Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore's state controlled newspaper the Straits Times in the online edition of Nov 05, 2010, which in this case is on the point, since this story is about press freedom, reports "US style not for Singapore". It quotes a statement made by Lee Kuan Yew's recently promoted Indian sidekick K Shanmugam as the Minister for Law and Home Affairs in his speech at Columbia University, USA, yesterday.
And who the Hell are you anyway?
The nonsense or the arrogance he was spouting was this. Singapore he says is not entitled, according to him, of having a free press because Singaporeans are not like the Americans who, according to him are a larger country, rich and stable and strong enough to endure a free press, Singaporeans being not as judicious, fair and independent as the Americans.
I have this much to say to this Tamil side kick who can't find any other way to make a living than licking Lee Kuan Yew's Japanese rubber slippers. Simply Bollocks.
Look here you pathetic Tamil nothing, who was probably a son of a Tamil day laborer, who suddenly finds himself important because the Singapore dictator beckons him and gives him a job, let me tell you this. It is not for you to decide whether Singaporeans are entitled to read what they want and write what they want.
It is for them to decide, and if you thought even for a moment that you had that God given right to tell Singaporeans what they can read and not read, you have something else coming.
Look here you Tamil prick. The Singapore Constitution expressly provides in Article 14, the right to free speech and expression. That right is not just for Americans, that applies even to Hottentots in the Kalahari and even sons of Tamil coolies like yourself. Moreover, you might not have realized it because of your mediocre legal education from the mediocre University of Singapore where even peaceful protests are banned, the right to free speech and expression is an inalienable Universal Right enshrined in the United Nations.
And as for your ignorance of basic English language, which I suspect you suffer from, the word "inalienable" means something that cannot be taken away, not by you, not by your master Lee Kuan Yew and not by any other two legged living thing in this world, except God, which I am sure God will not do.
The gist of his stupidity that would make any hot blooded human being boil with anger is this. He says that because Americans are smarter than Singaporeans, they can handle fringe lunatic behaviour and by implication is suggesting that there are lunatics in Singapore (a group in which I assume he does not include himself) who will cause disruption in society, and therefore Singapore will rupture along racial and religious lines.
How does he know all this anyway? When was the last time there were racial riots in the country? And why does he think that Singapore will rupture and disintegrate?
I don't have to tell you why he spouts this drivel from his lips. It is very convenient for him surely. He can carry on licking his master's Japanese slippers for a living, his master and his sons will rule the country through the censorship of the newspapers, which is another way of saying that they are going to continue to dish out the propaganda which they have done for the last 50 years.
For those who may not understand that Singapore is no different from North Korea when it comes to the media, let me tell you. There is a government owned company in the island called Singapore Press Holdings, which by the way is owned by the Lee Kuan Yew family. This monopoly owns all the newspapers, all television stations, all radio stations and every other form of publication both visual and oral. No one is allowed to print and distribute any newspaper without a licence and as you expected, if you criticise the government your licence will be withdrawn. Not just that, the ownership of even a printing press requires a license, if not you go to jail
Just as in Communist China of today and the former Soviet Union, all news is carefully crafted to make the government look good and the critics look bad. Usually there is nothing about critics reported in the Singapore papers anyway, unless it is intended to make them look badly and poorly.
An example was my arrest in Singapore in 2008. For days on end I was reported in the newspapers as having criticized one of Lee Kuan Yew's judges, that I misbehaved in public, that I am more evil than even Adolf Hitler or anything else they wanted to say.
You have by now heard of the unstoppable and mounting brain drain of the educated and skilled from Singapore to Western countries for permanent settlement. Can anyone be surprised by it in these circumstances. What the government is trying to tell you is this, they have a right to selectively report what they want you to hear and conceal what they don't; distort the news so as to make them look good and their critics bad, and live a life where at any point of time you are unaware that any news you hear may or may not be true, take it or leave it.
I certainly would refuse to live a life like that under this Tamil sidekick of Lee Kuan Yew. Oh no, simply no. But the problem for Singaporeans is this. There is no way you can protest this injustice and the brainwashing of your mind. Firstly there is no political opposition since it is a one party state. Second, you are not entitled to even peacefully protest this violation of your right because you will be arrested, as even peaceful protests are illegal.
So an educated man in these circumstances has no choice at all. Either he has to take this lying down which to everyone would be totally unacceptable, or else just pack up and leave the country.
