What Now, Roy – A Contrarian Approach
I’m happy for the $70k contributions achieved to pay for the legal fees, not the libel damages. But damages there will be since Roy has already admitted and apologised.
What’s Unchanged
From those who appear to be in the know of legal matters, at least 2 relevant points to bear in mind;
One, there won’t be any discussions on the CPF issues. The defendant has already admitted guilt by way of his apology. Of course, Roy can still withdraw the apology and go the whole nine yards.
But, what’s the point?
Two, there is the possibility of the PM applying for a Mareva Injunction the way LKY did agst Tan Liang Hong. If so, Ravi his counsel may not get paid. Good chance Roy may still be made a bankrupt. Or his supporters poorer from another donation appeal – supporters who Roy wants to help get a better CPF deal.
If so, what’s the point?
I think Roy has proven his point. Or Singaporeans have proven OUR point. There isn’t just a lunatic fringe not entirely happy with the CPF issue (related and other issues) – enough to put our money where our mouths are (me included). The speed and amount with which the $70k target is realised can only be seen as astounding in SGP’s context, a polity apparently apathetic or compliant, beaten or brainwashed into a submissive pulp.
But, not anymore; we have stood up. Now, PAP – Listen Up.
Why not for the good of the country and not the sake of either ego in this silly saga, settle out of court? If S$5,000 is not enough, Roy hasn’t asked, ‘So, how much do you want from me?’ Why he has not asked for that counter-offer, that amount that is enough to PM Lee? Don’t you get it – PM Lee can’t be asking for too much not to appear to be ‘greedy’?
So, settle. And let’s get back to the REAL ISSUE which is the CPF and its many policies tt have cut so many of us asunder. EGOs are not the issue.
I had observed that PM Lee, through his Davinder weaponry, held the initiative, was dictating the direction and pace of the situation. Anyone with any basic knowledge of strategy will know that you are on the losing side if the other side calls the shots. That PM Lee has more and better resources is not the issue and cannot be the excuse for not trying to figure out how to turn the disadvantage around. Where in his strengths is he most vulnerable?
Be that as it may, Roy (or the collective ‘we’ standing on the side of Roy) should and indeed must play the cards that are now in his hands. Roy, do not get caught up with the adrenaline rush of the moment, please DO NOT forget what you are fighting for. What you claim to be your aim. Revisit that aim now to stay true to yourself – and keep the faith of those who support you in yr time of need.
Ask yourself honestly, are you NOW fighting to humiliate the PM?
Or do you stay true to want to achieve a better transparency and return in what your fellow citizens rightly deserve from their CPF savings from this govt?
If it is the former, then what of your aim? Is there a better way other than going the whole 9 yards to the courts? How? How’s that going to help yr cause, yr aim? As noted, you have already apologised. The courts will be to determine the damages. No discussions on what you have alleged about the CPF.
If you then decide to retract that apology, then you would lose at least one supporter – me. It means your aim in yr blogging is no longer what you claim. I am inclined to believe it’s no longer about the CPF but something else.
What’s changed – a position of strength…
If nothing else, the S$70k raised in 96 hours is a clear statement of the anger of the electorate on the CPF issue. Now, Roy has the ballast of a critical mass of supporters behind you. Now, use that to regain the initiative. Now, you can go to Davinder and say, look, why not settle?
Roy, I say again, the PM cannot ask for too much without looking like shit. That said, can you just imagine all the invaluable gains accruing from taking that initiative? Yes! You would have gotten him pretty damaged either way. To accept, you come up tops as the matured party. To say, no way, Jose, he’d sealed for himself the image of a small-minded, vindictive person. So, he’s caught between his rock & his own hard place for taking action without thinking thro’ the end game, his exit strategy. I leave those who disagree with my view to imagine the many, many other gains to be had taking this route. To cede a battle is not defeat in a war.
Roy, if nothing else, for yr own integrity, settle and let him then show us the CPF money. That’s aligned to yr stated aim. He can’t get away from that now without losing more votes, credibility.
Let me end with not a quote from Sun Tze but Miyamoto Musashi 1584-1645, legendary Japanese swordsman:
Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things.”
There is little doubt that those you surround yourself with for support and counsel will give you a perspective different from mine. Well, you can’t now claim that you were not given some 2cents worth approach, with the best of intention.
2cents
2econdsight 
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June 6, 2014 at 2:34 pm
Hmm, nice post. But I posted on this in another site in which my view differed from you. I believe that there is a lunatic fringe and that the money raised is mostly from there. Of course, this is not suggesting you are one of them. I’m saying there is that couple of thousand people in town who will support such actions and don’t mind putting a little money to prove it. Why do I think so? Because CPF is a national issue. Yet it took perhaps 1500 or so people 7 days to hit $88000, or whatever the amount is right now. I think that’s very little compared to our entire population. Another indicator would be the attendance for the “return our cpf” rally at hong lim which ngerng is involved in. based on facebook, only about 1200 of the more than 15000 people invite are attending. Unless the numbers swell tomorrow, that’s only less than 1 in 10. The last indicator would be Ngerng’s number of facebook likes. For an “exponent” of the internet and someone who uses social media that much to advance his cause, 3500 likes is a small return.
