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| Meet Mhairi Black of the SNP, a 20 year old MP |
There was nothing to suggest that Mhairi was assured a victory in this election - few people even took her seriously given her age, many felt that she was just a student who has never even had a real job before, so how was she going to understand the needs of the working folks she was supposed to represent? Furthermore, she was up against Douglas Alexander who at 47, was definitely old enough to be her father. Douglas Alexander had been the MP for Paisley and Renfreshire South since 1997 and was a former minister in Blair's government - it was a real David and Goliath moment which took everyone by surprise, no one more so than Douglas Alexander who had to suffer defeat at the ends of a 20 year old student who won by a very comfortable margin of 12.3%. (Douglas Alexander had won the last election in 2010 with a very big margin of 41.5%.)
There were a total of 650 MPs elected in this year's election: I would struggle to be able to name you more than a few MPs given how big the UK is and I have not ever been to Paisley (though I have passed through Glasgow Airport which is nearby). Yet Mhairi Black's incredible success story has not just made the headlines here in London, but all around the world and she is definitely a role model for young people all over the world. Many Singaporeans have commented that at 16, Amos Yee was just too young to try to get involved in politics - that he should have stuck to being a student, go to university and get a decent job before he even thought about voicing a political opinion: but clearly, 20 year old student now MP Mhairi Black proved that one need not follow that formula in order to enter politics.
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| Unlike Mhairi, Amos did not find popularity with the public. |
Amos Yee had tried to deliver a political message - allow me to quote from Amos Yee's infamous LKY video: "With his death and the upcoming elections next year, there is a high chance, that us citizens of Singapore [can] finally change things for the better. Let’s all hope for change. For good change, for every possible kind." If you were to remove the reference to the death of LKY and substituted the word Singapore for Scotland, it could have well been the kind of inspiration speech that Mhairi Black has delivered in her campaign. So why is Mhairi Black not just an MP today, but celebrated as an inspiration to so many, whilst Amos Yee is in remand, awaiting trial after having suffered a nasty hate campaign? Why is Mhairi Black so incredibly popular and Amos Yee hated by so many Singaporeans? How different are these two young people? Let's look at a few lessons Amos can learn from Mhairi.
1. Work within the system.
Mhairi is a member of the SNP - the Scottish National Party. Now Mhairi's stunning victory was set against a historic breakthrough for the SNP who took 56 out of a total of 59 seats in Scotland - that was up from just 6 MPs at the last election. Mhairi wasn't try to change Scotland single-handedly, instead she worked with a magnificent team that was already very successful. The SNP's victory has been described as a landslide - leaving only three non-SNP MPs left in Scotland. Mhairi was able to get a lot of help from her party: from campaigning to logistics to PR to finances - that was taken care of for her whilst all she had to do was to go around convincing people to vote for her. It worked: she is now in a position to make real impact as an MP - and this is just her first step into politics, how far she will go? What else will Mhairi Black achieve in the next few decades? Will she become a future minister or even prime minister?
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| Do you want to be a part of the system or work outside the system? |
Whilst Amos is probably still too young to try to run as an MP in Singapore, there were ways for him to try to participate in politics in Singapore. He could for example, get involved with the opposition parties - the Worker's Party has a youth wing. Amos could have taken part in many of their activities, playing a supporting role to the older, more experienced members of the WP whilst waiting for the right opportunity to step up and run for MP. Would this have worked? Who knows - but at least he would be doing it from within the system, rather than trying to take it on from the outside. Trying to take on the PAP from outside the system is only asking for trouble in a place like Singapore.
2. Pay your dues.
Mhairi Black had been involved in politics with the SNP since she was a girl, she had been actively involved in the Scottish independence referendum last year. She had proven her loyalty to the SNP through a lot of hard work over the years and that gave her credibility not just to her party but to the voters. Trust and respect is something to be earned, often the old fashioned way. So when the SNP endorsed her as a candidate at the elections, the voters thought, "okay, she may be young but if the SNP thinks she is good enough, then I trust their judgement." What the hell has Amos Yee done to win the trust and respect of anyone? Nothing - his previous Youtube videos (such as the Chinese New Year video) only served to irritate people and I've seen it, it was pretty dumb. Amos Yee simply hasn't paid his dues to expect any credibility with his Singaporean audience when it comes to voicing a political opinion.
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| Has Amos Yee paid his dues yet? |
3. Make friends
One of the main reasons why people voted for Mhairi was because the incumbent MP Douglas Alexander was a career politician who spent more time in London furthering his career than actually serving his people in Scotland. Mhairi went from door to door, shaking hands, talking to people, kissing babies and winning their trust one by one. Politics is the ultimate popularity contest and Mhairi understood that very well. She had charm, she knew how to influence people and she knew how to get people to like her. Amos on the other hand, was a one man band, he was a loner who even by his own admission, had no friends in secondary school. Amos doesn't seem to know how to get people to like him. He recorded videos for Youtube in his bedroom at home and doesn't even try to do something like interview another person in his videos. Heck, even I have managed to engage my friends in my Youtube videos (and it can be incredibly fun to make videos like that) - Amos however, doesn't seem to have any real friends.
4. Show respect for your opponents, don't alienate anyone.
Even as Mhairi pulled of one of the most stunning upsets in her triumph over Douglas Alexander, she showed respect for him in her gracious acceptance speech, praising her predecessor warmly. “While I appreciate that this is a blow from Douglas Alexander, I truly hope he will remain to see his future in politics once he has recovered from this result,” she said. This was an olive branch extended to the supporters of Douglas Alexander who did not vote for her, but she is trying to reach across the political divide in a gesture of reconciliation. Amos however, had no intention to show any respect for LKY or the PAP - he launched a tirade of foul language at them in his Youtube video: what was the point of that kind of approach? He simply isolated the vast majority of his audience who felt that his language and style was inappropriate whilst only appealing to those who really hate the PAP: that's called preaching to the choir Amos.
