Earlier today, during a trip to the headquarters of Facebook in Singapore, Dr Tan and his Central Executive Committee (CEC) members rather pointedly took photos in front of a wall that had the words, ‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid?’.
This sentiment that people are afraid to join him and his team is one that Dr Tan has echoed during his public speeches.
During the Progress Singapore Party (PSP)’s National Day dinner on Sunday (August 25), party founder and Secretary-General Dr Tan Cheng Bock gave a rousing speech calling for Singaporeans to come join him.
During his speech, 79-year old Dr Tan urged people to get involved in the scheme of things, and to understand the importance of their involvement.
However, he added that amongst them, “for some of them, fear has stopped them from coming forward to join” him.
But he exclaimed, “use fear as the reason to come out”.
https://www.facebook.com/progresssingaporepartyofficial/photos/pcb.1127690987427813/1127690900761155/?type=3&theater
“You have that moral duty to ensure that your children don’t experience the kind of fear that you are experiencing now. It’s your duty to change that. And if you’re not prepared to change that, then I’m sorry for this country” he said.
After his trip to Facebook, Dr Tan captioned his post asking members of the public, “Now tell us, what would you do if you weren’t afraid?”.
Making use of the trope of fear, during the public launch of his party (August 3), the founder of PSP broke down and told the crowd that one of his greatest fears was the collapse of the party should he no longer be around.
He said, “This fear was one of the considerations that held me back from forming a political party. But what has happened is that many men and women came forward to join me. They wanted to build a stronger Singapore. Their presence gave me hope and confidence”.
He added that it is because of the people who joined him that, “I realize that I do not fear anymore”.
Similarly, that day, Dr Tan urged attendees to be unafraid, saying, “We are starting an evolution of change, not a revolution”.
/TISG