more political talk.
there's been a lot of talk on this issue.

I think when we talk about feedback and political changes in Singapore, we tend to talk in sweeping terms. We believe that either the Gahmen is incompetent and doesn't listen or that nobody bothers to say anything useful and take a stand.

My opinion is that the Gahmen does not turn down suggestions and feedback. Perhaps it did before but today, it's taking in our 2 cents. But it rightly has to weigh the feedback that it's getting. For example, at the Annual Conference of Feedback Groups last month, an esteemed Doctor Goh insisted upon restoring widened roads to original widths simply because widened roads are out of scale to the buildings and that it does not respect the human factor and the collective memory of the place. wha?

On the other end of the feedback spectrum, if you competently challenge the policies and the abilities of the Gahmen, they'll come at you with a hatchet. (His own words) or recruit you.

I say this, let's be pragmatic about the whole situation and start small. If we really do want to change and rule this country, we should start small. We should start. period. I'm doing my part. I've effected changes to my school's fee hike through positive student activism and organized political forums to increase political awareness. I'm not a writer but I'm making it up with action. Let's not begrudge ourselves the freedom to grouse but let us also encourage and empower ourselves to action. Whatever action. We can't change the tax rates overnight but we sure as hell can effect changes to make our lives better.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005 01:49 a.m. comment# gbook

We pulled off the most positive student activism in our history to get the best tertiary fee structures in the country.
There was a time when people said that Singapore students cannot make it but we did.

A Straits Times Article on 21st Feb, Student Activism - Is It Just Lip Service? by SMU Freshmen Teng Li Ying talked about students who are.. simply put.. "all talk no action".
"I appeal to youths who complain that the Government doesn't give people space to air their views, to think carefully about what they want. Are they willing to be the first ones to start what they advociate? If not, stop being an empty vessel"

I question the purpose of this article. Why discourage students from making their opinions heard just because they're not going to picket for it at the fences of some embassy or Minister's office? My personal opinion on this is that the article should have slanted to empowering students to do more rather than just blast those who aren't doing more yet. EMPOWER not DEFLOWER. I think a succint reply to this article can be found on Adri's site @ popagandhi.com

By tomorrow, the country will know that the SMU fee structures has been changed to a staggered one. The Board of Trustees has agreed to the fee scheme proposed by a group of students who came together and called themselves the "Fee Hike Committee". These students formed under the initiative of the student council and collated information, researched, deliberated and came up with a mature, thought-out proposal and garnered support from the student population through a ribbon campaign. Student activism at its finest. Seems there is still some hope for Singaporean students still.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005 06:54 p.m. comment# gbook