There are only a handful of free men and women in Singapore

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Of the 3 million native Singaporeans and another 1.5 million foreigners, there are only a handful of truly free men and women in Singapore. People such as Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Ms. Chee Siok Chin, JB Jeyaretnam, Gandhi Ambalam, Yap Keng Ho better known as Uncle Yap, Miss Monika Gogilavani and John Tan. Of these people, Dr. Chee, Ms. Chee, Yap and Gogilavani are bankrupt; bankrupted by Lee Kuan Yew, the Singapore ruler for criticizing his government. If I have left out any other free men and women in Singapore, kindly advice. I would say, conservatively, not more than 10 free men and women in all. The rest of the 4.5 million people are slaves; nothing better than slaves.

These handful of men and women in Singapore happen to be the only ones who are free citizens and have the courage to live as free men and women. Only they are prepared to remind the Lee Kuan Yew Administration that they too, like Mr. Lee, are citizens of Singapore. They have reminded the government that, as citizens, they have rights. That these rights are theirs. That they are prepared to exercise them.

As free men and women, which the constitution says they are, they have asked this government to account for the moneys promised to the late Indonesian President Suharto. They have also reminded this government that the National Kidney Foundation is corrupt and have requested an accounting of the moneys that were missing. They have rightfully asked what guarantee there was that other government departments were not corrupt like the National Kidney Foundation which was a government charity.

As free men and women, they have stood outside the Central Provident Fund Building on Robinson Road and protested demanding transparency and accountability in this government. They openly stated their concern in the failure of government institutions such as the CPF, Tumasek Holdings and the GIC, in their refusal to provide an accounting of their moneys. These free and proud men and women have reminded this government that it is their money that the government was handling and therefore they have a right to know what is happening to it.

Dr. Chee as a free citizen of Singapore spoke at various train stations reminding this government that they are failing in their duties to the citizens of Singapore. He pointed out that only a cowardly government will harass and intimidate political opponents. He rightfully demanded that this government stop this illegal activity of harassing citizens and restore the rights of the people that they have denied for so long.

For speaking at the train stations, Dr. Chee is presently facing criminal prosecutions in the Subordinate Courts Singapore. At his trial, he is standing up as a free man and challenging his accusers.

And for their determination to remain free and upstanding citizens; prepared to ask questions of this government on matters that affect their public interest; they have all been prosecuted, charged and convicted, for nothing more than exercising their solemn rights as citizens of Singapore. Ironically in Singapore, being charged convicted and bankrupted by Lee Kuan Yew, stands as a badge of courage and honor; and they wear this badge proudly, because unlike other Singaporeans, it is they who have had the courage to question this government for answers that any other citizen should have also asked.

Then there are the other 4.5 million Singaporeans. They have not been charged convicted and bankrupted by Lee Kuan Yew, as none of them has had the courage to ask Mr. Lee, what right he has to pay himself $3.7 million per year in salary, what right does he have not to honor CPF payouts when members reach 55, what right has he to distort the costs of HDB flats and fleece citizens of their hard earned money to purchase these over priced flats, in fact what right has he to rule as a dictator!

These are questions that any proud citizen of any country will ask. They will ask it because the constitution of Singapore gives them these rights. The constitution states that the government is there to serve the people, the government is a servant of the people, and the government cannot disregard the people, that the government is accountable to the people.

Regrettably the only ones in Singapore who have dared to ask these questions have been these handful aforementioned people who have been harassed, charged, convicted, bankrupted and defamed by Lee Kuan Yew. Therefore it is only these people among the entire 4.5 million in Singapore who are free.

When these free citizens wake up in the morning and look at their visage in the mirror, I am sure it gives them pride. They may have been sued and bankrupted; but one thing they have not lost is their humanity, their pride and their self respect as humans. They look at the mirror smile and see one upstanding proud and free human being, made in the image of God, with the inalienable rights given to them as free men and women. And that is called freedom. You may take my money, they say; but you cannot take my humanity, my rights, my self respect. Those rights belong to me and me alone. And I will exercise it, because it is my right. This is what they say.

And Lee's major problem with admirable human beings like them is this. His plan that has worked so far; is to punish political opponents in the belief that everyone will bowl over and give up because of fear. But with these proud citizens, it is not going according to plan. They are not throwing up their arms and surrendering as he expects. What is worse; as he continues to unjustly punish these people, their stature both locally and abroad only increases.

Recently both Lee Kuan Yew and his son had called Dr. Chee a cheat liar and criminal both locally and during Lee junior's state visit to New Zealand. Unfortunately for the Lees, instead of Dr. Chee's reputation being tarnished; it has had the opposite effect. More and more foreign governments are recognizing his work for democracy in Singapore, giving him numerous medals, accolades for honor and courage; and they are more and more beginning to become aware of the cruel and repressive methods used by Lee Kuan Yew and son in government.

So far being said, what about the other 4.5 million people other people? They are either ignorant or choose not to exercise their rights as citizens. They go about their jobs each day. Although taxpayers, they choose not to ask the government, as to how their money is spent. They deliberately choose to close a blind eye as to how their their country is run. They are prepared to live lives completely at the tender mercies of this government. If the tax is increased, so be it. If it is reduced so be it. If they are to get pensions, so be it. If not, so be it. If buildings are to be built, so be it. If not, so be it.

In other words, these 4.5 million people, have chosen to live entirely as per the dictates of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. They go about their jobs. Then they go home. On weekends the go to Sentosa Island for amusement rides. On Saturdays they walk along Orchard Road and window shop; they laugh aloud, spend time with friends. In other words they live lives. But as to to their destiny, they have left that to Lee Kuan Yew and his son.

They are afraid. They don't wish to be charged sued and bankrupted like Dr. Chee and the others. In the morning, when they look in the mirror, they do not see the image of a free human being. Instead, what they see is a slave.

These men and women are willing to live as slaves. Lee Kuan Yew's slaves.

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