tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post8932863728758581119..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: Singapore Dem Party Official Pwns Ma Ying-jeouMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-16746280835400315852009-05-06T10:45:00.000+08:002009-05-06T10:45:00.000+08:00There are many other opposition parties in Singapo...There are many other opposition parties in Singapore, but the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is the worst performer in every General Election. They can hardly get 25 per cent of the votes, whereas other opposition party members get up to 33 to 40 per cent. A few got over 50%.<br /><br /> The SDP is despised in Singapore. Do not give them too much attention.<br /><br /> The leader of SDP is Dr. Chee. Before Dr. Chee became the leader, the SDP was the most respected and successful oppposition party in Singapore, under Chiam See Tong. After Chee joined the SDP, Chee ousted Chiam who was his mentor. Singaporeans do not have much respect for such a character. And more so because he was actually charged in court for mis-use of university research funds and dishonestly claiming reimbursement for taxi mileage. And he was convicted by the court.<br /><br /> And the banning of FEER and other magazines - we did these things once-in-while, when they don’t comply with our laws. We don’t need to apologise for this.<br /><br /> You want to sell your magazine in Singapore, then obey our laws. You want to sell your ideology and accuse our government? Then give us the right of reply. That is what we insist in our laws. And put down some money deposit.<br /><br /> We have not asked for so much that you cannot pay and cannot do. If you can’t even pay this small amount and do this little thing, then you better get out of Singapore market. We don’t want you. And we don’t trust you because you are unwilling to pay (a deposit) for what you believe in.<br /><br />----<br /><br />No...Singaporeans have free access to all kind of information. That's why I am reading this, and this http://www.feer.com/tales/?p=360#comment-63652<br /><br />We have thousands of magazines and periodicals to read. We do not need the cowardly FEER that is not willing to pay (a deposit) for what they believe in. I despise FEER.MatthewTannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-92142654379016797492009-05-06T10:30:00.000+08:002009-05-06T10:30:00.000+08:00FEER was not banned for writing about Dr. Chee. It...FEER was not banned for writing about Dr. Chee. It was banned for not complying with Singapore's laws/regulations.<br /><br />For those who do not know about Singapore politics…<br /><br />[I wrote the following elsewhere]<br /><br />There are many other opposition parties in Singapore, but the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is the worst performer in every General Election. They can hardly get 25 per cent of the votes, whereas other opposition party members get up to 33 to 40 per cent. A few got over 50%.<br /><br />The SDP is despised in Singapore. Do not give them too much attention.<br /><br />The leader of SDP is Dr. Chee. Before Dr. Chee became the leader, the SDP was the most respected and successful oppposition party in Singapore, under Chiam See Tong. After Chee joined the SDP, Chee ousted Chiam who was his mentor. Singaporeans do not have much respect for such a character. And more so because he was actually charged in court for mis-use of university research funds and dishonestly claiming reimbursement for taxi mileage. And he was convicted by the court.<br /><br />And the banning of FEER and other magazines - we did these things once-in-while, when they don’t comply with our laws. We don’t need to apologise for this.<br /><br />You want to sell your magazine in Singapore, then obey our laws. You want to sell your ideology and accuse our government? Then give us the right of reply. That is what we insist in our laws. And put down some money deposit.<br /><br />We have not asked for so much that you cannot pay and cannot do. If you can’t even pay this small amount and do this little thing, then you better get out of Singapore market. We don’t want you. And we don’t trust you because you are unwilling to pay (a deposit) for what you believe in.