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| Don't alienate anyone - extend an olive branch. |
5. Finish your studies, get your degree
Mhairi is in her final year at Glasgow University, where she is going to graduate with a degree in politics. She is smart enough to at least complete her education before she entered politics - well, she has her final exams this month and the official state opening of the parliament will be on the 27th May, hopefully Mhairi would have at least finished her final exams before then. Typically, final year students university students in the UK will finish their exams around the end of May but some may have exams extending into early June depending on their universities. There was every possibility that Mhairi could have lost her election (she was up against Douglas Alexander after all) and the election would have done nothing but to distract her from her revision. And in a worst case scenario (had she lost), she could have at least been prepared to look for a job, armed with a degree as a fresh graduate this summer. Hedge your bets - the future is uncertain for those in politics: just ask Douglas Alexander! Amos had effectively dropped out of formal education upon the completion of his O levels at Zhonghua secondary school. He has no plan B should his quest for fame on Youtube doesn't work out - that was very bad planning (but he now has time to think about his future).
6. Show that you care about people.
Mhairi talks a lot about ending austerity and Trident, so that the Scottish government can invest in the things that matter, to improve the lives of ordinary people in Scotland. It is not about her personal glory, she is in politics to help the people of Scotland whom she cares for. That is what draws people to her, they like her, trust her because she comes across as sincere and genuine. Amos on the other hand, spoke very disparagingly about the people of Singapore in his Youtube rant: essentially Amos attacked LKY and the PAP, compared LKY to Jesus, insulted the 'followers' of Christianity and LKY, insulted the parents of his viewers, criticized the values of Singaporean society - where is the love? It was way too bitter a bill for many Singaporeans to swallow, even if parts of his message did resonate with them - but Amos had failed to depict himself as a person who cared for others. I am not even convinced that he actually gives a shit about anyone else but himself; hating LKY and criticizing the PAP is not the same caring about other Singaporeans. Amos clearly did not realize how important it was to show that you care for others.
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| "Hello,, I care about you people!" |
7. Identify with your audience
This is a very basic principle of public speaking: you need to identify with your audience by using the right kind of language that they can not only understand but relate to. This establishes rapport and makes them more relaxed and receptive to your message. Let's listen to Mhairi Black in the Youtube clip below - clearly, she sounds very Scottish (I am wondering if any of my Singaporean readers may struggle to understand her rather thick Glaswegian accent) and local to her voters. In sharp contrast, Amos has a very caustic American accent which was gleamed entirely from American media (Amos has not actually lived in America, has he even visited America?) - hardly anyone in Singapore speaks like that and even real Americans would think that he was clearly a foreigner who had learnt English from American TV. Amos Yee's grating American accent has already caused offence with his Chinese New Year video a few years ago - he has deliberately chosen to speak with an American accent to sound un-Singaporean: that is hardly a formula that is going to make an anti-LKY, anti-PAP message go down well with a Singaporean audience. So from a PR and marketing perspective, his faux American accent is an epic fail as it only alienated and irritated his audience.
Mhairi Black has talked about having to change her image to be taken seriously as a politician: allow me to quote from the BBC Newsbeat article on the issue. "One of those big changes are her clothes. Gone are the jeans and instead she's got used to the smart trousers, shirts and jumpers that go with the role."Running for MP is the longest job interview of my life and you wouldn't wear jeans to a job interview," she says." Mhairi is smart enough to know when to be different to stand out from the crowd and when she needs to give people exactly what they expect. In fact, Mhairi's very serious style is in huge contrast with some of the older politicians who went out of their way to dress down, so that they could appear as one of the people in a desperate bid to show that they are indeed in touch with working class folks - the most hilarious one was seeing Tory politician George Osborne in hi-viz jackets and hard hats. Come on, Osborne is as posh and privileged as they come: as if putting him in a factory worker's outfit is going to change the public perception of that, but hey: he tried very hard to challenge that perception. Let's contrast this to Amos Yee's very stupid rant about his choice of clothes for his day in court. Allow me to quote from his blog:
"My family pleaded with me to ensure that I wore outdoor clothing the next day in court instead of my initially planned, pyjamas (a frequent apparel of mine due to comfort). Claiming that if I did not wear ‘decently’, the judge would be more severe towards me, and would issue harsher conditions that I had to comply with. I of course completely disagreed with the notion that clothing had or should have anything to do with a person’s view towards me, and was reluctant."
Will Amos Yee ever become a figure like Mhairi Black? No, it is not going to happen. Mhairi Black has a special talent: she is very good with people and she has charm. Whilst I do not dispute the fact that Amos is intelligent, he lacks charm and has a complete inability to relate to people. It is a talent that Mhairi Black has - she is a natural born leader. This is why Amos Yee ought to stay the hell away from politics as it is the ultimate popularity contest. The biggest problem for Amos Yee is that he craves attention yet he lacks the one skill he needs to get attention: the ability to understand his audience, relate to them and get his audience to like him. It does seem that Amos suffers from some form of Asperger Syndrome which means that he doesn't know how to relate to people very well, even that can be overcome with the right kind of treatment. I hope that after the trial is over, he would be humble enough to recognize that he needs help and seeks treatment - otherwise this will always be his Achilles' heel for the rest of his life.
It is exactly the 'don't rock the boat' mentality that has crippled Singapore. The fear instilled into the minds and hearts of many Singaporean is so ingrained that many can't move out and think outside of the box.
ReplyDeleteSo when an Amos Yee, or Dr Chee Soon Juan, or JBJ or anyone that challenges status quo, we jump the gun and bring him down. It stumps me that we don't take a few steps back and think on a broader sense what the underlying message is.
Just like when I commented about LKY's death (not in a negative but more objective way). Wow.. the amount of flaks I receive from disrespect to 'founding father' challenges came from every direction.
Everything hinges on PAP and government policies. From your future, to how many kids you should have, to what you can read/post, etc.
We fear more of the 'what if it happens' than 'what opportunities can we carve' to control a desired result, ie fix them. Unless Mhairi Black joins the PAP, I doubt she will succeed in SG politics.
I used to ask my SG colleagues if the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, or Bill Gates will succeed in SG. Or even Fandi Ahmad will ever amount to anything if he was born 20 years later. Likely not.