So now you know why so many educated skilled Singaporeans leave the country permanently for a like abroad. Can anyone blame them? I for one would not tolerate this nonsense at all. That is why I live in America.
As I said in my last post, if you look at it another way, truly you should in fact thank this pathetic soul for his silly speeches and actions. You see, it is he himself who is digging his own grave. I bet several more thousands of educated Singaporeans reading his determination to dish out propaganda through his state controlled press would finally say enough is enough and purchase their one way tickets to the first Western country that will take them.
Which means another couple of feet into the grave for Lee Kuan Yew, literally and his government politically.
And mind you, this is the First World Country that Lee Kuan Yew was talking about! Frankly, I don't think so.
I have always tried to use moderation in my language because that is the only gentlemanly thing to do. But in this case I may have used stronger language deliberately because anything less would not have done justice against this sycophantic Tamil licker of Lee Kuan Yew's Japanese slippers.
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
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49 comments:
It just amazes me when this fool goes around making such speeches. Is he not embarrased at the listeners just shaking thier heads in disbelief or sniggering to themselves at him looking down on himself.
What happened to Tan Wah Piow and Said Zahari and who are they? Check out these links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ZNKABbOWk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ZNKABbOWk&feature=related
G Nair. Your passion for Singapore is really impressive. May God grant you long live and good health.
meek,
one thing you forget is that in singapore no way you can write freely like in this blog. you are ungrateful son. you should thanked to nair man.
if your master the arrongant b******d is political coward, you are political blind.......
you are the product of 50 years lky rules. you are worse than zombie.
you scold him well.
Its a very good strategy not to have a free press. First, it kills dissenting views which encourage racism, "false news - sensationalising and exaggeration of current events". But it is also double edged sword, there is no medium for transparency. God knows better if the CPF life scheme is to to help people in their old age as they are living much longer, or is it a cover up to rebuild funds which have been lost? A dead press also allows abuse of power and misuse of funds at the very highest level. For all that you know , these recent news on misallocation of funds is created to provide an illusion that there is a free press and there is real transparency. Why the absence of checks allowing millions of dollars to be misused? Why is the problem detected only when it becomes serious?
Notice when the arrest of the former NKF guy took place? It was shortly before the elections?
Are Singaporeans so dumb that they can be duped easily by the same old trick? When are they going to learn?
Good to see that Tan Wah Piow is sticking it to LKY, also known as SE Asia's Saddam Hussien.
These words should be familiar to Singapore readers as it has been repeated often enough. But if not, this is a good time to take note of the late Devan Nair's observations on JB Jeyaretnam's strength of character. Lee Kuan Yew's comments on JB Jeyaretnam were made after the latter's significant Workers' Party Anson win in 1981.
"Immediately, however, Kuan Yew's attention was concentrated on how he would deal with J.B Jeyaretnam in parliament. I was quite alarmed at some of the things he told me at that lunch. "Look," he said, "Jeyaretnam cant win the infighting. I'll tell you why. WE are in charge. Every government ministry and department is under our control. And in the infighting, he will go down for the count every time." And I will never forget his last words. "I will make him crawl on his bended knees, and beg for mercy."
Jeyaretnam was made of sterner stuff. To his eternal credit he never did crawl on bended knees, or ever begged for mercy. And it is to Lee Kuan Yew's eternal shame that Jeyaretnam will leave the political scene with his head held high, enjoying a martyrdom conferred on him by Lee. Lest I be misunderstood, let me state that Jeya more than deserves the crown of the martyr for his indomitable courage and dignity in the face of the vilest persecution."
http://singabloodypore.rsfblog.org/archive/2007/05/21/joshua-benjamin-jeyaretnam-on-bended-knees-never.html
There is a god and he is punishing LKY, and will keep doing so.
LKY has already buried one daughter-in-law, and recently, his wife, as Francis Seow puts it, the dragon lady.
Hope he lives for a long time, and gets to bury all his children.
Like Saddam, LKY will be expunged from Singapore's memory.
Live long, you cur.
The times have changed and the department store dummies better wake up.
When the focus was on getting Inbound Investments, the system put in place by the LEE Dynasty, made Singapore an attractive place for foreign companies. These companies wan't to make a quick dollar and don't care about human rights, or equitable wages, or justice.
