In Singapore, in addition to the search for escaped prisoner Mas Salamat Kastari, Lee has now begun a search for a future Prime Minister!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Singapore state controlled paper, the Straits Times of April 04, 2008 in their story "PM still looking for his successor" has announced the official beginning of a new island wide search. In addition to the ongoing search for escaped prisoner Mas Selalamt Kastari, which has now entered its 30 day, a simultaneous thorough nationwide search has begun in Singapore to find a successor to the Prime Minister. Both searches are funded by the Singapore taxpayer!

Anyone not familiar with Singapore, having only read the Singapore Government website; would be surprised if told of such a search; for someone to replace the Prime Minister in 15 years time! For a start, is it not somewhat presumptive to assume he will remain Prime Minister for the coming 15 years; let alone his handing over power to someone of his choosing? Is this a democracy or is it a monarchy? Isn’t the Singapore government website claiming it to be a democracy a whole load of bull!

Isn't this peculiar practice in Singapore, of going around searching for a successor; somewhat similar to pre Chinese invasion Tibet, a theocracy, where Buddhist high priests scoured the entire country looking for an infant, God's chosen successor, and groom him to succeed the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of the country, when he eventually dies or retires!

But wait a minute, you will say. According to the Singapore Government Website, Singapore is supposed to be a democracy. Leaders are not supposed to be chosen the way a successor to the Dalai Lama is chosen! It is supposed to be the people who decide who their Prime Minister is going to be.

Not for Lee Kuan Yew's son to be going around searching high and low, under beds and behind cabinets, now! In any case, what makes him think he is going to be the Prime Minister for the next 15 years! Is it not possible for him to lose the elections the next time, so the question of his choosing the next leader will be preemptive? Why is he so confident that he will remain in power that long?

Anyone who understands Singapore will tell you that what meets the eye cannot be further from the truth. The Singapore Government Website is deliberately deceptive. And shamelessly so; shamelessly, because the government itself knows that no one believes the nonsense in it. If Singapore is a parliamentary democracy, as it claims, then Burma is not a military junta but a liberal democracy based on the rule of law, not dissimilar to Sweden!

The discredited Singapore government shamelessly continues to tell the world that it is something which it is not. According to the Singapore government website, it claims to be a parliamentary democracy. It is not. It does not practice rule of law. There is no free or independent press, all of which are both owned and controlled by the government. The system of government is no different from say, North Korea; except that it is impossible to escape from North Korea. You can from Singapore, which explains the massive continuing brain drain of young men and women who leave the country to settle overseas permanently. Young men and women who can no longer tolerate living in tyranny.

In the article, Lee's son, the Prime Minster, attributes the increasing brain drain of Singapore talent to settle overseas, as a reason why choosing a successor becomes even more difficult. According to the report, of the best High School students, about 100 leave the island permanently every year. Many others leave Singapore later. In fact these figures are much less than the real numbers that leave, an expected manipulation by a state controlled press. Almost 3,000 or so talented Singaporeans leave Singapore annually. These are the very best of the best; citizens whom Singapore would least want to lose.

And one reason why they leave is because of such inane silly statements that Lee's son puts out on a daily basis; thereby insulting the intelligence of any Singaporean who still can think; a group which is itself an endangered species.

Any self respecting young educated Singaporean would be outraged to read that Lee's chosen son is looking out to the next 15 years when he will eventually step down and appoint his chosen successor! Lee's son has to be advised to be a little less arrogant and self assured. He should not be assuming himself in power for the next 15 years if in fact Singapore is supposed to be a parliamentary democracy. Although practically unlikely, because he will rig the elections again, as he has done in all past elections; at least it is theoretically possible that he will be voted out in the 2011 elections. So don’t count your chickens before they are hatched!

But the truth of the matter is this. The Singapore press is entirely owned and controlled by the Singapore government; otherwise which press in the world would come out with arrogance such as this? Second, his prediction that he will remain in power for the coming 15 years will almost certainly be realized. With election rigging, defamation actions and criminal arrests, any possible contender for government office will be destroyed. Through such dishonesty and skullduggery and straightforward abuse of the law and illegal actions; he will probably be able to anoint his successor in the next 15 years after all.

And while this man, with the help of his father Lee Kuan Yew continues his illegal grip on power, those who can; the educated and skilled; continue to flee the country, leaving behind only those who are unable or incapable of leaving, through lack of education, skills or old age. While educated Singaporeans leave its shores in the droves, immigrants from Communist China who are unable to even speak English, let alone Malay are brought in to replace them. These immigrants from Communist China, through lack of skills or any ability are incapable of replacing the highly talented Singaporeans who leave. This continues the vicious cycle, on the one hand Singaporeans leaving and being replaced by uneducated unskilled immigrants from China.

A vicious cycle in a downward spiral.

I doubt very much Lee Kuan Yew's son being successful in his nationwide search for a successor. In fact I doubt very much whether Singapore will continue to function at its present level. All signs indicate that in the not distant future, he and his family will be the sole readers left for his state controlled newspaper, the Straits Times. That is, if it is still printed in the English Language!

I understand that “Thank You” in Mandarin Chinese is “Hsieh Hsieh”. So, Hsieh Hsieh to all of you. I am sorry I have to go now. I have to rush to my Mandarin lessons!

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/

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