We are so steeped in how we define our roles and thinking that we dare not venture beyond the shore. Amos just opened a can of worms...
Cheers,
Kaffein
I have covered the issue that you mentioned in a previous post: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-card-tower-mentality-what-keeps-pap.html
DeleteThe one thing that I think distinguishes Amos Yee from Black is that Amos simply craves attention and could probably hardly care for entering politics, so to say. His videos are entertaining to me at times, horrific at times, but even then, with all the usual slew of vulgarities, his caustic American-like accent, seriously, they are not a big deal to me. It could be a cultural thing, especially in the light of the fact that Singaporeans do not mostly take to that (my sisters hated him and found him annoying) while I just find him entertaining from a western point-of-view. Either way, I just think that the trial--whatever the results--will do him some good to put him in some perspective about the need to place his life in order. He cannot be making youtube videos online and expect to be doing that into his 30's and 40's from abroad or anywhere, can he?
ReplyDelete(Not that I support Amos. I think we are just on a witch-hunt)
DeleteI fail to get your point, Kevin.
Do we expect Amos to join an RC or Young PAP or opposition camp to voice himself? If so, Then we have a very shallow understanding of where and how voices can be heard. Perhaps this is the failure of PAP with the Reach programme, Talking Point, etc. All wayang shows. The kids these days use free youtube or what-have-yous like whasapp and Instagram to share their photos, view and opinions. In our hey days, we used to have these cool tools. It was called - BLOG.
Btw, did anyone suffer or even die from Amos' video post? The most we got out was a bruised LKY ego and some lunatic ranting about Christians. Everyone craves a little attention. Be it Amos, you or me.
Now if you liken Amos' video to entertainment, or some nutcase, or attention-seeker -
Do you think he needs to go jail? What harm did he create? Does he need to go jail, or get fettered and shackled?
This is exactly my point - aren't we on a witch-hunt because the kid kinda 'slapped' and disrespected LKY?
Think about it - what are we trying to tell our youths who will are our future tomorrow?
Kaffein
Kaffein, you are over-reading what I wrote. I found Amos' video entertaining, and I do not see why he needs to be serious in his tone of voice, since he has the absolute right to be irreverent, even to be like Gopalan Nair if he wants to, provided that he can get away with it legally. But the issue aside, I was never against him. He voiced what I mostly wanted to say about Lee Kuan Yew in his video, alongside the facts about Singapore's economy and social policies.
DeleteYou might want to take the questions you have to others who are AGAINST him
I find Amos annoying at worst and pitiful at best. He is his own worse enemy. While he is bright, he has no social or emotional intelligence. There are many types of intelligence, and he is clearly not a Bill Clinton type who can charm the pants off you. Amos needs to grow up. Yes, it was wrong of people to condemn him for his videos, but he needs to know how to work the system. If I were working in the Middle East, I wouldn't wear short shorts to a company picnic, would I? In fact, I wouldn't even wear short shorts to a school picnic here in Canada. I may wear them to my own family picnic. It's just common sense, and that's lacking in Amos. He thinks he's taking a stand, but he is just ruining his own life. In so many ways, he's quite stupid. He is definitely immature. It's a pity his parents have not instiledl social sophistication in him all these years. Expecting him to follow rules "just because" is not going to work for someone like him. He should have been "educated" better.
ReplyDeleteHi LIFT, I watched the videos of Mhairi Black & read about her via Google. Indeed, she is an amazing person. However, I dont think its fair to compare Mhairi & Amos, because they specialise in different genres of presentation, & belong in different realms of society.
ReplyDeleteMhairi obviously has to be mainstream, so as to appeal to the broadest spectrum possible. On the other hand, Amos is more of an "indie" type, as seen from the films he loves & the videos he makes.
Amos has clearly never wanted to be a politician, but a filmmaker. You can easily imagine him as some sort of Tim Burton or Howard Hughes: eccentric & reclusive. His LKY rant wasnt a foray into politics, it was merely a publicity stunt to jumpstart his film career by taking advantage of a momentous event (he probably thought he had good timing -given all the mass hysteria, it was an opportunity not to be missed)!
Amos' interests lie towards alternative, "on the fringe" topics, seen from the viewpoint of an outsider in Singapore's context: his commentaries on atheism & homosexuality show that he is not out to be popular, but does succeed in being original & thought-provoking.
Creative young people like to fly solo in their art, music or writing when theyre starting out. They do not collaborate with others until they find their own style and voice. I enjoy Amos' films because you can see him grow, did not find his Chinese New Year video all that dumb -I thought he was very cute & entertaining then (though he is at an awkward gangly stage now).
I was wondering if you have any views on this: how did he win 1st Prize for his first short film "Jan" (in which he played 4 characters, all of whom had American accents) if people find his American accent grating? Thanks!
Comparing her to amos is like comparing apples with oranges, both have different aims in life, one aspires to be a politician while the other more in the creative scene. Somehow this article seems to be quite unfair to amos. Never did amos say he wanted to be popular. If you look beyond his accent and vulgarity, he is actually quite a genuine person. He is someone who would rather seek the truth than be pretentious. I would rather blame the establishment and soceity for not embracing diverse views than to blame amos.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fair comparison? Probably not, to compare a teenager who has gotten himself into such a horrible mess to a 20 year old success story making headlines around the world is hardly a fair comparison at this stage, but Amos Yee badly needs role models to look up to and see, okay so this is how s/he achieved success and maybe there are lessons I can learn from him/her. Certainly, it would do Amos a lot of good to think about whom his role models ought to be and whom he can learn a thing or two from - and if that person isn't found within Singapore, that's fine, but at least he shouldn't be going through life, thinking that he has all the answers. No, he needs to learn from people who have achieved success in life - such as Mhairi Black.
DeleteAmos do have role models. From his blogs and videos, his role models are the director from boyhood, YouTuber the amazing atheist. His beliefs are align to Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitching, people who have niche interests but not exactly the most popular people in town. Why must his definition of success and role models meet your criteria? There is no such thing as one ideal set of role models. Otherwise society will be monolithic like north Korea. Whether he wants to learn from Mhairi is up to him to decide. Amos do not need to live up to the standard of your ideals. Like how your father's ideals are different from yours.
