Heroric figures from World War 2 to Post War Era: Fong swee suan
Definition
First of all, what is a hero?According to Collins dictionary, a hero is a person, typically a man, who is admired FOR their courage or outstanding performances.
Analysing the question
Next the difference between a person who is called a hero because he achieved something that he wanted and through special circumstances, then he raised as a hero? One became a hero because he got what he wanted. Meaning to say that he puts his needs first rather than others, and achieve these needs of his. Does that really make him a hero in other people's eyes? Or the other who became a hero through occasions where people's needs come in first. He puts other people's wants in front of him and achieve it thus becoming the hero in the people's eyes.
For the first scenario, yes, what the "hero" did may have contributed the people. But if his motive is to benefit himself, does it make him a hero?
In our opinion, it is a no. It is the thought of helping the people by achieving something big for them that makes him a real hero. It is the selflessness that the hero is willing to go through for the people. That makes him the hero.
Background:
Then, the british came back after the war after the japanese were beaten. They came back to continue ruling the singapore. The people were unhappy as they thought that the birtish did not protect them from the japanese and now they wanted to come back and take control over again. So, a number people did not like the british thus, they did not like following the british rule and they wanted the british out as they have abandoned singapore. And to try and kick the british out of singapore, they held riots ( unhappy with british rule) and also formed political parties to have power over a part the government system. And this hock lee bus riots are one of the many riots held in singapore.
Then the golden question comes, What kind of tough challenges did Fong Swee Suan go through that made him a hero?
He is the hero in the bus drivers eyes. On april 23, 1955 workers from the Hock Lee Bus company and some chinese students began to go on a strike. They were members of Singapore Bus worker's union (SBWU)- pro communist. They were all protesting about the poor working conditions as they worked long hours with very little pay. In addition they also felt endangered by an enemy union which was supported by the bus company to respond to any labour action by SBWU.
Fong Swee Suan (worked in Hock lee bus company as a secertary but was promoted before the strike) was the one that initiated and led the riot. He was urging all bus companies to organised a sympathy strike if the dispute was not solved. The hock Lee bus company responded by firing the 229 workers under Fong Swee Suan's union.
The dispute inclined, workers went on a hunger strike and picketed the bus terminal, protesting about their working conditions.
However on 12th may 1955, know as the black thursaday, many people were injured and seriously hurt. About 4 people died, 31 injured and 8 of these 31 people suffered serious injury.
But in the end, the strikers were given back their jobs and their pay were restored, thus the strikers proclaimed their victory.
How Fong swee suan sloved the problem was through his several qualities.
1) He was courages
2) He was willing to fight for the people (selfless)
He stood out for the bus drivers, and fought for their better conditions. And this willingness of him shows that he is a very selfless person. He is a hero that raised from special circumstances. He is putting other people's needs infront. The strike was not for him, nor was it for him to benefit from. But it was for the people, which showed how selfless he is in helping those people gain a better life. Because of his courage to organise a strike, that is why the workers can finally have what they deserve as they manage to show the company how unhappy they were.
Even though people died and were seriously injuried, it shows how serious the workers are. Thus giving a notion to the company that they are in their opinion badly mistreated. Therefore, there were given what they deserved, their victory!
With his courage they organised a strike and through strike, it was made clear about wat the workers wanted and thus, what they wanted was given to them.
Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkHHo_A2SAU&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hock_Lee_bus_riots
http://aseanpedia.jbdirectory.com/Fong_Swee_Suan
Group members: Clarice (3) , Mariana (8) , Amanda (1) , Carmen (2) , Kimberley (5)
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