Who is the real PAP mole?
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Who is the real PAP mole: unraveling the conspiracy theories in Singapore’s blogosphere
Posted by admin on September 23, 2008
EDITOR’S NOTE: On 20 Sept 2008, Lianhe Zaobao ran an article entitled “窥探网络世界”, or “Exploring the Blogosphere”. It was written by 游润æ�¬ (Ms You Lun Tian). This is an English translation of the article which my friend did. This translation, as well as the original Chinese article, are also found at Wayangparty.wordpress.com.
Mr Brown (Blogger Lee Kin Mun)’s hilarious “Bak Chor Mee” blog post shot to fame two years ago just before the General Elections. This incident made Chinese paper readers who usually do not surf the internet start to notice the presence of new media.
Since PM Lee Hsien Loong announced the intention to liberalise the internet and new media hemisphere in the National Day Rally, the government-commissioned new media working group has also expressed in their report that the government should pay more attention to the voices of web users. In addition, they also recommended that the government should examine how to better use the new media communication channel to connect with web users.
The newspapers readers who do not participate in online forums may have the impression that web users have a uniform voice, just like the government uses a uniform approach to propagate its ideologies and policies. Some readers are only aware of the existence of Mr Brown or assume that most bloggers are similar to him.
On the contrary, the blogosphere and mainstream society are the same. They are a common space formed by people with varied viewpoints, inclinations, parties, objectives and temperaments.
If newspaper readers receive emails occasionally from their friends which includes hyperlinks to certain blogs, short videos or critiques that claim to shed the light on certain issues or uncover the wrongdoings of certain political figures, please do not believe them readily, or assume all web users think the same way. Other web users may also have strong opposing opinions, and thus various conspiracy theories and personal attacks abound.
Local English current affairs website “theonlinecitizen.com” is a recent example. This blog was set up after the last General Elections and covers news, interest topics, current affairs comics, columns and even translates part of the articles to mandarin to enlarge its reader base. It offers an alternative view to politics and mainstream media reports and is one of the top local websites of its kind.
However, this week someone resurfaced the conspiracy theories that were the hot topic in february earlier this year in the forum sammyboy.com. The user claimed that the persons in charge of “theonlinecitizen.com” are secretly put in place by PAP to act as internet spies. Allegedly, they offer alternative opinions on the surface, but in reality do not attack the key government blog sites.
The writer went on to claim that mainstream media were listening to instructions from ‘above’ to support “theonlinecitizen.com” and help it to gain popularity and therefore cause the genuine anti-government blogs to lose favour with web users.
These writers also pointed out that the person behind “theonlinecitizen.com” , Andrew Loh had switched allegiance from the PAP to WP and now no longer with WP. The other founder, Choo Zhengxi (NUS Law Faculty undergraduate) had previously worked as the speech writer for the West Coast GRC nominee Ho Geok Choo, drawing a salary of $500 for five consecutive months. Last but not least, one of the editors of “theonlinecitizen.com”, Ephraim Loy (SMU Political Science undergraduate) is a member of Young PAP and have participated in various grassroots activites and maintains the same blog with the Foreign Affairs Minister.
The writers also highlighted that since the last elections, PAP has established a new media working group headed by the education minister and one of its objectives is to establish 20 communications representatives to participate in online forums and blogs to deflect and object to anti-government messages. It’s claimed that “theonlinecitizen.com” is one of its products.
This sounds like an exciting scene right out of the popular Hong Kong movie “Infernal Affairs”. When interviewed yesterday, the founders of “theonlinecitizen.com” denied that they were a propagation tool set up by PAP. Andrew Loh mentioned that they always used their real names in these activities and had nothing to hide, in contrast to the forum writers who hide behind anonymity.
This is just one of the methods on the internet to ‘dish dirt’ on and slander others. The real truth is of no interest to non web users. However, such online furore has brought to question the issue of whether web space can tolerate moderate, non-extremist opinions.