DeleteFrankly, I don't think this kid actually wants to make a difference like Mhairi Black. Observing his actions he seems to have delusions of grandeur and martyrdom
Delete@Ayhtas K: I don't think Amos wants to make a difference like Mhairi Black, I agree: I am just saying that he has a lot to learn from someone like her. It doesn't hurt to look at stories of other inspirational young people who have achieved success and see if there are any lessons to be gleamed.
Delete@john: Sure, he can pick his own role models - but look where it has landed him? In remand, facing a jail sentence, as public enemy number one. One thing I have learnt in life is that if you current tactics have lead to disaster, then perhaps it would be a very good idea to reconsider what game plan you wish to employ. Thus, whilst in principle, sure Amos can choose whatever role models he desires, right now, he may wish to take a long hard look at himself and ponder over the issue - that's the least he can do whilst twiddling his thumbs in remand (and then probably in jail).
What you are suggesting is he compromise on his beliefs, to a society that throws a kid in jail just because what he says is unpleasant, but not necessarily wrong. Practical in the short run but not necessarily ideal to him and to Singapore flawed society in the long run.
DeleteJohn for crying out aloud. He is a 16 year old kid who should be prepared to admit where he has gone wrong, where he can learn and how he can improve his approach - so far, he has only managed to get himself into a lot of trouble and get beaten up by a mad uncle. That's what sticking to his beliefs has achieved - he has destroyed his future in Singapore and is now asking to go to jail: like what, to spite his parents? To prove a point? Even if he does get what he wants and rots in jail for a long time, what will that achieve? Will he change Singapore by going to jail? No. Singapore will be business as usual and if another Amos Yee comes along, they will chuck him/her in jail too.
DeleteYou may want Amos to stick to his guns because you want Singapore to change, I am just concerned as to what he will actually achieve (which is nothing) and what damage he is doing to himself (which is a lot) and the fact that he is 16 ... I just don't think he realizes how much damage he is doing to himself and he may live to regret it in the future. That will probably hit him a few weeks into his jail sentence when most of Singapore will forget about his case.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-teen-guilty-insulting-christians-ex-leader-lee-093106539.html
DeleteAlex, the verdict here is somewhat ambiguous in its phrasing. The sentence means that he will not be sentenced to real jail time but he will very likely be subject to indefinite probation until he is deemed to be "socially safe" from their point of view. The exact date of disclosure for the type of probation is June 2.....
There is something which actually escapes me and I cannot grasp it for the life of me. Amos Yee is placed on trial within less than a few weeks for alleged sedition, disrespect against LKY, and obscenity although he is a teenager, and he spent time in remand twice, being labeled as a social hazard. On the other hand, Kong Hee who was accused of fraud and intention to use church funds for personal reasons was allowed to go overseas to administer "duties" while on bail. It is a FIRST because NEVER EVER will this happen anywhere in the USA or Canada at all.
I do not want him to rot in jail (his on probation anyway), but he did mention he was forced to apologise for some cny video in the past which he is actually is not sorry for, and broke the bail rules because he felt it was ridiculous. All evidence suggest he will not compromise. What you are suggesting in your article will not apply to him no matter how practical it is. He is what he is. Even if he does what you say, he will still feel shit inside, and the flawed society will believe they are right once again. What he need is to seek asylum (to leave the shithole he dug plus not compromise his beliefs) and utilise his talents elsewhere.
DeleteHave you read this: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/an-open-letter-to-amos-yee.html I actually suggested that the simplest solution would be for him to leave Singapore one way or another. But how practical is that in the short or even medium term? He has NS to serve then possibly he could beg his parents to pay for him to continue his further education abroad.
DeleteIf he seeks asylum (probably Europe or USA), why would he still worry about NS? Furthermore, do you seriously think he will survive NS? I guess it should be long term. Singapore is too small for him, and with his intelligence I'm sure he can survive elsewhere.
DeleteAnd if I may refer you to the interview I did with Alvin Tan (Malaysian dissident now resident in LA): http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/interview-alvin-tan-on-amos-yee.html I think there are more practical considerations for the asylum route: does he have a passport? Would he be able to find his way to Europe or America without his parents' help? Even the simple act of buying a plane ticket would require the funds from his parents (unless you wanna give Amos say S$600 for a plane ticket). How would his parents feel about 'losing' their son if they are not prepared to move with him to another country (whether or not they can gain entry there as independent migrants is another big question - even if they wanted to follow him, can they?) And when he gets there: can he fend for himself? Can he cook and clean, do his own laundry ... or would he need someone to take care of him as a minor?
DeleteIf he can seek asylum abroad, that'll be awesome - but it will require his parents' help and (by that token) their consent and I just don't see that happening... maybe I'm wrong.
I foresee him leaving Singapore and seeking asylum after his probation. I really cannot imagine him doing NS, given his independent thinking. I doubt he gives a fuck about his father, and if his parents are afraid of losing him then they are not seeing that his life in Singapore is already fucked. The other small little things, it will be taken care by itself. Overall his future is better where he can express himself freely. You could also help him if he ever comes to UK, just saying.
DeleteAs for NS, I don't think he has a choice in the matter given the Singaporean system - I suspect that he will be ushered into NS pretty quickly further to his probation and he will not have the opportunity to leave Singapore ("exit permit denied") until he serves at least part of his NS because he would be deemed a flight risk. Or not - but I am just mindful of the fact that many Singaporeans (even those with the best of intentions) genuinely believe that NS is exactly what Amos needs right now to help him grow up.
DeleteAs for helping Amos, I refer you to another post I have written about how you can bring a horse to water but you cannot make it drink: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/q-you-can-bring-horse-to-water-but.html I feel so sorry for the social worker (like he is not a freaking millionaire, he is a social worker) who posted S$20k bail for Amos only to see his money go up in smoke. No, if Amos wants my help, he can ask for it and we can then talk about it. But there's really little point in trying to help someone who hasn't asked for your help - especially if that person is Amos Yee.
