Philip Jeyaretnam joining PSC triggers intense debate among neitzens
November 25th, 2009 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
The stunning appointment of Philip Jeyaretnam as a member of the Public Service Commission (PSC) has triggered an intense debate in Singapore’s internet chatrooms on its real reasons and implications.
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam is the son of the late opposition leader Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam who was well known for his bitter altercations with leaders of the ruling PAP during his tumultuous political career.
JBJ, as he was fondly known was the MP for Anson from 1981 to 1985. He was removed from his parliamentary seat after he was convicted on charges of fraud in 1985.
He was crippled financially by a series of defamation lawsuits launched by his political opponents and only managed to discharge himself from bankruptcy last year.
Unfortunately, he passed away in October 2008 from heart failure after founding the Reform Party months earlier. Widely respected as an opposition politician who spoke up fearlessly for the common man in the street, hundreds of Singaporeans turned up at his funeral to mourn his passing.
Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Philip’s elder brother has now taken over the reins of the Reform Party.
Though the PSC is not a political organization, the civil service is directly controlled and influenced by the ruling party without whose consent Philip will not be appointed to it.
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam’s decision to join PSC has drawn mixed reactions from netizens.
Over in Hardwarezone, bigbadber wrote:
“Shows how smart he is to learn from his fathe’rs mistakes who kept banging his head against a brick wall. If u cant win them, join them lor! why not? since they’re the winning team and they pay you well.”
Asymmetric thinks it is a PAP ruse to co-opt him into their ranks:
“I think they are trying to psycho him into not destroying the pap in 2012. cos this guy is true talent and capable of much harm. imagine a smart guy, who’s approach is the opposite of CSJ, think of how much destruction he can cause by simply speaking eloquently to adoring crowds..”
Cooleo from Sammyboy wrote succinctly:
“Another one has crossed over to the dark side.”
ThePlen is of the view that the two brothers may end up as rivals:
“the other son, kenneth is with reform party rite? the brothers would be fighting against each other”
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam is a Senior Counsel and a former president of the Law Society from 2004 to 2007. He is now a fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and an adjudicator with the Singapore Mediation Centre.
After JBJ’s demise last year, many of his supporters have harbored hopes that Philip will join the opposition to continue his father’s unfinished legacy.
With his legal background, Philip will stand a good chance building a credible opposition together with his brother Kenneth.
It is obvious from his cozy relationship with the establishment that Philip has no intention or ambition of challenging the status quo in the first place.
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Infernal Affair 无间道?
Very fishy business…
JBJ is well known and respected for voicing out against the ruling MIW even to the detriment of his financial well being. If his son, Philip is as well known and respected likewise, I doubt the MIW would have appointed him to such an important branch of their ruling apparatus as the PSC. He must’ve proven his worthiness for such a strategic appointment by his professional achievements in the legal arena. If the ruling MIW are capable of not judging a person’s suitability for an important appointment according to whose child he or she is, then everyone should learn to do no less.
Render unto Caesar what is his and unto the people what’s ours. JBJ has been with us till his demise; as for Philip, there’s a famous Chinese saying; “Gaiguan dinglun” which means “judge a person after his or her demise”.
What Philip did was what he felt he could contribute as a Singaporean.Philip has his mother’s gentle genes not that JBJ is wrong in doing what he did.He still has my respect but sad to say he was the right place at the wrong time,maybe Kenneth possibly do a better job.
Interesting if he stands as a PAP candidate in the next election, maybe opposing his brother. JBJ will turn in his grave (others may leap from the grave!) It is too early to say.
Why was he appointed at this time when election is near?
No wonder the netizens are discussing.
He should have remained where he was.
What is the REALity of Opposition?
It is definitely very unique compared to say, ANY other opposition in the world. How come an opposition party is so special? They are mostly low profile.
人各有志
from what i see,it is a PAP’s election strategy to show that it is magnanimous
he’s too meek and lack the fire to be on the opposite side…
my views:
1. KJ need to talk to PJ and ask him the Why.
2. I agree with CY due to the timing and they announced earlier since they sensed people want more opposition voice, they created NMP scheme where NMP cannot vote in parliament to stop any bill from being passed.
The question is what effect could this have on the voting decisions? Will people feel less need to vote for opposition given this perceived magnanimity?
Even with this appointment, no position is eternal, if you know what i mean.
As long as no new gov takes over, i wonder is it fair to say that other than they themselves, no one else would get to see the books?
