Book Review: Dare to Change

The dedication of Dare to Change is a memorable one:

“Dedicated to: all the political detainees who struggled for democracy and all Singaporeans who long for openness, humanness, and justice for our nation.”

Dare to Change is Dr. Chee’s first book (published in 1994). Do not be fooled by the book’s slim size — the content is possibly more relevant than ever, and would still be eye-opening to people who are not familiar or conscious of Singapore’s political system and situation.

Over the course of seven clear and concise chapters, the reader is given a substantial evaluation of the PAP government’s authoritarian policies on the nation.

The main message of the book is apparent from beginning to end: that change is imperative if Singaporeans are to be allowed to “lead their own lives” in order to achieve a higher “quality of life.”

In the first chapter, Dr. Chee writes that society would be more robust if the Government did not compartmentalise and pigeon-hole everyone into its grand scheme of things. He also makes the argument for a country needing a society that is “courageous in its participation of the nation’s politics,” if that country is to be stable and successful in the long run.

In the next chapter, Dr. Chee puts forth the notion that the biggest fear of the PAP could be the “thought of having to share political power with other parties,” as well as having “non-political organisations form a proper check and balance system.” He writes that “if the control of power is all that the ruling party cares about, Singapore is in for a very unpleasant journey into the future.” Fast forward a couple of decades since the book was first written — has the journey been more pleasant or unpleasant, with socioeconomic forces such as rising inequality, stagnating wages, and a growing foreign population?

Two chapters are dedicated to the economy and distribution of wealth and resources. Dr. Chee mentions that funds for public welfare in 1994 amounted to about 1% of total government expenditure compared to an international average of 30%. He also points out that the Prime Minister of Singapore gave himself a monthly salary of $96,000 at the time, while the government carefully studied whether a man who was unable to look after himself deserved $150 a month.

The closing chapters give a comprehensive overview to major violations to Press Freedom and the Rule of Law. The local press is described as having been “reduced to a mere mouthpiece for the government,” with a note that totalitarian and dictatorial regimes have long used censorship and the restriction of information to “subjugate their people.” Dr. Chee notes the role of the ISD in the 1987 Marxist Conspiracy, and points out that physical abuse and torture “cannot be used by leaders to justify ends” in a society which claims to “have a sense of civility and decency.”

Dare to Change does not strike me as being written by a “dud” or “near psychopath” (to mention a couple of colorful adjectives Lee Kuan Yew reserved for Dr. Chee Soon Juan). The content reflects common sense logic throughout. A list of alternative solutions are presented at the end of the book along with the rationale on how these changes are beneficial to the country (this is the inspiring “appendix” section at the back of the book, which is like an ultra-summarised version of the book’s contents).

The book ends with the underlying hope and motivation to create more openness and progress in Singapore in the long-term. This gently reminds the reader of a quote which features at the start of the book:

“We cannot resist change.”
— Goh Chok Tong, 1994
(Prime Minister, Singapore, 1990-2004)

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DR. CHEE SOON JUAN is a politician and political activist from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). Recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, Dr Chee has been arrested and jailed more than a dozen times for his political activities, mainly for repeatedly breaking Singapore’s laws requiring organizers to obtain a police permit before staging political demonstrations or making public speeches on political issues.

CSJ Online: Website | Facebook (CSJ) | Facebook (SDP)

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More Information on Dare to Change:

Amazon | NLB | SDP | Excerpts

Excerpts from “Dare to Change”

Excerpts from “Dare to Change”

by Chee Soon Juan (1994)

Link: Amazon | NLB | SDP

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Excerpts from Book:

1. There is no guarantee that the same Government that has led Singapore into prosperity cannot become corrupt and ineffective in future. . .if Singaporeans continue to behave in an uninterested manner, the tendency for the Government to abuse its power will become greater. (Pg-15)

2. An overpowering state-elite with a subjugated mass has proven time and again to be the worst formula for a country’s long-term prosperity. (Pg-25)

3. Singaporeans are constantly told how to behave in a certain manner. . .any one who dares to challenge the authority is quickly labelled as “bad” and discredited. (Pg-32)

4. Perhaps the closest definition [of “Asian democracy”] is the one provided by the PAP itself: a political system consisting of one dominant party and several small fringe parties with no turnover in the government. (Pg-39)

5. What do we make of the notion that there should be no change in the Government of Singapore? The frighteningly curious thing is that shouldn’t the citizens be the ones to determine this instead of the PAP? If this premise of no turnover in government is accepted it would logically follow that the PAP is legitimate in using every means, constitutional or otherwise, to stop its political opponents. (Pg-40)