John, you are assuming that one can seek asylum that easily. He is 16. Without parental support every step of the way, how is he to get himself on the plane? Also, we are asumming that once he lands himself on foreign soil, it will all work out. To avoid NS, he would have to get out soon. Again, he is 16! How is that going to happen?
DeleteAs for asking him to compromise --- every parent who knows how to raise a child well would teach him the skills necessary to survive. Survival in Singapore means playing it smart. It is not necessarily selling one's soul. However, making public declarations about LKY, as much of the anti-Christ as he was, and religion was just not smart. Don't we tell our kids not to go out late at night or not to talk to strangers? We can argue that it is our right to go out late at night and to be friendly to be stangers, but we teach out kids otherwise. We give them the skills to survive in their environments. Amos is 16. He should still be developing his beliefs. He should have been taught that some beliefs are meant for public knowledge, some are for family and friends, and some are for private thoughts. If a child thinks his teacher is a fat idiot who knows squat, should he say that to the teacher's face? If yes, be prepared to face the consquences. If no, keep it for dinner conversations with family and friends. So, yes, we are asking him to make compromises. There is nothing wrong with it. Stop being a brat and smarten up. He can prove his intelligence when he is free and doing greater things. Right now, he's just being a foul-mouthed selfish dumb twit.
Thank you Di. I would just like to add that Amos would probably not be granted asylum in the UK - if he managed to get to London before being sentenced, then fair enough: he can claim that he was about to be sent to jail for a long time and he didn't get a fair trial. The chances of Amos being able to board a plane at Changi airport getting across the causeway at the moment is negligible, if he has a passport it would certainly be impounded.
DeleteOnce Amos has served his sentence (whatever it may be), then he would lose his reason to be granted asylum. The question would then be, "is there any imminent danger for you to face another trial?" And the answer would be no, not unless Amos does something else to get himself into trouble - then the answer would just be, "well then young man, don't do anything stupid, stay out of trouble: go back to Singapore."
Also, since the "crime" is more like an offense, it is hardly ground for asylum. There is no fatwah on his head (yet). Everyone seems to think that Alvin has already gotten asylum. Isn't his case pending? It's just not simple. It shouldn't be that simple.
DeleteEven if he couldn't get asylum, I'm sure he is smart enough to find a scholarship, work, whatever overseas. The world is big enough to find a niche for him. If he goes to NS, good luck to him, I'm sure you know that too.
DeleteAnyway, one does not jail and arrest a kid for something unpleasant he said.
I hate to rain on your optimism John, but scholarship? No way. Have a read here: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/university-season-part-3-what-makes.html Nobody gives you a scholarship just because you're smart. It is far more political than you think - the awarding organisation gives you a scholarship in the hope that it would be a good investment that will pay off in the long run; Alvin Tan was an example of a scholarship awarded to the wrong person because he ditched his studies midway through his law degree. If I sat on a panel deciding whether to give Amos a scholarship, I would say no: what if he turned out to be an Ouyang Xiangyu? What if he did something else that lands him in jail again? I would risk someone asking me, "what the hell were you thinking giving someone like that a scholarship - how much money have we wasted?!" I don't doubt that Amos is smart - but you have clearly not thought about how scholarships are awarded.
DeleteLikewise, for working abroad: he will need a work permit. Again as an employer in the UK and a gate keeper, I would say NO to him. I don't doubt he is smart, but he has proven himself to be unreliable, unpredictable and imagine this: I go through such lengths to get him a work permit and then he works for a few months and then decides to get into trouble again and ditches the job: then I think, great - what a waste of time, why didn't I just hire someone else who wouldn't be such a loose cannon?
Whilst I agree 100% with you that one does not jail and arrest a kid for saying something unlikable, but in the real world, Amos has just destroyed his chances of ever getting a scholarship or a work permit. Sorry, but that's the harsh reality.
I would also like to add that unlike Alvin, Amos doesn't seen to have the EQ or hardiness to survive as an asylum seeker overseas. The kid probably never leaves his room
DeleteJohn, you need to understand that it is all about what IS rather than what OUGHT to be. People ought to have ignored the videos of a 16-year-old. Until he mentioned LKY and gained international notoriety, I did not even hear of him. Reality is, in Singapore a kid does get jailed for something unpleasant he said. Unlike tourists, Amos grew up in Singapore and knows the culture and laws very well. I wouldn't give him a scholarship or a work permit neither. Like I said, he's just not that smart in my eyes. Applying for scholarship requires a full student profile. They want someone who has contributed to society. Even for my son's high school application, he was asked to write about his past, present, and future contributions to the community. Amos has done little except to show that he had been a bratty twit who has been unable to assimilate into society. As for jobs, I wouldn't hire him to clean my house. Too much baggage. What is to say he will not make a youtube to air about my household habits?
DeleteUK girl got accepted in Oxford to study geology after Bangkok drug trafficking stint, go google. You are basing scholarship criteria on Singapore standards. He may be guilty in Singapore eyes but not in other country. The fact he had glowing review from newyorker magazine showed some are willing to overlook his crimes in Singapore. It's unfair to compare with ouyang, he never got violent and never resorted to poisoning, except being vulgar and stating unpleasant facts which he reasoned, if poisoning people's minds in Singapore terms qualify. I'm not saying he wins a leadership scholarship or somewhere that level but probably something more niche, he could even go Nordic or Germany where tuition is free. Anyway all these are hypothetical assuming he applies.
DeleteThe verdict is really rather odd on first reading. However, considering the style of the ruling govt, it no longer seems as surprising. There was a lot of hot blood when the video came out in the early period post LKY's funeral. Emotions were high, folks were strung, sensitivity was volatile. So, the hounds bayed and there was a huge public outcry for blood. Now that cooler heads had surfaced and that the whole Amos Yee incident is threatening to become an international PR faux pas, the court verdict appears to me like a cop out where Amos will no longer be jailed (=> Sg loses face internationally) but having the indefinite probation still allows the state to send out a clear message that dissent is not tolerated.
