Ten-year-old Lysher Loh climbed over the parapet on the fifth floor of her flat and jumped to her death. Two weeks before she committed suicide, she told her maid she did not want to be reincarnated as a human being because she did not want to have to do homework ever again. The last straw came when she fared poorly in her mid-year exams.
Tragically, Lysher’s case is not uncommon. Twelve-year-old, Simran Kaur, jumped 12 floors to her death when she found out that she was placed in the Normal (Academic) stream. In 2009, an 11-year-old student killed himself when he jumped 16 storeys from his apartment block at Compassvale Walk after an exam.
Straight A student commits suicide over O-level results, Family Destroyed
(July 27, 2015)
Straight-As student commits suicide over 2 Bs at O levels. Then three months after the 16-year-old plunged to her death, her grief- and guilt-struck mother also killed herself. The tragic double deaths has left the father, mentally unstable. In an interview with The New Paper, Madam Ng, 71, grandmother of the 16 year old teen shared the devastation and anguish of the triple tragedy that began in January this year.
Madam Ng initially said: "Talking to you now is useless. My daughter is dead. My granddaughter is dead." She changed her mind later because she hoped that sharing their story could help highlight early intervention and save more lives. Madam Ng said that in January, just three hours after getting her results slip, her granddaughter jumped to her death. Except for two Bs - in English and Mathematics - the student had scored distinctions for her other subjects.
More children and teenagers have been seeking help for suicidal thoughts, said the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS). SOS says that in 2013, they had 224 clients, aged 19 and below, writing in to them, which is an alarming 40% more compared to the year before. Our education system puts too much emphasis on exams and rote learning which kill creative impulses in our children.
- 20% of our children exhibit signs of anxiety and mood disorders. (The Straits Times,)
- One in three students say they sometimes think that life is not worth living because they fear exams.
- The number of children warded for “aggressive, suicidal or hallucination tendencies” at the IMH jumped by 35 percent from 2005 to 2010. Mental health professionals attribute these problems to academic stress.
- Calls to an IMH programme to help schoolchildren with psychological problems increased from 306 in 2007 to 8,336 in 2008 - a nearly 30-fold jump with one year. 70 percent of the cases involved primary-school children.
SDP Alternative Plan on Education
Proposed Solution: Educating For Creativity And Equality: An Agenda For Transformation
- Remove PSLE and delay streaming - The stress of exams inflicts psychological trauma on children.
- Cultivate creative minds and Building confidence in children by helping them develop independent thinking, willingness to make mistakes, and perseverance in the face of failed attempts
- Broaden curricula, reduce syllabi to include Subjects such as music appreciation, speech and drama, literature
- Reduce class size in our schools to 20 pupils per class from the current 40 to provide students with the necessary individual attention to help them develop academically.
- Introduction of dedicated-teacher system to allow students to bond with their teachers and give parents and teachers time to develop trust and cooperation.
- Scrap school and class rankings that detracts from the real purpose of education, which is self-improvement and self-actualisation.
- Encourage reading by reducing the current syllabus and freeing up students and allow them time to read for pleasure. A love of reading encourages life-long learning and cultivates a creative mind.
- Convert all schools to single-session ones from 8 am to 4 pm during which time will be put aside for students to complete their assignments
Put those questions in the context of a society that shies away from a public fight, even more a political fight, and Chee's personality, actions and intentions become even more intriguing. According to political observers, Dr Chee believes he is "setting the stage for the future". "He believes that one day he will be able to lead a political struggle through this way and get some space in Parliament to fight for the rights of the less privileged and makes Singapore a more equal society.
Dr Chee believes in and advocates for democracy, human rights, transparency, accountability, justice and equality for a better Singapore. As the leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), he seeks to lead the party in bringing about progressive ideas, humanitarian values and positive changes through alternative policies, which he sees as his duty in public service.
When Asked Why He Involved His Children in Political Work.
Dr Chee replied, I do it because I want them to learn about the hard work of standing up and speaking out, I want them to learn about integrity and character. These are life's lessons they'll not learn in the classroom but lessons infinitely more important.
