, get pregnant, end up in boys town / girls home, etc. Amos certainly doesnt fall into any of those categories (except for the "dropping out of school" part).
To me he is a child prodigy who did not channel his energy in a socially acceptable way, and has consequently squandered his brilliance. He really should be a Humanities Scholar or something similar.
But Im sure his smarts will eventually save him. He is confident and, like Alvin Tan, will know what to do when he grows up.
I just realised I wrote that Alvin's mother reported Amos to the police! I am surprised Alex knew I was referring to Amos' mother. LOL! I need to make an appointment to see my optometrist this summer.
DeleteAlex and Chin Lam Toh --- thanks for clearing up some facts about Amos. I have next to nothing background on him. I did not know he had dropped out of school. Yikes! What a waste. Something in humanities and arts would suit him very well. So his mother is a teacher --- well, like you said, she had "save face". All I can say is, I hope Amos finds his direction in life and achieve fulfilment. I hope his parents are able to help him.
When I was in Singapore, I was like Amos in that I no directions. I had always felt I could do better, and that I did not fit in. When I got to my new country and started gaining knowledge about all the things that I had always loved, I shone brightly. I felt accomplished and fulfilled with each assignment and term paper and test I took. I was among like-minded people, and that felt great.
I believe Amos would thrive overseas like I did. He is very young, but he has potential. He Is just a lost boy now.
By the way, Alex, I found out something about the alleged 21st police report filed by Amos Yee's mother against her own son. "It" actually NEVER happened at all. His mother had clarified somewhere that she had asked publicly for means to know if she can discipline and rein in her son, but owing to the constant distortion and tendency to blow things up (remember, they blew up the case of Stefanie Koh's aunt and how she owed her aunt money, although it was far from what they claimed, so as to vilify Stefanie..she personally made her video telling detractors to "leave her family alone", remember? So that was also an allusion to what the mainstream media, namely The New Paper, had been doing to create stories to sell and give the impression that she is a nasty girl when she might not be.) of the mainstream media, it evolved into this alleged claim of a "police report"! Ahhh, so, as it appears, we are on the wrong track to think that Amos Yee's mother is on the side of the 20 people who filed police reports against him!
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ReplyDeleteHi there and thanks for your comment. Amos is a loose cannon. He's got nothing to do with the opposition parties and they wouldn't touch him with a barge pole as they wouldn't want to risk losing votes. He's way too controversial and all he is interested in is getting attention I'm afraid.
DeleteHi Alex. I know that this annoying attention seeker is a loose cannon. However, it is also easy to get sidetracked by annoyance. In hindsight, I always remembered these three former schoolmates who were labelled as troublesome, problem student. One of them would have been expelled from school until the teacher I am always grateful for, intervened and told everyone to give him a chance. He eventually packed up for China where he is now happily counting coins as an expert acquisition and merger GM. Another loose cannon girl classmate despite being rapped for her lack of attention in class, is now a pretty successful photographic director based in LA. My own cousin who had a major fall out with my Uncle (his father) for his obsession over astronomy has now happily landed himself a postgrad scholarship and a job with MQA Astro - at age 38. Ok the point I am trying to say is such students are not necessarily bad seeds. Singapore is not known to be very forgiving towards students who somehow do not conform and fit in with the established educational pathways. It just seems such a waste to label them as outcasts when with some extra guidance and a leg up, they may turn out pretty well adjusted. I just find the Singapore model very surprising, particularly when the history texts kept harping that the people are the only resource Singapore has.
DeleteAlex/LIFT, by the way, I am not sure if you have read about this but see this: http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/04/01/stanford-graduate-student-accused-of-poisoning-lab-mates . An A-Star scholar of PRC origins who newly became a SG citizen went overseas to Stanford University to perform graduate research under hte graces and auspices of SG money, but she actually committed a series of felonies while allegedly pleading "temporary insanity" and on more than one random occasion.
ReplyDeleteThis piece of news will definitely ruffle feathers a lot, but in comparison, I can say this: Amos Yee was immature and might have constituted verbal "damage" in some parts of his speech and video, but compared to that girl's real physical damage, his "damage" was more of a damage to reputation and others' precious egos while this girl's was physically harmful and potentially murderous in capability with the chemicals she poured into lab mates(all women)' drinking water. If people want to lynch Amos Yee, who is just an immature brat, then they would surely expect her to be lynched too.
Getting round to it Kev - my next piece will be on her!!
DeleteSign this!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.change.org/p/the-government-of-singapore-release-amos-yee?recruiter=65742023&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-share_petition-no_msg&fb_ref=Default
(alex if you're curious you can find out my personal reasons from my public fb profile...)
Some weekend reading for you guys: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-arrest-of-a-teen-aged-youtube-star?mbid=social_facebook The New Yorker no less!!!!
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