Democrats write to student body at NTU

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Friday, 19 September 2008

Singapore Democrats

The Singapore Democrats have written to the Nanyang Technological University Students' Union (NTUSU) to ask the body to organise an event where the SDP can address the students. The letter comes in the wake of the banning of two news reports in the University's newspaper, Nanyang Chronicle, and news programme, Nanyang Spectrum (see here).

University President Dr Su Guaning stopped the reports but has not publicly stated his reasons for doing so.

The Democrats have also written to the NUS Students' Union for the same reason. They were stopped by NUS officials last week from distributing flyers at the Arts and Social Sciences canteen as well as at the Law Faculty campus in Bukit Timah.

The SDP has been visiting the various universities over the past few weeks in order to raise political awareness among students. The major complaint among some of the students is that there is general apathy among the student population.

This is not surprising given the control the administrations exert over the students, depriving them of necessary information. If, however, students have ready access to differing political opinions, the awareness would quickly be replaced with an informed and energetic student population. This can only be good for the nation.

19 September 2008
Choudhury Anshuman Das
President
NTU Students' Union

Dear Sir,

In light of the controversy over the banning of the news reports of the SDP in the Nanyang Chronicle and Nanyang Spectrum, I would like to ask the NTUSU if it would organise a forum where we can address the students of NTU.

There is obvious interest among your fellow students in our message and I am sure that the NTUSU is also interested in ensuring that the student body is exposed to a diversity of views and opinions. A forum where we can speak would go a long way towards this end.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Gandhi Ambalam
Chairman
Singapore Democratic Party

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Comments (18)

Sat 20 Sep 2008 7:56 AM | ahsayman

Go get them SDP! But brainstorm and prepare meticulously, all right? Pleese!
All my best wishes.

Sat 20 Sep 2008 8:28 AM | Peter - GO TO GEYLANG!!

It seems that all institutions of higher learning do not welcome SDP, reasons everybody knows.

I doubt SDP would be keen to go Old Folks Home either.

Why dont go GEYLANG, no body will block you right?? Why must go places that you know POLICE will sure block you, just to create NEWS, RIGHT?

Sat 20 Sep 2008 9:26 AM | | NOT MY SDP - A Challenge to the SDP!

DP proclaimed that many NUS, NTU students are keen to know more about SDP and its views. We hereby challenge the SDP to organise a seminar and invite the varsity students to attend it. Then we will certainly know how many students are actually interested about SDP's views.

Not living up to the challenge would mean:

* SDP is not sincere in spreading its message to students
* SDP merely wants to tap on student bodies to achieve its aims - spread SDP propaganda
* SDP does not garner much support from students after all
* SDP prefers to have Hawaiian Parties than spreading its message

Sat 20 Sep 2008 9:31 AM | AnnA - God Help

May God help all the people having blunt brains.

Sat 20 Sep 2008 9:40 AM | Peter - re: GO TO GEYLANG!!

[quote=Peter]It seems that all institutions of higher learning do not welcome SDP, reasons everybody knows.

I doubt SDP would be keen to go Old Folks Home either.

Why dont go GEYLANG, no body will block you right?? Why must go places that you know POLICE will sure block you, just to create NEWS, RIGHT?[/quote]

Oh yeah, just forgot that Chee Soon Juan wants to take out personal revenge against PAP.

So, now he wants even students to hate PAP, right ? To sow the seed of discord in the young generation, right ?

Chee Soon Juan is a true [b][color=red]S[/color][/b]tubbon [b]D[/b]eceptive [b]P[/b]sychopath ([b]SDP[/b]).

Sat 20 Sep 2008 10:01 AM | Anonymous

Peter, from your post we gather you like to frequent Geylang's red light district but you can't expect everyone to like it too. This is another lesson in democracy.

Sat 20 Sep 2008 10:19 AM | hk - Yes, engage the students.

SDP

Yes, you must engage the students and let them reclaim their place as thinking people who will one day lead the country; and live their lives in freedom.

The signs of a 3rd world Universities lie in the herd, unthinking production units cloned by the Universities. The Pappies wants to exercise a monopoly of knowledge but instead force many thoughtful graduates to emigrate!

Their sheer audacity prompted by years of success couched by fear; are being dismantled by the Internet! A small percentage just realized that its not usual to be threatened, cowered by invisible & totally ridiculous administrative rules which are running parallel to the Laws and The Constitution.

Students in Singapore, open your eyes & ears to alternative views and learn to judge, to select, to decide. Do not be fed by the Elites or seduced to join them & be shameless leeches to the population.

Sat 20 Sep 2008 1:19 PM | esSINgaporean - Why not debate?

Suggest to the student unions in the NUS, NTU, Singapore Mang University, polytechnics, the law societies etc. debates between a PAP MP and Dr Chee.

Debate topics like: "Can Singapore afford to practice the full version of the UN Declaration of Human Rights?", "Can Singapore afford to abolish the Internal Security Act?", "How can CPF system be revamp so that future generation can rely on it for retirement?" etc.

Sat 20 Sep 2008 5:12 PM | Ah Heng

Peter wrote
[quote]Peter - GO TO GEYLANG!! Sat, 20 Sep 2008 8:28 am

It seems that all institutions of higher learning do not welcome SDP, reasons everybody knows.

I doubt SDP would be keen to go Old Folks Home either.

Why dont go GEYLANG, no body will block you right?? Why must go places that you know POLICE will sure block you, just to create NEWS, RIGHT?[/quote]

You are wrong Peter. During the General Election rally, PAP has to go to the Old Folks Home to invite the old folks to attend their GE Rally and not SDP. SDP does not need to do that and be careful what you write; it only put the pap to shame by your lack of knowledge and understanding.

