38 Oxley Road: Would ESM Goh please help?

How to get out of this mess. We all know the damage is already down. Nobody except ESM Goh have spoken words of wisdom. Not the three siblings, not DPM Teo or Shanmugam. Everyone is so worried about appearing righteous. Only one senior leader articulated the issue correctly: Singapore is bigger and stronger than this.

In an email just a while ago I told my friend how we might resolve this:

The two younger siblings could see where this is going. That the house would be preserved against their late parents' wish. As for their elder brother lust for creating a family dynasty that is the story they fashioned from facts but this is not the only possible story. The elder statesman is ESM Goh. He should study this, make a plan and heal the nation. So far what he had said was wise and looks like the beginning of a solution.

To me LWL especially her and LHY are idealists. They never understood what it is like to do the job of PM i.e., they have no skin in the game. As they say where you stand depends on where you sit. To be able to empathize beyond your comfy chair that belongs to greater spirits. Pope Francis, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama have pointed out how to do that. They must seriously ask themselves and be absolutely sure if there is enough evidence and understanding them to show such contempt for their PM brother. I hope they will learn to be humble and forgive. Then we can come out of this stronger than we went in.

Another friend asked this question via Whatsapp:

But then I also wondered whether the siblings think of their father or Singapore when they decide to post in fb

and I responded as follows:

I think the siblings considered not just the present but also the future of Singapore. Often if one evaluate the action strictly on its impact now, it may not make sense e.g., like stopping a child from playing and making him study instead. I think both of them were ahead of their time and if they are not appreciated now, I think history will eventually vindicate them.

Update: June 18 8:10 am

I am glad ESM Goh has acted. The goal here is not to be fair but to seek and achieve peace, to learn to give and take. 

If you insist on fairness then you would be dissatisfied with GCT advice. Unless you live in a lucky bubble which life is always fair to you, please note that most of us do not and most likely given enough time your bubble will also burst and then you will get a taste of real life.

The damn TCH and LHL should have at the earliest opportunity which was more than a year ago, outright publicly spoken like GCT advised - Respect LKY's wish. Then LWL and LHY would have no fears that LKY's wish would not be honoured. I imagined as filial children both of them were willing to stake their lives, reputation and fortune to try their best to fulfill their late father's wish. Of course, I thought the worst of LHL and Ho Ching. They have just reinforced the reputation that government is a bully and beyond the law. Only the blind and stupid would be your loyal supporters i.e., not enough to win elections convincingly or may be even win.

It is often not possible to achieve the best goals, the competition beating edge at the nation versus nation level within on electoral cycle. This government will increasingly if not already find it difficult to win the confidence of the people to take the long term view. Its motives would always be suspect and large segments of people would see the PAP as self serving and put the interest of the party ahead of the nation. To justify itself, the PAP will conflate party and nation as one. If so they will receive an electoral experience worse than the 2011 elections.

Update: June 18 8:45 am

Why did I say damn you LHL and TCH? Because all along they could have responded to LWL and LHY that they were badly misunderstood by LWL and LHY. Instead the PM and his surrogates (you have many when you are PM) to fight this publicly. In other words there was probably no misunderstanding eh? Note that the nation and not just you picked up the bill for the damages when you fight. Did you for any moment put the nation's interest ahead of whatever hidden self interest?

LHL you are the elder brother. There cannot be a public spat unless you and your ministers reporting to you also hit back and tit for tat it goes on and on. Your feckless serving ministers needed GCT to step in and play the adult but for God's sake, he is retired. It shows you are not good enough to run the show. The opposition is also feckless. How are we going to secure our future? You better confess and repent before the nation otherwise you are unfit to be PM.