THEME: Education - Building a Nation on Values

Every educational system must be grounded on a strong educational philosophy. What is our educational philosophy?

It may be important for schools to teach our students the job-skills and to train them to be ready for the workforce but without an early grounding in moral values that bind our families and community together, the knowledge and skill-sets that the students acquire will serve only to meet the demands of building an economy but not the building of a nation. Think of the difference between chemical farming and organic farming.

The early educational system that we had after independence was like organic farming. A great deal of emphasis was placed on teaching civics and students were inculcated with a love of learning for the sake of acquiring knowledge to become a useful person in society. They received instructions on important virtues such as filial piety, patriotism, parental obedience, respect for elders and teachers and consideration for others. Lessons on these values were drawn from historical persons and from literature. Until today, many older generation Singaporeans who have been through the early educational system continue to hold these values dearly and they have a strong community spirit.

However, with the passage of time and the short stints of subsequent education ministers, our school curriculum was repeatedly revised and some important subjects that contained elements of human values and relationships fell out of favour. Our educational system began to function like the rigours of chemical farming. There was strong emphasis on school rankings, high scores and competing for places in top schools. Principals termed themselves CEOs and parents were regarded as customers encouraging parents to behave without respect for teachers' authority over their students. Students were fed a heavy dosage of subject-based knowledge with little or negligible focus on strengthening their value systems. With the social problems that now threaten to weaken family and commune bonds, there is a pressing need for schools to reintroduce and re-focus on subjects that enable students to appreciate human values and relationships, such as history and literature.

Parents should also learn to appreciate that educating their children is for the sake of enabling them to become useful citizens and not for the selfish goal of attaining monetary rewards. This parenting education will impart good parenting skills that will reinforce the values that their children will be taught in school. Leaders should set examples by demonstrating the values that are being taught to our children. Wisdom, humility and benevolence are all the hallmarks a great leadership. Leaders should demonstrate that they are able to make self-sacrifices for the good of he people and nation. They lose moral authority and respect when they are perceived as over-paying themselves when serving the nation..

Communal education is just as important. A community that learns to accept that the most important aspect of receiving an education lies in the children learning self-discipline and self-sacrifice. Free talks and seminars by learned scholars in the field of morality and ethics should be promoted to become a regular feature in our community clubs so that people can constantly seek advice and clarifications on how to effectively communicate with each other and to amicably resolve interpersonal and communal issues.

In the heart of education are our teachers. We need to give them respect and authority to discipline students. We need teachers who are not only good at teaching subjects but are able to help our students construct a value system that will strengthen relationships within families and communities. Teachers should adopt a value-based educational philosophy and those who have demonstrated high moral values should be appointed to lead.

Let's move to become a nation of values by building a strong value-based educational system. Only by doing so can we hope to achieve greater progress as a people and a great nation.

Duck rice distribution at Potong Pasir on 4.08.2015

The duck rice stall at Blk 120 in Potong Pasir is relatively well known. The owner of the stall, Ah Seng, is actually a friendly man with a serious look. That evening, together with the volunteers from Project Awareness and Happy People, I visited a few blocks in Potong Pasir to distribute duck rice supplied by Ah Seng.

 

The rice was very well received and a few families told us of their problems. One resident needed a job and there are 9 people, including 4 young children, living in her 3 room flat. Another needed help to clear out their second-hand goods which were stocked up in their flat. They were dealing in second hand goods but their deteriorating health no longer permits them to do so. The husband has suffered a stroke and is semi-paralyzed whilst the wife has bent legs. Further, they could not sell their stocks at Sungei Road anymore. After the stocks are cleared out, they plan to rent out their rooms to receive some income.

One resident shared with us the plight of another resident who lives in a block that was not covered in our food distribution tonight. A father of 2 young children and a pregnant wife, this other resident recently landed himself in some trouble involving a foreign construction worker who had accosted his wife when she was alone in the flat. 

He had spent the day in court and I visited him in his flat. He told me what happened and looked deeply worried. I noticed that his house was in disarray and began to ask about his family situation. His two young boys, one in k2 and the other still in nursery, were bouncing on their rundown sofa as we spoke. He does not hold a steady job and works as a super-relief taxi-driver earning about $80 per day but he does not always get a taxi to drive. Previously he was working as a disaster relief cleaner with long irregular hours. These couple of days, he was not able to get a taxi to drive because many taxis are undergoing repairs. That means he has absolutely no income for the time being.

His pregnant wife was standing beside me as we talked and she brought their unpaid utility bills when I asked to see them. The flat belongs to his parents and his surviving aged mother was alone in a room. I enquired about her as I learned she suffered a stroke three years ago. He invited me to see her and I saw that her room was completely dark. He then switched on the room light and explained to me that his mother was born blind. Huddled in a blanket with a tube inserted into her nose, she was sitting at the edge of her bed and staring in one direction, constantly keeping her body in mild rocking motion. I greeted her and she responded.