I don’t contradict your point about Singaporeans being more aware. In fact, PM Lee was probably the one who made this whole issue big, rather than Roy Ngerng. I believe as you say that Singaporeans WANT answers. On CPF, and other issues. But I beg to differ that a lot of us subscribe completely to Roy Ngerng and totally against the PM in this case. I’m just not sure how much beyond the lunatic fringe has he managed to fully bring over to his side.
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June 7, 2014 at 3:46 pm
Hi, ‘Darren’.
Thx for yr comment/input…It’s always a pleasure to receive some feedback. And a greater pleasure to receive a view disagreed but done with civility.
May I ask the link to where you posted the view different from mine so that I can understand better where you stand on this interesting event.
For now, I wish to clarify that at no time have I stated that ‘a lot of us subscribe completely to Roy Ngnerng and totally against the PM in this case’. You may be interested to know that I have said at least 2 things about Roy & his blog.
1) I felt that his writing could do with more focus and brevity, I do not bother to read all his publications on tremeritus.com (I do not follow his blog at all).
2) If a character (or ‘player’ in Shakespeare’s term) like Roy does not exist in SGP polity, it would be necessary to invent him into existence.
Rgds, 2cents.
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June 8, 2014 at 8:03 am
I think maybe I’ll just state it here, although the site I posted was the online citizen. It will be very hard for you to find the related posts there as there are so many comments there. Basically I do question certain PAP actins and policies, and support others. I also support certain members of the opposition because I feel they are right for Singapore, and I also do not for others. But my most basic stance is I am anti-lunatic fringe. I believe Singapore should not progress to a stage where everything requires an online petition or protest at the Speaker’s Corner. I believe ludicrously partisan websites and comments from netizens should slowly be shunned, especially if they contain personal or even xenophobic remarks. Only in this way can we grow as a society.
Therefore my stance is lets follow the lead of more respectable bloggers, opposition members and even people like Tan Cheng Bock. It is up to the PAP to respond. People can still choose to vote against them. And that would be all that matters. I am not for all these drama and attempts to “send a statement”, or “force them to listen”. We have more important things to do in our lives than just making noise.
On the CPF itself, I do believe that it has the basis of a good plan. Not all of us are investment savvy or earning big bucks, and having a 2.5% guaranteed interest and having your employer contribution is a great thing. But the issue is the minimum sum and the withdrawal percentage and age. For Roy Ngerng and his fellow protesters, I believe it is a pipe dream for them to think they can somehow force the government, PAP or not, to suddenly say that 100% of CPF can be returned. But we can make it better. And we need to do it without relying on the antics of these people, but by clear, constructive debate.
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June 11, 2014 at 9:15 am
Hi, Darren.
Apologies for the delay to respond.
Judging from yr stated view of politicians & issues, I think we belong to that 35% to 45% of voters who try to see things in perspective and context instead of trying to fit each situation within one’s predetermined frame. I have always believe that if, for eg, WP were in power continuously for 50 years, they would be as guilty of ‘meritoguanxi’ and/or a lack of accountability. That’s how power influences life and behaviour.
On the 2 matters of those at the ‘fringe’ and the need to make a statement, I see it a little differently. I think it’s unkind of a minister to describe a section of the electorate as ‘lunatic’ fringe or otherwise. What about their own ‘fringe’ and zealots, kissing all their hands and worshipping the ground LKY or the others walk on? Not lunatic since they are your own? Likewise, the need to ‘make a statement’. Both are part of a spectrum that exist and we cannot wish them away. Occasionally, they play a part and it’s good to remain open to learn even from the ‘fringe’ or a ‘statement’ that is being made.
The minimum sum and withdrawal age – I daresay, even the CPF itself and not just the 2 issues you identified – are merely proxies of the real issue. You can include National Service as well. The REAL issue is one of TRUST or a breakdown of the trust. Nothing much have changed re CPF & NS, both respected institutions and a way of life for more than a generation. But when seen in the context of high ministerial salaries vs failed policies in housing, transport, healthcare that affects all our daily lives, you can’t help but begin to question other issues. Add in FT policy. Stir in all the talk-down at the citizenry, ‘S’poreans are bigots, a disgrace’, S’pore belongs to everyone. And for good measure, a mainstream media that is so darn obedient at ‘nation building’ in its mission – as defined by the PAP – why should anyone be surprised at the mood change with a bigger section of the demos? And I haven’t even mentioned all the other opaque issues of new citizens, PRs, our reserves etc etc where we are simply told ‘it’s not in our interest to know’ or ‘there’s no strategic need to know’. What balderdash! If that was true, the PAP have failed since they have governed us to succeed only economically and mindless.
We live in interesting times. Real change will happen when the likes of us in the middle decide which way our votes must swing; not just for our own sake but those coming after us.
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