At their National Day Celebration, a member of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) performed a rendition of “The Impossible Dream” – a nod to the old-time classic theatre play, “I, Don Quijote”.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong accused Dr Tan Cheng Bock of having “lost his way”, like Don Quixote tilting at windmills, so the party’s National Day song choice (almost too) coincidentally shares the same reference.
How it all started
At the public launch of the Progress Singapore Party on Saturday (August 3), founder and Secretary-general Dr Tan Cheng Bock briefly mentioned how the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew had invited him to join the People’s Action Party (PAP) years ago.
Recounting the incident, Dr Tan said, “I was called by him (Mr Lee Kuan Yew) to join the work of nation building”.
“I told him (Mr Lee Kuan Yew) I was not enamored with the PAP”, Dr Tan said.
Dr Tan shared of his exchange with former Prime Minister late Mr Lee Kuan Yew: “I need you”, he said, “to come forward to take Singapore to the next level of growth”. He (Mr Lee Kuan Yew) impressed me with his passion for the country and his desire to build it up.
Dr Tan also shared that in inviting him to join politics, Mr Lee Kuan Yew warned him, “If you don’t come up (to join the party), don’t blame me if I take second rate people to take your place”.
The day after (August 4) Dr Tan’s public party launch, ESM Goh wrote that Dr Tan Cheng Bock had “lost his way”.
The Emeritus Senior Minister continued, rather harshly, “Surely I deserve some credit — or rather, blame — for who he has become now?”
““For Country, For People”. He has conveniently left out “For Me”!” ESM Goh remarked.
By way of explanation, ESM Goh wrote, “Tan Cheng Bock was my classmate in Raffles Institution. I have known him close for over 60 years. It saddens me to see how he has “lost his way”. He is like Don Quixote tilting at windmills”.
https://www.facebook.com/MParader/posts/3128971320478846?__xts__[0]=68.ARA3z3fdakJpKxHeUSaMsTo1ZoIFS9QIx65-kevDI2H8iIpdNVxUBdUCXWw2y-DMGe6mMVn7Cpqgn5UfzCvr78wkUieLJnjjJsfvo4FUo4B190tXYSV4n2SfI-BIMO_jDTaGz4CE-FAPH-F2PJ_52gl4SPQbBi1IIfG_ZmfM6WPGRi14X8CwQr7xR3hKEiKu_2rKGoXWVKJYCl4a13ZKf-iJENVHgP6DjzyYt7krxfHUjz1FmmWdCs_D0YEQJsFLfqIbKDxBZ21aQWj73EiYLowyaq8wOvjEiM-S8uE2FoClrlHVfgK6j6bpKZFDu60zsc-982ELgCisVFu32P-jRQ&__tn__=-R
What Don Quixote is all about
For background information, the hero of the novel, Don Quixote -presumably who ESM Goh was comparing Dr Tan Cheng Bock to – loses his wits from reading too many romances and comes to believe that he is a knight destined to revive chivalry and serve his nation.
Did PSP bite back?
At their National Day Celebration, PSP member Jeffrey Khoo’s opening performance was an emotional rendition of “The Impossible Dream” – a nod to the old-time classic theatre play, “I, Don Quijote”.
The lyrics of the song read as such: “To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go”
https://www.facebook.com/progresssingaporepartyofficial/videos/495477014348215/?__xts__[0]=68.ARDq_DSaF6NphWxrS9U28vrWd3W9wO78CK-srgBWxZOLtUYWUCpqLTVdabyxf4tX2Xw61j4GyY7h1TuQmf1IihAHISqCMDfUAVQMncYy2esdhR0YM03784RDNRnC8hp4eQaWBjyApO2vpkX8FyLXbek4nnb0EXAU6EgqxUA-YbWzn_NRZ9wwuZASsg8iotM9zY-ekRxegOXLmoI2me7D50dZRmY5ku06JzdXLyrsIHFRETzssIGO_bWQFRCllyLCSRSUnxCqUmt4gN15cjIyzuC6lM25VV9dBi1sw3U93Sqjc5-jTAYhgpIU3vSLYJDG_kCayD4D8qw1AS4jIyw4Vg9PANvQ0wBSEQlRnR7F&__tn__=-R
So, did PSP take ESM Goh’s comments of “Don Quixote tilting at windmills” and own them?