Sat 20 Sep 2008 6:24 PM | Anonymous

[quote]
It seems that all institutions of higher learning do not welcome SDP, reasons everybody knows.

I doubt SDP would be keen to go Old Folks Home either.

Why dont go GEYLANG, no body will block you right?? Why must go places that you know POLICE will sure block you, just to create NEWS, RIGHT?
[/quote]

Wrong people to ask. You want geylang, go ask the resident expert Mike.

Maybe you and him can share one cat50?

Sat 20 Sep 2008 7:23 PM | | seebeng - Only LKY minions place obstacles...

From the reports and photographs, it's clear that the students welcome the SDP and it's only the PAP-controlled management that is afraid to let the students interact with the opposition.

Are our universities institutions of higher learning or mere PAP kindergartens to control and manipulate the minds of their wards?

Sat 20 Sep 2008 8:16 PM | Ted - re: Why not debate?

The only 1 reason for not debate all this years is lky & all pap didn't accept the invitation from SDP to debate live on TV. Why? lky dare not do so for he knows he have no reason for ruling Singapore with an iron fist all this years. Shame on u old man I despise you!!!!!!!!!!

Sat 20 Sep 2008 9:18 PM | meppa

hmm. actually. the SU pres is no longer that indian FT.
some chinese girl now.

Sat 20 Sep 2008 11:42 PM | | E-Jay Ng - Great that SDP is constantly pushing the boundarie

It is very heartening to know SDP is constantly pushing the boundaries and does not back down merely because the authorities have thrown road-blocks in its path.

The role of any full-fledged educational institution is not merely to provide academic instruction, but to create an environment that is conducive to all forms of learning, whether it be book work, community & social work, or political awareness.

To be sure, it is not the responsibility of NTU (and NUS for that matter) to provide students a robust political education, and neither are they obliged to grant every organization a voice on their campus grounds.

But in this instance, NTU owes a clearer explanation as to why they have disallowed SDP to reach out to students, especially when the activity was conducted in an unobstrusive and non-confrontational manner.

Back to the larger picture, what kind of environment is NTU fostering by its actions? Would their actions not lead to even greater political apathy down the road?

Sun 21 Sep 2008 12:33 AM | Ted - re: re: Why not debate?

[quote=Ted]The only 1 reason for not debate all this years is lky & all pap didn't accept the invitation from SDP to debate live on TV. Why? lky dare not do so for he knows he have no reason for ruling Singapore with an iron fist all this years. Shame on u old man I despise you!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

Or may be lky & all pap think that it is a waste of time to debate with the Stubbon Deceptive Psychopath (SDP) ?

Sun 21 Sep 2008 8:17 AM | | NOT MY SDP - Why PAP did not want to debate live on TV with SDP

Simple. PAP doesn't even want to recognise SDP as a political party of significance.

Sun 21 Sep 2008 8:33 AM | Victor - Love Singaporean

Fellow contributors,

Instead of repeating the same old issue, looking into every corners, turns or opportunity to pluck the PAP or LKY, instead of doing it head-on with PAP with its huge formitable machinery, SDP should do the reverse way. Instead of keep complaining about old ladies do toilet cleaning, table cleaning...etc SDP should come up with ideas of solving it.

Since you have lawyers, businessmen and graduates at your disposal, come up with IDEAS how to make Singapore better, ideas that makes sense and average Singaporean will buy and accept. At the moment, SDP looks like a One-Man Party with NO Direction, sometimes, I called it a Complaint Party or Lost Party. I believe its Leadership issue.

Prove to Singaporean your Party Loves Singapore, loves Singaporean. Put aside all your foreign supporters, they dont mean Singapore well.

When I was young in good kampong days, I do remembered Barisan had Kindergardens for the poor, and these are simple acts that touched average Singaporean hearts.

Therefore, be a Party that loves Singapore, loves Singaporean.

Tue 23 Sep 2008 4:22 PM | seaporter - Nanyang Chronicle Censorship

I was a graduate of NTU degree in EEE in 2005. Though I am very much an alumni of NTU, I am appalled by the censorship of student's article regarding the visit by SDP Chairman Dr Chee. The students are just reporting the facts and sharing their experience and exercising their penmanship in writing truthfully. I am wondering what is the big deal reporting politically since students has the right of democracy and to listen to diverse opinion especially when the media is bias in their report on the opposition parties. This totally kills the student’s sense of ownership to their country, right of democracy, a diverse voice of opinion and their analytical mind. It is no wonder that fresh graduates have a tough fight against the Indians from India and Chinese from mainland. There are plenty of internet media where students are able to search: www.yoursdp.org , www.theonlinecitizen.com etc. I don't see the reason why the university has to treat the students like little child only fit to drink milk rather than solid food. Can't an NTU student think properly and analyze impartially having studied there for at least a good 3 years? I would see a vibrant discussion of Singapore's political scene and systems is essential in bringing Singapore into the 21st century else we can see that Singapore is going to fade into history with the rise of India and China. We did study something like Singapore has to keep up with the world, learning from successful country, knowledge-based economy, e-commerce, embrace foreign talent and being entrepreneur right etc. But a no sense of censorship kills the mind!! I don’t see why graduates have to support alumni dinner, fund raising and feeling a sense of belonging when the university treats us like mere kids who are not self-reliant and independent after graduated from NTU.

PS: I would like to thank NTU lecturers for imparting the knowledge in electronics and electrical engineering for my degree and carefully molding us, but not respecting the students’ opinion and their impartial effort in reporting the truth is equivalent to destroying the intellectual of the NTUers . In fact, it would be a waste of time celebrating when the university does not even regard the student’s contribution in the obvious for the good of the country and moving towards the 21st century.