COMET IN OUR SKY

Lim Chin Siong in History edited by Poh Soo Kai

(In the process of decluttering, Teo Soh Lung found the text of a speech she delivered at the launch of the new edition of Comet in Our Sky on 9 August 2015. Below is her speech.)

***

When the first edition of Comet in Our Sky was launched in Kuala Lumpur in 2001, I did not attend because I was not aware of it. I only came to know about the book when Tan Jing Quee (its editor) asked me to help him sell some copies. And that was the first time that I read about Lim Chin Siong.

Let me tell you how important that book was to me then and now.

I was educated in an English school, a Catholic school. Even though my school was located along Middle Road, I knew nothing about the activities that went on at the trade union along the same road. I lived in another world.

I remember when I was in school, buses occasionally did not run because the drivers had gone on strike. I was very happy when that happened because it gave me the opportunity to walk home with my brother and sister, stopping by the Singapore River to watch the boats! I didn’t know the planning of the strikes originated in Middle Road.

My father managed a photo studio not too far from Middle Road. He was effectively trilingual and I used to see the Chinese daily on the table in the reception hall. Operation Coldstore took place when I was 14 years old but I have no recollection of the horrendous incident in history. My father would have read about that incident but he said nothing at home. He and my eldest brother who helped him in the studio probably thought that it was best to remain neutral. I am quite sure they were aware of the arrests in 1963 and even those in the 1950s because their studio specialized in portraiture and was popular with university graduates who took their graduation photographs there. I have seen advertisements in the students’ publication Fajar.

Looking back, I think my father didn’t want any of his English educated children to be involved in politics because he probably knew that politics was dangerous especially when you are on the opposite side of the PAP! He rather preferred to be neutral and minded his own business, taking photographs of Lee Kuan Yew, David Marshall, Dr Lee Siew Choh and British officials like Sir William Goode, the attorney general and several colonial judges.

I had the good fortune of meeting Lim Chin Siong in the early 1980s when I think he was then working with his brother and Jing Quee in nearby Colombo Court. It was my misfortune that I didn’t know Singapore history then and hence missed the opportunity of conversing intelligently with the great man.

So you see, unlike Chinese educated students of my time, I lived in total ignorance. And so it was absolutely important that decades after the incident, Tan Jing Quee and K S Jomo published Comet in Our Sky in 2001. It was the first time I learned about the intrigues and cruelty of politics and the dishonesty of the British.

Re reading the chapters in the book today depresses me. I don’t remember feeling depressed when I read the first edition of Comet in Our Sky. But now, re reading it depresses me and I had to read the chapters with many breaks. I am no longer able to remain detached and uninvolved like historians digging out the past or lawyers fighting the causes of their clients because I have come to know many of the survivors of Operation Coldstore who have spent decades in prison. What they and their families went through was uninmaginable. I only wish that the younger PAP leaders would read more books like Comet so that they too will learn about the ugly side of PAP’s history and reflect on the evil deeds of Lee Kuan Yew and his colleagues.

To know the life of Lim Chin Siong, and here I am very grateful that Jing Quee has written such an eloquent piece about him in the book and M K Rajakumar had given us a more detached description of Lim and analysed his strength and weaknesses, comparing him with the savvy Lee Kuan Yew who was networking with people in high places, is not only to know his humility, oratorical skill, greatness and courage but also the depth of depravity of Lee Kuan Yew. For his personal glory and power, Lee was prepared to carry out grave injustices to his comrade and his family and colleagues. Lee was a bully, taking advantage of Lim Chin Siong who was ten years younger than him. I cannot fathom the cruelty of the man when he acted as Lim’s lawyer during his imprisonment for the purpose of betraying him. Lim said in his manuscript which is translated by his brother, Chin Joo that he was kept isolated from the rest and was not informed of what happened outside. Jing Quee told me that he was kept in the refractory block, close to the death row prisoners.

Before the publication of Comet in Our Sky in 2001, there was a coffee table book published by Melanie Chew in 1996 which contains an interview with Lim Chin Siong. But that book cost $200 and few could afford it.

It took 38 years after Coldstore for Comet in Our Sky to be published and to be launched in KL and quietly sold in Singapore. It tells a great deal. We can say that it was fear that prevented the left from writing about the past. But I’d like to say that it speaks a lot about the courage and foresight of Jing Quee and Jomo to bring this book to light.

It is important for young Singaporeans to read this book and to understand why Singapore is what she is today. We were once a vibrant society until Lee Kuan Yew came to power and destroyed everything that was anathema to him.

We are very fortunate that Dr Poh Soo Kai has finally edited and published this new edition after a decade of it running out of print. Dr Poh works very hard. At the age of 84, he should be relaxing. Instead, he is working harder than a man half his age. Maybe this is to compensate for the loss of 17 long years in prison!

We applaud his determination and stamina to show up the government that it has not been telling the truth because they just want to be in power. “Truth”, Dr Poh said to the BBC recently “is on his side and he must explain that for future generations and for history.” We salute Dr Poh.

Comet in Our Sky (new edition) is available at all good bookstores e.g City Book Room and as an ebook from Amazon, Kobo, National Library, and other online outlets.