The election date has been set and I came across this email doing the rounds. This line reads so true: "because we are not organized, not mobilized, hence not credible and respected, thus never consulted or listened to"
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From: hong.lim@parliament.vic.gov.auTo: Chek LingCc: Unity Party WA ; cccavic@gmail.com ; tonypun@hotmail.com ; anthonypun@optusnet.com.au ; Stanley Chiang ; Wesa ChauSent: Monday, July 12, 2010 12:32 AMSubject: Re: Fw: A Chinese Australian stands tall in the Australian political moonscape
My Dear Chek,
Of all the accolades and well wishes that have been flooding in during the past couple of days, yours is the most welcome and highly regarded. I accepted it as a badge of honour, especially coming from you - one of the most truly respected Chinese elders, opinion makers, opinion leaders and thinkers.
You would probably realize by now that many of your contemporary and the younger generation of our community, who do really care about making a difference and doing the real, and the right things for the Chinese community in this country, are hanging on to your every word of wisdom every time you care to come out to make some pronouncements or prognosis about our community. Because we know you truly care as you do not have hidden agendas and you are without fear or favour. You truly set the standard and I believe many of us live in fear of failing you - hence failing our community and ourselves - (yet I have not even met you!). There are not enough like you in our Chinese community.
People like you, and Eddie in WA, reminds me constantly of a Richard Briggs, a Kiwi man (half Maori and half English) who spent all his energy, time and financial resources to assist the Indo- Chinese refugees during the late 1970's and 80's, although he was not well-off by any standard. He had a BA(Hons.) but chose to work in the mines of WA because that way he earned more money and had the flexibility of travelling to help the survivors of Pol Pot/Khmer Rouge's Killing Fields in the refugee camps at the Cambodia -Thailand border, which included tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese like my family. He wrote, printed and distributed the book about the suffering of the refugees and challenged the world community to come to the aid of this genocide survivors. He came to stay at my home one night (I lost track of him since then) and I asked him why he did what he did, and I will never forget his response: "Hong, what does a man need? All we need is a bed and a meal!".
Just imagine if only we have enough people in our Chinese community thinking and acting like him, there would be so much we can achieve as a community in this country, in the world; especially with the brain and resources we can muster for the common goal/good. With a dedicated group of people like him we can stand and walk tall and we would be in the position to dictate the terms of engagement, with the power to be, like other more established communities in Australia. The problem, as you keep reminding us, there are far too many who only care about their next Mercedes and when they are going to have their photo taken with Hu Jintao or the PM of Australia, just to promote their respective commercial interests - yet we rate nothing in the mind and eyes of the power to be, as compared to the Jewish, Greek, Italian........ because we are not organized, not mobilized, hence not credible and respected, thus never consulted or listen to....... And instead of progressing to a more deserved and mutually respected level of engagement with the power to be, we are now being dragged down and distracted by the miserable and disgraceful affairs in Sydney (and also in Melbourne) that now consume and waste intellectual energy and time of our leaders like Tony Pun, as he has to mob up the spills and pick up the pieces. (As a community we might need to push for a nationwide review of all the funding allocated to the myriad Chinese organizations in Australia to ensure if they are up to the expected KPI (Key Performing Indicators), let alone their CBA (Cost Benefit Analysis) in relations to our community's changing dynamic and needs. May be we should discuss all these as part of a national conference, which need to be soon - now that you are prepared to come down south to share your wisdom!. There are so much we need to work on - a vision/plan/mission for our growing community for the next 10-15-20 years......to take our proper place in this, our, country....with Chinese judges...in the Supreme court...more Councillors, ...MPs.... Premiers/PM.... Governors.... heading the police, armed forces, VCs of Uni....and more ..why not!?)
Never-the-less, I believe there are enough people/leaders amongst our community and business sectors who are conscious about our failing and are very keen to play their part to assist in this quest to make a difference. I believe that if we work together with an open heart and transparent agenda and do the real and right things we would achieve our common deserved ambitions. I hope like many other good and real Chinese community leaders you share this dream.
Indeed Check, I am most honoured and encouraged by your endorsement. I hope, now that we are on the same wavelength, together with other like mind and concern we could make a difference.
Most sincere regards,
Hong Lim, MP
Member for Clayton
Special Advisor to the Premier
on Victoria-Asia Business Relations
PS: I take the liberty of broadcast this message to as many leaders of our community as possible and hope to hear their response to this our common concern.
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From: "Chek Ling"To: "Hong Lim"Date: 09/07/2010 10:21 AMSubject: Fw: A Chinese Australian stands tall in the Australian political moonscape
Dear Hong
My admiration for your free spirit and great principle.
What a splendid example.
I hope you don't mind what I have done with this wonderful news.
If I have misrepresented you, I am sorry, and please let me know.
All best.
Chek
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From: Chek LingSent: Friday, July 09, 2010 10:07 AMTo: huarenlist@yahoogroups.comCc: Graham Perrett ; Michael Choi ; Andrew JakubowiczSubject: A Chinese Australian stands tall in the Australian political moonscape
Dear all
I thought I'd share my elation of seeing a Chinese Australian in public life, standing up for his principles, and not winning himself any brownie points from his own political Party.
Hong Lim laments Julia Gillard's spoutings on boat people. That is a brave thing to do, in print no less, given the dire circumstances under which Julia Gillard became PM just a week or two previously. You can read the article at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/mp-hong-lim-slams-gillard-asylum-solution/story-e6frg6nf-1225889566827Is this a milestone in public life for C-As? Is this a proud legacy we can unequivocally bequeath to our heirs? (Away from the three monkeys approach to public life, or the obsequious middleman mentality of self-enrichment at the cost of degrading the Chinese-Australian brand.)
This seems to me to be an opportune time for one of the "peak Chinese community" organisations to come out and host a function to celebrate this milestone. There is at least one such state and one such national organisation in Hong Lim's home state of Victoria. Could have a guest speaker, say Julian Burnside, the well-known (barrister)activist for the humane treatment of boat people. No doubt it might just as well be, instead, for Hong Lim to talk about his approach to public life.
Would someone in Victoria please pass on my pleading to the pertinent leaders of those peak organisations in Victoria please?
I promise I will fly down to attend. For me it would be close to an "historic" occasion in the annals of Chinese Australian affairs.
Ever the optimist,
Chek
Brisbane, Australia
