after much hoo-haas, chiam stood on the podium with the help of his team-mates. he looked into the audience, though his body was weak, his eyes revealed wisdom and resoluteness, piercing into the hearts of everyone present. then very unexpectedly he stared to tell how LKY first noticed a man called Chiam See Tong after he put his name as an oppo candidate in 1984. LKY checked him out thoroughly, even looked at his O level record. (laughter from the crowd)
"He counted very carefully. 1. 2. 3...5. Only 5 O levels?" (another round of laughter)
"how many of you have 5 O level?"
somebody shouted, " i don't have any."
he replied, "then you and I are the same. but never mind, i have become a lawyer now."
"if your mother scold you for scoring badly in exams, tell her that mr chiam see tong also did badly in his o-level." he told the young chaps tongue-in-cheek.
he apologised in the beginning that we have to be very quiet because he couldn't speak loudly. he told the audience that it's o.k if we are not as smart as the others, and it is o.k if we do not seem as successful as the others. there's something called late late-bloomers, but all of us have the potential to be better people, as long as we stay true to ourselves and keep trying.
"when there is life there is hope, when there is hope, there will be change."
a rally that saw mr chiam being hoisted up to the pedestal of a singapore hero.... a David against the goliath. after the rally, people thronged around him all the way to the car-park, amid lite drizzles.
click here for chiam see tong's speech in potong pasir rally
