MP slams Thum Ping Tjin for suggesting S'poreans should celebrate M'sian independence day

SINGAPORE —  Marine Parade GRC Member of Parliament Seah Kian Peng on Saturday (Sept 1) hit out at historian Thum Ping Tjin for suggesting that Singaporeans should also rejoice on Malaysia's independence day which fell on the previous day.

Earlier this week, Dr Thum, along with political dissident Tan Wah Piow, freelance journalist Kirsten Han, civil rights activist Jolovan Wham and award-winning graphic novelist Sonny Liew, made the headlines, after they held an 80-minute meeting with Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in Kuala Lumpur.

Writing on Facebook, Mr Seah said: "It appears quite clear to me that PJ Thum does not wish Singapore well. It is interesting that Kirsten, Jolovan and Sonny should associate themselves with Thum."

On Thursday, Dr Thum posted on Facebook: "Selamat Hari Merdeka to the people of the former Federation of Malaya! (and happy unofficial independence day to the people of Singapore!)"

Separately, Singapore Democratic Party member Teo Soh Lung also commented on a Facebook video by socio-political website The Online Citizen that "Singapore is part of Malaya la”.

Mr Seah said: "Really? This is what PJ Thum and Teo Soh Lung and the SDP believe in their heart of hearts?" He added that Ms Teo's reference to “Malaya”, and not “Malaysia” was "a tip of the hat, I presume, to the name the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) preferred for the peninsula, including Singapore".

Mr Seah pointed out: "Is it also a coincidence that they had accompanied Tan Wah Piow on this visit to Dr M? Tan was convicted for rioting in 1975 and slipped out of Singapore upon his release from (prison) to avoid National Service. Several of Tan’s comrades from that time subsequently joined the CPM’s radio station, 'Voice of the Malayan Revolution', in Changsha, China."

He reiterated that he was "amazed" that Dr Thum and his supporters should proclaim that Singapore is part of Malaysia or Malaya. "Perhaps that is why he thinks it is permissible to ask its current prime minister to interfere in our affairs," Mr Seah said.

On the group's meeting with Dr Mahathir, Mr Seah noted that Dr Thum invited the Malaysia Prime Minister to "bring democracy to Singapore". "I wonder what deep historical insight prompted him to make this plea, to Dr M, whose views on the Water Agreement with Singapore, and Singapore knowing its place in relation to Malaysia are well known," Mr Seah said.

He added: "Perhaps I should remind PJ Thum that our Constitution requires any change to the sovereignty of Singapore to be approved by two-thirds of all voters in a referendum. This requirement was put in by our founding leaders. As a result of our searing experience in the 23 months when we were part of Malaysia, they knew how important it was to safeguard our independence and sovereignty."

When the constitutional amendment was moved in Parliament, Singapore's first Law Minister E W Barker, who was the author of the Separation Agreement, said that “in the methodology of the destruction of a nation by its foes, war by force of arms is not necessarily the only means employed. The independence of a nation may, by more subtle means, be subverted", Mr Seah noted.

"(Mr Barker) also said: 'The seductive blandishments of foreign agents must not be allowed to succeed.' Quite right and I am sure Singaporeans will agree with that," Mr Seah said.