He explains that he needed to bring his mother for physiotherapy everyday and she needs a certain medication and a special milk formula for her dyspepsia or a swallowing disorder due to her stroke. These items were costly. I could see that he was too embarrassed to ask for help and sensed his deep inner frustration. He seemed to me at the verge of breaking point, repeatedly trying to force back his tears. 

I arranged for some rations to be brought to his family immediately. A cash cheque for a sum of $150 was presented to him to help him tide over from the founder of Project Awareness Elson Soh. His smile on receiving the cash donation told me that a huge load has just been taken off his shoulders and that he has been pulled back from the brink of a nervous breakdown.

The volunteers will be back on another day to help him clean up his flat which was in a total mess. It was a distress signal that has gone unnoticed for some time and I was glad that we were there in the nick of time. Giving him more assurance that help is always at hand, I arranged for him to see me in my office so that I could help to look into to his legal trouble.

Everyone needs someone. There are people who are suffering quietly and dare not ask for help. Your timely gesture may just bring a ray of hope to someone in desperation.

10 Reasons Why I Should Not Be Asked Not To Contest In Potong Pasir SMC

There are voices in the social media calling on DPP and me to give way to Mrs. Lina Chiam to have a straight fight with Mr. Sitoh Yih Ping in the coming elections. Now that DPP has agreed to withdraw from its contest, I can only anticipate that these dissenting voices will get louder as I am considered the only intervening party standing in the way. 

I have heard all the dissenting voices and their reasons and emotional outbursts. I have also heard the voices of many, many more who ask me to come to Potong Pasir to give them a chance to vote for me. For those who are against me contesting, please allow me to respectfully give you 10 reasons why I should not be asked to step away from contesting in Potong Pasir SMC: 

1. If the idea behind avoiding "multi-corner fights" is intended to show that unity to topple the ruling party at all costs, I am afraid I do not subscribe to the idea of toppling the government and opposing for the sake of opposing. This is not a debate but politics that concern our people and the nation. Although the ruling party is imperfect and has many areas where they fall short, there are still ways for us to help them improve and become better in taking care of our people's needs. What we need is to increase the number of good parliamentarians, regardless of party affiliation, to work together to ensure better governance. Maybe, there will be a coalition government one day but for now we have to act rationally, responsibly and reasonably so as not to compromise our nation's progress, stability and security. 

2. If we are fighting for a level playing field for politics, the landscape that I observe on my side is itself not level. There is no "opposition unity" to speak of and some parties are apparently more equal than others. Political parties ride roughshod over independent candidates and only those contesting against the ruling party under a party banner are invited to discussions on the GE. 

3. If we feel it is wrong for the ruling party to demand that an individual must enter the political arena to comment regularly on politics, why should it be right to deny an individual who decides not to join any political party, his rightful place to participate in the political arena as an independent candidate? 

4. I am a lawful citizen of this country. Besides my freedom of speech and other rights, I have the right to vote, be voted for as a candidate in an election and to choose where to stand. Is it democratic to infringe upon my right to stand as a candidate in my chosen constituency in the coming elections? 

5. If we are pressing for greater democracy, why do we continue to engage in the undemocratic act of horse-trading discussions to deter other parties from presenting their candidates for election which practically deprives the electorate of a real choice like what happens in our presidential elections? Are the political parties acting in the interest of the electorate in doing so? 

6. If we believe in greater democracy, why do we engage in the unsavoury practice of giving priority to a political party or candidate by virtue of their earlier participation. Carried to its logical conclusion, where does that leave future parties or candidates to stand for election if all the wards are "choped" (using colloquial parlance) like "choping" seats in a hawker centre by those who came earlier? 

7. It takes a lot of courage for one to become an independent candidate. It is easy to become an arm-chair critic and make snide remarks. But how many of our keyboard warriors have the courage to walk the talk and to make a difference that really matters? I do not have the luxury of hiding behind the facade of a party. Why is my courage to stand as an independent candidate not celebrated and encouraged but frowned upon instead?

8. I have walked the ground and spoken to many residents at random. There are residents who regret that their ward has been lost to the ruling party after 27 long years. There are also those who expressed that Mrs Lina Chiam may not get any more sympathy votes this time round and it pains them to see old and frail Mr. Chiam struggling in her walkabouts. When I hear all these feelings, am I supposed to simply ignore them and pretend that I did not hear them? With these feedback, my assessment is that if I do not contest in Potong Pasir SMC in the coming elections, it will continue to remain a ruling party ward. So, why should I not step in to offer my candidacy if it will help to win back Potong Pasir SMC? 

