Friday 13, 2012 - TOC 5th Birthday & Awards Night

The above video shows the intro of Catherine Lim's speech after receiving TOC Lifetime Achievement Award from guests of honour Mr & Mrs Chiam See Tong.

Wearing a black cheongsum with white trimming laced with beautiful flower over her bosom, Catherine Lim looked gorgeous. Looking good is only a minor part of her forte. If you enjoy Catherine Lim's writing, you've got to hear her speak!

That's the highlight of an evening well spent. Speaking off the cuff, without any prepared note in front of her, she spoke of the "political fatigue" of PAP. A friend of mine once told me years ago, she was a student of Catherine Lim. All I know is when you are with Catherine, you learn English, the language! Or at least, where I'm concerned, she reminds me of words that I've almost forgotten. Until you see her on video, I'd like to share some:

• "Oxymoron" - when she described PM Lee Hsien Loong's proclamation of being "servant leeder" and asking his PAP followers to do the same and not "lord over us". LOL! Yes, we (the audience) did laughed out loud, very load!
  
  
• It was "touche!" when Catherine said that PM Lee and his PAPies missed the opportunity to "come clean" when he and his cronies rejected a petition by 16 ex-political detainees to have a COI on their detention. According to her, the Commission of Inquiry on Mas Selamt jalan; the MRT Fiasco COI; and even the Ministerial Review, though helpful, cannot match the importance of a COI on Political Detention. If done properly, it was a chance for PAP to regain its reputation and, more importantly, to demolish the 'divide' and hopefully build a more united people based on justice and equality.
  
  It is a shame that due to the fear of losing their power and their disrespect and/or inability to accept the citizens' intelligence (no, we aren't 'daft' after all), the ruling party is adamant in not opening up and be transparent of their 'mo ngan thye' [no eyes see] doings, past and present.
  
  
• Her reminder of the scare tactics of ISA and defamation suits used by PAP and how it may not work anymore
  
  
• Her gut feel that the young with the new normal mainstream media of internet and facebook etc. (no longer Straits Times or CNA,) will be a force to be reckoned with.

It's an evening well spent. Apart from being in the good company of Mr Chiam See Tong and his dear wife Lina, History making personalities including Teo So Lung, Gerald Giam, Tan Jee Say, "Aspiration" Viswa, Rachel and lawyer M Ravi who do much for 'dead man walkin' recipients of mandatory death sentences.

Though the crowd wasn't anything like what you see in a WP's election rally, it was an entertaining and enlightening evening.

With Joshua and his band playing for Vui Kong to end the evening's gathering, let's be strong at Speakers' Corner this Sunday at Hong Lim Park at 4pm for a decent cause of lovin' life! [Link] & [Link].

Watch out for TOC [Link] posting of Catherine Lim's awesome speech in TOC and/or youtube.

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