I like this poster above. It shows a man who is quietly plotting his carefully calculated moves to be one up on the other two pretenders for the mighty throne of an empty position, the president of Singapore.
But who is this man? For well over thirty years he slogged it out for the PAP, retired as an MP, went to a hospital project, left in a puff, ended up arguing over parking space in Sentosa Cove no less, and is now running for the Presidency of Singapore.
In the famous Dark Knight movie, we are introduced to this fascinating character called Two-Faced Harvey. Prior to becoming Two-Faced, Harvey was the crusading White Knight of Gotham, bursting with enthusiasm and idealism, wanting to rid the city of evils; in short a pretty self righteous bxxxx . However, under the machinations of the Joker, Harvey’s ideals get turned topsy turvy and he becomes the second villain in the movie: Two Faced Harvey.
The career of TCB is quite fascinating now that we bother to examine it since he is running for Presidency.
The first thing is his days as a White Knight for the Men-in-White. Conveniently now, we are told he was actually quite anti-estab, a rebel within the PAP ranks!! This is a big WOW. In the 80s and 90s, when pre-Internet Singapore was ruled with first LKY’s iron fist and then GCT’s velveted iron fist, TCB was a rebel … seeking change from within!! An insider threat!! This leaves the neutral breathlessly asking what intrigues he fostered? What change he wrought? This White Knight on the scale of things, did nothing. He never became a Minister, he slept through 12 years of Parliament and comes to us now with the nuggets of CPF education and Sunday car-park rebates!
Now this White Knight TCB wants to tell us that he is truly an independent, that he has courage to stand for what he believes that he will resign if forced to do something against his will … but then again one wonders as did Siew Kum Hong why if the White Knight was so critical of the Government when he was a PAP MP as examples of his independence, and yet he did not resign then. Surely the White Knight is actually quite aware of how to milk a high profile resignation since he did it with his Jurong General Hospital “I QUIT” charade in April 2011 before announcing his presidency candidacy over an Ng Teng Fong $125million donation.
Imagine if White Knight TCB had resigned in the middle of his PAP career, launched a press conference and spilled all the anger he had with a Government that was losing its moral compass. This White Knight would have been blinding white in those dark pre-internet days of absolute PAP control. Then White Knight TCB attending the emotional dinner for the true Warrior Chiam See Tong would have been perfect. But instead, TCB attending CST’s dinner loses its sheen somewhat, makes it more a Two-Faced TCB kind of a thing.
You see, I would have voted TCB without a shadow of a doubt, if he had stayed a White Knight and did the right things. Even if he was a Dark Knight and he stayed a Dark Knight I would give him the respect. The problem is that TCB is a Knight that changes colors too often. In Thailand he would be Red and Yellow and hence, Orange.
From his Holland Grove home, this self proclaimed White Knight TCB humbly welcomes reporters and supporters to explain why he should be the President. While at his OTHER home in Sentosa Cove, he thumps his chest as the highest polled politician in the land of Singapore to solve a freaking carpark problem to the derision of his other lofty neighbours.
Source: www.emmanueldaniel.com
Which brings me back to the poster I like so much. That palm tree on the left does spoil the symmetry of the picture, makes one side of the face heavier than the other. And maybe that is what TCB really represents, Two-Faced Bock on a coat of armor that reflects what anybody wants.
