My Kind of Town - Potong Pasir SMC

In the last 50 years, Singapore has seen only a handful of independent candidates. Amongst them, one stood out as a giant and on his shoulders, we saw a people that stood firm for 27 years as a role model of courage and independence for the rest of Singapore. That independent candidate was Mr. Chiam See Tong. And those courageous and independent people were the residents of Potong Pasir SMC. 

Born in 1935, Mr. Chiam was a teacher and later became a lawyer. He entered politics as an independent candidate at the age of 41. According to his biography, Let The People Have Him, Mr. Chiam almost gave up after losing 3 elections. His persistence paid off in 1984 when he finally won the seat of Potong Pasir at the age of 49 with 60.3% of the votes. From then on, the people of Potong Pasir stood by him for the next 27 years.

As my supporters know, I am planning to run as an independent candidate in the upcoming elections like what Mr. Chiam did when he stepped into politics. Like Mr. Chiam, I am a lawyer. Though I was not a teacher-turned-lawyer like Mr. Chiam, I enjoy teaching and have lectured in private schools. I also had a short stint as an adjunct lecturer in a tertiary institution whilst practising law at the same time.

My political ideology, which I term as "peolitics", is people-centred and my aim is to cultivate a positive political culture that emphasises political responsibilities on the part of both the leaders and the people. Similarly, Mr Chiam adopted a non-adversarial, non-destructive style of politics and has consistently advocated a responsible and credible opposition. 

The residents of Potong Pasir SMC had the courage to give Mr. Chiam the opportunity to serve them in 6 consecutive elections. Unfortunately in early 2008, Mr. Chiam suffered a mild stroke and then made a surprising decision for GE2011, given his health and circumstances. He decided to stand as a candidate in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, letting his wife substitute him as the candidate for Potong Pasir.

The result of that decision was that Potong Pasir was lost to HDB upgrading promises made by the PAP candidate who went on to carry out HDB upgrading works that Mr. Chiam had difficulty delivering as MP because he was not a ruling-party MP.

Mr. Chiam's loss was also Potong Pasir's loss. Potong Pasir became just another PAP ward and that special indefatigable character of Potong Pasir SMC became subjugated to the HDB upgrading works that residents had to pay for.

For this coming election, SPP and DPP have declared their intentions to contest with PAP for Potong Pasir SMC. There are people who dislike multi-corner contests because they feel that opposition votes will be diluted and PAP stands to gain. This is not necessarily always the case. Such a view is equally myopic because it unwittingly narrows the voters' choice of suitable candidates. In any event, multi-corner contests will become the norm since there are more political parties. Voters must therefore learn to be more discerning and have the courage to pick the candidate of their own choice. 

Speaking to the residents there in my visits, I came to understand that many Potong Pasir residents are tired of their limited choice of political candidates. They have a deep respect for old Mr. Chiam and miss his humble ways, warmth and dedication as their MP. They welcome new candidates to contest in their ward and to help them regain their pride and dignity which have been traded for the HDB upgrading programme. I am persuaded that it will be more meaningful for me to stand in Potong Pasir SMC in the coming election. Why? Because like Mr. Chiam, I can see that Potong Pasir SMC is my kind of town.

Visits to Potong Pasir SMC

With only 17,389 electors, Potong Pasir SMC is the smallest of the 13 Single Member Constituencies under the redrawn electoral boundaries for the next GE. It encompasses Potong Pasir and Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and is presently a PAP ward.

In my visits to this SMC, I have been warmly received by most of the residents I met. They were candid about their political leanings and would not hesitate to speak their minds about their present MP (who was elected in GE 2011), Mr. Chiam See Tong (their former MP for 27 years) and Mrs. Lina Chiam (who stood in her husband's place in the last GE but lost).

Even in my house visits, many of the resident were more than happy to invite me into their homes just to chat with me. I was even openly encouraged to come and stand in their ward as an election candidate in the next GE so that they may have more choices.