People who are anti-government likes to congregate in web forums, because they feel that mainstream media does not give them an opportunity to air their views. Hence, they are intolerant of any pro-government voices in such forums. Political blogs and forum topics are frequently critical towards policies, the government and PAP. On top of this, some web users feel that moderate viewpoints have no ‘marketability’ and the arguments that draw the most attention are the most harsh and extremist arguments. Thus, sites like “theonlinecitizen.com” which are moderate and non-confrontational are thus labelled as pro-government.
Highly anti-government web users not only gauge blogs by such benchmarks, they also ask the same of opposition parties. The Workers Party, who successfully placed two members in Parliament, is widely acknowledged as the most successful opposition party, but in the internet world, it is slammed by a small group of web users. They claim that giving WP a vote is equivalent to giving PAP a vote.
In the last elections, Ng Eng Hen nicknamed the Workers’ Party the “Wayang Party” (Wayang Kulit Party) which prompted blogger Fang Zhi Yuan to set up a blog named wayangparty.wordpress.com to criticise WP, along with all the other Singaporean opposition parties as putting up a ’show’ for Singapore citizens to watch. Fang felt that the opposition parties do not dare to seek redress for the citizens and do not have concrete opposition tactics. They are merely there to help PAP validate their claim that Singapore parliament is not a one party monopoly.
However, when some bloggers who blog on current affairs were interviewed, they opined that they will not be demoralised by the small group of extremist views and do not agree that fierce online arguments showed that local web users were immature.
National Solidarity Party leader Mr Goh Meng Seng said “Extremist viewpoints may draw the attention of people and garner the support of other extremists, but most web users will still want to hear balanced, moderate, mature arguments. This is also the reason why the SDP website is rapidly losing its readers.”
Mr Goh was thrust into the web forums arguments more than one year ago and was forced to leave the “Worker’s Party”, but he does not feel that such extremists online arguments will hinder the general development and maturity of web forum users. “If the web only allowed one form of viewpoint, then it would be no different from communism”.
Mr Choo has adopted a calm attitude towards the personal attacks against him on online forums. “When someone criticises my opinions of current affairs, I will treat their opinions seriously and debate with him actively. However, I will not be bothered if they launch personal attacks.”
The above article was an English translation of a Zaobao article published on 20 September 2008. The translator wishes to remain annonymous and is a friend of Mr Ng E-Jay (sgpolitics.net)
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...silliporeans will not remain silliporeans for long... they will learn how to discriminate for themselves.
It will not be easy because they have been living under propaganda and a certain way that news and opinions are presented but they will have to learn or like the recent financial markets turmoil shows, when you buy propaganda and get propaganda instead of real news and analysis, ultimately you suffer and are manipulated by dishonorable people.
The important thing is to read what is written and not who is writting it when you read online article and posts.
It is like, you support Dr Chee Soon Juan's cause for the cause and not the man.
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i think CSJ is the ultimate MIW mole
the MIW could not have destroyed the opposition credibility as much as CSJ did
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hahaha Dr Chee goes into jail so often, if he is a mole, he has such a noble character, willing to be jailed in service of the despots, he deserves support.
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
hahaha Dr Chee goes into jail so often, if he is a mole, he has such a noble character, willing to be jailed in service of the despots, he deserves support.
so support the MIW.... since by your logic, supporting the MIW = supporting CSJ
but then again if the MIW were to give me 100k a year just to go to jail for weeks at a time a few times a year, i think i would take their offer up...
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P4P so difficult to infiltrate? opposition cannot send in their own mole?
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
It is like, you support Dr Chee Soon Juan's cause for the cause and not the man.
this is so stupid.... i can also say i support LKY's cause for the cause and not the man. -
Let the politically wise and mature ones decide on what is truth and reality.
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Originally posted by Chin Eng:
this is so stupid.... i can also say i support LKY's cause for the cause and not the man...then you will be supporting cronyism, nepotism and the taking of public money, massive amounts of it, by the caretakers for the own pockets..
...and not forgeting the bail-out of foreign banks costing Singaporeans billions in so doing.
