I, Robot

Opening up Microsoft Word is a chore. Thinking is a chore.

Just want to add a quick note regarding my outing last Friday:I went for my first public political dissent over at the Sheraton hotel.

We don’t need no introduction to the minister pay hike. The conference seeks to address that with Singapore Democratic Party’s Chee Soon Juan leading the pack alongside Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), which included members of the European parliament and the Council of Asian Liberal and Democrats (CALD) which included a Cambodian and a Congresswoman from the Philippines.

Stallion and me entered the hallway, looked at the poster sign and nope, no mention of “Democracy in Asia and Europe”. Nada. Just some computing sounding acronyms. The hotel staff had a blank look when I mentioned “democracy talk”.

Opal Ballroom? Yes mam, second floor. Up we trudged, turned right and there was a gaudy poster with CSJ at the forefront. The power of courage, or something like that. You would think it’ll be a motivational talk, or a pastor talk but that’s beside the point.

I wasn’t supposed to be surprised, but I was. The “entertainment license” applied by the SDP more than two weeks before for the European speakers were denied. They were not allowed to speak. So speak they did not and when one of the members of the floor questioned their views on the PAP’s decision disallowing them to speak, their answer sums it aptly:

“Our silence says all that we need to say.”

Apparently foreigners are not allowed to interfere in local politics. Singaporean politics are for Singaporeans only. Although of course, they failed to put bankruptcy and interference in a single sentence.

I was stunned the entire way, although I shouldn’t be. There were opinions expressed, some drawing chuckles from the full house crowd. The delegation of speakers kept to their vow when questions were hurled their way. Disgust was evident and at the end, everyone simultaneously struck a thumbs up sign before heading off.

Well, my silence and disbelief is all that I have to say. I could go on and on and on. But I'm tired of ranting. I'm too tired to even be witty. All I can add is thank you for coming down.

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Jeez. Maybe I should be quit all this trying to make it on my own and be a government dog teacher after all.