@cy
i cannot agree this time with you for putting the guise solely
on PAP.
Philip could have turn down the offer…mind you he is on other
gahmen related entities.
if i were jbj,i would not be quite restful!
i sincerely hope that his other son,Kenneth,can fulfill to
some degree his late father’s wishes.
that depends on our compassion and how we intend to excercise
our wisdom at the coming elections.
Kenneth,though maybe not as eloquent or as famous as his brother but i do sincerely hope to see voters put him into parliament as i think he is considerately capable and as qualified as most scholar-minister…he got double first honours and he has wide practical experience and did not live in ivory tower….i think he has taken after his father in
his passion to standup for common citizens.
if ever PAP so decide to field Philip,i hope to see him contest
his talents with his brother,KENNETH’S,COMPASION AND WISDOM.
that would be vindication for his worthy father and all other
singaporeans.
People….the objective to create a better Singapore, to have better transparency (check and balances) and if possible, an alternative voice.
Whether is it PAP or Opposition, these are merely means to an end.
If Philip is as good as he says they (netizens) – then he will contribute to all Singapore in his own way, in his own place.
The discussion should be about his value in a Pro Government or an Anti Government entity…is he more valuable here or there…that is the discussion.
He already thought long and hard about his father, his brother as well as himself before deciding to take on this role…seriosuly, this is NOT A BAD THING…:-)
Maybe he will become an important figure in ensuring that our PSC scholars and civil servants truly have Singaporeans’ interests at heart and don’t get in on a PAP-is-right-and-I-want-to-continue-the-good-work-of-PAP ticket. Remember, the parliament and cabinet is only one of the many obstacles we have to overcome in bringing about a truly successful political reformation. Ensuring that the civil service is not secretly directly aligned with the PAP is another hurdle to overcome, as is separating the judiciary from direct PAP influence, freeing SPH from Tony Tan’s control, divesting the NTUC from its effective merger with the PAP, abolishing he PAP-golifying PA, and a whole host of other political booby-traps that the PAP has had time to lay while in office.
He’s the friend of PAP
this is a perfect example why PAP has been in power for so long, and why opposition has never been able to raise.
PAP has always been shamelessly recruiting talents. they recognise n reward talents handsomely. from merithocratic dogma to multi-million-dollar salary. they r always on ‘war of talent’.
am not surprised if they did approached Kenneth too.
mr chiam is so old, with no apparent successor; maybe he gave up finding one since the day CSJ, his protege, kicked him out of his own party. WP got hope, but it’ll take some time; hopefully they’ll get rid of ‘rotten seed’ like Gomez clown.
@Ben
i would think that it would have been far more effective if he
were to be voted in as an OPPOSTION MP,together with his bro.KENNETH.
What can he possilby do for common people as a SINGLE member amongst others in the PSC.
PSC-independent? it’s rather hard for me to accept when its chairperson used to be a top civil servsnt.
so,net of everything,it would have been betetr to use his talented “genes” in a wiser wider perspective like what his brother has chosen.
It is the same as, now, we have tch as the dpm from the miw with pm’s capability, and he is younger and **healthier** than lhl, so we can “eliminate” ank-grc to the oppositions in the pertaining coming general election as the miw have an experience cum credible leader to lead them! Same dirty old trick of creating in-fighting within the family! Shameful creatures!
our late JBJ is up there looking down.
His sons :
1 keeping his flame alive leading RP.
the other, accepting appointment by the gov.
May our late JBJ rest in peace.
Its like the Sanada family during the Sengoku period in Japan. JBJ may have gotten his sons to work on both sides of the spectrum that way no matter what the family will be preserved.
Also Philip was never involved in his father’s work, rather he seem to have distance himself from it. But it does show that the PAP will not fault you if your father/family is intensely anti PAP.
Of course all these could be just propaganda
@deoxin
if you wanna serve the people as in the gahmen and its related
machinery,please reflect carefully on how you wanna use your god-given talents.
if you wanna just be paid millions,i suggest you better try and make your billions like the “talented” but stupified
Wallstreeters.
time for change…we don’t need self-serving “talented” but stupefied people to serve us in gahmen..they will only make us
poorer by their greed.