DeleteKevin, I don't think the scale of the case here is the same as Kong Hee and CHC. Amos basically just screamed to the world that he did what he wanted, no excuses, no denials. The CHC Xtron Sun Ho brouhaha was layered in obscurity and intents and purposes are at best vague and it will be much more difficult for the prosecution to demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt, that Kong Hee and co. were up to mischief. Of course from a lay person perspective, people will question as a fraud and cheating case sounds morally more repulsive than a ranting and rude youtube video by an attention seeking and annoying teen.
Really I just hope Amos will wise up and someone will please explain that there is a way to stick to his principles and yet still play his cards smart in the local context. It is probably the most pragmatic to resume studies, lie low, grin and just get the 2 years of NS over and done with and then be very sweet to his folks to ask for assistance to study abroad. Then get out once and for all. It certainly will grate but then, it is the reality that there will be a price to pay and toughies to be endured to get to the pot of honey. I really doubt there will be a smooth path ahead if he really wants to blaze his own trails.
Oh and I still think it will be a good idea for him to get dressed properly and get a decent hairdo. If anything, it is a subconscious way of creating a perception that he is keen to move on.
@John: Sandra Gregory, I have heard of her story before but yes I googled her and re-read her story all over again, fascinating one. You see, she was driven by circumstances to try to smuggle drugs out of Thailand and got caught for her first offence. But she had shown remorse, served her full sentence and was given a royal pardon by the King of Thailand. And in any case, she wasn't given a scholarship by Oxford, she was merely offered a place to study there and yes it was a risk on their part but Sandra proved herself worthy by working very hard and graduating. I know of people who have been kicked out of Oxford because they have failed their first year exams there (which are bloody difficult). But there is still a problem for Amos: he doesn't even have his A levels, his highest formal qualifications are O levels from Zhonghua secondary school - he needs to get some kind of pre-university, post-O levels qualifications (be it from a JC or from a poly) before he can even think about university.
DeleteThere is a huge gap between simply being offered a place at a university (I was offered several based on my excellent A level grades and track record) and being offered a scholarship (I was offered just one - which I took, but heck I could only accept one at the end of the day, it's like marriage: it doesn't matter how many proposals you receive, you can only marry one spouse at the end of the day).
And my scholarship was awarded by a British body, not a Singaporean body: which worked out perfectly for me as I did not have a bond to serve in Singapore upon graduation and I was free to pursue a career in the UK after I had graduated. So I actually do understand the British system a lot better than the Singaporean system, having lived in the UK since 1997 anyway.
Furthermore, sure liberal people like me do feel that he really should NOT be punished for what he did and that the Singaporean justice system makes a mockery of any concept of justice - it's a kangaroo court with a senile judge so far removed from reality (like what he said about Amos Yee's depiction of LKY and Thatcher being obscene: hello!?!?!) But the fact that Amos willfully squandered his bail money would reflect very badly on him - there are terms and condition attached to all scholarships: you seem to be under the impression that scholarships are handed out to reward smart kids (like a kind uncle or auntie handing out angpows at CNY) - they don't work like that. It is like a business contract between the awarding body and the scholar and whoever is dishing out that much money to invest in the scholar needs to do so with the full confidence that the scholar understands the terms of the contact and will abide by them: the way Amos has behaved thus far vis-a-vis his bail, forget it, he has shot himself in the foot and I wouldn't lend him $5 (I would give him $5 for lunch if he needed it, but I don't trust him to return the money).
And to everyone else who has commented on this thread, a few bullet points for you guys:
Delete1. John seems to be under the impression that scholarships are handed out to students who are smart: as if that is the ONLY criteria, intelligence. But it is never that simple: we're talking about a HUGE investment on the part of the institution to give away not just money, but a golden opportunity in endorsing a student like that. If it all goes wrong (as in the case of the ex-NUS Law student Alvin Tan and Ouyang Xiangyu), then heads will roll: "why did you give him/her a scholarship when clearly s/he wasn't suitable?!?!" Sure, not every scholar will go on to be a president or win the Nobel peace prize - but they are at least hoping that their choice will not end up as some kind of notorious criminal making the headlines for all the wrong reasons: that is the reason why such awarding bodies tend to be fairly risk-averse because as the decision makers, it would reflect very poorly on them if they made a bad decision. I fear that for all the liberal attitude that John may seem posses, he still has a very Singaporean understanding of how scholarships work: as if good grades and intelligence mean everything and nothing else matters. That's not how it works in the real world, particularly outside Singapore!
2. I agree with Shane that Amos just needs to keep his head down now, finish some kind of diploma or A level qualifications, get NS over and done with before studying abroad. That is the most sensible solution.
3. I share Di's concerns about Amos - that's not to say that we are not compassion: we do feel sorry for Amos, but we just don't think he's as clever as you make him out to be.
4. Ayhtas K: Again, spot on. Alvin has made mistakes in the past but he has bounced back time and again - but to be fair, Alvin is a lot older and has had quite a few more years to get wiser. Amos lacks that ability to be streetwise ... that EQ that you talk about. I learnt this the hard way in NS: I was forced to work with people I disliked (even despised) but I had zero choice in the matter: I had to develop some kind of professional working relationship with them and even get them to like me, just so I could have an easier time working with them. Amos sounds like such a stubborn person that he will just get beaten up every day in NS just for his stupid American accent; will he grow up and learn to adapt to his environment? Who knows?
And did you guys read this? http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/courts-crime/story/amos-yee-takes-facebook-make-allegations-about-ex-bailor-20150513 - good grief. These are serious allegations: if indeed a crime has been committed, then they should be dealt with properly and reported to the police to investigate, it should never be handed out to the press to get them to come to his impromptu press conference like that. I don't trust the kid, he is a loose canon.
DeleteI never said the only criteria for a scholarship is intelligence. There are exceptions to things like the case of Sandra accepted into Oxford despite her conviction. Yes it's not a scholarship but a similar exception is possible. As you know some people hate him enough to slap him while new yorker revered him for speaking out. Why can't the person in the scholarship panel be someone from the latter? It could be one of those scholarship that champion human rights? After all shouldn't good universities be aiming for a diverse set of students? Amos is a loose canon, but as you said of the kangaroo court, did he really commit any real crime? So what should he be remorse about? An equivalent to the a levels for amos would be quite easy for him to get, even if he lacks one now. Guess we have somethings we agree and disagree but I appreciate your views. We just have to see how this goes.
