Category: Personal

keep377a.com (II)

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It appears that the petition at keep377a.com has now closed as of 0110hrs, 22nd Oct 2007. I however, did not see the same statement at this time on repeal377a.com though it did say ask that for interested parties to sign the open letter online, the dateline has been extended to 21st October, 2007.

There are a total of 15,743 signatures on keep377a vs 8,097 signatures on repeal377a. The ratio is 1.94:1. The results are pretty clear that even for now, Singapore society has stood for Section 377a. (Some might cry foul and say that keep377a has cheated by mobilising their supporters in the Christian community, but it appeared to me that repeal377a has gotten more publicity than keep377a itself anyhow.)

Anyway, while I do question the effectiveness of online petitions (and in fact any petitions in Singapore), I suspect this was really done just to prove that the MHA’s view is correct and it will not even change the decision of the gover-min at all on this matter.

After all, it would now appear that even the usually ‘liberal and ‘progressive’ Internet community has weighed the facts, and made their decisions.


keep377a.com


The push by repeal377a.com has evoked a counter-response in the form of keep377a.com. Two other bloggers I follow, Sicarii, Farinelli and Endoh have each given their takes on the matter. Their stand gave me the impetus to make a decision I have put off for a long time, and my choice in this matter is in no way affected by their decisions.

The people who knows me for a long time (since my 20s) know I have never been supportive of homosexuality and my views used to border on homophobia. Numerous arguments later and after losing a few friends, I have since discarded those views and seek more rationalised ones. The drive by repeal377a.com has now made it necessary for me to review those views and make a stand on the future I want to have.

It is my considered opinion that not everyone is beset by erroneous views and bigotry to stand for keeping 377A. The decision I came to stand for keeping Section 377A is solely mine and it is not written to sway the decision of those who are undecided, nor to convince those who wants the abolition of Section 377A to change sides. The fact I went for keeping 377a.com is simply because I rejected the arguments presented by the pro-repeal faction so far. The following are 5 main points (in no order of importance) I have used to made my decision, and I have completely discarded the so-called ‘homophobic views’ on homosexuality any open-minded individual would have, and have not considered some of the more common ones presented by the so-called ‘conservative and silent’ majority – including the ones on keep377a.com.

  1. Religion.

    Church leaders and authorities in Singapore are very clear what the stand on homosexuality is. I am not a Bible scholar so I am in no position to dispute their stand. I do find the punishment as taught in the Old Testament as inhuman, but it would be hypocritical of me to choose to accept only the good things God has to offer, but refuses to accept that which the secular world objects to. Granted the other religions may not even oppose or have a stand on homosexuality, and Singapore is not a theocracy to begin with, but if I don’t stand by my own religious convictions, then mayhaps I should quit believing in God as well. Cannot believe ‘jit bwa jit bwa’ [only half of it], right?

  2. Equality

    Is there unequal treatment in general? Does 377A deny homosexual people jobs, social services such as health care, and also universal suffrage in Singapore? Are they made to pay more taxes or pay more for public transports?

    I doubt even the staunchest who support keeping 377A would stand for unequal treatment. I personally wouldn’t care if my colleague is lesbian or homosexual. As far as I am concerned, there is no inequality where I can see. Yes, there are narrowed-minded people who would look at and treat homosexual people differently, but is that a side effect of 377A itself, or is 377A the result of such narrow-mindedness? Let’s avoid the circular logic here.

  3. Freedom of Choice

    This is in my opinion is one of the strongest argument presented for the repealing of 377A. One has a right to choose what the way to live their own lives when it does not affects your ability to live your own lifestyle. The part on when it does not affects your ability to live your own lifestyle was added when it was asked why then does one not have the freedom to choose to object to something that one may feel offended about?

    Unfortunately, the weakest link of this argument is ‘when it does not affects your ability to live your own lifestyle’ itself. The reason being, a person who chooses to be a robber or pedophile; or has a liking for bestiality also doesn’t affect anyone’s ability to live their own lifestyle until someone is robbed, has his child raped or his dog sodomised respectively. In fact choosing to greet your neighbour every morning with the Hokkien vulgarities KNNBCCB, also does not affect your neighbour’s ability to live their own lifestyle. But it will provoke a reaction anyway.

    To put it simply, I am just pointing out the fallacy of this argument and the slippery slope it is on. And let me make it clear, I not equating homosexuality with the above listed felonies in case some draws that conclusion. But I would like to ask, why stop at 377A, why not repeal 377 as well in this case? After all, none of those things stated in 377 would affect another’ss ability to live their own lifestyle as well, do they?