But the same attributes that made Singapore a good place to invest, are know becoming problems as the LEEs want to do more Outbound Invesments via the LEE family-controlled Temasek and GIC.
E.g. SGX & ASK: In addition to economic questions, several are being raised about the
- oligarchy,
- human rights,
- detention-without-trial,
- Ho Ching's (wife of LHL and LKY's 2nd daughter-in-lay) poor performance,
...
Decent people of the world will stand up and say they don't dirty money from SE Asia's Saddam Hussein.
So, the department stores dummies ask, why should I care?
One word - CPF.
YOUR CPF is *ucked. No more lump sum payouts; in sufficient returns, mean that you will have to work till the day you die. (Look around you and see how many old folks are still working.)
But, of course, if you are LKY (aka SE Asia's Saddam Hussien), you can collect a pricely salary of $3 million. In return, all you need to do is some forecasting, and travel at tax payers expense, and advise other countries.
Don't these people realise that their policies do not benefit the heartlanders? How do they answer to their own conscience?
The SGX - ASX deal is being driven by David Gonski.
Interesting background
David Gonski's, son of Polish Jews, moved to Sydney from Apartheid South Africa.
Gonski is a director at Singapore Airlines. Hmmm.
Other tidbits:
“…the incoming chairman (David Gonski) is very smart and well-connected but has been damaged by recent revelations that he helped Frank Lowy put money through tax havens.
Gonski was recently asked if he was close to Lee Kuan Yew and family. His answer: ''I'd be big-noting myself that I'm close to any ruling family.”
Gonski is Chancellor of the University of New South Wales. More recently his deputy at UNSW , Fred Hilmer, and he, were involved in a very public spat with Singapore’s own Economic Development Board (EDB) as to who was to blame for the UNSW Singapore debacle in which Singaporean and Australian taxpayers bore the loss of millions of dollars.
You can email Mr. Gonski and let him know about this blog, and others such as Temasek Review.
david.gonski@ccamatil.com or his admin at Sally.Loane@ccamatil.com
You get what you ask for - Singaporeans deserve what they face now and should not complain. They voted for this system to exist. So they should stop whining for what they chose in the first place.
Mr Nair,its not like you are in Singapore. Why are you so angry?
I live in Singapore and i am fine with it. Your view is just another alternative.
Anyway, most media release around the world require censorship laws to protect its citizenry. A suitable prescription is advocated by a Singaporean for fellow Singaporeans. As long as the medicine works, no one would bother if it is sweet or bitter let alone if the dosage is right.
Good policies focus on a long run outcome which caters for a state. The free press is not a one size fits all for all nations.
Mr. Gopalan
Can you help to explain whether the Minister can decide what level of freedom of speech that Singaporeans are entitled. Am I right that this is already inscribed in the constitution. Hence, it is the MPs or Ministers responsibility to follow and not to create new 'constitution'?
Will appreciate if you can explain.
Dear Sunny,
Firstly I do not understand how I should "thanked to Nair". If you mean I should be thankful to Nair, then quite honestly I am. I think he provides an alternative voice. Even though that voiced is laced with a lot of unnecessary insults. For example, Mr Nair Sir, do you not think that by spouting racial stereotypes and slurs at Mr Shanmugam you are perpetuating what you rightly call "drivel" that he is dishing out.He claims that we cannot have a free press because racial and religious issues will be exploited. I think highlighting the fallacy in his arguments should not be intermixed with racial slurs. But that is just me. Seems like everyone else here agrees with you
As to the rest of your comments Sunny, I cannot for the life of me make sense of it so I shall not respond.
Other than the racial attacks Mr Nair, good article. I cannot understand how he could make that speech without laughing at the nonsense he was spouting.
By the way, with regards to you comments on the previous thread about me implying that we should have only a one-party rule and that nobody else can have its turn, that is not true. If someone credible comes along with a strong team behind him/her and I believe they can make a difference and are a better alternative than the PAP, then I think they should be voted in. What I meant is that not any idiot should believe he can "have a go" at being responsible for 3 million Singaporean lives. And I say 3 million because I do not count the 1 million guests in my country who I do not believe give a damn about this country. However, our leaders seem to think they are essential "talents". So you see Mr Nair, I am not a blindly advocating the superiority of PAP. I disagree with many of their policies but I think, up till the past maybe five years or so they have done a good job. Now, they are getting complacent and do not care about the people they are elected to serve. And, I hope that someone credible can come along and provide them some challenge, so that for our good and their own, they will wake up and start thinking about us the people. Personally, I am keeping an eye out on Mr Kenneth J. and his team. What do you think ?
