Qualified immigrants shun Singapore.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The news media Asiaone reports on Wed January 23, 2008 the story "It's S'pore's gain even if 30-40% of immigrants settle here: MM Lee".

In the story, Lee Kuan Yew finally admits that it is becoming increasingly difficult to persuade foreign skilled workers and professionals to settle in Singapore. He admits that capable Singaporeans themselves are leaving Singapore for good. Although foreigners come to Singapore to take up temporary jobs, he admits most do not wish to make Singapore home. Therefore he says, he will be happy even if 30 to 40% of Chinese and Indians decide to settle permanently there. He does not talk of other foreigners such as from the West. Therefore it can be assumed that almost no one from the liberal west likes to live in Singapore.

He admits that many foreigners use Singapore as a stepping stone for the west; meaning they never wanted to live in Singapore at any price; their goal being America and the west. Since Singapore is desperate to welcome foreigners, since educated Singaporeans themselves are leaving in droves; these short stay foreigners use Singapore to acquire some skills and leave for the West on the first plane out.

Although he admits that he loses some skilled Singaporeans; in fact not just some but many; he claims Singapore gains far more. But he conveniently does not elaborate on the quality of these Singapore gains. If he is counting the unskilled Bangladesh, Indian and Filipina domestic workers to make up the sums, he is of course right. But if we are thinking of high quality skilled professionals and managers; no foreigner in such a category would want to stay.

Lee keeps repeating that he would be happy if 30% to 40% of those who come stay. Yes it is true, some stay, but with the quality of those that stay, I can assure Lee Kuan Yew that not just 30% but 100% can be made to stay. All you have to do is to to give the half rate half qualified unemployed Indians, Filipinos and Bangladeshis visas and Singapore will have all the people they need. Only thing is, they won't be able to take Singapore anywhere.

In the report Lee had said that in 1987 when Singapore established the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, of the 200 people, only 20 were Singaporeans. I have heard that there are now very few foreigners and the Institute that he speaks of is not now doing very much. I can tell you the reason for this. In 1987, there were some very highly qualified foreigners, because of Lee’s ability to dupe the foreign media into believing Singapore was respectable. Problem is, after a little time in Singapore, they finally began to see what Singapore is; a one party dictatorship. Soon after realizing this, most foreigners left; I mean highly talented foreigners. Some mediocre foreigners who are unable fit anywhere else have had no choice but to stay. These are the foreigners that Lee is actually talking about.

He then says that America attracts Europeans and so on; just as he says Singapore does. It is a terrible insult to the Americans to be compared with Singapore. If the Americans were in the habit of suing their opponents for defamation of character, at the drop of a hat, like Lee does; I am sure the Americans would have collected heavy damages! Singapore is not America. America is a free, proud and democratic country with free elections, an independent judiciary, a free press and the rule of law. Singapore is not like America. If comparison is needed, it is more like Laos.

Let me tell Lee Kuan Yew why he is not able to attract capable foreigners. Capable foreigners are able to go where ever they want. And the reason for emigration is not just for money alone. It is to live a good life, a free life, a life where your rights are protected, your children are protected from being caned and hanged. In other words a free country. A country where an individual can rise on his own merits; not because he is a card carrying member of Lee Kuan Yew's People’s Action Party.

You see, all educated able foreigners have heard of machine called a computer. They have also heard of such a thing as the Internet and what is more, they know how to use it. Armed with this knowledge, they can read like anyone else that Singapore’s strongman Lee Kuan Yew, goes around with a knuckle duster and a hatchet in his bag. Anyone who crosses him will be lured to a cul de sac where he will finish them off. (For those who are unfamiliar with Lee Kuan Yew, the “hatchet man”, he actually said in Parliamentary Debates that if anyone crossed him he will lure his opponent to a cul de sac and there finish him off with a hatchet which he always carries in his bag!)

They have also heard of Singapore Judge Belinda Ang who awards defamation of character judgments of half a million US dollars, in favor of strongman Lee against his political opponent Dr. Chee Soon Juan without even getting off her chair, within 5 minutes, in her private chambers and not hearing Dr. Chee at all! This is what is called Summary Judgment, Singapore style.

They have also heard that Lee Kuan Yew has recently made up his mind that it is only fair to pay himself and his friends in high places no less than $3.7 million per year. Not satisfied with this, and just for the fun of it, he has just recently threatened to increase his salary to even higher amounts not to be outdone by the late Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar!

The capable foreigners have also come to Singapore for visits and have been surprised to see that almost all Singaporeans have no opinion on any political matter; eventually discovering that this apathy towards political matters is out of fear for the knuckle duster hatchet man Lee Kuan Yew.

And then you have Dr. Chee Soon Juan. He writes his blog everyday and fearlessly tells the world what sort of a silly place Singapore really is, which by the way, the capable able foreigners read. And then there is my blog, Singapore Dissident, where I identify myself and describe this silly place called Singapore. A place which I describe as a one party state, where the judiciary is corrupt, the politicians corrupt, where the media is state controlled, a place not much different from North Korea; the only difference being that you cannot escape North Korea whereas you can from Singapore. Foreigners read my blog too. And then there are hundreds of other blogs who truthfully describe Singapore to be just another dictatorship with one party rule.

And as if all this is not enough, you have Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Reporters without Borders and all manner of respectable international organizations who say the same thing, which is this; Singapore is nothing more than a bluff. A place where a corrupted dictatorship continues to remain in power by bribing the judiciary, the press and every other organ of civil society.

I know this much. Capable skilled and well read foreigners from Australia, New Zealand, India, Europe, South Africa and the world over know this much too. So they will not come.

You can of course bring in as many thousands of South Indian scaffolding and construction workers as you want. For them, any place is better than where they are.

And lastly let me tell Lee Kuan Yew this. Australians and Europeans among others do sometimes go to other places to work and live. But unlike Singaporeans who leave, they love their own native countries and would always want to go back if and when they decide. Whereas Singaporeans leave Singapore because they hate the sight of Lee Kuan Yew and the life they were forced to live in Singapore. A life of bondage under a totalitarian one party rule. They are delighted to leave Singapore and unlike other Europeans and Australians, want nothing more to do with Singapore. There is a great difference there.

Yet again, Lee Kuan Yew who has admitted that he governs Singapore by wits alone has yet again deceived you. He is comparing apples with oranges. A New Zealand immigrant to the USA is totally different to the Singapore immigrant to Australia.

The New Zealander loves his country. The Singaporean hates it, never wanting to look back again.

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