Quotable Quotes
Quotable Quotes from: A Reporter’s Memoir NO HARD FEELINGS
On the return of the British after the Second World War:
In war, fortunes changed swift and fast. With the help of big brother America and two atomic bombs, the British were soon back as the colonial masters of Singapore.
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On Hang Tuah, the legendary Malay hero:
Maybe we should not be too harsh with him. He lived in a different age with a different moral code. Even in the present enlightened era, there is still no lack of highly capable and talented people behaving very much like the Hang Tuah of old.
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As a 10-year old school boy seeing for the first time a (si-go-luck) gambling stall outside the school gate in 1955:
I came, I saw, I succumbed.
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Thoughts of the PAP in 1960 as a 17 year old O level student:
On some hot days when Jerry was not around, my thoughts would sometimes zero in on the new rulers of Singapore, the men in white led by this Lee Kuan Yew fellow, and wondered whether in time, they would be as capricious as the sultans from the bangsawan era.
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To me, the way Lee outmanoeuvred the communists over the merger proposals, showed him at his most brilliant. It was political poker at its best. Of course, if you want to be unkind you can describe it as Lee at his most cunning. I saluted him and the conclusion I drew then:
If you are on firm moral ground, cast aside the Queensberry rules. Do whatever is necessary to win, within the bounds of human decency.
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It is common for journalists everywhere to side with the weaker party, the underdog, the one being bullied and I was no exception, partly because of natural tendencies and partly because as a minority myself, I could easily empathise with the Malaysian non-Malays.
In their eyes, I see myself and in their cries for a better deal, I hear the same cries of my people back home.
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On Umno’s rank and file:
When push comes to shove, an UMNO leader always thinks of his stomach first. Loyalty, cause, or ideals, they could all be flushed down the gutter with the shit.
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On some Malaysians who expect special treatment on account of their birth:
For someone living under the egalitarian spirit of the Republic and nurture by the ideals of Islamic equality, there is no way I could cringe before any man.
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On Israel during a visit in the late 80s:
In truth, I told him that in 1956 when I did not know any better I sympathised with Israel as at that time, I felt that she was the underdog. By the time of my visit, this underdog had become the Rottweiler of the Middle East, and had developed a voracious appetite for Palestinian land and – blood.
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On Islamic fundamentalism in Malaysia:
The choice for Pak Lah and other Muslim leaders in UMNO is clear: Do you rein in the Islamic religious authorities and if necessary clip their powers or do you pander to their version of what constitutes correct and proper Islam?
UMNO cannot have its cake and eat it. You cannot keep expanding the powers of the religious authorities and then plead with them to exercise discretion or worse still, to close an eye in the name of moderation.
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On the Singapore scene:
When I talk about the need for strong Malay leaders, it is not to wrestle for more concessions from the Chinese or the PAP; it is to provide tough leadership to the community.
Just like the song Torn between Two Lovers, the PAP Malay leaders seem to be in a dilemma, between staying on the right side of national policies and not treading on sensitive Malay toes.
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On the current Malaysian scene:
What Malaysia has become today is not just the fault of Pak Lah, but also of Mahathir and all those who had supported him during his 22 years in power.
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On MM Goh Chok Tong:
When Goh took over the premiership in 1990, many Singaporeans thought that he would be a seat warmer, holding the post for a few years before handing over to Lee Junior. Fate intervened and he lasted 14 years. He was not a seat warmer, but a system warmer. Goh preserved the system that he inherited and kept it in good order, tweaking a little here and there, before passing it intact to his deputy and successor, Lee Junior.
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On the SAF:
In just over four decade, they have built a lean and mean military machine that could beat off any power, or any combination of power, from within the region.
The neighbourhood mongrel of yesteryear has become the Rottweiler of the region but, unlike the Israeli breed, has yet to develop a taste for land or blood, and may never will, as long as neighbouring hotheads are on a tight leash.
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On the reaction of a Malaysian army general to the SAF:
“I am sure you know that we (Singapore) can take over half of Johore within 24 hours if the water tap is switched off.” He coolly replied: “Yes, yes, I know, we are not worried. We have the antidote.”
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On the power of the American Jews:
According to the grapevine, when the Jewish lobby sneezes in Washington, the entire American Congress, including the President in his White House, ducks for cover under their massive oak-lined writing tables.
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An exclusive, first edition of A Reporter’s Memoir NO HARD FEELINGS has just rolled off the press. It is enjoying brisk sales and all the indications are that a second edition will be necessary. So, quick get your copy. It may become a collector’s item. They are now available at $23 before GST at:
Select Books
Tanglin Shopping Centre #03-15
Tel: 67321515
The Arts House Earshot Café
1 Old Parliament Lane
Tel: 63326900
Alternatively, contact the author: ibekay@singnet.com.sg or ibikay@yahoo.co.uk
Ismail Kassim
Tribute to JBJ
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
Banks, structured products & deception
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.
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An irreverent look at life, faith and politics…
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