Why is Singapore getting in bed with the PRC? Will S'pore companies become tainted by this association.
Sprint Nextel Corp. is excluding Chinese telecommunications-equipment makers Huawei Technologies Ltd. and ZTE Corp. from a contract worth billions of dollars largely because of national security concerns in Washington
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704353504575596611547810220.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection#ixzz14d5igDvg
To Meek,
Try not to hoodwink these readers here, they are smarter than you think. I am not an "alternative voice", I am a voice pointing out the illegality of Lee Kuan Yew's government. That is a world of difference.
You claim that Shanmugam, the Tamil in Lee's government is arguing a free press cannot be allowed in Singapore becasue racial and religious issues will be expoited. Regardless of whether Shanmugam's claim is correct, the readers here are aware that the Consitution is the law of the land and Shanmugam's duty is to obey it, not break it.
The Consitution it is true has been amended or better "fixed" by Lee Kuan Yew but these changes are themselves illegal because, the MPs who voted for it are not truly elected but lackeys of the PAP with the elections rigged, both through election fraud and threats, defamation actions and arrests before and after the elections. None of these amandements to the constitution can withstand the test of independant scrutiny. Therefore they are illegal as deviod of universal citizen support.
Singapore elections are a mere theatricl excercise. The readers here know it already.
You say you don't want some idiot to be voted in but would agree to a credible person being elected! Who the Hell are you anyway to decide who is credible and who is not! Are not the people the ones to judge through free and fair elections, which Singapore does not have? Just as you claim you cannot understand Sunny, neither can I understand you. No, it is not you that decides whether someone is an idiot, it is the people.
At this point I think you are the biggest idiot in thinking that you can try to befuddle the reader with this sort of nonsese. No you are not succeeding.
And as for your wanting Kenneth Jeyaretnam in Parlimeant, I think your wishes will come true. Kenneth is another Low Thia Khiang and Chaim See Tong politician (government approved). He will talk about economic theories and go home which the government will promptly ignore. In fact he is going to be an asset for the government because he will be another excuse to say Singapore has a "multi party government". name.
He is not going to insist that Singaporeans should have their fundamental huam rights like his fahter did, becasue that will adversley affect his chances of getting in.
I notice you have not mentioned Dr. Chee Soon Juan and the Singapore Democratic Party at all. That had given the cat away completely about who you are.
At present in my opinion, there is no better chance for freedom in Singapore than Dr. Chee Soon Juan and his Singapore Democratic Party. And that is why every reader of this blog knows he is bankrupt several times over and banned from contesting elections. Dr. Chee dares to confront tyranny head on. That is where the difference lies.
So much for that. But thanks and keep it coming.
As for your claim of "racial slurs" I would rather describe it as strong language, rightly deserving in this case.
By the way, are you employed full time by Lee Kuan Yew to do this or are you paid on a piece meal basis?
Meek says
"If someone credible comes along with a strong team behind him/her and I believe they can make a difference and are a better alternative than the PAP, then I think they should be voted in."
Herein lies the problem.
LKY, aka SE Asia's Saddam Hussein, has spent all his career to make sure that this does happen.
He has used the ISA and the Courts to jail and bankrupt anyone who fits your bill.
Press Beijing on human rights, top Chinese artist Ai Weiwei tells PM
"Cameron should ask the Chinese government not to make people 'disappear' or to jail them merely because they have different opinions … Cameron should say that the civilised world cannot see China as a civilised country if it doesn't change its own behaviour,"
Will Cameron do the same for Singapore?
From The Straits Times.
The country's elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew, whose son is now prime minister, has frequently used strict anti-defamation laws to crush dissent and punish foreign journalists.
Shadrake refuses to reveal how he will respond if he is sent to prison this week, saying only that he has several back-up plans in place: "This story is never going away. I'll keep it on the boil for as long as I live. They're going to regret they ever started this."
