It seemed like a mismatch, or conversely, the unfolding of a potential synergy (whichever you prefer) as the two men took centre-stage at the Think Centre Forum held on 27th May, 2000. "Political veteran" J.B. Jeyaretnam and "political baby" James Gomez, as they were introduced to the floor by moderator Alec Tok, were engaged in a debate titled "Political Society in Singapore".
The forum was organised in conjunction with the launch of Mr. Jeyaretnam's book, which is a collection of his parliamentary speeches delivered from the middle of 1997 through the close of 1999. Revolving around what he termed as "the concerns and problems of Singaporeans", Mr. Jeyaretnam took the initiative to publish these speeches in reaction to the lack of press coverage in local newspapers. Warming to the audience, he made it known that in comparison to the few lines that the Straits Times printed in response to a half-an-hour parliamentary speech he made concerning the Political Donations Act, The Star, a Malaysian daily, candidly outdid their cousins in that department.
The debate proper started when Alec posed three questions to both men: What is the state of politics in Singapore? Where do we go from here? What must be done in order to get there?
Mr. Jeyaretnam began by asserting that in its essence, politics was about the arrangement of society by its members. Politics is not, and should not be exclusive to a select few. Mr. Jeyaretnam shared his observations that generally, Singaporeans seemed unable and helpless to get the best out of society as they would during a mundane shopping spree. "What kind of bargain are we getting? Do we want a better society?"
Keen to dispel the "falsity" of this nation being the best home, Mr. Jeyaretnam stated that in exchange for this promise, Singaporeans are enslaved to mindsets and habits that never question the status quo. Rights are surrendered, the latter reduced to merely an entitlement which can be withdrawn at will. The dignity of the people being robbed in the process.
In closing, Mr. Jeyaretnam identified the people, the common man in the street, as an answer and the solution to the current state of affairs. Political parties are after all, empowered by these very people, he concluded. Change can only emanate from the people if they will it.
In keeping with the trail-blazing image of 'dot.commers', James started off by boldly painting a scenario of the General Elections of 2002. He stated that political parties would be outdated, and that independent candidates would take off where opposition parties have failed in challenging the ruling elite. This remark would form the crux of the verbal exchanges between the two as well as provoking comments from the 60-odd strong floor.
Unsurprisingly, James shared his opinion that the malaise of self-censorship was the bane of the politics in Singapore. Added to that was the lack of a sufficient alliance between the opposition. Moreover, the absence of a vibrant political scene could very well lay in the people's tacit endorsement of the current system.
James offered a solution: if the presence of a credible alternative were to be pursued, then the answer may lie in the rise of independent candidates willing to contest the ruling party in place of existing opposition parties. In keeping with the PAP's yardsticks, these people would have to be "good men and women", for they will in for a rough ride. As political babies, independents would be "cannibalised" both by the ruling party, the opposition and civil society, as well as the electorate.
For a good part of an hour-and-a-half, James' idea came under scrutiny, as both Mr. Jeyaretnam and the floor raised questions and proffered solutions. Mr. Jeyaretnam was adamant that parties would remain a vital medium of change. Quoting their share of votes in recent elections - which is not at all an insignificant number, Mr. Jeyaretnam reiterated that it is unfair to brand the opposition as failures. A member of the audience, Mr.Patrick Low wondered how different and special would these independents be, and believed that social movements would be crucial for change to occur, as recent experiences in the region have shown.
In reply, James countered that a time has come for "new languages, methodologies and strategies", a paradigm shift in short. What was important, he said, was the notion of non-partisanship. An unexplored area, James explained that the initiatives of Think Centre (through its forums and publications) sought to probe and cajole interested entities in staking their claims in the political landscape. Therein lay the potential in the unfolding of a new political age in Singapore politics.
Some responses, such as those of Mr Yaw Shin Leong and a post-graduate student from the National University of Singapore were inclined towards James' idea of a new "language", while others were sceptical. Other members from the floor, Mr. Ghandi and Mr. Desmond said that rather than focussing on the medium of political contestation, what mattered most were the rules of the game that the ruling party sets in place. Moreover, it would be wasteful to replace the opposition as a modus operandi should their toil through the years be done away with. What all agreed was that the present system lacked meaningful political representation.
Still others clamoured for the opposition to unite. This notion was raised on several occasions, with muttered approval from other members of the floor. Quoting the example of the 'merger' between the ideologically-opposed camps of Lee Kuan Yew and Lim Chin Siong during the formative years of the PAP, Mr. Low stated that this was a real possibility. Mr. Jeyaretnam cited some practical problems to this idea, while Mr. Ghandi opposed it on the grounds that democracy should by its very nature embrace political pluralism, and thus, a system of multi-party democracy. Mr. Steve Chia added that the experiences of the PAP must be considered as an outcome of special circumstances.
In closing, Mr. Jeyaretnam thanked the audience, saying that in ways, their attendance strengthened and encouraged him. True to his nature of a political entrepreneur, James sought to arrange a forum between the opposition parties in Singapore to determine whether they can actually work together. Representatives from the Workers' Party, the Singapore Democratic Party and the National Solidarity Party agreed to participate. Don't hold your breath though. An overnight merger will not follow, assured Mr. Jeyaretnam. James said if the opposition can't work together then, the independents would take over. Until then, anticipations run high.
