Gianni Versace and The Plen have been in the news in the past 10 days, with the slain Italian fashion designer hogging more column space than the former underground communist leader. Versace made headlines because his murder was as hugely shocking as his hugely successful tart-inspired fashion wear. The Straits Times carried summaries of that interview and English translations of extensive excerpts. I dare wager that even before the media spotlight focused so sharply on Versace, more Singaporeans knew about him than Th e Plen.
T hat is the irony and the pity.
While information or knowledge about Versace may be interesting, it is not critical to the memory bank of the average Singaporean, whether young or old. It is a different story where T he Plen and his activities are concerned. They played a role at a critical point in our history. Yet, the young in Singapore know little to nothing about him. A survey last year by the Ministry of Education, covering some 2,500 students from primary and secondary schools all the way up to polytechnics and universities, had revealed that almost all didn't have a clue a bout The Plen.