Ladies and Gentlemen,
At a PAP rally during the last elections, Lee Kuan Yew's son, whom he placed as Prime Minister of Singapore made his plans very clear. It is all right, he said, if there were one or two suppliant opposition members such as Loh Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong. If there were any more, he said, he will "have to fix them and buy over his voters"! We know from Singapore's sad history that this is not just rhetoric, it is real.
As long as you are no real threat to them, such as Loh Thia Khiang who has given up fighting the PAP, you are welcome and will face no harm. But if you happen to be a true defender of the people, then you are in for trouble, big trouble. Especially so if you have the abilities and qualifications to go with it.
Kenneth's father, the late JBJ suffered a great deal of "fixing". He was repeatedly sued, fined and imprisoned for no rime or reason, and effectively kept out of Parliament. Francis Seow, the former Solicitor General was arrested after he stood for elections. Had he not fled Singapore he would still be in a Singapore jail. He too was effectively "fixed". Tang Liang Hong was "fixed" with criminal charges and defamation charges just because he had lodged a police report against Lee Kuan Yew senior. Dr. Chee soon Juan, a highly qualified nueropcychologist, of the Singapore Democratic Party continues being "fixed" even now as he undergoes a "fixed" legal proceeding for a peaceful protest. I too was "fixed" more than once for allegedly being in contempt of the Singapore's courts.
The one common thread among all these people who have so far been "fixed" by either Lee Kuan Yew or his son is this. They were all made of the real stuff; meaning they really wanted to further the people's cause; not the sort of half hearted opposition like Loh Thia Khiang of the Workers Party.
Kenneth Jeyaretnam has not said whether he intends to contest the coming elections. So we don't know one way or the other. But if he does intend to contest the elections and if he is the made of the real stuff, that is, if he truly intends to defend the people's rights, then I can tell you this much. He will be "fixed" just as all the others before him. Just as his father was "fixed".
If there is anyone in the world that Lee will not let alone, it is Kenneth Jeyaretnam. He is too big a threat. Look at him. He is highly educated. He is obviously doing this for the people and not for personal gain, since finding work, with his good qualifications, is not a problem. And from what he has said so far, it does appear that he does not intend to pull any punches. And with these qualifications, Kenneth Jeyaretnam becomes a terrible threat to Lee Kuan Yew and his oligarchy.
In the past, Lee Kuan Yew, has on occasions tried to buy over his opponents with money and bribes. But in this case, they will not even try, as Kenneth Jeyartnam appears to be an man of integrity and purpose.
If Kenneth decides not to contest elections but merely remain a member of the Reform Party, there in nothing much to fear. But if he does, then, as sure as sunrise, there will be another round of "fixing". It is easy to do it in Singapore. I reckon, as in the past, if he does make any rally speech, it would be used against him in a defamation action, with Davinder Singh in the prosecutorial role and Judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean as the "judge" who will return a predictable verdict of $2 million in damages. After this, Kenneth will be promptly bankrupted and cast into oblivion. Another successful "fixing" for you.
But all this "fixing" does not go in vain. Every one of us who have been "fixed"; JB Jeyaretnam, Francis Seow, Tang Liang Hong, Dr. Chee Soon Juan, the so called "Marxist Conspirators" have all managed to discredit Lee Kuan Yew and his PAP. If Lee Kuan Yew thought that he has hurt his opponents, he has been hurt tenfold, by the public knowledge of his dirty tactics. This lowers his reputation and that of his government.
Now if he does try to "fix" Kenneth Jeyaretnam, he should keep in mind that he would lose much more than Kenneth.
So to Kenneth Jeyaretnam, I say this. Stand up to these bullies. Contest the elections. You will win by exposing the dishonesty of this tin pot regime once again. That alone is sufficient victory. At this moment, when Lee Kuan Yew has lost all credibility, he will not be able to withstand one more onslaught.
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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6 comments:
I think you are deep inside, a very loyal Singaporean. I don't think you write out of hatred, bitterness or anger. You write to educate the people. Keep writing, sir. Enjoy your blog over Straits Times any day!
"Fixing" is unethical. Just plain unethical.
This is a serious blog, but sometimes I wish there are humours.
Here's one. If everytime the PAP fix the opposition human being, a bird will shit on the white uniform of PAP dogs.
On this National Day, all the PAP dogs will be down with bird flu and wear "yellow brown" uniforms that stinks like hell!
Meanwhile, I am able to write this and still sleep well at night.
There would be no need to fix the opposition if the PAP themselves behave above board.
They haven't been doing that and that is what riles up the oppostion along with hundreds of thousands of ordinary Singaporeans.
So what is the solution in such a scenario when the root cause is PAP mismanagement?
Should the PAP be bucking up on their mediocre governance or should they be bloodthirsty and go round vindictively fixing their opponents?
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KD17Ae01.html
Apr 17, 2009
A tech-savvy rebellion in Thailand
By Sreeram Chaulia
Exile was once an effective ploy used by governments to deprive political opposition figures of their audience. Banishing a politician from the homeland in the pre-information technology (IT) era was often enough to break the link between that individual and any of their supporters.
By physically kicking enemies out, governments in those days could reasonably hope to suppress unwanted personalities. Exile therefore sat alongside arrest, detention, co-optation and assassination in the toolboxes of regimes trying to ward off threats to their survival.
But the advent of Internet technologies leaves in doubt the usefulness of political exile. In early April, ousted former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose "red shirts" recently shook the wits out of not only the incumbent government but also visiting Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) dignitaries, showed he is a perfect exponent of the new phenomenon of long-distance, tech-savvy rebellion.
Through Internet-based communications devices and video links, Thaksin - who was deposed from power in a 2006 military coup - has continued to script Thai politics from exile in London, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.
The ability of Thaksin's backers in Thailand to screen his speeches and public addresses live, via advanced net-enabled technology, has given him a platform to urge the Thai people to overthrow what he has labeled an illegitimate government. By harnessing mass communication that can traverse continents, Thaksin has more than lived up to his pedigree as a telecommunications magnate.
The current uprising against the military-supported government by the "red shirts" may not have materialized without the provocation of Thaksin's tired but angry face rallying spirits from video screens erected on the streets of Bangkok and broadcast on satellite-based television stations.
Instead of the man in flesh and blood, his supporters took inspiration seeing him via satellite imagery. When Thaksin thundered on the giant viewing panels that "negotiations are impossible", the assembled red shirts howled back in agreement and took to the streets after his call for a "people's revolution" against the Abhisit Vejjajiva-led government.
For followers of Thaksin, the sight of their leader appearing before their eyes in crystal clear picture and sound quality is a powerful image, perhaps more so than if he were physically present at the gatherings.
The electronic medium served as a stirring reminder to the red shirts, who feel their leader had been persecuted and should be brought back to head the country. The video-linking not only substituted for lost political opportunities due to Thaksin's self-imposed exile - he was sentenced in October 2008 to two years in prison on conflict of interest charges - but also gave him the halo of a martyr.
To Jamestan,
I agree. The Internet has changed the game. Even though I have an American passport which does not require a Singapore visa, I have been told that I cannot enter unless I have prior permission from the Singapore authorities. A sort of ban. But the Internet places no impediment for me to communicate through this blog. Just as you say, this tool is now ineffective.
All Singapore exiles who feel a need for change, should use the Internet to express their stand. This is a powerful tool. When the message seeps to all the world, Lee Kuan Yew's ability to rule as a tyrant is diminished. Please do what you can.
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