Ladies and Gentlemen,
Winston Churchill had said at the end of the Battle of Britain "This is not the end. This is not even the beginning of the end. But the end of the beginning". In the case of Singapore, with the demise of Lee Kuan Yew, it will be the unfortunately the definitive "final end". There is no foundation for this administration to go on.
Presently the people are dead set against the government. With record breaking ministerial salaries while at the same time, a drop in the average man's income; among other sufferings they endure, while this government takes no heed at all.
The people are aware that this government itself is illegal. The Ministers and MPs are there because the elections were unfair. Jeyaretnam, Dr. Chee and many others have been deliberately denied their places in Parliament though defamation actions and false criminal charges. This makes the present government illegitimate and without authority in law. It is therefore unrepresentative of the people. This government knows this. So do the people. They have no mandate to govern at all.
The PAP itself does not have any identifiable character or objectives. Today, the people do not know what the PAP actually stands for. Is based on socialist aims to further the lives, welfare and interests of the average man, or are it's motives purely capitalistic, caring only for the rich and wealthy.
Article 2(b) of the PAP constitution reads as follows "To safeguard the freedom and advance the well being of Singaporeans through representative and democratic government". But the present government is seen not representative at all. Lee Kuan Yew's son has been made the Prime Minister in circumstances where he assumed this position not because he represents anyone but simply because he is the Minister Mentor's son.
"Safeguard the freedom" it says. But Dr. Chee Soon Juan's freedom is taken away by the government imprisoning him for exercising his right to free speech. This government does not safeguard the people's freedom.
"Democratic government" it reads. Where is democracy when this government requires a citizen to obtain a police permit even before any public speech!
The reader is requested to read the PAP constitution. It will be quite clear to you that this government is not complying or even trying to act according to even one sentence in it! With the way this government is going, we have a government that is not representative of the people and with policies which no one can even guess as to what they may be; since the PAP constitution appears totally irrelevant.
In the present circumstances we know that Lee Kuan Yew is the boss to whom all Minsters, the Cabinet and MP kow tow and obey. The people just live day to day, wondering what will be in store for them tomorrow after Lee Kuan Yew had had his breakfast. The people do not like it, but they are afraid. So they take it in silence. They just obey whatever his edict after his breakfast, which message would be conveyed to the people through his ministers. And which thereafter will be promptly published in the state controlled newspaper, the Straits Times.
So we have a situation where firstly the government is not representative because the layman's views are irrelevant to Lee Kuan Yew. Second the people do not know the direction this government is going to take, since the PAP constitution itself is sidestepped. The Singapore constitution itself is totally ignored since even though it says so, there is no freedom of speech since a permit is required to do it. That is to speak! The opposition's applications for free speech and assembly permits will always be refused. And lastly, no one one knows if the people will be prepared to accept his son as the new dictator when his father dies. And no one knows if the people are blindly going to kow tow and obey his son in the absence of his father!
These problems make the future of this country, a small island which is 14 miles north to south and 26 miles east to west with 4 million people and no natural resources impossible.
I suggest you start doing something now before the final day is thrust upon you unprepared. When alas it will be too late.
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
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Dear Mr Gopalan,
As much as there is unhappiness amongst the Singaporean populace, I do not hold out much hope for any change, much less a resounding one come next elections.
We all know the usual bag of tricks the PAP government will start once elections draw near.
There will be an announcement a year or 2 before of some new fangled way to buy votes yet again with some new abbraviation ala NSS or Progress Package tagged on to it.
The local media will begin their slew of government praising artciles, harping on and on again about how well the average Singaporean is earning, spending and making, giving a false sense of prosperity within the regime whereas more and more are forced to tighten their belts.
And come polling day, depending on how brave the PAP may feel, there may or may not already be a majority based on the electoral boundaries. The farce of campaigning will still be carried out with a significant portion of Singaporeans unable to voice out or vote.
And another cycle of oppression will renew itself.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU.
Singapore is all about one man. The legaltimate power of the ruling party lie in the larger than life personality image of the country's modern founder.
This is no different from DPR Korea where a dead man is still keeping the ruling party there alive.
In Australia, I had a beautiful experience of a smooth handover of government from Liberal/National to Labor. The ugly political campaigning circus was tame compared to what is happening in the US, but it was what I expect in a true democractic country.
I shudder to think of the power struggle post-LKY. But it is the people who will suffer.
How and why were the recent dictators like Ceaucescu, Marcos and Suharto overthrown? They also controlled their citizens like LKY does and enriched themselves obscenely. There has to be a breaking point of no return and like the citizens of Romania, Phillipines and Indonesis, that point is when the poorest and the lower middle class reach 40% of the popn.As happened in Burma, when enough people are hungry and desperate whilst the rulers and their cronies feast on expensive food and other luxuries!I dun think S'pore has reached the 40%point yet, maybe 30% or so.Always remember the French Revolution when Mrs GCT, sorry, Marie Antoinette said " No bread? Let them eat cake!"
I just hope I will still be alive and kicking when the point of no return is reached!
Post a Comment