I can feel something special about Potong Pasir SMC. It has an air of resilience and respectability. From the hawkers to shop-keepers to the residents, the people are friendly and helpful. There's plenty of good food and I feel a strong sense of nostalgia here. I had studied in St. Andrews' School, and being here brings back to me fond memories of my pre-university school days. 

I like the feeling that Potong Pasir SMC gives me. If there is a constituency where the electors can be counted on to stand up for what they believe in, Potong Pasir SMC is unmistakably one.

Kindness beyond death

Madam Lim lives in Sengkang West and came to see me as I was having dinner at the coffee-shop in Block 120 in Potong Pasir. 

Her husband (Wong Wing Chun) has just passed away at the age of 49, leaving her and her 15 year-old daughter behind. She was at a lost as to how to handle his estate matters, including a car which he had just bought, and needed some advice. 

In the course of my conversation with Madam Lim, I learned that her late husband had consented to donate practically all his organs, including his bone and skin, before his death. He was working in a hotel and fainted at work. The doctors were unable to save him and he died on 23 July 2015 as a result of intracranial hemorrhage, a type of bleeding that occurs in the skull. 

His sudden death took her completely by surprise and she was devastated. When she found out that her husband's donation of his body parts had helped at least 9 other people or even more, she felt great pride and comfort in her heart. She wanted to me to share her husband's story which I believe should be told. 

When he was alive, he was always helping others and even when he died, he had not spared himself to do something that would benefit those that live after him, even when they were complete strangers to him. I am moved to share his story and to celebrate the extraordinary kindness of one ordinary man - Mr. Wong Wing Chun.

THEME: Housing: My Flat, My Home

In the 1970s', a 3-room HDB flat in Singapore costs much less than $20,000 and buyers could pay up their mortgage in 10 years. They could also afford to buy a car. 

Today, depending on location, a 3-room flat costs more than S$ 300,000. That is a whopping 15 times more and buyers are paying off their mortgages over 25-30 years because their incomes have not risen that dramatically. And with COE prices in the tens of thousands of dollars, owning a car may mean struggling to pay for it over 10 years.

There are re-sale HDB flats that have crossed the million dollar mark. Owners of public flats which they bought in the 1970s' may rejoice over the fact that the prices of their flats have appreciated astronomically in value, especially during the era of the state's "asset enhancement" policy in the 1990s. However, if they wish to realise their capital gains by selling their flats, they may have difficulty even buying a smaller flat because the prices of all other flats, big and small, have also appreciated astronomically.

It is a sad state of affairs that the prices of public flats can go beyond the reach of many first-time flat owners. Many of them are young couples waiting to settle down. They have inherited the tradition set by our first generation HDB flat owners of getting a flat first before getting married. Without a flat, their plans to have children are also delayed. And those who bought their highly priced flats are facing a lifetime of mortgage repayments with two sets of income.

The costs of public housing has become a hot button issue for a country that began independence 50 years ago with a sacred mission by the leaders to build as many low-cost housing units as possible. Nowadays, HDB's housing policy seems no longer targeted at providing home ownership to low income families. Although public housing still falls within the purview of HDB, there are specially built flats and executive flats. And private developers are tendering land from HDB to build flats which are priced commercially.

How should we be looking at our public housing problems and what can be done about them? I will discuss this in my next blog.

Kindness and Compassion in Business

 

The two-day conference titled "企业精英生命成长营" which focused on how to grow your inner-self gave me a rare insight into the application of kindness and compassion as business values. The conference attracted thousands of businessmen and industry leaders with a small delegation from Singapore. 

They did not come to talk about business but to learn and share how the values of kindness and compassion not only enriched their personal lives but how employing these same values in their businesses helped them reap even greater returns (福报). 

There was sharing by 3 panels of speakers over the 2 day period and many in the audience, including men who own listed companies, were moved to tears when the speakers spoke of their personal tragedies in their lives and how major transformations took place after they learned to be more kind and compassionate towards others. 