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LoL
now they're trying to label all who disagree with PAP as Extremists. Mr Goh claims to want more viewpoints but label as extremist those you don't like to hear. Hypocrite.
'extremists' congregrate in web forums for fear of being sued for defamation by the govt's FAIR judiciary. What do you expect when the power and sovereignty of the govt is unlimited and the people are not in jail by the government's whim.
I am so glad i voted with my feet.. These cycles are never ending no matter what is being professed to solve as long as the root of the problem is still there - The unlimited power of the government.
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
..then you will be supporting cronyism, nepotism and the taking of public money, massive amounts of it, by the caretakers for the own pockets..
...and not forgeting the bail-out of foreign banks costing Singaporeans billions in so doing.
its a joke.... you can see a joke right? after all you are also quite good in joking.I used the words "I can also say"
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The important thing is to read what is written and not who is writting it when you read online article and posts.
I agree with tis statement. If tis guys can write something sensible, meaningful and relevant to the discussion, then who cares if he is an opposition, or a PAP mole, or some guy from another country.
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
..then you will be supporting cronyism, nepotism and the taking of public money, massive amounts of it, by the caretakers for the own pockets..
...and not forgeting the bail-out of foreign banks costing Singaporeans billions in so doing.
What has this got to do with PAP mole?
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
hahaha Dr Chee goes into jail so often, if he is a mole, he has such a noble character, willing to be jailed in service of the despots, he deserves support.
Who knows he really go to jail, maybe he go holiday with LKY or LHL we also dunno, then they happily dine and wine while laughing at our naiveness and stupidity, especially my Uncle Andrew. So heat up for what?? afterall, it was indeed a conspiracy at it very best. -
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hey poh ah pak, can you just shut the F up for once?
Why?
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Seriously, why do you feel so emcumbered?
???
Can you clarify?
Thanks.
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I say the guy who say TOC is a mole of pap is himeself a mole of PAP trying to discredit a legitimate opposition view website....
So you see, its so complicated, so many mole and shrews...But Singaporeans shld have Eyes to see, ears to hear, even without these extermists, iznt the decision to be made in 2011 simple enough? Hint- Gst,erp, FT, bus,..... u get the idea...
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Originally posted by limywv:
hey poh ah pak, can you just shut the F up for once? to us(sensible, sane ones), you're nothing but a joke.
Seriously, why do you feel so emcumbered? Whats wrong with you.
??? where did u come from, did u jus had a quarrel with you loved ones?
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Those rebels here should learn from my Lelouch~
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Who knows he really go to jail, maybe he go holiday with LKY or LHL we also dunno, then they happily dine and wine while laughing at our naiveness and stupidity, especially my Uncle Andrew. So heat up for what?? afterall, it was indeed a conspiracy at it very best.hahahaha... Dr Chee Soon Juan "go holiday with LKY or LHL" hahahaha... stupid asskid...
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Originally posted by the Bear:
i think CSJ is the ultimate MIW mole
the MIW could not have destroyed the opposition credibility as much as CSJ did
Very unlikely but an interesting theory though. -
i think andyboy is the MIW mole....
he's singlehandedly making the typical opposition supporter look like a semi-sentient troublemaking rebel-without-a-clue empty barrel loudmouth...
well done, MIW mole... you've achieved a lot in the interweb.. as much as CSJ achieved IRL...
when will we see you in their general assembly receiving their top award?
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Originally posted by the Bear:
i think andyboy is the MIW mole....
he's singlehandedly making the typical opposition supporter look like a semi-sentient troublemaking rebel-without-a-clue empty barrel loudmouth...
well done, MIW mole... you've achieved a lot in the interweb.. as much as CSJ achieved IRL...
when will we see you in their general assembly receiving their top award?
hahaha I see the teddy bear continues to be personally riled by any mention of Dr Chee Soon Juan... must be from Chiam's camp..
You can support Dr Chee's cause even if you do not support the man..especially since you are from the opposition camp, but apparently Chiam and Low are not fighting for democracy but supports depotism.