  4. Liberal and Progressive

    This is often used. The argument is that those who are against homosexuality are conservative die-hards and perhaps even reactionary and counter-progressive. Sometimes, even the religion of the person’s objecting is being talked about, as seen here.

    I disagree with this completely. There will be people who have different views on what is being liberal and progressive and the disagreement on that doesn’t earn one a label of any form. And what has the person’s religious community got to do with it anyway? In my opinion, labelling your opponents or even attacking his religious beliefs would polarise both sides of the argument and push them further away from one another. And whatever happened to freedom of choice? Why is another person criticised and ridiculed for making their choices as long as they are using their best judgment from the information available to them?

  5. Nature

    Surprisingly, there is also the argument that homosexuality is not a choice. Some people are just born that way. So, the fear that there will be more homosexuals by simply decriminalising homosexuality is irrational. Homosexual acts, if not homosexuality itself, is in fact also observed in the animal kingdom. (Though, I am not entirely sure if homosexual behavior in animals is one entirely of attraction or lust, and not an act of alpha domination.)

    There are documentaries on this. And despite the fact of it being one of the best arguments for repealing 377A, this argument unfortunately contradicts that of freedom of choice. If it is indeed something natural, i.e. a result – and I won’t call it a fluke – of nature, then homosexuals really don’t have a choice in the matter. In fact, it would serve as a very strong case to repeal 377A because that sets homosexual acts apart from bestiality and pedophilia and the people who oppose repealing it without this information are surely under-informed.

    But still, aren’t humans creatures capable of higher thoughts and control? Otherwise, why isn’t everyone giving in to their sexual urges and hump one another anywhere on the streets? It’s certainly a matter of nature to procreate, no?

It is my sincere wish that everyone make their own informed decision on this matter. The views above are my reasons for keeping 377A. If anyone is unhappy with my decision, you are entitled to your opinion. I just do not need to hear about them.

Thank you.

Addendum

I do get sick listening to the usual non-discrimination, no one should limit choices arguments over and over again. Above which, unless you are a homosexual yourself, it is my considered opinion you are nothing more than just an empty vessel making a lot of noise. What have you gotta lose and sacrifice to fight for the repeal? So, I reject what you have to say entirely.


Another blogger’s point of view on ‘gays’…

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I chanced upon his post while loading the ping.sg main page. And I find this part the most amusing: ‘I feel that lesbians are totally fine (except for the fact that they are taking away girls that we could be dating)“.

I found myself laughing at it as I know many of my friends enjoyed looking at lesbian women, because they would choose to believe that she might be a bi-sexual who would enjoy pseudo-sex with her lesbian partner as much as she would enjoy the real thing with a real male. That’s not including the one who plays the part of the male, of course. Not to mention I know some guy who once said, “I like lesbians. Buy 1 get 1 free.” But that was way before he tried to be funny at a lesbian pub and end up with a cup of Bloody Mary that has a tampon sticking out of it – courtesy of the ‘male’ partner of a gorgeous lesbian girl he was trying to pick up.

It also reminds me that, about a dozen years ago, at one of my previous workplace, a colleague stormed into my office and bellowed at all of us, ‘YOU ALL didn’t tell me she is a woman. I was talking to her earlier on about the Thai prostitute I screwed last night and the service of which girls are good! Some more, she has been using the Gents!!’ (He was referring to one of our lesbian colleagues who dressed like a guy most of the time and goes by a guy’s name.)

I did find it a little amusing so I asked him two things: ‘What difference does it make if she used the Gents, since she isn’t going to stand at the urinal and pee but would use the cubicles?’ and ‘If you have no problems telling any other guy about your exploits at Geylang, what’s the problem with telling her?’

The reply was stunning, “You mean you would tell a woman you go to the prostitutes?! And hey, I don’t want any woman peeking at my pecker when I pee, especially without me knowing it!”

That was quite a laugh because a few moments ago he was treating her like brother-brother… And that reminds of another incident whereby I asked one of my female friends if she would find it alright for transvestites to use the ladies. Her replied surprised me because it was a resounding NO, because to her, the transvestite is still a man. And, before I popped that question she was raving about we men discriminates against homosexuals and such. I had to point out that technically, transvestites are homosexuals too.

So what is the point I am trying to make? It is simply this, the homosexual / lesbian lobby has so well politicized the issue, and has done a great ‘marketing job’ in making the people feel it is acceptable. But that is as long as the people doesn’t find their own personal interests threatened by them. Regardless if the threat is real or perceived, it is quite interesting to see just how fast some of them change sides once they feel their own self interest is threatened.

