Youtube link: http://mrbrwn.co/K9ttQX
Maybe I should start charging political parties money for using my name at their rallies. Or name myself mrbrown™.
In reference to PAP MP Denise Phua's speech, Gerald Giam says:
"Then she went on to say that we don’t even need opposition MPs. She said that we can go check out the Internet to see the views of ex-Nominated MPs and bloggers like mr brown. She said that they do not have allegiance to any specific political party and have minds of their own. She said that they are the real check on the PAP.Wow! Really? Bloggers are the real check on the PAP? I was an active political blogger several years ago. If I had heard this her speech back then, I wouldn’t have bothered going through all this trouble to join the Workers’ Party and contest in elections. I would have just stayed at home and blogged away to bring about real change to Singapore!
By her logic, we can just all go into Facebook to debate and make laws there. Why bother with Parliament?
In fact, even blogger mr brown, whom Ms Phua mentioned, was tickled. Here is what he wrote on his blog in response:
“I am honoured. Does that mean I get to vote on bills and speak in Parliament from now on?”
I think Ms Phua has a fundamental misunderstanding of the Parliamentary process."
Thank you for mentioning my name at your speech, Mr Giam. Not to belittle the role that parliamentarians play in our political landscape but change and checks don't just come from elected politicians alone hor. Just sayin'.
You know who are the real checks on the ruling party AND the opposition parties? Regular folks like us, who hold the right to vote, and who hold the right to decide who gets to govern us. Some of us have blogs. Some of us use Facebook. Some of us talk at coffee shops.
Regardless of the space we choose to voice our concerns, and to exercise our citizenship, remember that we are the hands that open the doors to send you to Parliament, and we are also the hands that can yank you lot out.
Disregard the voice and the will of the people at your own peril.