It was the middle to lower income Singaporeans who sabo themselves by voting in so many PAP MP. When someone decides to join any opposition in sg, he is risking not only his own life but those of his own family members as well. e.g. Tang Liang Hong, Chee Soon Juan and his father JBJ. Why should he be risking his life like his father to save these hum ji sg slaves? For his talent, he can easily get a cushy govt job and kkylp in his aircon office and get million dollar annual salary instead of saving these sg slaves whom themselves don’t want to be saved.
By the way, I opine that sitting in the board of psc is more voluntary than paid! So, not much financial gains for kenneth, it is more of a service to the nation!
For goodness’ sake, give the guy a break! The PSC is suppposed to be a non-partisan body. The way I see it, Philip, in his own civic-spirited and patriotic way, sees this as just another honourable opportunity to be of great service to his country. So, instead of pouring scorn or doubt on the man, for goodness sake and for the sake of the greater good of this country, we should be encouraging him and giving him our support for him to do his best for Singapore in this latest appointment!
“keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”
To all the naysayers and Philip-doubters, why don’t you all put yourselves in Philip’s shoes and try and think like him first (probably very daunting for most who do not share his intellect!) before you shoot your mouths off!
Philip should have the freedom to choose his destiny, including opposing the ideals of his father, including joining PAP.
How many of us here has opposed our father’s wishes to do things we want to do instead of what our father wants us to do?
Maybe one day, one of LKY’s grandson will join the opposition?
Gosh.. This just makes me even more suspicious of the Reform Party being a sham opposition.
As it is, they’re the only opposition party I’ve ever seen covered positively in the MSM, and on prime time news too! Anybody else remember the news feature on their first anniversary on News 5 Tonight not too long ago? That was already quite suspicious, but I still hoped for the best.
Now with this news about his brother, I really don’t know what to believe anymore.
Anyone else feels the same way?
@ALL
WELL HE COULD BE THE NEXT OBAMA AND HE IS BETTER EQUIPPED..
A GOOD DEGREE IN LAW AND IN PRACTICE!
HE SHOULD’T THINK THAT SMALL..WHAT IS BEING ANOTHER PSC MEMBER WHEN HE COULD BE THE NEXT PRIME MINISTER?!!!!!!!!
BTW,HE GRADUATED FORM CAMBRIGE,SAME AS LKY AND THAT’S WHY?!!!
Think about this for a minute: for all you know, Philip could turn out to be the Trojan horse breaching the walls of the establishment …
Water flow naturally over the surface it runs.
So it will be the same in this case.
PSC is not PAP. He can still be an oppositon in time to come and render his brother the much needed help.
trojan horse..i hope so though i am inclined to say no.
i rather he gight like gentlman like his father,face off!
Some of us will most probably kick our Asses since our brains cannot comprehend the master plan! One is working within and the other without the PAP, and will they meet in the future, only Time will tell!
water indeed flow naturally over the surface it runs but
time and tide wait for no man.
LET’S SEE…TIME WILL SURELY TELL..IF WE AR STILL AROUND…
It’s generation play.lah.
Kenneth did not grow up from a purely meritocratic educational
background.Maybe Philip had?
you see people who grew up in a purely meritocratic school environment tend towards more self-centredness…correct me if i am wrong.
just look at our own family members;the very young,the young and those older and ourselves and you know what i mean.
that’s why they now have to fork out mega bucks for the new guards when the old guards were more motivated by morality,the new guards by money(me,myself and i).
like the BEATLES sang:LET IT BE!
Tojan horse ? Nothing of the sort. He has been bought over, lock, stock, barrel.
His father will surely turn in his grave to know that his son has become a servant to his nemesis. No matter how great the carrot or temptation, one should never serve the enemy of his father under whatever circumstances, unless he is a treacherous dog without any moral conscience. He has to give his father that little bit of dignity and respect.
This man is disgusting, to say the least.
In China History, the last stage of the ching Dynasty,The tyrannist President Yuan Shek Kia,Very good in bridery on the credible top people,Make sure they don’t goes againt him. U accept my bride U wil have lucrative life. U don’t accept my bride I’ll shoot U.So U don’t have to waste time to compete with me.
Well PJ is more intellignet than this Elder Brother.
KJ is just a Double First Idiot.
I agree with Eklektro that this is a Trojan Horse thingie on the part of Philip J.
Politics is a dirty game. As the saying goes “Politicians and Lawyers are the most hated people on earth” Its main aim is for a group of people to control hundreds of billions of a countries monies.
Politics is also like a chess game.