Anyway, I used to joke with an old friend that when it is said, “有人的地方就有江湖”, it simply means that where there’s people, there’s politics. And politics to me is merely a matter of people coming together to protect their own self interest – while presenting it as the interest of the majority of the people – by finding strength in the numbers or getting those who has no stake in it to agree with it.

And that’s why the debate on Section 377A has never gotten much attention from me. After all, while it is my stand that discrimination should not be allowed, are we seeing discrimination in the form of the police storming into the homes of homosexual couples or into hotel rooms to arrest them in their act? Or is Section 377A used to deny them jobs, health care, or every other thing that heterosexual citizens are entitled to in Singapore – other than marriage, of course? If not, then let this dumb law be, though I would agree that it leaves room for a possibly fascist regime to abuse it in the future.

Perhaps, someone just looked into the crystal ball and find out that some major discrimination against homosexual people is going to be happening some time soon…

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8

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Got myself a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 recently. I took the opportunity to snap some photos with the camera at home to test the features, to see if it was as good as the FZ5 which I originally wanted. I must say I am not disappointed.

Today, I took it to the office to show my colleague, and since I was in the office early, I took the opportunity to snap some picture from where I am sitting. I like this camera, and I guess I need to read the manual and do more tests with it so in the future I can take better photos than these.

After work, I was about to take it home when another friend called me for dinner. So I decided to walk down to Marina Square – where I will be meeting my friend – and took some photos along the way.

The following is a slide show of the photos I have taken. And yes, if they are bad, it’s not the camera, it’s the camera man. (I guess I will be spending a little more money to keep this little baby safe and in proper working condition for the next few years. :))

Choosing an opposition party to join?

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One of the things I have been thinking about recently, is which opposition party to join if I want to join one. And what are the reasons for not choosing to join a particular party.

Here are the reasons why I wouldn’t join these parties:

  • SDP: With the media and the Tali-PAP heavy weight out in full power to discredit Dr Chee, the SDP will find it hard to win supporters or attract voters. While I have nothing against Dr. Chee and the SDP, I find it hard to agree with his means and whatever he is struggling about. One thing though, I’ll give it to the man and his family for the sacrifices they are making.

  • NSP: There was a time Steve Stiff Chia brought some excitement to the local political scene, after Dr. Chee ‘fell from grace’. Until his wife bust his ass and his maid photos, that is. My impression of the NSP – based on my lack of knowledge of their grassroot activities – gives me the impression of it being a ‘Election Party’, i.e. it only surfaces during elections and other than that, you don’t hear much about them in between elections. Why would anyone want to have anything to do with them at all if that’s the case?

  • SPP: Chiam See Tong is a hero. In spite of the fact he’s called 暂时挡 (Temporary Block in Hokkien), he has survived quite a number of elections. Unfortunately, the future of the SPP does not look bright anymore. One must question, when the day comes for Chiam to retire, who will his successor be? There is no apparent successor or heir to Chiam’s legacy. It is sad that when Chiam retires, Potong Pasir may fall once again into the hands of the Tali-PAP, and the SPP may fade into obscurity.

  • SDA: The names says it all. Singapore Democratic Alliance. One the surface, it would appear that it is an alliance of opposition parties. On of the functions of this alliance is to avoid 3 party fights during elections, and to pool resources to meet the ‘minority candidate’ requirements since some parties do not have enough members to run for elections. Sounds good on the surface, but it can also be viewed as some kind of under the table political trade, and it also means that a team of candidates could end up far from where they worked on the last time. In other words, while it might allow the opposition to contest more than half the seats so the Tali-PAP isn’t returned to power on the nomination day itself, the outcome is almost concluded the moment they agree who should run where.

So that leaves only one that I would consider joining, if I do join. And it’s the one not in the above list: The Workers’ Party – founded by David Marshall, the Workers’ Pary has been around for half a century.

With the exception of the James Gomez incident, my opinion of the Workers’ Party has generally been positive ever since the days of Joshua Jeyaretnam (though in recent years I do not quite agree with some of the things he says or the things he is doing). However, current party chairman Sylvia Lim and Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang appears to be down to earth, no nonsense individuals. They do not say things lightly, nor do they do things without any meaning.

The other thing I like about this political party is that it does not take voters for granted, as can be seen by its stronger showing in Hougang the last election. The WP works the ground relentlessly, and maintains a presence between elections. It is also quick to admit its short-comings, and is constantly renewing itself.

If there’s a party anyone want to join for an alternate future other than the one envisioned by the Tali-PAP, the Workers’ Party should be it.

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