6. It would make much sense for [opposition] camps to pool their resources together with the ultimate and overriding objective to entrench the Opposition in Singaporean politics. (Pg-49)

7. The Prime Minister of Singapore gives himself a salary of $96,000 a month. . .meanwhile, the PM studies carefully whether a man who is unable to look after himself deserves $150 a month. (Pg-74)

8. Of late, the Government has been strongly advocating Confucianist values. Embedded in the teachings of Confucius is respect and care for our elderly. However, judging from present policies and actions, it is clear that the Government has no intention on practising the sage’s preachings. (Pg-78)

9. [Singapore Inc.]: The PAP runs the country like a corporation with the Party leaders as employers and the citizens as its employees. (Pg-90)

10. In 1992, a study by business professor Alwyn Young from the MIT compared Hong Kong’s economy with that of Singapore’s. He showed that while Hong Kong got richer by becoming more efficient in its use of its labour, capital, and technology, Singapore became richer by taking more and more money from its citizens through taxes and forced savings. (Pg-97)

11. At a time when the nation requires individuals of innovation and creativity to help it stay ahead in an increasingly competitive world, the PAP’s heavy handed approach and tight control in governing the country produces a generation of people who are averse to risk-taking. (Pg-105)

12. David Marshall, Singapore’s former ambassador to France, described Singaporean journalists as “running dogs” and “poor prostitutes” of the Government. (Pg-109)

13. It is dangerous for any government to control the circulation of information within a country. . .totalitarian and dictatorial regimes have long used this tool to subjugate their people. (Pg-116)

14. In a society which claims to have a sense of civility and decency, physical abuse and torture cannot be used by its leaders to justify its ends. . .Every citizen of this country is born with a set of rights which cannot be removed at the whim of the Government. (Pg-138)

15. “I think what prevents Singapore from being a home to people is the lack of freedom of speech. Think about it this way. What is the difference between living in a hotel and living in a home?”
— Dr David Chan / NUS (Pg-139)

Source: “Dare to Change,” by Chee Soon Juan (1994)

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DR. CHEE SOON JUAN is a politician and political activist from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). Recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, Dr Chee has been arrested and jailed more than a dozen times for his political activities, mainly for repeatedly breaking Singapore’s laws requiring organizers to obtain a police permit before staging political demonstrations or making public speeches on political issues.

CSJ Online: Website | Facebook (CSJ) | Facebook (SDP)

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More Information on Dare to Change:

Amazon | NLB | SDP | Review

Book Review: Democratically Speaking

* Featured on TRS, SG Daily.

When I was growing up in Singapore, I remember coming across a couple of Straits Times articles which pretty much branded Dr. Chee Soon Juan as a troublemaker.

It was only after my mid-twenties that I first surfed into the SDP website, of which Dr. Chee is the Secretary General of.

The first thing I noticed on the website were the three words under the political party’s header:

“COMPETENT, CONSTRUCTIVE and COMPASSIONATE”

These are very strong words, which I — in all my youthful naivety — used to take for granted that these were values a political party in any region would automatically aspire to uphold.

I ended up ordering a copy of Democratically Speaking (published in 2012) to gain a better idea of Dr. Chee’s thoughts on democracy and the opportunity Singaporeans have to “defend [their] political rights” before it’s too late.

This is a current screenshot of the purchase page on the SDP website:

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It was evident from the contents page alone that Chee Soon Juan had presented the book’s contents in an organised, compelling manner.

The contents are divided into the following sections:

Part I: The political economy (on “wealth disparity” and “holding [the powers that be] accountable”)

Part II: In the opposition (Dr. Chee’s views on taking non-violent action, and effective opposition)

Part III: The rule of law (a comprehensive section on Dr. Chee’s courtroom experiences with confronting LKY, and how citizens are not treated equally under the law in Singapore)

Part IV: Democratically Speaking (a collection of Dr. Chee’s letters, articles, and interviews over the past two decades which are all focused on the democratisation of Singapore)

The chapter on “taking non-violent action” was particularly illuminating, as it presents several points as to the necessity of civic engagement and dissent.

Dr. Chee makes it very clear that “dissent” does not mean violent or reckless actions for the purpose of bringing about positive change. After all, the word “dissent” can be defined as expressing or having opinions at variance with those officially held.

On why dissent matters, Dr. Chee writes:

“Public demonstrations empower the people. . .In truth, it is the empowerment of the people that the PAP fears. The ruling clique knows that its illegal hold on power is possible only because it keeps the people isolated from one another.”

