Singapore. A lawyer for Alan Shadrake.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Alan Shadrake will go on trial in Singapore's Alice in Wonderland Courts charged with the "uniquely Singaporean" charge of "scandalizing" the judiciary there. And from what is being said, he is not even allowed to justify his actions, because, believe it or not, under Singaporean justice truth is not a defense.

Sorry to be going back to Alice in Wonderland but do you recall the trial of the rabbit who stole the tart? The Queen judge (Lee Kuan Yew's Judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean of the Dr. Chee Soon Juan case fame comes to mind) found the need to hear the evidence before sentencing totally unnecessary and tiresome. It would have been much better, she said, to pass the sentence first, then hear the evidence. It would have, she said, saved much of her time.

Alan Shadrake's Singaporean trial on the 30th of August 2010, isn't much different since, how is he to defend himself if he is not even allowed to say that what he said was true?

But coming to "scandalizing" the judiciary, there isn't much under American law to help me. Such an offense does not exist! Shadrake should look up to some archaic medieval English law on what this means. I am not sure but I don't think this action even exists today in modern day Britain.

But the meaning of "scandalize" should help a little. Websters English dictionary meaning of this word is 1) to speak falsely or maliciously of 2) to bring into reproach and 3) to offend the moral sense of.

In all 3 meanings of the word, it implies that to successfully scandalize anyone, that object must have some merit in the first place, since how else can you possibly scandalize someone who has no merit whatsoever. If a man is a bum, it would be impossible in effect to scandalize him, since he has done it to himself by being a bum.

This is one of the defenses Shadrake should rely on. And to do this he would have to show that this government in Singapore has lost it's credibility entirely, by a long history of misusing the law to silence dissent. And therefore since they themselves had themselves scandalized, Shadrake cannot be guilty of anything now since any further scandalizing of the Singapore government is impossible since they had already done it to themselves since 1959!

And in order to do it, Shadrake would have to testify with proof that this government has lost all respect for using the law as a political tool to silence dissent, obviously an entirely improper use of the law. For this Shadrake will have to refer to the Constitution Article 14 which guarantees fundamental human rights, the section which prohibits laws that violate the Constitution and stress that all these laws passed by the government to silence dissent are void under law and illegal.

He should speak on the series of injustices against JB Jeyaretnam, Dr. Chee soon Juan and myself as an abuse of due process and illegal. The case where I was convicted of contempt of court in 2008, Attorney General of Singapore vs Gopalan Nair is also part of the bundle of authorities the Attorney General is relying on. Shadrake should argue that my conviction, just like those of all the others were wrong and in violation of the Constitution.

I am sure the judge is going to stop Shadrake from raising any of this, because in Singapore just as any politically motivated case like this, to Lee Kuan Yew, it is an open and shut case.

Shadrake should not allow it to be an open and shut case as they want. Shadrake should bring in the evidence fully in his defense. The world's newspapermen would be in court watching. Shadrake should not disappoint them. He should insist in having his day in court, literally. He should say his piece, with or without the judge's consent. The world has a right to be told. My advise to Shadrake, don't be intimidated by this Lee Kuan Yew lackey of a judge. Insist on saying what you have to say, regardless of however long it takes. This judge might threaten you with further contempt if you don't shut up, but please don't give in. State your piece, make you statement to the fullest.

Cross examine your accusers to the fullest. Don't leave a stone unturned. Ask them whether they know that the law is discriminately applied with one for the rich and another for the poor. And go through the entire litany of your questions.

Remember you owe it to all of us, to take these puny dictators to bits. It is not just the Singapore courtroom now. The entire world is watching you.

This is your day. You have nothing to lose. It is true that you say you have nothing to fear from them, since they cannot do anything to you even if they want. Their game is up and you have got them this time once again with their pants down. Their biggest mistake was to go after you. Now since you have got them firmly under your grip, don't let go. Please don't let go.

Give it to them Shadrake. Take no prisoners. No prisoners. Give it to them. I demand justice.

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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