Actually, it is from The Guardian. You think the lackeys and boot lickers at the Straits Times have the courage to be real journalists?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/07/alan-shadrake-singapore-death-penalty?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29
Dear Mr Nair,
I do not regard Dr Chee as a credible opposition politician and candidate for office. Firstly, he cannot even run for parliament because through his own actions he has generated a barrage of lawsuits filed against him by our leaders. Do I agree with using defamation action to silence your critics? No I don’t. But if he were a half decent politician he would know the system that he is operating in and work it the best he can. I do not believe his confrontational style is the best way for the political climate in Singapore. He is appealing to a fringe group amongst the populace focusing on issues such as right to assemble, protest and say what you want. The sad truth is that Singaporeans, through decades of conditioning have become desensitized to such issues. They care about their livelihoods and their economic future. I believe that freedom of speech and the right to assemble are essential. In fact they are a core ingredient that leads to a vibrant marketplace of ideas which would then lead to innovation and entrepreneurship and a much stronger and resilient economy. However, currently the majority of Singaporeans are not interested in what he is peddling. This is reflective of how his party performed in the last General Elections. Sure you can say that our elections are unfair, but compared to other opposition parties the SDPs performance was abysmal.
Kenneth Jeyaretnam on the other hand is speaking in the language that Singaporeans care about, and that is economics. He is a liberal democrat, so I do not get why you think he will not fight for free speech and individual liberties. However, right now his focus is on what he thinks is wrong with our current economic system. His focus and drive on improving productivity and encouraging local SMCs to develop into large MNCs is essential for the next step of our economic development. This will help generate jobs and will improve the overall well being of people. He is also a proponent of minimum wage which will drive productivity and also lift thousands above the poverty line. Originally, we focused on bringing in large foreign investments and building up our Government-Linked Companies (GLCs), which was good for the first phase of our economic development. However the GLCs are now stifling local entrepreneurship and not allowing for a true free market system, where through real competition the most efficient companies emerge to provide the best value to consumers. Instead we have pseudo competition between GLCs which subtly cater to different segments of the market providing an illusion of competition. Singapore is not truly practicing what it preaches in terms of the free market system. What I am trying to say is Kenneth J has an economic vision, and that is what the voters care about now. And that is what any good politician will try to appeal to.
Dr Chee on the other hand, chooses to engage in antics, trying to get himself jailed. That is what he wants. He wants to get jailed and say to the rest of the work, hey look at what Singapore is doing to me, take action against Singapore. He goes overseas and encourages Americans to put pressure on their government to put pressure on Singapore. No thank you! I am a Singaporean, and I will decide my own fate, not foreign actors. For him to suggest to other countries to take action against Singapore, will not appeal to many Singaporeans.
Dear Mr Nair,
I do not regard Dr Chee as a credible opposition politician and candidate for office. Firstly, he cannot even run for parliament because through his own actions he has generated a barrage of lawsuits filed against him by our leaders. Do I agree with using defamation action to silence your critics? No I don’t. But if he were a half decent politician he would know the system that he is operating in and work it the best he can. I do not believe his confrontational style is the best way for the political climate in Singapore. He is appealing to a fringe group amongst the populace focusing on issues such as right to assemble, protest and say what you want. The sad truth is that Singaporeans, through decades of conditioning have become desensitized to such issues. They care about their livelihoods and their economic future. I believe that freedom of speech and the right to assemble are essential. In fact they are a core ingredient that leads to a vibrant marketplace of ideas which would then lead to innovation and entrepreneurship and a much stronger and resilient economy. However, currently the majority of Singaporeans are not interested in what he is peddling. This is reflective of how his party performed in the last General Elections. Sure you can say that our elections are unfair, but compared to other opposition parties the SDPs performance was abysmal.
continued..
Kenneth Jeyaretnam on the other hand is speaking in the language that Singaporeans care about, and that is economics. He is a liberal democrat, so I do not get why you think he will not fight for free speech and individual liberties. However, right now his focus is on what he thinks is wrong with our current economic system. His focus and drive on improving productivity and encouraging local SMCs to develop into large MNCs is essential for the next step of our economic development. This will help generate jobs and will improve the overall well being of people. He is also a proponent of minimum wage which will drive productivity and also lift thousands above the poverty line. Originally, we focused on bringing in large foreign investments and building up our Government-Linked Companies (GLCs), which was good for the first phase of our economic development. However the GLCs are now stifling local entrepreneurship and not allowing for a true free market system, where through real competition the most efficient companies emerge to provide the best value to consumers. Instead we have pseudo competition between GLCs which subtly cater to different segments of the market providing an illusion of competition. Singapore is not truly practicing what it preaches in terms of the free market system. What I am trying to say is Kenneth J has an economic vision, and that is what the voters care about now. And that is what any good politician will try to appeal to.
continued..