In this episode, ( i see Philip as a very good chessplayer/future politician )i think Philip has moved in with that classic opening(in fact, my favourite too) called the “Queen’s Gambit”
The PAPies, fools that they are, have gone for the “Queen’s gambit accepted” instead of the intelligent “Queen’s gambit declined”
Control of the centre, which is crucial to win a game of chess, has now gone to the opposition, what with Philip doing his Trojan horse thingie and Kenneth ready with his sharpened sword to exact that pound of flesh from the Papies, and DR Chee going for the jugular. i think its CHECKMATE time for the PAPies soon.
Good move Philip. Keep up the good work that your dad initiated.
We will all be there to support you when crunch-time comes.
A drop in the ocean, one out of 11 members
If Philip declined, it would not be wise also.
catch 22.
Bird Talk
You are right. And may I also add :
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Well, PJ is an “enemy” of JBJ because he was against his father’s political stand all along and had never given him any moral support. So the PAPies are viewing him as a friend.
Watch out Singapore, PJ will be fielded as a PAP candidate in the coming elections.
This goes to show that highly educated professionals who qualify to be opposition leaders, often consciously choose not to do so even if their father was a opposition leader before and their brother is a opposition leader trying to keep the dream alive.
while it saddens me as someone who longs for a strong opposition to serve the people, i have to respect that we should not feel that anyone owes us a living.
人不为己 天朱地灭
maybe he is trying to serve from within.
The man is a Senior Counsel. Supposing he were to be appointed a Judge in the Supreme Court instead. Accepting that wouldn’t equate to aligning with the PAP.
In the same way, accepting an appointment on the PSC doesn’t equate to aligning with the PAP.
What is the PSC? It’s a neutral entity created by the Constitution, to exercise certain functions to oversee appointment etc. of public officers. If someone wants to serve the country in this way, he should be lauded for his contributions.
PJ was never close to his father nor on his side. He was always close to the famiLEE and his appointment is merely a wayang by those at the TOP to ‘prove’ to Sinkaporeans that they can be ‘fair’ when it comes to ‘talents’.
PJ was the president of lawsoc when his dad was being incarcerated and sued and he choose to do nothing.
If I were JBJ, I would certainly disown him without hesitation.
PSC stands for PAP Special Corps – their commando unit that go round picking the best brains so that they can brainwash them !
Hahahahahahahahahahaha…
David Marshall also joined the civil service… so?
What happens if PJ is fielded as a PAP candidate in the same ward as KJ?
Will the PAP pitch the two brothers against each other?
Will PJ be willing to fight against his own brother?
What will the public think of PJ, if he goes against his own elder brother?
What will the family of JBJ think of PJ if he enters politics under the PAP ticket to fight against his elder brother?
P/S: By joining the PSC, PJ effectively becomes a civil servant. A civil servant cannot get involved in politics or join any political parties, right?
Cooleo from Sammyboy wrote succinctly:
“Another one has crossed over to the dark side.”
I think this sums it up perfectly. I am not familiar with Star Wars but has anyone ever come back from the dark side.
Vivian and Walter are two who crossed over earlier.
LET’S JUST LEND SUPPORT TO HIS BRO,KEN.
BETTER STILL IF PAP FIELD HIM AND IF CONTEST WITH KEN,THEN WE
COULD SEE WITH OUR NAKED EYES WHETHER CITIZENS PREFER TALENTS
OVER WISDOM,COMPASSION OVER SELF-GRATIFICATION.
//cy
“人各有志” — true
“from what i see,it is a PAP’s election strategy to show that it is magnanimous”
This is a joke right?
Since when is PAP nice during election?
election is party time for PAP.
They go around telling people with shame that they need to fix the opposition.
Unheard of in any developed country democratic elections.
And that was the mildest incident.
There were many other elections where people get sued for small comments blown big.
If they cannot get you, they go after your wife who may have never worked before and the only sin she had done was to collect some money from you.
If this is a joke, then I would say it is of a very bad taste.
The way I see it is:
the lawyer is doing what he could. It doesn’t meant anything.
From PAP’s point of view, it is a symbolic gesture and they know 1 out of 11, that guy cannot do anything harmful to them.
It is all a show.
And the best show of the year will be starting soon with the election.
Just don’t know how many more are going to get sued.
It’s nothing personal. It’s just business.
@Time for Change
actually loads come back from the darkside. movie wise Skywalker. novel wise many more.
but the main point is really the man is different from his father, he never shared his father’s ideas at least openly. he was always on the govt side so to speak. his brother also was never actively with his father until his death so its more like a wildcard.