One CEO spoke of her management issues that led to her factory workers in China going on strikes and complaints to the labour authorities for being overworked and underpaid. Another spoke of how her bitter relationship with her father made a dramatic change after 40 years. Yet another shared how she overcame her long depression and raised her daughter suffering from down's syndrome. 

The message was simple enough. Kindness begets kindness and many of us are so fixated on judging others and not knowing how to feel gratitude. And I will be sharing their stories with you.

Profile of Tan Lam Siong 陈南松

Mr Tan Lam Siong (陈南松) is a practicing lawyer. He was born in Singapore on 24 November 1960 (age 54) and received his education at Pearls’ Hill School (1967 – 1972), Bukit Ho Swee Secondary School (1973 – 1976) and St. Andrew’s School (1977-1978). He completed his national service as a tank commander in 40 SAR and graduated with a law degree from the National University of Singapore in 1985. He is married with three children. His hobbies include reading and acting in television dramas. He is also a qualified clinical hypnotherapist, licensed tourist guide and museum docent. 

[Lawyer and Mediator] 

Mr Tan holds academic qualifications in law, education, psychology and clinical hypnotherapy. He has been in continuous legal practice in Singapore since 1986 and has experience in a wide field of legal work which includes arbitration, civil, commercial, corporate, criminal, intellectual, property and family law. He has been in continuous legal practice for the last 30 years and runs his own partnership law firm, Temple Counsel LLP. 

He is an accredited mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre and an Associate Mediator at the State Courts. He is also a Community Mediator with the Community Mediation Centre, Consumers' Association and a member of the Inquiry Panel of the Law Society. He is effectively bilingual in English and Mandarin and conversant in the major local Chinese dialects. 

[Committee Member and Personality] 

Mr Tan has been involved in community services and social work since his undergraduate days. Over the years, he has dedicated his time to a number of organizations, including counselling at the Samaritans of Singapore and mediating at the Community Mediation Centre, Consumers’ Association of Singapore and State Courts. He also sits in the Consumers' Association's Education Sub-com and has given free talks on mediation and consumer laws. He was an active parents’ support group chairman for many years, MOE Parent Ambassador and a member of a school advisory committee. In 2011, he received a Service to Education Award from the Ministry of Education for his volunteer services in education. 

He has also contributed his time to music groups and sports associations and has held appointments as volunteer director and honorary secretary. He has given free radio talks on legal matters and appeared on television talk shows. He has a strong passion for life-long learning, especially in the area of human thinking and behavior and earned his BSc (Psych) when he was 48 years old, his DipHyp in clinical hypnotherapy at 50 years old and his MEd (Tesol) when he was 52 years old. 

[Politician and Volunteer] 

Mr Tan became more intensely involved in volunteer work in 2012 and joined National Solidarity Party (NSP) in the same year. He became Secretary-General of NSP on 27 February 2015 and stepped down from the post on 15 June 2015. He quit NSP on 14 July 2015 to become an independent candidate. 

He is currently a volunteer legal adviser for several organizations, including Project Awareness and Happy People where he provides pro-bono legal services to the low-income families and needy people. He also promotes kindness and volunteerism, animal care and go green initiatives through his write-ups and videos.

[Social Media and Digital Platform]

Blog: http://tanlamsiong.blogspot.sg/
YouTube: http://goo.gl/Yqh2Te
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TanLamSiong
Hashtag: #TanLamSiong #陈南松 #TLS #Politician #LifestylePersonality

My Days As A Museum Docent

Having lived in Singapore from the day I was born, I did not know how much I knew about my country's architecture, places of worship, landmarks and historical sites. 

In 2008, I decided to embark on a re-discovery of Singapore by setting myself the goal of obtaining a tourist guide licence from the Singapore Tourism Board ("STB"). Borrowing materials from a friend who had been through the tourist guide training course conducted by TMIS (Tourist Management Institute of Singapore), I set out on an intensive self-study of all the relevant materials and spent time visiting many interesting sites to familiarise myself with their history and importance.

