Friday, September 18, 2009

Singapore's sham democracy

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It was gratifying to read the article on Singapore Democratic Party's Website, Singapore Democrats "From strength to democratic strength" of Thursday, 17 September 2009. Gratifying to read their strength in numbers has increased.

But I am sure, they, just like me, are fully aware that these numbers don't mean much by themselves. It has to be acted upon.

Being a Singapore native, born and raised there, and having spent an entire 6 months there last year, thanks to Lee Kuan Yew's hospitality, speaking with tongue in cheek of course, I have come to an opinion.

Singapore today has a sufficient number of people who are prepared to do whatever is necessary for the good of their country. To be precise, for democracy in their country. And a look at this Singapore Democrats article confirms this.

But one unfortunate reality which everyone has to understand is Lee Kuan Yew's unwillingness to allow for a democratic change of government. This means the elections will be rigged, voters would be intimidated, threats would be made against those who dared to oppose and in the end you will have the same of what you have been having for the last 50 years; perpetuation of the dictatorial rule.

And it would be a waste of time for anyone to raise their expectations into thinking anything else.

The only way for a change to come about is for these growing supporters of the Singapore Democratic Party to show Lee Kuan Yew and friends that they are standing up to him. That they are not afraid. That they are willing to show their faces and be counted.

Activists have to stand at street corners distributing leaflets and dropping them in the HDB flats, protests have to be held openly challenging Lee to arrest them, there has to be constant and visible agitation throughout the island. This would attract and embolden others to do the same. Hopefully there will be the beginning of a serious protest movement throughout the island.

Those in the movement should not be pandering to the tastes of the masses. I get the impression that because of a perception, perceived or imaginary I do not know, that Singaporeans are averse to protests, many in the movement are reluctant to do it. It is my view that public perception be damned. Men have to do what is right. And in the end others will realize the truth and join you. Therefore it must be done.

I fear, and I hope I am proved wrong, that this election is going to be no different than any other. There is going to be just more of the same. The same 2 willing horses, Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang will continue the theatricals, the same lies will be repeatedly told to you all over again, and you will continue the lives of slaves that you now lead.

Unless you realize that something different has to be done, it is going to be the same boring place for a while yet. I am hoping you will do something different.

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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5 comments:

BryanT said...

Mr Nair, we are happy for it to be a boring place.

mycroft said...

Amen to that Gopalan. I too fervently pray that Singaporeans have finally learned a painful lesson from the false promises made at the last election: and that message is that verbal commitments can and will be cynically tossed straight into the garbage can immediately after power is safely seized by politicians of no principle.

Perhaps people will remember the promise not to introduce means testing for healthcare services, perhaps they won't. Not a word was said during the hustings about the intent to ratchet up GST to 7% although it was a done deal. Not a word was breathed about the plan to raise ministerial salaries by 80% to create the 30 highest-paid politicians on planet Earth. Funnily enough, I don't recall hearing Lee announce in his election speeches that he was going to make every third person I meet in Singapore a foreign talent either.

Five billion dollars was thus swiftly removed from the pockets of foolish citizens who thought they were getting something for nothing from the upgrading goodies dangled before them. Electricity, transport, utilities, public services, everything... all were jacked up with a vengeance just as soon as the elections were over. Inflation soared to an unheard-of 6.5%. And it would still be at that level today if the recession had not roared up to take the wind out of some very cock-sure sails. PAP literally laughed all the way to the bank as they stepped over the bodies of the poor, the maimed, and the halt, and yes, those who would not see.

Once again the siren song begins. NS men's wages are being raised, anti-speculation measures loudly trumpeted (who was responsible for causing the property bubble in the first place???), nursing home subsidies enhanced, previously banned political films suddenly unbanned, a worshipful book about our oh-so-heroic Men-In-White is feverishly promoted to anyone who will listen... the list goes on. The stench of bribery hangs heavy in the PAP whitewash like the cloying smell of cheap perfume on the whores plying the streets of Geylang. It's the proverbial SSDD - same shit, different day - being wheeled out again.

Meanwhile, an innocent man is fined an outrageous $10,000 or 10 weeks' jail in lieu by an dishonourable judge, for the hideous crime of selling a newspaper to the public. What ever happened to 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me'? What ever happened to more than $100 billion of taxpayer's funds still unaccounted for? You only have their word for it that X billions reside in the Reserves making Y billions in profits for the nation. Has anyone ever seen an independent auditor's report? And if we're really so affluent, why the need to squeeze the populace until their eyes bleed?

Lies, all lies, my fellow Singaporeans. Please, please, wake up, wake up. Pull the wool away from your eyes and smell the corruption. What is being done to you is not a whit less evil just because it dons the false mantle of legality. This corrosive regime must be brought to heel for the sake of your children or their future as proud Singapore citizens is lost. If you do not make a stand now, you shall surely be dressed in mourning till 2016.

Anonymous said...

Hi Gopalan Nair

Is it true that Chiam See Tong is related to Lee Kuan Yew by marriage?

Anonymous said...

Singapore’s Temasek Embarrassment

http://randomnotes.newswires-americas.com/?p=4167

It’s time for Singapore to do something about Temasek’s leadership.

...she and her team haven’t run government-linked Temasek well, making a series of peculiar or ill-timed investment decisions in recent years.

Anonymous said...

'Mr Nair, we are happy for it to be a boring place.'

Of course you are. It would be most unusual for a dog to bite the hand that feeds it, no?