Dr Chee on the other hand, chooses to engage in antics, trying to get himself jailed. That is what he wants. He wants to get jailed and say to the rest of the work, hey look at what Singapore is doing to me, take action against Singapore. He goes overseas and encourages Americans to put pressure on their government to put pressure on Singapore. No thank you! I am a Singaporean, and I will decide my own fate, not foreign actors. For him to suggest to other countries to take action against Singapore, will not appeal to many Singaporeans.
To Anon : Sun Nov 07, 02:41:00 AM PST
Well, i hope you are a well travelled person if not you have just made a sweeping generalisation. Only countries with repressive regime will severely restrict its press so the masses are unaware of abuses of power amongst the authority. Based on a report by "Reporters without borders", Singapore is ranked 136th on a freedom of press index .
Refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index
So, if all countries have some form of censorship , why then is there such a ranking in the first place? Who decides what to be censored in the media? Media censorship and having the media owned by the ruling party are two different things. I agree with you that there should be some form of censorship. Censoring news to prevent prejudice or racial slurs is understandable but censoring news to cover up huge losses in the nation's funds to the point that their CPF is literally frozen to death are two different things and abuses of public funds is not. A free press serves as a check to a clean authority. Yes, there is no such thing as a perfectly clean authority, but an attempt must be made.
I do believe that you are between 16-20 yrs and have lived a fairly sheltered life. The problems voiced out by people here are real, albeit some are crude, but it is understandable after many years of repressed emotions. Go mix around with people who have started working and you will realise that these issues discussed here are real. Overpriced public housing (public housing is supposed to be affordable - thats why its called public housing) , ever increasing costs without accompanying increase in wages (if costs go up - noting that part of costs is labour costs, then where does the money go? Surely it has to go somewhere).
I think foreign talents are ok if they add to the value of the Singaporean workforce or they fill in the jobs that are not wanted by Singaporeans, but in the white collar industry , not all are good, in fact some are just good in putting up a show. You will realise this once you are in the white collar industry. And sad to say, most of these people will only use our country as a stepping stone to go to the US and Australia. Our true blue Singaporeans themselves are leaving coz they know they will be replaced easily by people who are less capable. So in the end, there will be no one who is loyal to the country.
While i do not agree with Mr Nair's somewhat angered approach but without people like him , a lot of issues which are important to the ignorant will remain hidden. The issues voiced out in this blog are real. It would be wise to note them rather than dismiss them totally. If the government truly is serving the nation, then they should pay attention to the needs of the people, each is paid 8 to 10 times that of their counterparts in the G8.
Check out this as well
http://en.rsf.org/singapore-open-letter-to-prime-minister-lee-25-03-2010,36832.html
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Part 1
To Anon : Sun Nov 07, 02:41:00 AM PST
I do believe that you are between 16-20 yrs and have lived a fairly sheltered life. The problems voiced out by people here are real, albeit some are crude, but it is understandable after many years of repressed emotions. Go mix around with people who have started working and you will realise that these issues discussed here are real. Overpriced public housing (public housing is supposed to be affordable - thats why its called public housing) , ever increasing costs without accompanying increase in wages (if costs go up - noting that part of costs is labour costs, then where does the money go? Surely it has to go somewhere).
I think foreign talents are ok if they add to the value of the Singaporean workforce or they fill in the jobs that are not wanted by Singaporeans, but in the white collar industry , not all are good, in fact some are just good in putting up a show. You will realise this once you are in the white collar industry. And sad to say, most of these people will only use our country as a stepping stone to go to the US and Australia. Our true blue Singaporeans themselves are leaving coz they know they will be replaced easily by people who are less capable. So in the end, there will be no one who is loyal to the country.
While i do not agree with Mr Nair's somewhat angered approach but without people like him , a lot of issues which are important to the ignorant will remain hidden.
Mahatma Gandhi
Part 1
To Anon : Sun Nov 07, 02:41:00 AM PST
Well, i hope you are a well travelled person if not you have just made a sweeping generalisation. Only countries with repressive regime will severely restrict its press so the masses are unaware of abuses of power amongst the authority. Based on a report by "Reporters without borders", Singapore is ranked 136th on a freedom of press index .
Refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index
So, if all countries have some form of censorship , why then is there such a ranking in the first place? Who decides what to be censored in the media? Media censorship and having the media owned by the ruling party are two different things. I agree with you that there should be some form of censorship. But censoring news to prevent prejudice or racial slurs and censoring news to cover up huge losses in the nation's funds to the point that their CPF is literally frozen to death are two different things.
Well said - the really sad thing is I know Singaporeans who trot out the same drivel when engaged in debate about free speech, civil rights etc..."oh we are not ready for it" and "oh remember the race riots" (back in 1964 wasnt it!?) it is scary how effective their propoganda has been
Meek said...
> I do not regard Dr Chee as a credible opposition politician and candidate for office.
But I do and would like others to hear his message.
>Firstly, he cannot even run for parliament because through his own actions he has generated a barrage of lawsuits filed against him by our leaders.
Use of the courts to suppress the opposition.
meek,
do you think pap regime does not practise discrimination against races, sex, religions etc ?
do you think there is no corruption in pap ?
you better have your mental examine man.
This article is BRIALLIANT!
Court of the Lion Kings
Singapore doesn't really do Parliament, either. It has one, where hand-picked loyalists occasionally convene in a brutal modernist edifice to rubber-stamp edicts from above.
Real power at every critical institution in this rich, urgent little place gathers efficiently and pyramidically, peaking at one of the most powerful families in the world, the Lees.
It doesn't take long navigating Singapore Inc to bump into a Lee. There's even one on the board of the SGX bidding $8.1 billion to buy the ASX
That's Lee Hsien-yang, the youngest son of former long-time Prime Minister and Singapore ''philosopher-king'' Lee Kuan Yew.
the Lees were on their best legal behaviour, resisting their infamous instinct to sue anyone who dares criticise them. But then, most of that criticism was outside Singapore. The Lees tend to bring their cases in Singapore, where a win seems guaranteed.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/court-of-the-lion-kings-20101029-177fu.html
This article is BRIALLIANT!
Court of the Lion Kings
Singapore doesn't really do Parliament, either. It has one, where hand-picked loyalists occasionally convene in a brutal modernist edifice to rubber-stamp edicts from above.
Real power at every critical institution in this rich, urgent little place gathers efficiently and pyramidically, peaking at one of the most powerful families in the world, the Lees.
It doesn't take long navigating Singapore Inc to bump into a Lee. There's even one on the board of the SGX bidding $8.1 billion to buy the ASX
That's Lee Hsien-yang, the youngest son of former long-time Prime Minister and Singapore ''philosopher-king'' Lee Kuan Yew.
the Lees were on their best legal behaviour, resisting their infamous instinct to sue anyone who dares criticise them. But then, most of that criticism was outside Singapore. The Lees tend to bring their cases in Singapore, where a win seems guaranteed.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/court-of-the-lion-kings-20101029-177fu.html
The SGX deal to takeover AGX is called Project Avatar.
Who thought up of this. Technologicqally advanced society with no resources goes to distant place to do its mining and push the naive hippy locals out of the way.
Somebody in Temasek does have a sense of ironic humour right? Or do they?
LHL, HC, LHY are saying to this LKY, "you were right, the white trash of Asia don't know whats good for them. Didn't the watch the movie. Didn't they get our hint?"
http://www.expatsingapore.com/forum/index.php?topic=65674.msg1568136;topicseen
The Chees vs the Lees.
Guess who wins. Hard to lose when you have the umpire in your back pocket.
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/06/the-chees-vs-the-lees/
Meek,
Dr Chee not only promotes civil liberty, he is also a champion of workers' right and an advocate for the poor. Of course, you will never read much of this in the Straits Time.
Has it come across your mind that the defamation lawsuits against Dr Chee were frivolous in any other first world country?
Do you believe the survey that 95% of students are proud of being Singaporean when you have the largest exodus of citizens during peacetime in modern history?
Do you believe all these ISA arrests are executed on national security ground?
You have been fed the ST news for so long that you are conditioned to think like a typical Singaporean. For example, the Yale link up is reported and received differently by Singapore and New Haven. Check out Yale Daily News to see what they have to say about the venture.
Cheers.