Dr. Chee also explains why democracy in Singapore exists “in theory,” and why simply “electing more opposition MPs in the next General Election until the PAP is displaced as government” is not going to work. With the ruling party retaining all the power and having the ability to “change the rules ever so easily,” any gains any opposition parties make in Singapore can be wiped out if and whenever the rules are changed.

Dr. Chee stresses the point about opposition unity, and how pushing for political rights and civil liberties should be a common platform for all opposition parties. After all, the opposition landscape cannot be its most effective if the various opposition groups are more interested in criticising or lauding each other, than working together for the common goal of advancing human rights and the cause for a genuine democracy.

The foundation of a democratic system grants citizens the right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly — things which make it more difficult for the “autocratic-minded” (i.e. people who take no account of other people’s wishes or opinions) to retain absolute power in politics.

Dr. Chee explains that civil disobedience is not just “about breaking laws and challenging the authorities on a whim and fancy…[and] not about unruliness and anarchy.” The aim is to achieve change through organised, peaceful means, so as to prevent a chaotic and violent outcome.

He acknowledges that advocating and working for change in an “intimidated society” is not as comfortable as being on “the side of power.” But that “those whose conscience and awareness do not allow them to remain idle. . .have the obligation to speak up.”

Perhaps this line from Democratically Speaking says it best:

“If it was good and right for Singaporeans to use non-violent action against the British [in the pre-independence days of Singapore], why is it bad and wrong for us to use it against the much more authoritarian PAP now?”

What I liked the most about Democratically Speaking is that it wasn’t a book based on theories alone. Dr. Chee and the SDP have not been idly sitting around talking about change and not doing anything about it — you can view their Facebook page and website to see their current efforts. As a youth in Singapore, not once did I see the work or campaigns by the opposition parties mentioned or portrayed in a positive manner in the mainstream SPH-dominated media, which is why I did not (and still don’t) treat The Straits Times as a reliable source when it comes to local politics.

There is a long, long history of the sacrifices opposition members in Singapore have had to make. Ordinary people may wonder and question why any sane individual would seek to bother to make life so difficult for themselves, to go through all the trouble for positive change.

The reason is because civil liberties (i.e. individual rights protected by law from unjust governmental or other interference) are worth defending.

What are civil liberties? According to Politics.co.uk:

“Civil liberties are basic rights and freedoms granted to citizens of a country through national common or statute law. They include freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom from arbitrary arrest, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and freedom of religious worship. Such rights and freedoms form the basis of a democratic society and are often denied to those living in a dictatorship.”

As CSJ wrote on Page 278 of his book, what keeps him going is “the desire to leave a better society for [his children and the next generation] of Singaporeans, [who will] grow up to understand that life is not just about making money and seeing how much power we can grab for themselves.” That, he concludes, is only when we will see a better Singapore emerge.

Readers and members of the public can decide for themselves whether Dr. Chee is a raving lunatic, misguided idealist, or a capable leader who is indeed Competent, Constructive, and Compassionate.

Here are some additional links:

1) Competent, Constructive, Compassionate – 2013 Year in Review (a timeline of SDP’s activities in 2013)

2) CSJ: A New Vision for Singapore (Wall Street Journal)

3) CSJ’s speech at the International Bar Association’s Rule of Law Symposium (Tokyo)

4) SDP’s publications on bringing about positive change in the education system, national healthcare, public housing, etc. (PDFs available for download)

5) “Something happened between 2005 and 2010, a mini-explosion occurred in the SDP in terms of our membership and, together with it, our capability.” (speech by CSJ during SDP’s 30th Anniversary Dinner held in 2010)

And since there are indications that PM Lee Hsien Loong will call for elections in 2015, here is a statement you may want to check out that the SDP recently posted.

SDP to launch GE2015 campaign

There are indications that PM Lee Hsien Loong will call for elections in 2015. It is not early at all for the SDP to step up our campaign and prepare ourselves for the much anticipated contest.

We are officially holding our GE2015 Campaign Kick-Off on 10 January 2015, Saturday at 2 pm at the Holiday Inn Atrium, Outram Road.

We are now at the stage where we need to effectively communicate our policies and what we want to do for the country to our voters. To do this we need much help from you, our friends and supporters.

Please make a note of the date of the launch and be part of what promises to be a groundbreaking and historic elections.

Pic and Text from Facebook; SDP.

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Disclaimer:

I would like to end this blog post with the following disclaimer, which is a paragraph I’ve borrowed from a fellow blogger who also reviewed Democratically Speaking:

“No, I’m neither a SDP member (or any political party) nor do I get a commission in recommending this book. . .It is through alternative media and literature that we get to know the truths that powerful elites do not want us to know. It’s time to get our heads out of the sand. We are not ostriches!”