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The movie "Lincoln" centers on President Abraham Lincoln's efforts to obtain passage for the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which would formally abolish slavery in the country.
When Confederate envoys sailed to meet with Lincoln to negotiate a peace that leaves slavery intact, he instructs them to be kept out of Washington as the amendment approaches a vote on the House floor. At the critical moment, a rumor circulates that there are Confederate representatives in Washington ready to discuss peace, prompting both Democrats and conservative Republicans to advocate postponing the vote on the amendment.
Lincoln explicitly denied that such envoys are in or will be in the city. His note as read out to the House: "So far as I know, there are no peace commissioners in the city." Technically it was a truthful statement, since he had ordered them to be kept away, and the vote proceeds, narrowly passing by a margin of two votes. What Lincoln did was an impeachable offence.
Maybe it was just typical Hollywood to juice up the truth, but it reminds one of the wayang at play in Chan Sek Keong's infamous ruling of 1997. Specifically, about Goh Chok Tong and his lawless lot not breaching any election law by being inside the Cheng San polling station but not within 200 meters of it. As they say, truth is stranger than fiction.
The latest blockbuster in town is about AIM not bidding for the PAP town council IT tender. Chairman Chandra Das says his $2 company is not participating because "AIM had helped prepared the tender documents." Why would an on-going commercial entity intentionally write a document that will exclude it from a bona fide business opportunity? If Ben Affleck makes a movie out of this escapade, you bet he will win that Best Director award. No artistic licence required, the intrigue is all for real.