Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Rocks in Parliament!

It was raining heavily at 1.40 pm when I stepped out of The Adelphi to go to Parliament House.

When I arrived at the Parliament House, I was told by a police officer at the security post that the Parliamentary Meeting has started & I was not allowed to go in. I told him I was also late the day before & was allowed entry. I was puzzled. Was it because they found the posts on my blog offensive & have been given orders to ban me?

The officer finally relented. When I walked into the reception area, there were 3 foreigners registering to observe the Meeting. I joined the queue & was issued a visitor pass.

When I finally settled down in my designated seat (for two consecutive days, same seat), I discovered that there were many foreign guests. There were more than 20 China nationals. There was great excitement among them when MM Lee Kuan Yew walked into the chamber. Then again when SM Goh Chok Tong arrived. They could point out PM Lee Hsien Loong, and that's about all they know of our Parliamentary leaders.

When the 1st MP spoke, they still listened, but as the 2nd & 3rd speakers spoke, they became restless. They talked among themselves, passed notes, some dozed off and later they kept going in & out of the public gallery. They were so distracting, someone had to shhh them several times.

At around 3.30 pm, they finally left. Phew!

Opposition ward, Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong was the 2nd speaker. He has certainly grown old over the years. He spoke of 'the unfair treatment he got from the government. While MPs from the PAP have their own offices at their respective wards, his was the void deck, no air-con and exposed to the elements.'

I couldn't help but pity him. He has served this country for more than 20 years and his road as an opposition member was fraught with difficulties & obstacles and yet he persevers on. You look at this 70-plus old man, you couldn't help but salute him. I believe he has no regrets doing it. It's tough being an opposition party member in Singapore.

Come on, PAP members, what atrocieties have MP Chiam done to deserve this. He's just a Singaporean seeking to provide an alternative voice in Parliament. He has done no harm to Singaporeans. By the warm support shown by his residents at his victory at the end of the last election, it tells a lot about him.

The President talked about an inclusive society in Singapore. But Potong Pasir residents, also Singapore citizens, are excluded. MP Chiam asked SM Goh today for the 'S$80 million promised to the residents of Potong Pasir'. Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Inderjit Singh told SM Goh not to give the S$80 million to Potong Pasir but to give it to his Ang Mo Kio ward instead. "Because the residents of Potong Pasir rejected this carrot of S$80 million!"

MP Chiam jumped up to rebut him,"Not all the Potong Pasir residents reject this carrot, you know 45% didn't reject it!" Wham!

I wish MP Chiam gets the intended S$80 million for his ward. Potong Pasir residents don't deserve this shit. These residents are also our brothers and sisters! There is this Chinese saying that I want to share with the leaders :

煮豆燃豆萁, 豆在釜中泣
本是同根生, 相煎何太急 !

And taking cheap pot shots at the opposition members do not pay. You can impress your superiors but not the people. Opposition MPs Low Thia Kiang and Chiam See Tong are elected by Singaporeans. By wanting to 'fix them', you are also fixing the people. Residents of PAP wards are people, residents in opposition wards are not, is it? Respect the people's choice and be gracious.

I couldn't help falling for the charms of Minister of Community Development, Youth & Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. Soft-spoken and looking cool, he delivered his speech so convincingly and eloquently. I was told he was voted Best Debater during his university days. Oh!

Later in the Ladies' restroom, the young ladies couldn't stop talking about him. If MP Teo Ser Luck is a Prince Charming, Minister Vivian Balakrishnan is a lady-killer! hahaha.....