JBJ never openly condemn his son too by the way.
my sentiments on him as follow:
1. he might has his own plan i.e maybe waiting for the trouble maker who destroyed his father to perish before he make the move.
2. he might changed his mind now as the ruling party are too strong for any of the opposition parties to fight let alne winning it.
whatever choice he makes ultimately, he is too smart to know the consequences, so dont worry about it, otherwise if he really support the pap – nothing but greed rules.
so let’s wait and see how thing turn out to be.
Perhaps JBJ should do a lky, ie rise from
his grave, and disown his son.
Let’s do a simple thought experiment.
Suppose P.J decides to continue his father’s good work as an opposition politician.
Will he still get to keep his PSC appointment?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Philip Jeyaretnam is not the first non-establisment person to join the civil service. There are others from the opposition camps before him such as the late David Marshall. Can we say it is meritocracy at its best? I trust Philip can do many great things for the people of Singapore, including discovering skeletons in the civil service cupboards, if any. Let him assess for all of us whether there is indeed impartiality and not nepotism in our civil service. He is our eyes and ears and we should strongly support his appointment to the PSC. Cheers!
Frankly, there is really NO BIG DEAL in PJ joining the PSC. Other than the higher than normal pay, the PSC itself is only a rubber stamp agency with no real powers anyway.
Besides, he is merely one out of the 10+ members with the chairman having the final say (that is, if he wants to say anything in the first place).
The PSC is only tasked with RUBBER STAMPING the appointment of sibei junior civil servants, including some junior officers from the force, say ASP, although TECHNICALLY they can ‘appoint’ up to CP level but these appointments are usually recommended by the Perm Sec and no idiotic PSC Chairman will (and have NEVER) not rubber stamp these appointment.
@Sinkapore
If from what we read about the take of MR EDDIE TEO with regards to what PSC scholars ought to aspire for,then it would be seemingly fair also to assume that Mr TEO is sincerely trying to do it the more correct way as the incumbent Chairman of PSC.in this respect,it is,i believe,the sincere hope of all citizens that future batches of scholars could render a more
humane approach to their work as senior and top civil servants of the Republic of Singapore for the betterement of all,not just for personal glory and self- gratifications.
let’s hope that be the case and mr philip j.’s appointment would then not be a vain cosmetic.
fair and square said: If from what we read about the take of MR EDDIE TEO with regards to what PSC scholars ought to aspire for,then it would be seemingly fair also to assume that Mr TEO is sincerely trying to do it the more correct way as the incumbent Chairman of PSC.
I do not disagree. However, Eddie Teo or PJ make no difference. The PSC, like I said, is ONLY a rubber stamping agency with no real powers over appointment of TOP Civil Servants, who are usually ‘recommended’ by Perm Sec or above or the famiLEE. Besides, PSC only deals with small monkeys, they CANNOT even approve the appointment of Kangaroos or their equivalent in rank or above.
To date, I cannot recollect a single TOP Civil Servants not rubber stamped for employment by the PSC upon recommendation.
Simply put, PSC can deal with the small monkeys but when it comes to the biggies recommended by the famiLEE or Millisters or some Big Shot, not stamping the appointment means bye bye high salaries for the chairman.
Unless the system changes dramatically, 100 x Eddie in the PSC won’t make any difference.
Philip can accept this position with a clean conscience. However, I think it would be difficult for someone like him and from his family to accept a position as a judge but that’s not what has been offered. No barrister of any standing in Singapore should accept a judgeship unless and until the judiciary is independent in practice.
@Neil Bishop, giving PJ the benefit of doubt, IF EVER he was appointed as a District Judge and ASSUMING that he is fair and just, he won’t last long if he running his court according to the rule of law.
To be a Judge in Sinkapore and stay as one, one has to FORGET EVERYTHING they have learnt in Law School and start afresh with famiLEE Law.
What a son? Can cooperate with people that bring down your dad? Pls serve you own interest and not at the expense of the people. We have already a great team of apple polisher in the present establishment and we dont need you to be one.
JBJ deserves the Public Service Star
http://campaignjbj.wordpress.com/
The vote count there is a dismal single digit!!! HJBj certainly deserves much more for all HIS SACRIFICES few of us dare to make!!! andplease watch CSJ’s video too and be surprised by his message to learn a few things about life, love and sacrifice. Plus all their opposites!