By Tan Kin Lian

Singaporeans, in general, are a fearful people. They are afraid to express their views and do not have any opinion. They are afraid to take any risk or face the consequences. They prefer other people to decide for them.

For several decades, they are afraid that their vote in a general election is not secret. They are afraid that they will lose their job or will get into trouble with government officials, if they are found to have voted for a party other than the party in power.

They are afraid to be sued for defamation, if they were to make any statement that is unfavourable to people in power. They are quite naïve about their rights to free and honest expression.

Withdrawal
After many years of living in fear, they learn to withdraw from society. They do not wish to express any opinion publicly, but they will vent their anger in the coffee shops or in anonymous internet forums.

They learn not to get involved in any issue of public interest. They learned to take care only of their personal interest. If they are adversely affected, they will shout and expect other people to help them. But, they will not come forward to help other people.

Extreme views
Many people are unhappy with the high cost of living and the quality of life. They have to work hard and for long hours, just to earn enough to get by. If they fall sick or face with some financial hardship, life will become more difficult and unbearable.

Those who are adversely affected by misfortune will harbour a strong resentment about life in Singapore. But they are afraid to voice their grievances using the proper channel, or find that the people in power are not listening, or do not really care.

They use the anonymous internet forums to express their hatred in quite extreme ways. They find that as long as they are anonymous and cannot be traced, they can express their views safely, and why not exaggerate or dramatise them?

Stages of fear
Psychologists have identified the different stages of fear.

Fear is an emotional response to threats and danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of pain. It is possible to escape or avoid the specific threat.

Fear is different from anxiety, which typically occurs without any specific threat. Anxiety is the result of perceived threats that are uncontrollable or unavoidable.

There are various degrees of fear, from mild caution to extreme phobia or paranoia. I am quite worried that the fearful behaviour of some Singaporeans has reached the extreme form of paranoia.

Personal experiences
I wish to share some of my personal experiences.

I have expressed my views under my real personal name in my blog and in The Online Citizen. Many people have asked me if I have received any threats or warnings from the people in power, for these views, which may be uncomfortable to them. Did I get any call at midnight or any knock on the door?

I did not. I believe that the people in power have been rather fair in dealing with me and my views. Or, some cynics say, perhaps they are too busy dealing with the economic crisis?

But I did receive many “friendly advices” from relatives and friends, asking me “to be careful”. It seems that their views are worse, in creating fear, than the real threats from the people in power. Perhaps, the people in power approach these proxies to express their threats?

The worst kind is from people who made the “friendly advices” through my wife or children. If they are fearful, they should keep to themselves and not spread the unfounded fear.

Initially, many people came forward to volunteer their help to get signatures for me. After a few weeks, most of them dropped out and became unreachable. It seemed that they have received some advice or warnings, and decided not to get involved. Perhaps, they face the same kind of pressures and subtle threats?

Negative Traits
The years of fear and paranoia have led to the following negative traits of Singaporeans:
a) Not willing to express any opinion
b) Take care only of personal interest
c) Not willing to speak for other people
d) Not willing to stand for what is right and fair
e) Express extreme views, if protected by anonymity
f) Irresponsible behaviour

Change for the better
Is it possible to change behaviour for the better? It will take a long time, as the current negative traits have been ingrained after many years of fear and education.

A good starting point is to adopt the following values:
a) honesty;
b) fairness;
c) public interest;
d) positive;
e) courage.

If one is expressing an honest and fair view, one does not need to be afraid of being sued for defamation.

If one is exercising the right as a citizen to vote for the future, one does not need to worry about losing one’s job or being victimised by government officials. Anyone, the government officials do not have the time to go about victimising large numbers of ordinary people, which would be against their own values of decency.

It is best to express your views in a positive way. You can point what is right for society or your wishes for the values that guide our society, without having to point out that someone is wrong or dishonest.

I adopt a positive approach because it is only fair to the other person, rather than to avoid being sued.

One needs courage to be able to express an alternative view. But the values of honest, fairness and a positive attitude help to give the courage.

Conclusion
It is time for Singaporeans to get away from the politics of fear and be willing to step forward to express what is right for our country and our future. We can rebuild a nation to be proud of.

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