Goh Meng Seng: Was he pushed or did he jump?
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SENIOR Workers' Party member Goh Meng Seng has quit the party, taking responsibility for Internet postings he said had tarnished the WP's reputation.
'I need to be accountable for it,' said the 36-year-old, who was part of the WP's Aljunied team in the last polls.
However, sources say he was also unhappy with impending party guidelines to curtail members' postings on the Internet, a claim he denied.
Mr Goh, an active netizen, had attracted brickbats recently on online forums for harsh language, calling a forum participant 'scheming' and 'lacking in integrity'.
A netizen even fired a letter to party chairman Sylvia Lim, complaining about WP members' online behaviour.
Mr Goh told The Straits Times yesterday: 'It has created a bad image for the party and the party must come first. Someone must be accountable.'
He stressed that he was not pushed out of the party and that his comrades had asked him to stay.
His resignation two weeks ago came as a shock to party members. He was a central executive committee (CEC) member and part of the WP's 'A team' led by Ms Lim, which claimed 43.9 per cent of the valid votes in Aljunied GRC during May's General Election.
Mr Goh, who joined the WP in 2001, said it was not an easy decision to quit. 'I may not be a veteran who has been with the party for over 40 years. But there is still an emotional attachment,' he said.
'I have no regrets,' he said repeatedly, adding in Mandarin: 'Tian xia mei you bu san zhi yan xi.' The Chinese proverb he quoted states that there is no banquet in this world that lasts forever.
He said he has not thought of joining another opposition party and will still help out with WP activities.
Ms Lim told The Straits Times last night the party is 'always sad to lose people'.
Added WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang: 'I have to respect his choice. I respect the individual's choice, and he has made his contributions to the party in the past.' He did not want to elaborate on the reasons behind Mr Goh's departure.
On the party's Internet guidelines, he said: 'There was some feedback from younger members of the party who are active on the Internet, that perhaps we should have certain 'netiquette'.
'Since it's something from the ground that younger members would like to see, the CEC will take it up and see what is the best we can come up with.'
(Straits Times Nov
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The post which he criticised another forumite was more than 2 years old. I think it was SgSentinels who wanted to complain to Sylvia Lim.
Anyway, we still have CHia Ti Lik around. -
WP members will have to abide by their party's new ruling:Originally posted by iveco:The post which he criticised another forumite was more than 2 years old. I think it was SgSentinels who wanted to complain to Sylvia Lim.
Anyway, we still have CHia Ti Lik around.
'...he was also unhappy with impending party guidelines to curtail members' postings on the Internet..' -
So I guess george yeo can sleep abit more peacefully now.
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By thread title....
I thought someone jumped MRT tracks again. -
"Pushed or Jump" - at least, he is able to "walk in the direction of his talk".
Goh Meng Seng had shown his ability to tackle political issues that concern Singaporeans - unlike some who has loudly announced their PhD credentials and can only be dishonest to their own principles - by thinking in one way but prefer to be "politically correct".
Can those recruited by the MIW have the same liberties as Goh Meng Seng ?
The backbenchers from the Ruling Party had to suppress their own thoughts and tow the party line - even on matters that touch their personal conscience and principles. -
At least Goh Meng Seng is man enough to take responsibility and resign. Have we seen such accountability from PAP? Did MP Wee resign? Did any of the GLC CEO or MP even apologise for the failures they make or the comments they say?
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Had he been more responsible in his postings he wouldn't have had to resign in the first place...Originally posted by anonymouscoward:At least Goh Meng Seng is man enough to take responsibility and resign. Have we seen such accountability from PAP? Did MP Wee resign? Did any of the GLC CEO or MP even apologise for the failures they make or the comments they say?
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In my view, he is as respectable as other foreign ministers (i.e. Japanese) who resign for the wrong comments or decision they make. They are not saint but they take responsibility for the smallest mistakes.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:Had he been more responsible in his postings he wouldn't have had to resign in the first place...
