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.

SDP exploiting student unions to spread SDP propaganda

In light of the removal of reports of SDP's visit to the NTU campus,

In light of the controversy over the banning of the news reports of the SDP in the Nanyang Chronicle and Nanyang Spectrum, I would like to ask the NTUSU if it would organise a forum where we can address the students of NTU.

There is obvious interest among your fellow students in our message and I am sure that the NTUSU is also interested in ensuring that the student body is exposed to a diversity of views and opinions. A forum where we can speak would go a long way towards this end.

(Note that SDP used the term "banning" of the news reports, when it was only a removal from the newspapers)

SDP seems to be very interested in microcosm. Being a small party and securing few votes in elections, SDP feels that a crowd of less than 50 students meant the majority of NTU students. Now we know why SDP fails to win elections, cuz' it has a small box and it thinks within it.

Jokes aside, the SDP has from time to time acted in an irresponsible way. SDP choice of contacting the student union instead of the school shows how it seeks to undermine authority. Without respect for authority, how then could SDP command respect?

Furthermore, it was NTU President Su Guaning who requested for the removal of the reports. SDP should have sent a letter to him instead and reason it out.

The likely outcome of a forum would most likely instill resentment of the school authority into students. With biased views and rude comments from SDP, students might fall into the myths that it attempts to create.

Challenge to the SDP!

SDP proclaimed that many NUS, NTU students are keen to know more about SDP and its views. We hereby challenge the SDP to organise a seminar and invite the varsity students to attend it. Then we will certainly know how many students are actually interested about SDP's views.

Not living up to the challenge would mean:

• SDP is not sincere in spreading its message to students
• SDP merely wants to tap on student bodies to achieve its aims - spread SDP propaganda
• SDP does not garner much support from students after all
• SDP prefers to have Hawaiian Parties than spreading its message
  

Alert NTU prevents SDP exploitation

NTU students were going to report the visit of Dr Chee Soon Juan and members of the SDP in their campus newspaper, The Nanyang Chronicles. However, NTU President Su Guaning removed the report just one day before publication.

According to Associate Professor Benjamin Detenber, Chair of NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), which runs both campus media, the university’s position is that the story was killed because “there was a feeling of concern over the use of student media to publicise and promote the unsolicited views of an uninvited person to the campus.”

Fortunate for NTU's alertness, the free advertisement of SDP was prevented. Here are some reasons that NTU is justified for their actions:

• SDP did not seek approval of NTU for its visit. Technically, SDP trespassed NTU campus.
• Student media should not be exploited as publicity for political parties, SDP in this case.
• The approval of publicising the SDP article would mean that the student media can report on any agents or company representatives that came uninvited to NTU campus and grant them free publicity as well.
• Student media should be objective in nature.
• The Nanyang Chronicles aims to provide "timely campus news and information as well as being the voice of the campus population." Therefore, it was right of NTU to publish the visit of former President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam instead. He attended a conferment ceremony in NTU, which is drew more crowd and is of more significance to the campus population than the handful of students who stayed around the SDP.
  

Source:
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/09/ntu-censors-campus-news-coverage-of-chee-soon-juan-visit/#comment-21748

Student Online Newspaper recalls the nasty past of SDP

The Campus Observer reported SDP's nasty past. Here's some excerpts:

In 1993, Chee had his position at NUS terminated for misappropriating research funds. In protest against the termination of his contract, he went on a hunger strike claiming the charges were fabricated.

“The crowd was quite small. I do not know whether they have reached enough people.”

Read the full article at http://campus-observer.org/content/view/184/33/