When I thought I was ready, I booked a test date and succeeded in clearing the theory and practical tests set by TMIS at first attempt. I then went on to pass STB's practical test as a first-time candidate. This self-study pathway to a tourist guide licence was not commonly undertaken and I do not know of anyone else who has done so. I attributed my success to my deep personal interest in history and culture, a lot of hard work and of course, the useful tips that my tourist guide friend kindly provided me.

After obtaining my STB Tourist Guide Licence in 2008, I became inquisitive about the history and culture of the civilisations in Asia. I went on to sign up as a trainee docent with the Friends of the Museums ("FOM") and attended regular weekly classes, lectures and gallery visits for a few months. My fellow trainees were expatriate housewives and there were hardly any men. I had to pay for the training course but it brought me immense satisfaction. The course provided detailed information about archaeology, history and all the major cultural practices and beliefs in Asia. I finally completed the course to become a volunteer museum docent at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). In my batch, I happened to be the only thorn among the roses.

I guided at least twice a month, bringing visitors to all the galleries in ACM. I advanced to join the training team to mentor and assess new museum docents who were still mostly expatriate housewives. I participated in research work on new exhibitions and contributed an article to The Passion magazine in 2011 published by FOM (Friends of the Museums). I gave talks to trainee docents and did a two hour presentation on Chinese Ceramics which was open to public at the ACM.

I later decided to expand my knowledge of Malay history and their progress in Singapore. Joining the MHC (Malay Heritage Centre) gave me a deep insight into the history and lives of early Malays and I graduated as a MHC docent. I guided for a while in MHC and continued to do so in ACM as well until I finally stopped my docent activities in 2013.

There is no end to learning and we should never stop doing so. Learning is a source of life and life is about learning. Let's live to learn and learn to live.

Whampoa SMC No More and Moulmein-Kallang GRC Gone

On 14 July 2015, I announced my intention to contest in Whampoa SMC. Ten days later, it was announced that Whampoa SMC will not exist in the next GE. Needless to say, I am disappointed.

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report was released on 24 July 2015. Together with Whampoa SMC, both Joo Chiat SMC and Moulmein-Kallang GRC ("MK GRC") will also be dissolved in the next GE. Amidst all the instant cries of gerry-meandering about Joo Chiat SMC, I can only ask: Why Whampoa SMC? Why MK GRC?

I have always considered Whampoa SMC and MK GRC as deserving attention, amongst others, because I have visited many troubled places that fall within this SMC and GRC. Suddenly, they will no longer be around for political contest in the coming GE. Is there a good explanation for this sudden change?

When I first began studying the political demography in Singapore in consultation with some political observers, we saw something that was happening here that was akin to a development in ancient China close to 2,000 years ago. If you are familiar with the story of the Three Kingdoms 三国演义 (AD 220–280), it was a time when China was divided into the states of Wei (魏), Shu (蜀), and Wu (吳). 

The political struggle between People's Action Party (PAP) and the Workers' Party (WP) is reaching a point when a 3rd force is set to arise to serve as a counterbalance. This 3rd force is anticipated to come from the constituencies in the south. MK GRC, Potong Pasir SMC, Mountbatten SMC and Whampoa SMC are the potential springboards for the rise of the 3rd force but now only Potong Pasir SMC and Mountbatten SMC are left on the slate. It was as if someone saw the same thing that we had seen and was trying to prevent it from happening.

The Chinese believe that a tripod represents firmness and stability. I entertain the notion that our political arena cannot continue to see a contest between two forces as this will only lead to more instability and disruption. A 3rd mediatory force in our political arena is necessary to assuage and balance the diversity in opinions and to secure the future success of Singapore. I am now left to think about where I could go as an independent candidate now that Whampoa is no more.