Sheep City

Before I begin, allow me to congratulate Dr Chee and the many of you who took part in yesterday’s peaceful protest to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day outside the gates of Parliament. It is every citizen’s right, guaranteed in the Constitution, the right to assemble and free speech. There is nothing unlawful about yesterday’s protest. It is both noble and commendable. It is those in power who deemed it illegal. Any challenge, question or mockery will be met and dealt with accordingly. In this country, we citizens are but sheep, lacking in intelligence and a utter lack of respect. Which was why these people are manhandled and whisked away by the police who weren’t even wearing their uniforms.

It has to be quite sad for police officers these days, lacking in foresight and prudence, especially after the Mas Selamat Kastari fiasco and now this. If I were a police officer, I would have resigned and look for a more honorable job. I would go as far as to say the same goes to journalists who covered only biased reports to please their masters. Reports that would paint a totally different picture and entirely untruthful to boot. As you would have known by now, the television news and state-controlled papers have no effect on me- I have long since gave it the finger. I would strongly recommend that you do the same. Switch channels each time the news appear and stop your newspaper subscription immediately. In no time, your body and mind will be purged of the poison that has long since been pumping in your veins.

And so please my dear fellow sheep, come to your senses. It is pointless to complain and do nothing. The time is now to use your voice. You can do this. Tell the next fellow that we believe in democracy. Sit down with your friends at the coffeeshop and have a good chat. Good heavens, why else we recite the pledge day by day in school? Or maybe tell your kids the truth that this country is very very wrong. Someone should rewrite the pledge. But this is a democratic country! We believe in freedom and the rights of every fellow human being. This country is not communist China. We want to know what happened. Why is it in our country the police arresting innocent peaceful protesters complaining about rising costs and million-dollar high ministerial wages? Why is there still no public report on how Kastari the presumed JI terrorist who escaped from the infamous Whitley Rd detention center? Why shouldn’t we abolish ancient draconian laws like the homophobic Section 377A and the insidious ISD powers of detention without trial?

Enough. We know the story already by now. For many of us, to put it quite plainly, we are afraid. There is no shame in this for many fear for their lives and livelihood. Imagine you lead a high life, with a good paying job, wife and kids and suddenly after a protest- BANG! You get arrested, sacked from your cushy job, your family falls apart and in the end you end up with nothing, rotting someplace where Kastari used to be. This fear works deep. It breaks every will that you have to challenge and question the men in white. The same thing applies to employees who fear for their jobs but suffer at the hands of their overburdening superiors and their policies. If you fall in this category of those who fear for their jobs, then I must say I am very sorry for you. The disgruntled sheep goes nowhere but towards the abattoir. Think you can have all of your CPF monies once you retire? That easily?

Think again.

There are smarter ones who have left the country, getting rid of their citizenship and reclaiming all that is due to them from the cold CPF banks. Not one vowed to return. For many of us, we are still here, thinking about our future as we take the train along with those foreign nationals. Believe it or not, their presence do cast a sense of annoyance and unhappiness. Money is always a factor in our heads. Nothing else mattered. We loath each time costs go up but when the time arrives to cast our vote, we gladly or regrettably check against the blue indispensable lightning. If we could only see that we are to be blamed. We have become utterly selfish and apathetic.

Each one of us need to throw away this mask of fear that we have been wearing for so long. An effort must be made to realize that citizens have the right to know, the right to question. It is totally legitimate to speak your mind. Enough of pseudonymity. Show your faces, bloggers. Do what those brave men and women have done to stand for their rights. Even if it means only in cyberspace, let it be known that Singaporeans are not cowards and not to be treated like dust in this country which we have created from our backs. We will not trust anyone blindly or listen to tall tales. We are damn sure about our money and we need no one to tell about our future or how and when to retire. Our Malaysian brothers and sisters have come to their senses, tak boleh tahan and showed them who’s boss.

Wait. Why are we saying all these? This is still a democratic country isn’t it?