<br /><br />--<br /><br />Singaporeans have free access to all kind of information over the internet, and countless magazines and periodicals. We certainly have no need for FEER which does not respect our laws.MatthewTannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-66595780177138208862007-06-19T11:00:00.000+08:002007-06-19T11:00:00.000+08:00Thank you, Mike, for forwarding this good article....Thank you, Mike, for forwarding this good article. <BR/><BR/>We value Taiwan's freedom and democracy. We have to do everything we can to protect Taiwan from being invaded by China in any ways. We have to let those chinese know that we Taiwanese have our own way of living and values.<BR/><BR/>By the way, I like the photos you took in Taiwan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-30501332814784311442007-06-17T13:12:00.000+08:002007-06-17T13:12:00.000+08:00@channingThis has nothing to do with the sophistic...@channing<BR/><BR/>This has nothing to do with the sophistication or developmental stage of Taiwan's democracy. This is politics 101: When running for a position in a democracy you might not want to gaze fondly at a de facto totalitarian state and say "gee I wish we could be more like them". Even if Ma thinks this is so (which apparently he does) he is a political idiot for saying it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-29327303342740059092007-06-13T12:33:00.000+08:002007-06-13T12:33:00.000+08:00Channing:I think the second half of your comment i...Channing:<BR/><BR/>I think the second half of your comment is dead on, but Ma's lack of belief in freedom and democracy is well documented. In the late 1970s he faced the same choices as Chen, Shih, Hsieh, Lu, and the others concerning building democracy in Taiwan. Unlike them, and many other mainlanders, Ma chose to serve the regime, first as a student spy, and later as private secretary to a murdering dictator.<BR/><BR/>There's no way around it: Ma's track record is completely clear on his support for freedom and democracy. When tested, he failed.<BR/><BR/>MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-13864543283434375852007-06-13T12:15:00.000+08:002007-06-13T12:15:00.000+08:00That might be oversimplifying it a bit there. Acc...That might be oversimplifying it a bit there. Accusing Ma of "not believing in freedom and democracy" is quite a bold step to take; also, an American presidential candidate faces a very different environment as Taiwan's democracy is still developing its fundamental principles.channinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06386334271601532591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-20318090245766596502007-06-12T09:56:00.000+08:002007-06-12T09:56:00.000+08:00And Ma has a degree from Harvard?? What an idiot. ...And Ma has a degree from Harvard?? What an idiot. How can the Taiwanese vote for a man who doesn't even believe in the freedom and democracy the Taiwanese have fought so hard to win?<BR/><BR/>I can not imagine an American presidential candidate surviving a comment like that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-88359882483253673052007-06-11T06:20:00.000+08:002007-06-11T06:20:00.000+08:00yeah, I think so too, taipeimarc. As Maddog pointe...yeah, I think so too, taipeimarc. As Maddog pointed out to me in the email, remember when Ma thought it would be great if Taiwan produced another Hu Jin-tao.Michael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-60842611093392690932007-06-11T05:20:00.000+08:002007-06-11T05:20:00.000+08:00Lol, that was funny. Mayor Ma did get PWNED! Thi...Lol, that was funny. Mayor Ma did get PWNED! This is definitely going on facebook.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-53763051191079352982007-06-10T12:01:00.000+08:002007-06-10T12:01:00.000+08:00Only someone who is comfortable with a dictatorshi...Only someone who is comfortable with a dictatorship would mention Singapore as a model. I suggest Mr. Ma read this article, <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/hkhemlock/mus-sin.html" REL="nofollow">Why Singapore is a pathetic place</A><BR/><BR/>Also, just last year, the Far Eastern Economic Review was banned from Singapore because they wrote an article on opposition leader <A HREF="http://mmadan.wordpress.com/far-eastern-economic-review-singapore%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98martyr%E2%80%99-chee-soon-juan/" REL="nofollow">Chee Soon Juan</A>. They were also <A HREF="http://simonworld.mu.nu/archives/198642.php" REL="nofollow">extorted</A> by the government along with all the rest of the foreign media. If Singapore becomes the model for TWN, so long Liberty Times, Taipei Times and the View from Taiwan. <BR/><BR/>If this is the best Ma and the KMT can come up with, there is no hope for their survival as a political party. People here know the score.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com