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©The
Straits Times, Singapore (Used by permission)
by Eisen Teo
WHEN opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam first entered
Parliament after his Anson victory in 1981, most YouthInk writers had not yet
been born.
What we know of the late JBJ is captured in a series of bits, bytes and
disjointed images, which his recent passing compels us to make meaning of.
Among this group of about 20 contributors from tertiary institutions and
universities - aged 18 to 25 - one of the most persistent memories of him was of
a solitary man hawking books outside City Hall, cutting a somewhat forlorn
figure.
That image raises the question of his life's impact on our generation more than
a week after his funeral, forming an awkward pastiche.
Opinions span the gamut of what he truly stood for, and what his legacy spells
for us.
On the one hand, some of us felt we showed sympathy for him - support even, if
you can call it that - by buying his books or party newsletter, or tuning in to
his Parliament speeches. Our admiration, or something like it, was soft and
safely vocalised from a distance, its decibel increasing only after his passing,
in tribute, on online blogs or social networking outlets.
Many saw him as one who stood tenaciously for what he believed in - truth,
integrity, justice, dignity - despite crushing odds. He was a rare embodiment of
a Singaporean who thought critically about something, then chose to speak up
about it. That courage in itself is a worthy legacy, regardless of one's
political leanings.
However, they regret not getting to know the man and his ideas better, despite
his being Singapore's 'quintessential opposition politician', as one YouthInker
dubbed him.
While his death marks the end of one era, this young group is also acutely aware
that many of their peers were and are still content being armchair critics,
staying well within their comfort zone when it comes to politics.
Pragmatism holds firm over these young adults' mentalities. They lean towards
apathy, the path of least resistance. Why fix the proverbial 'it', when 'it'
isn't broken?
Several YouthInk writers, in fact, wondered whether JBJ's political style was
too confrontational for the average Singaporean. They wondered whether he might
have left a greater impact if he had cut a compromise and moderated his
approach, as fellow opposition politicians Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang
have done.
The short attention span of the public, they added, was also likely to quickly
diminish his memory.
But what the group can all agree on is that he has left an indelible mark on
local politics and civil society here, be that good or bad.
JBJ's insistence on pushing the envelope has arguably contributed to Singapore's
gradual political liberalisation. YouthInk writers now enjoy some cautious hope,
with the recent loosening up of laws governing the Speakers' Corner and
political films.
The question now is how youth can get involved in civil issues which affect the
country's future, while drawing lessons on determination - and bearing in mind
the responsibility that comes with it all.
The writer, 24, is an honours-year history student at the National
University of Singapore
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Circular No 304/2008