DeleteThe problem is that it came out in the Straits Times, and as much as I should not be saying this, the Straits Times has never really been known for journalistic integrity and truth. Until we really hear it from the horse's mouth, anything can be said by mainstream media about what Amos Yee had said about others. I would be interested to know where Amos Yee's Facebook page or post about this is though, so that it might amuse us for the interim....that boy is somewhat too unhinged for his own good.....At the rate he is going, he might just jolly well mess up his own future with his own mouth. When I read about the joke he had concerning the crowd-funding efforts to help him online, in which he said that since it is given to him, he might as well use it for himself (probably his jibe at the whole thing about taxes and GST and CPF courtesy of others), I was already starting to wonder what he was thinking about inside his mind.
DeleteI think that Singapore and its government have way more to lose by placating the lynch mobs which are baying for Amos' blood, if they were to go down that line of jailing him, especially in light of the fact that he is still legally a minor at 16 years old. The probation sentence thus ends up as a kind of 'compromise' without them as much as stepping off the high horse of 'papa knows best' while playing around with the indefinite timeline (depending on the willingness of Amos to "cooperate" with the counselors and probation officers). Canada's Globe and Mail has basically covered this, and since Canada is a close diplomatic (and trade) partner with Singapore, I am pretty sure that this has already tainted Canada's impression of Singapore, which was pretty much bordering on the negative (people in Canada that I know mostly call Singapore a dictatorship or a banana republic).
I don't really know what to say about Amos Yee's own education, especially since leaving for most liberal countries in the west is now basically dependent on "skilled migration" and "skills", and education at the tertiary level forms a large part of this criterion, whether you obtained the degree from Singapore or elsewhere. If he still wants to do that online video logging thing, and rant as a form of making money, then he is basically walking down the path of that obnoxious and hideously weird Steven Lim whom nobody takes seriously for the love of everything decent. He has to really re-orient his own education and path carefully from now on and just behave maturely by simply finishing school and NS before packing his bags and leaving Singapore.
@John: Sigh, you still don't get it do you? You know, I get the impression that you're a good person at heart, a very good and kind person indeed who is compassion - but you are indeed rather naive about the ways of the real world out there. By that token, I suspect that you're probably a teenager, a student, probably quite young, hence I am going to be nice here.
DeleteThe New Yorker journalist was looking for a good story and it served his purpose to ride a piece that praised Amos Yee. Let's asked the New Yorker to sponsor Amos: let's see them write Amos a cheque for US$100,000 for Amos to go to a US university of Amos' choice and let's see them back track and say, "oh ... well, actually, we don't ...erm.." - Talk is cheap, trying to get someone to cough up enough money for a scholarship is a big deal because we are talking about a HUGE mount of money, so I think you're quite naive about who is willing to give a scholar that kind of money and it should be treated as an investment of sorts: that's why so many scholarships come with bonds for the scholar to work of his/her bond.
Sure loads of universities champion human rights - but have you seen the latest stunt that Amos Yee pulled off today with the allegation of being molested by the guy who bailed him? If I were the university, would not want him anywhere near my university campus lest he makes another allegation against a member of staff just for attention to manipulate the press. Amos isn't doing any of this in the name of human rights - he is doing it for attention and I don't even want to start to think about how messed up his childhood may have been to lead him to this state of mind (my own childhood was pretty fucked up to but at least I didn't end up like Amos) - but good grief, if you think that any university will dare to touch Amos Yee or even view his actions in the name of 'human rights', then I'm sorry John, you're living in cloud cuckoo land and you clearly know nothing about scholarships. Like have you even tried to apply for one in your life before?
I don't doubt that Amos is smart, but you are underestimating what it takes to make a scholar - people don't just give these out willy nilly: a scholarship is worth a LOT of money and when competition is so intense for scholarships, Amos seems to be doing everything he can to sabotage his own chances of ever getting one (or ever getting employed). His actions today speak for themselves.
It's not that I don't feel sorry for him, it's not that I support the fucking evil PAP, it's just that Amos needs to wake up and smell the coffee about the reality that lies before him. And so do you.
Hi Di, if you have already read, Amos actually insinuated that Vincent Law who initially posted bail for him, molested him. Then he comes out as saying it is not true, it was all trolling fodder for the media. I mean what the hack is this? While I do not agree with how the state and so many have treated him for the video, I think this episode simply demonstrated very clearly that he can be a real potty mouth brat. I mean he is damaging the reputation of a counsellor who was kind enough to post bail for him and he repaid him for breaking his bail term and falsely implying he was being molested just to get media attention??? I really want to smack him hard but then I will get myself arrested. Not worth it. Maybe he has a high IQ but certainly has zero social and emotional intelligence. Even though the verdict given by the judge Jasbender Kaur was really bordering on the incredulous, Amos' behaviour here is really facepalm. I think he has really buried himself this time. Like what Alex said, he needs to really wake up and smell the stink he has created.
DeleteOh by the way, I sure am not going to offer him an internship in my work place. Certainly not a sponsorship either. No point having an unpredictable loose cannon that had blasted a hole in the canons of good behaviour.
Shane, loose cannon as he is, Amos Yee has actually shown a side to the Singapore government beyond whatever posturing it tries to adopt in its mainstream media. I do not want to say anything more about Amos Yee beyond what we already know, but via a good friend of mine who knows Martyn See (who has run into the ISD a lot of times because of his films and so on, and knows the people in ISD indirectly because of his brushes), this Vincent Law is probably not a 'youth counselor' as claimed, and could possibly be someone else judging from his mannerisms, behavior and demeanor.....Whatever it is, whether truth (in speculation), conspiracy theory, or just a tall tale, Amos Yee has opened a can of worms. Judging from the overseas coverage in media such as The Star Malaysia, in which Amos Yee claims to actually be preparing an extensive apology letter to Vincent Law within the next three days, because he is a "slow writer" as quoted, I believe that we can only expect the most imbedded of statements within statements in his usual way of digging at people and the media. Singapore's mainstream media is somehow contributing to Amos' immense reputation whether for good or for bad, and while nobody is going to technically "give him a job" in the context of Singapore or elsewhere, the drama and debacle of the last few weeks have been nothing short of interesting.
