A Reporter’s Memoir: NO HARD FEELINGS

From Chapter 5: New Nation Days

‘’By the time of the Anson by-election on 31 October 1981, which pitted JBJ against newcomer Pang Kim Hin, the pro-opposition sentiments at the grassroots were at an all-time high.

On the night of the polls, I was in the NN office when the news came that the long dominance of the PAP had ended. There was a roar of approval among those present.

Borrowing a line that Lee used after the Merger referendum victory and punching the air with my fist ala-LKY, I screamed, the people of Anson have exploded the myth of PAP invincibility. I was then at the peak of my anti-PAP stance. Later we went out for a late night drink to celebrate JBJ’s victory.

JBJ made history that night by easily trouncing his opponent and becoming the first opposition MP in post-independent Singapore. When he suffered financial ruin later because of Lee’s libel suits, I sympathised with him.

Overall, I think his role as Mr Opposition had been positive for Singapore. I salute him for his ability to withstand the PAP onslaughts without losing his sanity or decency. In some way, I think he helped to push the PAP back on a more benign track.’’

Ismail Kassim

An extract from a forthcoming book: A Reporter’s Memoir NO HARD FEELINGS

On one occasion, I succumbed after getting a few phone calls urging me to come for a chat with my customer care officer to be eligible for an attractive offer. I had my doubts but still signed up, vowing to check the details during the grace period.

After a few calls, I knew what the game was about and went to the bank to withdraw my participation in some kind of a structured product.

How could a seasoned person like me fall for it? To salvage my pride, I wrote a letter to the branch manager saying that I did not want to be a treasured client, and that I would take steps to make myself ineligible to be a member of that select group.

I said that I felt I would be much better off without a customer care officer peering over my shoulders and checking my account balance on the sly. The next day, I opened an account with another bank and transferred half of my money.

After further checks, I realised that most of the investment products offered to members of the public like me were loaded in favour of the issuer.

They could ride on their profits and cut their losses whenever the trend went against them. In other words, if they win, they would win big; but if they lose, they will lose the minimum. It was the other way round for the customers, because if the trend went against them, they would lose out big.

This was like me playing poker in the past. In those days, I ranked my standing in the world of poker as only a BB (Baby Buaya). I dared not get into the water when I saw the adult buayas (crocodiles) and the sharks, but I would happily dive in with the selars, tambans and ikan bilis (Malay names of small and tiny fishes).

Whenever I won, I would win big, and if luck went against me, I would only sustain nominal losses. I have stopped playing poker. After a time the conscience starts to prick.

*

PRESS STATEMENT by Ismail Kassim, retired Straits Times journalist

16 September 2008

Attention:  To All News Editors

A Reporter’s Memoir NO HARD FEELINGS by Ismail Kassim

Former Senior ST correspondent in Kuala Lumpur Ismail Kassim has written a memoir that he promises will become more controversial than Mahathir’s Malay Dilemma.

In  A Reporter’s Memoir No Hard Feelings, the author has  weaved in stories about himself, family and friends, associates and politicians amidst the social and political turbulence of the last six decades beginning from 1945. The book will be available from next month.

Unlike the work of former Malaysian premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Ismail said that he wrote about both the high and the low life openly, without fear or malice.

‘’Nothing is sacred. I have expressed my views clearly on all issues from race relations to faith and religion and political differences between Singapore and Malaysia,’’ he added.

He recalled that as a journalist he had to learn to write with restraint, but for this memoir he had ‘’given justice to his innermost thoughts.’’

‘’Whether I write about my boyish escapades or my tribulations over faith or my recollections of Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Chok Tong, Mahathir, Anwar, Pak Lah, Najib and others, I have adopted the same irreverent approach and uses the same nonchalant brush,’’ said Ismail, who wrote for the defunct New Nation and The Straits Times for almost 25 years.

As for the title of his memoir, he said that after stepping on many toes – big, small and powerful –  he felt he ought to say No Hard Feelings (Usah Kechil Hati in Malay and Bie Jie Yi in Chinese) to all of them.

‘’This is my way of reminding all of those mentioned in the narrative not to take things to heart,’’ he added.

As to what kind of reactions he expects, Ismail, 65 years and retired, said that it was likely to get a mixed reaction that would vary with the background of the reader.

‘’Some would obviously not be too happy with my frank treatment on matters relating to faith, race and politics. But I have to point out that I have written my story as a Singaporean and for a largely Asian audience.

‘’ I hope that readers will adopt an open mind. Even if they do not agree with any of my views or comments, I hope they will regard them as opportunities to stop and reflect,’’ he said.

He said that he started writing his memoir in late March 2007 primarily to entertain himself, his friends and former fans who used to follow his reports on Malaysian politics.

Although targeted at the average ST readers, he said that students, researchers and analysts might still find his memoir interesting and useful in many ways.

Ismail said that he opted to self-publish his memoirs for two reasons. One is to retain control of the editorial process from beginning to end. The other is to turn it into a project to challenge and to push himself out of his comfort zone. At 314 pages thick, the book will be on sale at $23 before GST.

‘’ Through the book, I hope to meet and engage more people in a dialogue on matters of mutual interest,’’ he added.

A Malay of Indian-Chinese origin, Ismail was a teacher, soldier, reporter, unionist before becoming the Straits Times Senior Correspondent in Kuala Lumpur.

During his 15 years stay there, he covered almost all the major events and interviewed almost every politician and social activist of any note.

He began his journalistic career with the New Nation in December 1972 soon after completing his Masters in Social Sciences (Political Science) at the then University of Singapore.

In the late 70s, he was secretary general of the Singapore National Union of Journalists and concurrently vice-president and president of the Confederation of Asean Journalists.

Ismail has two other publications to his credit. They are Problems of Elite Cohesion: A Perspective from a Minority Community (Singapore University Press, 1974) and Race, Politics and Moderation A Study of the Malaysian Electoral Process (Times Books International, 1979)

At the inauguration of the annual Asean Awards in Bangkok in 1987 Ismail won the award in the field of Communication.

For more details, please contact Ismail Kassim:

ibekay @ singnet.com.sg or ibikay @ yahoo.co.uk

Coming out soon: Quotable Quotes from A Reporter’s Memoir No Hard Feelings