According to Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, the National Conversation exercise will not set out to slaughter sacred cows. “It’s not a culling session,” he said, “I don’t think we should start our Singapore conversation on the basis of looking for sacred cows to slay… I don’t think that would be a constructive exercise."
Ok, so if we are not slaughtering any sacred cows, then how about pushing the sacred cow over a bit? You know, cow tipping?
And how shall we know who are the sacred cows? Are they wearing some kind of uniform?
What if Singaporeans don't mind not slaying any sacred cows, but just want to tickle the udders of the sacred cows a bit?
And for Singaporeans who don't eat meat, will they be able to slay sacred pumpkins?
PAP's Sim Ann quotes her friend suggesting that the sacred cows of Cow Peh and Cow Bu be slain first. I think we must first cull the sacred bird: Jiao Way (but that would kill all conversation in Singapore, especially mine).
PM asked that the conversation be balanced. And talked about stones.
"As I used to say, we leave no stones unturned. But some stones, after we look at them, the original place was quite nice, and we put them back," he said.
But once you turn a stone, it is very hard to put back in the same place in the exact same way leh. Do we also plan to dust and polish the stones after we turn them, before we put them back in their original place? Perhaps this National Conversation is less of a Stone Overturning exercise but more of a Stone Spring-Cleaning exercise?
And if we pick up the stone, are we allowed to throw the stone at someone? Maybe at a sacred cow?
But if the stone is inside the sacred cow, are we allowed to slay the cow to get the stone out then put it back inside the cow if the stone looked fine in its original place? We promise to sew back the sacred cow.
Also hor, got some people say the National Conversation panel a bit the not-balance.
The papers said the Opposition slams make-up of National Conversation committee.
Must be they felt the make-up was too thick and not natural, and may clog the pores. But the ruling party insisted that the make-up was non-partisan, for all skin types.
You can see the list of 26 here.
So today, we learned that cows and stones must be balanced and not anyhowly slain or moved from their original positions if some like them where they were.
No stone unslain. No cow uneaten. No stoned cow overturned.
Because, as Miyagi put it, a rolling stone gathers no u-turn.