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This is not satire.
It is not every day that a potential candidate from the Popular Action Party (PAP) is seen proclaiming his admiration for activists like Kirsten Han. Now, combine it with the recognition of the “excellent work” of TWC2 and HOME, two NGOs that were disconcertingly excluded from the Working group of the Ministry of Human Resources (MOM), and you may want to consider heading to the nearest Singapore pools to try your luck (shame it is CB).
The elephant in the room
On April 30, 2020, Carrie Tan posted a cartoon of an elephant on her Facebook page.
The post itself is nothing to write home about. It takes readers on a journey to nowhere while pondering “being suspended from a drone in midair.” Although the analogy raises some questions in our minds. Namely, if she’s being “suspended from a drone in midair “So she just rises at the behest of the drone operator? And who is this drone controller anyway?
If anything, this post serves as evidence of Carrie’s mastery of art that doesn’t say much through a wall of text, a skill that’s invaluable in the political arena. However, the comment section, which featured many familiar faces from the sociopolitical scene in Singapore, made up for the sadness of the post itself.
But before we dive into the rabbit hole,
Carrie who?
Carrie Tan, 37, a self-proclaimed “civic activist” was identified as a potential candidate for the PAP for the upcoming general election by the Straits Times.
She was also pictured at a PAP women’s wing event last year.
Carrie is the founder of Daughters of Tomorrow, a charity incorporated in August 2014. According to her website, she has since helped “100 women through our training, job support and support programs. “
TOC understands that Carrie has been a volunteer in the Lee Shyan neighborhood on the East Coast GRC for some time. Carrie Tan is also the second advisor to grassroots organizations in Chong Pang, alternate from Shanmugam. If she were featured in this next GE, chances are it’s probably in Nee Soon GRC.
So is she running?
The entire comment section is a gold mine for “things you never thought a potential PAP candidate would say.” An appropriate place to start our journey of wonder may be your response to activist and filmmaker, Lynn Lee. Undeterred by the fact that Carrie declined to comment when Time of the Straits asked her if she was running, Lynn Lee addressed the elephant in the room asking him point blank.
After a throat-clearing joke about being a trained facilitator (which we don’t understand yet, but we’re not the ones hanging on drones), Carrie admitted she was “feeling the heat” due to the Facebook exchanges. He added that he could not “imagine the pressure that politicians have to bear.” He concluded by saying, as former editor of The Middle Ground, Daniel Yap succinctly sums it up, “no no.”
In TWC2, HOME and Activisim “Cívico”
Constance Singam, recognized by many as the “grandmother” of civil society in Singapore, also entered into an exchange with Carrie Tan.
In essence, Constance raised a problem with Carrie’s call to Tan for the patience of the NGOs. Furthermore, he regretted the fact that organizations like TWC2 and HOME were labeled “unpatriotic” by men who are paid millions for doing their jobs. Constance didn’t mention who the men who were paid millions were, but if I had to guess, they probably reside in ivory towers, in addition to which the drone that people are suspended flies.
In response, Carrie, who identified herself as a “civic activist,” agreed that HOME and TWC2 have done “an excellent job.” He also added that he was in the midst of discovering
“Learn more about the historical engagement process and what may have caused such lenses to be unproductive.”
Which is a good way to spell out what went wrong.
Regardless, this exchange ended with a “mic drop” from OG of Constance, who reminded Carrie that she was “civil society” and not “civic.”
When further pressure was placed on the exclusion of HOME and TWC2 from MOM’s efforts on the ground, Carrie said it was “not her decision,” but said she was trying to “negotiate some compromise.” In conclusion, he asked that the conversation with Kirsten be disconnected, as he had his doubts about the usefulness of “transparency”.
Kirsten Han is an inspiration to Carrie Tan
After finally admitting that she had blocked Lim Jialiang, a question she ingeniously dodged earlier in the thread, Carrie postulated that “she has yet to learn how to handle or deal with views that are expressed in ways that overly provoke my feelings or hurt me “
In what must be an unprecedented act for any PAP member, let alone a potential candidate, Carrie said she was sympathetic to Kirsten Han, especially regarding the conveniently anonymous “powerful agencies” attacking her. She then declared her utmost respect for the award-winning journalist and activist and said that she was an inspiration to her.
Lynn also helped put Carrie’s fears in perspective.
“If you feel hurt and scared, imagine what it must be like for activists who have raided their homes, been dragged by the police, bankrupt, accused, sued, jailed, detained without trial, for doing things that few others do. Civilized countries would consider it illegal. “- Lynn Lee
Change from within?
The last thread worth examining here is the question of changing the PAP from within. Before redirecting our attention to Carrie, let me pamper you with a little spoiler: everyone who has set out to change the PAP from within has failed. No person has been successful, including the founding members of the PAP. Such are the pitfalls of unbridled power. And let’s not forget the party whip.
Turning to Carrie, she argued that her “spirit of change” will help her succeed where others have failed because … “where there is a will, there is a way.”
If Carrie is featured in the next GE, this article is worth revisiting in a couple of years.
While we’re on the elephant theme, it may be appropriate to close this piece with a reminder from Desmond Tutu:
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say it is neutral, the mouse will not appreciate its neutrality. “
