Former diplomat Kausikan questions Thum’s loyalties
Bilahari Kausikan questions Dr Thum's loyalties, citing Facebook posts as proof
Retired diplomat Bilahari Kausikan yesterday questioned Dr Thum Ping Tjin's loyalties by referencing earlier Facebook posts made by the historian.
He noted that Dr Thum and other activists met Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad last week and invited him to "interfere in Singapore's internal politics".
After the meeting, Dr Thum wrote that he had urged Dr Mahathir to "take leadership in South-east Asia for the promotion of democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of information".
The group came under fire from some netizens after Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng wrote in a Facebook post last Saturday that Dr Thum had invited Dr Mahathir to bring democracy to Singapore, and that "it appears quite clear to me that PJ Thum does not wish Singapore well".
On Sunday, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam referenced Dr Thum's post and said "it is quite clear what that means".
He added that it is unacceptable to invite a foreign politician to intervene in Singapore's domestic politics.
Defending himself on Monday, Dr Thum said any notion that he is a traitor to Singapore is "ridiculous and unfounded".
He added: "I love my country and my people."
Mr Kausikan asked a day later: "But which is his country and who are his people? Not a straightforward issue when dealing with a slippery character."
The former ambassador-at-large pointed to several of Dr Thum's Facebook posts, which were shared on social media and in WhatsApp chat groups.
'DISTORTION OF HISTORY'
On Aug 31, 2013, Dr Thum wished Singapore a "happy 50th illegal Independence Day".
Mr Kausikan, citing the statement, said "even for him (it is a) remarkable distortion of history", and noted that Dr Thum used the same phrase again in a 2014 post.
He said Dr Thum had consistently referred to "Malaya" in his posts - "a loaded reference which as a historian he should recognise and cannot be accidental".
Mr Kausikan also noted that on Aug 9, 2016, Dr Thum wrote that "it is my fervent wish that we will overcome narrow politics and one day return to our rightful place alongside our brothers and sisters in Malaya".
He said Dr Thum is "still twisting and turning, trying to slip out of what he has said and done".
In comparison, graphic novelist Sonny Liew had publicly admitted he should have used better judgment about the meeting with Dr Mahathir, Mr Kausikan noted.
"That is at least halfway honest."
Dr Thum could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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