Compare to those who infurate the public and don't even bother to wipe that smurk off their face after they spit on you. -
For saying that he was going to 'fix the opposition', did Lee Hsian Loong resign after his 'elite' apology?Originally posted by oxford mushroom:Had he been more responsible in his postings he wouldn't have had to resign in the first place...
For defending his daughter's outspoken and brutally 'honest' assessment, will Wee Siew Kim resign despite drawing the flak of the netizen community as well as the majority of Singaporeans?
I seriously doubt Goh resigned solely on the comments he made. There are always other mitigating factors involved and this was probably an opportune time to walk away.
And i'm doubly sure the article is 2-3 times larger than the space allocated to Wee Siew Kim's scandalous remarks and subsequent apology? -
Who will ever resign from a two-million dollar per year sinecure job protected by a full barrage of complaint-proof anti-defamation armoury against any any slightest grouses on NKF wrong doings, honest mistakes or incompetenceOriginally posted by anonymouscoward:At least Goh Meng Seng is man enough to take responsibility and resign. Have we seen such accountability from PAP? Did MP Wee resign? Did any of the GLC CEO or MP even apologise for the failures they make or the comments they say? -
If this chap can take responsibility for his actions, and an unelected politician at that, what does it say about the attitude towards the values of accountability of those elected officials?
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People already said it before.Originally posted by LazerLordz:If this chap can take responsibility for his actions, and an unelected politician at that, what does it say about the attitude towards the values of accountability of those elected officials?
If you have a cushy job which pays you millions for doing almost nothing, would you want to quit that job? -
Then I got one extra magic lumber for betting this weekends.Originally posted by missqi:By thread title....
I thought someone jumped MRT tracks again. -
so is his alias forum_dude, chua tian xiang or dillip kumar?
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no...it is goh meng sengOriginally posted by monoslayer:so is his alias forum_dude, chua tian xiang or dillip kumar? -
Exactly. I sure hope people will start asking themselves that question.Originally posted by LazerLordz:If this chap can take responsibility for his actions, and an unelected politician at that, what does it say about the attitude towards the values of accountability of those elected officials? -
Ask nia.Originally posted by spinsugar:Exactly. I sure hope people will start asking themselves that question.
Doing it is another thing. -
some one plz bring the "resign mr wee" petition from SIngapore Elections to his meet the MP session.
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Get that petition out of my elite uncaring face!Originally posted by abao:some one plz bring the "resign mr wee" petition from SIngapore Elections to his meet the MP session.
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This is a timely warning to politicians and their supporters that those who resort to flame and insults on the Net will only bring dishonour to their political parties.Originally posted by anonymouscoward:In my view, he is as respectable as other foreign ministers (i.e. Japanese) who resign for the wrong comments or decision they make. They are not saint but they take responsibility for the smallest mistakes.
Compare to those who infurate the public and don't even bother to wipe that smurk off their face after they spit on you. -
You got a point there, hence it is safer to get others, their children, etc to do it.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:This is a timely warning to politicians and their supporters that those who resort to flame and insults on the Net will only bring dishonour to their political parties. If anything goes wrong, a half fcuked apology will take care of everything. -
Some are better off as supporters of civil society groups. To label everything a political party is anachronistic.
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I guess Goh Meng Seng would be remembered as one of the few who stood up for his principals and believes in the face of a difficult political climate. I'm certain many will react with glee to his demise from the political scene, these individuals unfortunately clearly fail to realize that Goh, as a non member of parliment, possesses the professionalism and ethical acumen superior to that of certain individuals. Some might argue that he MIGHT be forced out of the WP. Even if we were to concede that this was true, doesn't it reflect the unbiased and above board conduct of the WP in outsturing a key member of their party when he has made a mistake? I think there are many out there who could learn from the example of Goh and the WP, afterall decency and transperancy was what the nation was founded upon, not flip-flops and a false illusion of superiority.
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Mr Goh Meng Seng has an sgforums account i believe..
anyway.. sad that WP lost such a great person