Author of 12 books
Dr Chee has authored 12 books, and has written extensively in various established publications. He has also been invited to give public speeches at international forums and conferences. He is married to Dr Huang Chih Mei (黃智美) and they have three children.
International Awards/Appointments
- Fellow, University of Sydney, Australia (2014)
- Prize for Freedom, Liberal International (2011)
- Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy, Washington DC, US (2004)
- Defender of Democracy Award, Parliamentarians for Global Action (2003)
- Hellman/Hammett Writers Grant, Human Rights Watch (2003)
- Fellow, University of Chicago, US (2001)
- Fellow, Monash Asia Institute, Australia (1997)
- Chairman, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (2008-2010)
- Chairman, Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (2000-2015)
Dr Chee Soon Juan a.k.a "The Red Knight of Singapore " ?
Party Ideology
Today, SDP stands proudly as the vanguard for the democratic struggle in our nation,
- restoring human, civil, and political rights in Singapore;
- fostering a vibrant and dynamic society based pluralism and diversity;
- cultivating a transparent and accountable political system;
- establishing an economic system based on free competition and equal opportunity for all;
- removing all policies and practices that discriminate against the less fortunate, women, and minorities;
- and cooperating with democratic parties and organisations in Asia to achieve peace and sustainable development in the region
Toast To The Future
As Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) celebrated its 35 years of democratic services in Singapore on 15 August 2015.
History
Established since 1980, The Singapore Democratic Party focus on pocket-book issues that are driving political opinion and the bread-and-butter issues concerning the common folk.
Party Leadership - Sec General
Dr Chee Soon Juan (20 July 1962) is a Singaporean politician and currently the leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). Dr Chee is one of the most colorful figure in Singapore's political opposition, Chee has been arrested and jailed 6 times for his political activities, mainly for making speeches and staging public demonstrations without a police permit. He has also been sued for defamation on multiple occasions for comments he has made about members of Singapore's governing People's Action Party (PAP).
He was previously barred from standing in parliamentary elections because he was declared bankrupt in 2006 after failing to pay damages from a lawsuit owed to two former Singaporean prime ministers, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong. On 23 November 2012, Chee was formally discharged from bankruptcy in court after Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Goh Chok Tong agreed to reduce the damage seek to S$30,000.
Dr Chee Personal Pact with Mr JB Jeyeretnam
“....seeing you so despondent made my own morale wobble – but I know you were feeling depressed and anxious because of yet another lawsuit,” Dr Chee said. “We made a pact that night, that while we may not yet be able to beat them politically, we would not allow them to defeat us on the personal front. They may take away all our possessions but they will never take away our will to speak up!”
Troop & Support Strength: 21,000 (facebook)
2011 Election Results
The party unveiled its slate of 11 candidates just a few days prior to Nomination Day which include Former senior civil servant Mr Tan Jee Say (now Sec Gen of Singapore First Party), psychiatrist Dr Ang Yong Guan, social activist Dr Vincent Wijeysingha and Dr James Gomez. Former ISA detainee Ms Teo Soh Lung and party treasurer Mr Gerald Sng were also introduced to the media and were fielded in the constituencies of Yuhua and Bukit Panjang respectively
SDP failed to win in Sembawang GRC but managed to increase its vote share in that constituency by 13 percentage points to 36.1%. In Holland-Bukit Timah GRC where the SDP scored its best result since 1997, with that GRC team garnering 39.9% (slightly above the national average)
2015 Contesting Wards
SDP aims to build its base on the West of Singapore. SDP will be setting their sights in contesting on the same areas as the party did in the previous GE 2011
- Bukit Panjang SMC
- Yuhua SMC
- Bukit Batok SMC.
- Holland-Bukit Timah 4 members GRC
- Marsiling- Yew Tee 4 members GRC
SDP can potentially capture 11 seats for the coming General Election.
Hot Battle Grounds - Face off of the 2 Doctors
Hot Potato Question? Will the Electorate Give Dr Chee and his family a Chance..
