It’s so heartwarming to read Kenneth’s tribute to his late father on the 10th anniversary of his death.

I still remember distinctly the night of JBJ’s Anson by-election victory in 1981. I was then a young officer in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The crowd went wild in rejoicing his victory as he proclaimed “the dawn of a new era”. Indeed it was, being the first victory of an opposition candidate since 1966. It ushered in more opposition victories subsequently but the momentum broke in the late 1990s and the 2000s.

Despair not. If the lessons of history teach us anything, it is that victory ultimately belongs to the right side of history. Many of us have been inspired by JBJ and are continuing his fight for social justice and democracy. Victory will surely come one day and JBJ’s sacrifices will not be in vain.