LEE KUAN TEW, 88, ANNOUNCED TANJUNG PAGAR CANDIDACY IN SINGAPORE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at 88 still going strong to join his son's Cabinet should he win Singapore's coming General Election?

PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew has announced his candidacy in the coming general election despite rising public pressure on him to retire from politics for good. In a video posted on the PAP’s website, Lee said: “I am happy to be still representing Tanjong Pagar.”

At 88 years of age this year, Lee Kuan Yew now holds the record for the world’s oldest living minister and MP. Though he admitted that he is not doing much lately except ‘forecasting’, Lee still commands an annual salary of more than $3 million dollars, or five times that of U.S. President Barack Obama.

It is strange that the PAP has retired quite a number of its MPs in their forties and fifties while retaining the ’services’ of its oldest MP who was said to require the help of younger MPs such as Koo Tsai Kee to ‘help’ him out at his ward’s weekly Meet-the-People sessions.

Ironically, the 55 year old Koo Tsai Kee is retiring from politics after being an unelected MP in Tanjong Pagar GRC for twenty years.

In an online poll conducted on the Temasek Review Facebook, 289 respondents feel that Lee should not contest in the coming GE while 49 support his candidacy. (The Temasek Review, 18 April 2011.

Comments:
Well, As one reader calling hiself Brotherhood of the snake said,"PAP regime is Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Kuan Yew is PAP regime. The moment he has his last breath, PAP regime will follow him to the grave."

In Malaysia, long-serving politicins like Tok Guru Dato' Nik Aziz Nik Mat of PAS and Lim Kit Siang of DAP are following closely. These two politicians are still "young" compared to Lee's 88 years old. Tun Mahathir Mohamad has lons since retired, even though, people would love to say he still has great influence shaping the nation's political landscape while his "Che Det" blog continues to be followed. This is his voice. If age does matter, then the newly elected Sarawak CM, Pehin Seri Abdul Taib Mahmud is yet to reach his peak in Sarawak politics. He has a long way to go. another decade perhps, to lead his people and yet the oppposition leaders, DAP's Lim Kit Siang in particular wanted him out.

Wonder how these leaders, like Lim Kit Siang or Nik Aziz think of LKY's candidacy and his wish for another five more years. If LKY survives this coming General Election, which is most likely, he will certainly continue to serve his son's Cabinet, probably to be named as Senior Mentor Minister Lee Kuan Yew .

Another TM reader "Xmen" reacted to this story: "His (LKY) recent forecasts have failed quite miserably. Is he forecasting that he can serve another 5-year term? Most people would agree that’s unlikely to happen.Please RETIRE!"

THE ISSUE OF INTERLOK HAS BECOME MULTIRACIAL

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (right) orders Interlok editing. At right is Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak, the prime minister.

Civil society groups and other concerned individuals should not be taken in by Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement that the Interlok issue has been resolved. In fact, not only is it not resolved but compliance will mean that Interlok could well be extended from its present Zone 2 (Klang Valley) coverage thereafter to Zone 1, Zone 3 and Zone 4 in the rest of the country.

Interlok is a beach head for the Little Napoleons and other Ketuanan bureaucrats to impose their agenda of educational and cultural seppuku on a young captive audience.

Success in imposing Interlok will only encourage these ideologues to move further upstream and inject their indoctrination into the syllabus for the younger forms, and eventually in the primary school curriculum. The History and Moral subjects have already been tampered with. Currently the focus is on language and literature. What will be next?

Muhyiddin’s statement that nobody should politicize or exploit the issue by using NGOs is made in wilful ignorance. The fact is these organizations have been in the forefront of the campaign from the outset. It is not difficult for the Minister to determine the chronology of events with regard to the emergence and growth of public (but hardly any political) consciousness, concern and agitation on the book.

A quick glance at news and reports from the websites will show that civil society organizations such as NIAT, Hartal MSM, and the Centre for Policy Initiatives have provided analysis and public feedback for several months now on the unsuitability of Interlok.

The NGO concern is in sharp contrast to the lack of criticism on the book by public figures. Political parties from both Barisan Nasional and the opposition have been slow or reluctant to discuss the appropriateness of the book as a school text. While the Education Minister and his MCA deputy – the career politicians – have been adamant on its retention, why have the educationists and other Education Ministry officials been largely silent?

In NGOs voicing our concerns on key issues affecting our nation, we do not have any political affiliation or political axe to grind. Neither are we racially motivated because Malay and non-Malay, Muslim and non-Muslim groups are equally concerned as to whyInterlok is being retained when it is clearly in contravention of the Education Ministry and the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s own guidelines on textbook and literary work. The Minister should welcome our feedback and seek to engage with us rather than try to intimidate us.

Giving up on the campaign to have the novel discontinued as a compulsory SPM reading is the wrong message to send. Capitulating to the Ministry’s insistence will signal that we do not care for our education system to play a positive role in building social cohesion as is implicit in the 1Malaysia slogan.

NGOs and most particularly the parents should continue with even greater urgency and commitment to have Interlok removed from the classroom. The government has might on its side but might does not make it right. (From "Interlock Issue Is Not Resolved" by Dr. Lim Teck Ghee. 1 April 2011 http://www.blog.limkitsiang.com )

Comment:
Minister of Education, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will have a lot to say. And so will his deputy, Dr. Fuad Zakashi. Please explain to the public the details of what was discussed by the panel, whoever they were. And the outcome as clear as possible.

The Malays are confused. The Indians are confused and now the Chinese are confused. Interlok, which at first was a problem of one community (the Indians) now becomes multiracial. So, say something, honourable minister and settle it once and for all. Enough is enough. At the same time the government and the opposition alike should give due respect to Dato' Abdullah Huseein, the author.