14 February 2005
Dear fellow S’poreans,
I am proud to relate what happened at the newly-renovated Bendemeer Market & Food Centre recently.
I was with my folks having the famous Zhu Chang Fen at a table right next to the carpark when a huge group of people starting wandering into the place, all nicely clad in collar-shirt and long pants(not all were
white, mind you). Among this 20-plus strong contingent was a chap dressed in spanking robes of the God Of Fortune, long beard, bushy eyebrows, exquisitely embroided robe with the hoola-hoop belt thrown in, looking very much the part.
Word spread quickly that a VIP of some sort from the heavens has descended upon the peasants of the Little Red Dot. I am quite apolitical so I can’t realy tell who it was, but I swear I’ve seen his face somewhere.
This man was walking around, shaking hands with the hawkers and chatting up the ah peks and ah sohs, surrounded by a digital camera-toting groupie and a note-taking groupie, among the many groupies. And the “God Of Fortune” chap was DISTRIBUTING ANG POWS after the VIP spoke to the plebians, what a sight!
The trailing edge of this group of comets was right next to me, so I asked a middle-aged man among the entourage who was basking in the limelight who that guy was.
“Oh he’s the MP Lee Boon Yang, minister of the Info and the Arts(sic)” replied the faithful follower.
Then he added “Why don’t you go and say Hi to him?”
“Awww no thanks, I don’t like the PAP!” smirked I and walked away, feeling like I just won the half the 10 million TOTO Ang Pow draw.
That nice gentleman just laughed without so much of a retort. Maybe he was shocked, maybe he knew the implications of a public slanging match with a disgruntled peasant, plus the fact that the MP was throwing sweets at a spanking new Food Centre/Market on a bright cheerful Sunday.
All these point to one thing: What Time Is It, boys & girls? Election
Time!
QUAKE 12