Another letter from Australia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I append below a letter from Australia by Tom Thekatyil, a former Singaporean living in Australia. His EMail is tomt@lottah.com. He is a former classmate of the Million Dollar Minister Mr. Wong Kan Seng. I have his permission to post this EMail he sent to me as well as his contact particulars.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Re: Singapore. Why the blame lies on the Opposition Politicians for Singaporeans having to live as slaves.

Gopalan,

This is a gross distortion of the truth, and you know that.

Half century ago Singaporeans were seduced into giving up their essential liberties for the distant promise of a chook in the pot.

After all LKY was once the prole's champion (key speaker at some Socialist International do sometime in late 60's?). What they were not told was that the chooks would not necessarily be in their pots.

From the time the opposition was decimated with incarceration of key Barisan Socialis members there has been no effective opposition in Singapore. Many who saw the handwriting on the wall emigrated. Of the remainder many of the most able were co-opted into serving the government and dissenters were sidelined if not ruthlessly suppressed, as your own blogs demonstrate.
Half century in government is a long time to rewrite the laws to reflect the interests of the governing as opposed to that of civil society. Add to this a subservient judiciary and ... bingo!

If Singaporeans have been enslaved, they choose to do so with open eyes, and are no less culpable than the opposition claiming to act in their interests. Don't ask JBJ what he has done for the people - more useful to ask what the people have done for themselves. They are free to demonstrate their feelings at the next election, if only to see the tiger's stripes. In short you cannot vote to be enslaved, then ask another man to explain why you are a slave.

You and I choose to walk away; those who stayed to fight and pay the price have my respect regardless of their effectiveness. They are no less worthy of yours.

Regards,
Tom Thekathyil
836 Main St., Lottah, TAS. 7216, Australia - Ph: 61 3 6373 6191 GPG Key at http://www.blogger.com/www.lottah.com/gpg-key.asc