A doting father of 3 whom spend time with his family, Dr Chee has not contested since 2006 . The Big question is can Singapore Citizen accept Dr Chee's colorful character and past and give him a chance to be your voice in parliament. Only You can decide !
This coming election will see Dr Vivian Balakrishnan anchoring a team comprising Minister of State Sim Ann, lawyer Christopher De Souza and DBS Bank managing director Liang Eng Hwa. They are all incumbent MPs who will face off against SDP team, lead by Sec General, Dr Chee Soon Juan, National University of Singapore, Medicine Professor Paul Tambyah, Auditor Sidek Mallek, and healthcare administrator Chong Wai Fung. The coming election will also be the first that Dr Chee is set to contest since the 2001 polls.
Dr Vivian, made famous for bursting the Youth Olympic budget from the initial $104 million budget to over $387 million, three times the original sum and shifting the blame largely on on his ministry’s lack of experience in organising a sports event but lament that there was no regret since YOG brought lots of revenue to Singapore's economy.
The same minister that overspent a Quarter Billion dollars of our taxpayer money then penny pinched over few dollars of welfare and food voucher for the poor by challenging Dr Lili Neo, MP for Tanjong Pagar who had spoke up on behalf of low-income families who are not eligible for public assistance because one or both parents are working.
She said that these are needy ones who had fallen through the cracks. Dr Vivian response to Dr Lily Neo was harsh, penetrating and cold "'How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?'
SDP Alternative Proposal to Help the Poor
SDP presented their 2015 Manifesto and alternative proposal to help the poor and needy again draw swift and heartless response from Dr Vivian Balakrishnan that SDP policies are "tax and spend" programmes that will ultimately set S'pore on the road to Greece and lead the country to bankruptcy.
Dr Chee Message to the Poor and Needy in Hokkien
A Rare Window inside the Life of Dr Chee, the Wonder Woman Behind him and his 3 Pillars of Strength
Many remember Dr Chee for his fiery speech and fearless fight but not many has a chance to get an inside view of his family and their humble living in a Spartan 3 room HDB filled with little materials goods. Listen to heartrending moments when his 3 children has to visit him in prison and the humiliation, suffering and stress they faced in schools, but yet this wonderful family of 5 preserve on as a unit, soldiering on courageously to face the world.
Hot Potato Question? Will the Electorate Give Dr Chee and his family a Chance..
A doting father of 3 whom spend time with his family, Dr Chee has not contested since 2006 . The Big question is can Singapore Citizen accept Dr Chee's colorful character and past and give him a chance to be your voice in parliament. Only You can decide !
Dr Chee - A Hero's Welcome
After 15 long years, Dr Chee finally had the chance to stand on the stage to address his fellow Singaporeans.
A Hero's Welcome on Stage
Dr Chee - 15 Years Wait to stand on Stage to Share his Message
In an highly emotional rally speech, Dr Chee shared "...I have never lose faith in Singaporean and even in the bleakest of moment, I ve aways believe that we will triumph, that democracy will eventually come and justice will ultimately prevail .. Why.. because the human spirit can only be suppressed but never crashed"
Dr Chee's Full Rally Speech in English
Dr Chee's Running Mate for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC - Professor Paul Tambyah
Professor Paul Ananth Tambyah has had a distinguished career, including being promoted to full professorship and given tenure in his work at the National University of Singapore in 2013. Prof Tambyah is currently a Professor of Medicine at the NUS, and a Senior Consultant at the Division of Infectious Diseases at National University Hospital (NUH).
Professor Paul Tambyah - From Medicine to Politics
He is also a past president of the Society of Infectious Diseases (Singapore) and Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection. Besides his contributions towards the field of medicine, Prof Paul also puts his energy into working for a better society in Singapore. He is currently a member of the executive committee of Action for Aids, a non-governmental organisation in Singapore that is dedicated to AIDS and HIV prevention, advocacy and support. Until recently, he was one of the founding members of MARUAH, a human rights organisation in Singapore. He has since resigned, so that he could enter politics
Old Friends Reconnect: Dr Tan Chin Bock and Dr Paul Tambyah
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