DeleteOn the flipside, maybe the 49-year-old man who slapped Amos has more to learn! He said that he felt that Amos Yee damaged the reputation of Singapore by dissing Lee Kuan Yew and could not control his emotions.....I could hardly control my laughter at that preposterous statement. So if we dislike something, we have to use violence on the other person because we "cannot control ourselves" LOL???? That sounds more like a kid than anything else.
ReplyDeleteLKY fanaticism. Alot similar to religious fanaticism isn't it?
DeleteHonestly, Ayhtas K, I was not even half offended at all by Amos Yee's remarks about Jesus Christ, although I am a Christian, and neither were most of the Christian friends I know even that much offended. I mean, there are so many people of atheistic persuasions who say such things or believe such things in the world, and if you were to arrest every one of them, good luck to you...I imagine next that everyone and anyone can now file a police report for something as trivial as a religious quibble. So if someone from another church denomination were to try to "poach" me over to his or her church, can I file a police report for harassment and causing civil unrest (sedition) because their denomination is an offense to me? It does not make sense to me at all.
DeleteHi Kevin, I think this probably sprouts from a lack of self esteem in the individual. These people tend to gain a false sense of pride by devoting themselves completely to a religion/cause or a fanatical support of a famous person. So when the object of their pride gets insulted, they tend to react emotionally or violently in some cases. It's as though their whole world has come crashing down.
DeleteI always believe that if your beliefs in something or someone are assured as you claim them to be, then even if someone insults them, you will not react in the passive-aggressive way that Singaporeans are doing so via filing countless police reports and then threatening to perform various acts of violence online. If a person has to resort to these tactics to assert the 'rightness' of his or her beliefs, then perhaps there is really more to these beliefs, somewhat like a house built on sand rather than on bricks.
DeleteI couldn't agree more with what you just said, Kevin. But Singaporeans have clearly made it clear that Amos has broken the law, and that he should certainly not be allowed to get away with it.
DeleteIt's all a whole pile of mess of intolerance, bigotry, and from the other school of thought, rationality and absolutist notions of free speech. Clearly, no one is right and no one is wrong but public thinkers like Calvin Cheng would have us believe that there is only one 'right' answer to this whole saga, and that is to persecute Amos Yee as he and so many others claim Amos poses a threat to national security and social harmony.
But if harmony is to be maintained by oppression of one's thoughts and ideas, then how different are we, and I consciously say this, different from a dictatorship? The kind of knee-jerk response from some Christians in Singapore is clearly nothing short of fanatical even though they have the law to "hide behind" and protect themselves.
Also, I wonder why none of our governing minsters have spoken up about this incident, aside from minister K.Shanmugan who only spoke to condemn Amos' assailant. And minister Grace Fu who only talked about Amos and his bail conditions and his parents, and not discussing what he actually talked about in the video itself about Singapore and our social situation and his claims about our growing income inequality and costs of living. No one has addressed his claims made in the latter half of the video.
Amos is a lot like lee kuan yew. He thinks he is always right. How ironic.
ReplyDeleteSigh. Sad but true!
DeleteI'm Singaporean, and I understood Black's accent perfectly.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with most of your points, I take issue with you suggesting Amos might need psychiatric treatment. I don't think he does. Besides, if he had a medical condition, I don't think he would be convicted in the first place.
He's probably going to pursue a career as an online content creator or perhaps a potential filmmaker, but for that he may need to move to the US permanently as I don't think anyone in Singapore will be willing to work with him after this whole incident. I certainly hope he makes the right decisions after NS and doesn't stay in Singapore. We aren't as forgiving a society as I thought we were.
If I may just make one point having worked in the film industry: Amos would never make it in the film industry I'm afraid - working in the film industry requires a lot of team work and compromising to be able to make the film: so far he has shown that he is unwilling/unable to make even small compromises when so much is at stake, throwing tantrums and squandering the bail money of a kind stranger. Whilst I feel sorry for him, I certainly would not be able to work with someone like that. No way.
DeleteSo whilst I agree that he needs to move away from S'pore at the first available opportunity, he would need to work in an environment whereby he will not have to cooperate with anyone. He is a loner - remember how by his own admission, he had no friends at all in secondary school.
Then perhaps a career in the film industry would only be viable for him if he changes his attitude and way of speaking and learns to get along with people. Maybe he could work as an editor. Or, he could pursue a career in law in the US if film doesn't work out for him. His future is certainly a big question mark to us all since his reputation in Singapore has been tarnished for good.
DeleteAt this rate, I can't imagine anyone ever daring to give him paid work. Just look at his actions today!!
DeleteTrying to stir trouble for the sake of publicity and involving the reputation of an innocent man is evil and sociopathic. I am losing what sympathies and pity I had for him. I am more convinced than ever that he is mentally unstable regardless of what the experts said. He needs psychiatric help, IMHO.
ReplyDeleteHis behaviour and allegations about molest for the sake of trolling the media really has gone to the realms of insanity. The local colloquial term we use here is "he really is xiao".
DeleteOne of the definitions of "molest" is "annoy", but Amos Yee is again pushing the envelope by stretching things way beyond what they ought to be. The sentence for the type of probation is due June 2, and he is already messing up his chances for a trouble-free and shortened period of probation with all that he had said after the sentence. That aside, the things he spouted about a meeting with some fictive character he invented and the hoax venue showed how obsessed the mainstream media is with milking him for what he is worth in terms of the publicity. They took the bait, so well, it also indicates the level of intelligence of the reporters and journalists who "rose to the challenge".
DeleteBlack unlike Yee, accepts the media of the social world and the MSM. Now, UK media has scored better than SGs, but that doesnt mean SG papers say PAP stuff 24/7. Black can answer MSM questions constructively and without a fake accent. Yee will just swear and swear the F word (and not even local slang) and use his fake American accent.
ReplyDelete