Our Students Grow

I refer to the SDP article "Let our students grow". In it SDP portrayed a skewed image of education opportunities in local University. I would like to use National University of Singapore (NUS) as an example to debate some of the points mentioned by SDP.

"A check with the NUS Students' Union website showed little discussion of national affairs. The section on “Events” is blank and “Current Issues” highlights the unhappiness of the fee hike – in 2006! “NUSSU News” carries a news flash that dates back to February this year."

Discussion of national affairs should never be seen to be restricted to whatever appears on websites. There are various student organisations and initiatives found on the NUS Student Organisations page.

"What about party politics? Why are our universities so consistent in their aversion to opposition parties visiting their campuses?"

It's faulty to state that universities are averse to opposition parties visiting their campuses because the NUS Democratic Socialist Club has on many counts, invited opposition leaders to address students.

"Although DSC is a non-partisan student political organization, the club's leadership saw the
political necessity to push forward the agenda of raising undergraduates' awareness to strive
for a politics of balance in Singapore. Hence our administration was remembered for an

unprecedented back-to-back Kent Ridge Forums , featuring only oppositional personalities.

Speakers in the 2 forums included Chaim See Tong, Low Thia Khiang, JBJ & Chee Soon
Juan." (Yaw Shin Leong, 2007)

To conclude, SDP should not tout itself to the students and appear desperate in its attempt to find a platform to outreach to the public. Looking at the opposition websites, it turns out that SDP seemed to be the only one that did not bother to wish our Muslim brothers Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Lacking grassroots support has always been the detriment of opposition parties.