01 July 2005

POLITICAL WEBSITE?

So I got an interesting email yesterday, from a Commentary Singapore reader. The email isn't altogether clear, but I gather she's a student, probably doing some course in Media Studies or Political Science.

And she wanted to know whether the government authorities, or specifically the Singapore Broadcasting Authority, had ever contacted me to ask me to officially register Commentary Singapore as a political website.


"Mr Wang, you've been naughty, haven't you."

My answer was no, the SBA has not contacted me. And I further added that if the SBA ever contacted me to register, I would immediately close down this blog. Then I would start a new blog. Under yet another user ID, of course.

It's not like this is really anything new to me. Expressing an opinion in Singapore has always been a tricky affair. Yet in his own inimitable style, Mr Wang has been busily promoting civic discussion and critical thinking in this dangerous little country. For many years now, under the guise of different personas, Mr Wang Zhen has been swarming and buzzing around Singapore newsgroups, blogs, discussion forums etc, and opening his readers' eyes to the world around them.

"Stop it, Mr Wang. Stop it!
Singaporeans are almost beginning to think!"

That's the power of the Internet. The names don't matter. The message does. Keep reading, and writing, and the truth will set you free. And if sometimes you think that Mr Wang sounds like someone else you've read before on the Internet, well, well ... you might be right.

"Haha, thanks Mr Wang, that was quite enlightening.
I've had a couple of past lives myself!"

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are a dangerous man, Mr Wang.

Hehe, but I must say you provide some sorely needed medicine against the many articles from the ST and TNP and sometimes Today that induces brain pain.

akikonomu said...

Well, since when did topical issues get defined as political issues? I don't see a political site when I read commentarysingapore; I see a topical and critical site.

jeffyen said...

Anything can be political. It is the inherent ambiguous nature of such terms as 'political website' that results in fear, confusion and doubt in people. Hence its effectiveness...

akikonomu said...

Jeff, surely you meant "Hence, its ineffectiveness and patent absurdity when critically and loudly questioned, but effectiveness in a nation of sheep..."?