catherine lim

This is Dr. Catherine Lim. She is a writer and a political commentator. She is a Singaporean like me. There aren't many like her today. I wish I was brave like her, tough, focused and bold in so many ways. I met her once in 2003 in a small cafe I used to waitress in. She had a quiet aura about her, which had a calming effect whether intended or otherwise. I merely said a meek hello, I think. She challenges the Singapore government. I think I know what she is talking about. I have never voted and my political liberties have perhaps been non-existent. A few times, when I speak up in public fora, I can feel the eyes glazed upon me in disapproval. I don't like the reasoning used by the government to focus on bread-and-butter issues and leave the rest aside. Times are changing and Singaporeans like myself are exposed to the globalising forces more so than previous generations. We are aware of the effects. We see the world, and we asked ourselves why are we so fearful of the government and why do we let them so? Lawsuits against opposition parties for defamation, no criticisms allowed. Catherine's recent open letter to the Prime Minister was rejected by The Straits Times (it's published on her website). As a Singaporean, I am tired of the overly dependence attitude , I am sick of complying and complying over and over again. Yes, I am proud of where we are today - an extremely successful country that has turned from 3rd world to 1st world status in a leap of a generation. I am proud of that. What I am not proud of and disgusted by is where we are heading, down that slippery road.

I wish we were different. I wish we would become more questioning and more critical.