The Kent Ridge Common, 8 May 2009, Kelvin Teo
SINGAPORE - One MP got punched and was subsequently set on fire in an unfortunate incident. Another received threats of a physical assault by phone. Recently, a 17-year-old was arrested for hurling a chair at the glass door of an MP office.
What do the above antagonists have in common? Frustration, perhaps. The first one was a cabbie who was unhappy over the lack of assistance in reinstating his revoked license. The other was frustrated over the fact that he has not been receiving financial assistance from the Central Community Development Council (CDC). The other simple lost his cool after a meeting session with the MP.
It was apparent from reports that the above assailants have been afflicted with some sort of unsound mind based on their history at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) or had some form of intellectual handicap in the case of the 17-year-old who was reported to have a low IQ. It is quite tempting to attribute such assaults or nearly assaults to the mental capacities of the perpetuators. But one shouldn’t lose track of the larger picture - effects of the political culture of the ruling party and the savviness of their candidates in dealing with the ground that comes in all forms.
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