Bryan Lim Boon Heng, current treasurer for the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) wrote on his Facebook page yesterday about his experience while engaging residents in Bukit Panjang two days ago.
He was making rounds with the chairman Professor Paul Tambyah when they met a two Vietnamese residents whom they took photos with together. However, within the hour, they emailed SDP to have their photos deleted. Lim thinks that it might be due to them being afraid of their work permits getting revoked just for taking photos with an opposition party.
Lim had 3 questions in his mind after the incident:
1. Will they have made the same request if the photos were taken with the PAP incumbents?
2. Are they fearful coz they have never come across alternative political parties in communist Vietnam which may have been “outlawed”?
3. Or they may have probably heard of the PAP’s “reputation for witch hunting” & decide to practice self-censorship like what many Singaporeans do?
Lim then mentioned that it was a "sad day for freedom of association & expression- principles of democracy which we endear."
Why do you think the Vietnamese residents requested for their photos to be deleted? Are they really that afraid of our current Government revoking their permits just because they associated themselves with an opposition party? Or is it because of Lim's second point. I guess we will never find out. But it does not bode well for us if people are really that afraid of our current Government. Will people stop speaking up entirely if they were that afraid? We hope not.