9. I have been doing voluntary work for a long, long time. Voluntary work finally led me into politics and I do each of my walkabouts and house visits diligently. I put in my utmost sincerity in whatever I do for people and they feel for me as much as I feel for them. I stand on my own two feet with strong backing from my team of dedicated supporters who give of their time and resources. I expect no sympathy votes and do not wish to win on hate votes against anyone. I would like people to vote for me because they believe in me and trust me, Why should I not run in Potong Pasir SMC when I firmly believe that I could do a better job than anyone else? 

10. There are potential candidates out there with strong credentials who do not wish to join any of the existing parties. As an independent candidate, it is my dream to make a breakthrough to encourage those people with talent to step forward and not be afraid to stand as independent candidates to fulfil their hidden desires to serve our people. I believe Potong Pair SMC, more than any others, is ready to help me make this dream come true. If I succeed, imagine what it will do for Singapore politics. Even if I do not, at least I dared to live my dream to do what I thought was best for the people I care for. Wouldn't you teach your children to do the same thing? 

If you are interested to understand more about my political ideology, which I term as "Peolitics", you may wish to visit my page.

Food Distribution in Potong Pasir

The distribution of rations at Potong Pasir with Project Awareness and Happy People took place today. Coincidentally, Mr. Sitoh Yi Ping, the current MP of Potong Pasir SMC, was in the vicinity. We shook hands and had a photograph taken together. I invited him to join our volunteers for the distribution but he was unable to make it.

There were volunteers who were themselves residents of Potong Pasir. Our volunteers visited a few blocks and met many elderly residents. They were happy to see our concern for them and shared with us the issues that bothered them. A number of them were disturbed by the construction works and spoke about how their peaceful living environment has been disrupted. The cleanliness of the estate has suffered and their homes are dusty. 

We were invited into their homes to look at wall cracks, leaking pipes and creaking doors. These problems have led some of them to fork out extra money to pay for rectification work. There was a resident who renovated her flat after being tired of waiting for the upgrading works to begin and went ahead to renovate her flat. However, after her renovation was completed, the upgrading works began and caused repeated damage to her flat.

Residents spoke fondly of Mr. Chiam and how they miss his personal touch. There were requests for help during our visits and even after the distribution, there were telephone calls from residents for us to visit them again. We moved on to King George's for lunch and bought some more rations to distribute to the lonely elderly residents that we met.

Those in need will not be forgotten and we will continue to reach out to as many of them as we can.

THEME: Thinking about Education

Singapore has repeatedly won wide acclaim in international maths and science competitions but yet in the last 50 years, we have not produced a single Nobel prize winner or a great mathematical formula or scientific invention. Is there something amiss in our educational system?

Education is the key that helps us unlock the intellectual resources that reside in our people and it seems that our key has not been able to adequately unlock the minds of our industrious students to help us achieve the makings of a great nation. Although creativity and innovation have been the declared goals of every education minister appointed in the last 20 years, they remain elusive. There is an urgent need to look deeper not only into our pedagogy but the values that are being imbued in our students who spend most of their time in school.

Our teachers are trained to help our students learn but unfortunately our students learn that their utmost priority is to do well in examinations is all that matters. We cannot put all the blame on their teachers because they are themselves the product of the same educational system. Such an attitude in learning is reinforced by the schools' teaching curricula which emphasises being exam-smart. This has nurtured a whole generation of parents who base their parenting success on producing exam-smart children, learning them to cramp their children's timetables with tuition classes before and after school. Consequently, a tuition industry has blossomed with good subject teachers preferring to be run tuition classes than teaching in schools. An academic rat-race to obtain degrees and higher qualifications has been around for a long time now, encouraged by a government that is made up of scholars. Hence, a recent change of tone by the government suggesting that a university degree is "not vital for success", did not go down well with the people.

For most students, studying is not about acquiring knowledge to become a better person and to add value to society. it is about passing examinations with flying colours and getting into top schools and landing a job in their choice professions. As for most teachers, teaching is not about imparting knowledge, values and discipline. It is about getting recognition for producing top students in every national examination and meeting their key performance indexes for promotion and salary increments which are based on their students' academic performances. 

When learning is exam-driven and when not everyone is gifted to excel in examinations but could be talented in non-academic ways, juvenile delinquency becomes an issue in schools, at home and in the community at large. Discriminatory educational practices, like class streaming which puts all the "bright" students on one side and the "not-so-bright" students on the other side, have stigmatised students with poor academic results, leading to the development of inferiority complexes and disciplinary problems . Stories of how teachers are abused by rebellious students emerge day after day. And parents run to seek help from the courts when their children are beyond parental control. Even principals, teachers and tutors get into trouble with the law for their indiscretions. Students who successfully sail through our educational system, especially those from the gifted stream, are often said to have high IQ but low EQ. And many of them have ascended high positions in government service because of their academic excellence and devising national policies.

What can we do about our education system? I will share some of my thoughts in my next blog.

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.

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.

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

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.