We should not criticise Meek for his opinions. Note that humans are boundedly rational and only seek to satisfice, not maximise.
His rationality only goes as far as what he sees around him (Read: in that island that is sinking slowly but surely).
Gopalan,
Can you write an article on PAP WHIP. This will help us understand what it really is, and what it means. Could it violate the fiduciary responsibility to voters, as MP should be accountable to voters instead of the party?
Meek must be one of those ignorant elites in Singapore, leading a very wealthy and sheltered life.
well done Meek , you are the perfect Singaporean , you want to have a voice of opposition , yet you do not really want to have the voice of an opposition. Welcome to the world of the Singaporean logic.
Least on priority of job vacancies + rate of costs of living increasing faster than rate of wages + opinions brushed aside by politicians without listening carefully + second class citizens in native country = Massive emigration / sense of disloyalty (for those unable to migrate)
Seems that Singapore is becoming a much more unsafe place to live in; frequency of gang attacks, murder, high speed bikes on pavements, expected flash floods (it happens once in every 50 years)
I believe my views have just been echoed on Temasek Review ...
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/11/09/is-sdp-having-an-image-problem/
And don't forget how anti establishment they are.
Singaporeans are leaving
Coz they know they'll never be winning
Second class citizens
in their own place of living
Ousted by people
Who came with fake certs
No wonder they are cheap
and produce work the quality of serfs
Singapore is becoming a hotel
How many Singaporeans will be left,
Only time will tell
foreigners will leave
as soon as they have earned a well
Very soon
what will be left
is nothing , empty bereft
thanks to the people
who created these policies
who insist they are good
but turn out to be a fallacy...
Your HDB heartlander
The Singapore Miracle - Myth and reality (taken from temasekreview.com)
http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/11/06/the-singapore-miracle-myth-and-reality/
Meek,
First, Temasek Review is not really anti-establishment. They are for open debate, free exchange of ideas, and have published articles on both sides of issues. Can you say the same about ST?
Next, I am not sure why we should be discussing SDP "image" problems. SDP would not have any "image" problem that you described in any other first world country.
Finally, if the oppositions follow the PAP playbook, they will never win any election. You end up with a SINGLE Chiam See Tong, THE OPPOSITION, or your IDEAL opposition, for almost 3 decades. I challenge you to find a democracy with such a dismal record.
The US Tea Party is a lot "worse" than Singapore SDP. Yet many of them were elected a week ago, in a FREE and COMPETITIVE election.
Dear US reader, I am sure that the SDP is fighting for a very noble and just cause, the promotion of democracy in Singapore. They have their ideals and their values and they have chosen to advocate their views through what they call civil disobedience.
What I am saying that as a political party whose aim and existence must surely be to get elected into parliament and form a government in order to implement their policies, they are doing a dismal job. Let us put aside the fact that the PAP has created such an environment that makes it difficult for the opposition to get into parliament or to reach the masses. I shall concede for the purposes of putting forth my current viewpoint, that the PAP has stifled the opposition using underhand tactics. Is the solution then, knowing that saying and doing certain things will get you sued and bankrupted, to do those exact things, get yourself arrested, jailed and bankrupted? It is like, running repeatedly into a brick wall. Singaporeans have unfortunately and I shall concede wrongly been desensitized to such methods employed by the SDP and sadly consider it as trouble-seeking behavior. What I am saying is that the SDP is not operating in "any other first world country" as you put it. They are operating in Singapore and therefore need to find a strategy that works. Yes one or two opposition in parliament is a disgrace. But I am sure there is a better way than to be compliant like the Workers Party or to be law-breakers, even though it may be unjust laws, like the SDP.
What I have been trying to say, is that the Reform party, in my very humble opinion have found that right way. That is speaking in a language that Singaporeans care about. I believe their message will touch a wide spectrum of the voting public and not just fringe sectors like the SDP. The ideals that the SDP are fighting for is right, but they are ahead of their time. Know your constituents, appeal to them. I have not once criticized Dr Chee, I just think he is not fighting the strategy that works and therefore is not a credible politician. I salute him though for his courage and conviction to stand up for what he believes in and his willingness to sacrifice so much.
Dear Meek,
I understand where you are coming from. I just wanted to give you a perspective different from those of ST and the PAP.
Throughout world history, people struggle against oppressive regimes. India’s Mahatma Gandhi, South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi, Tibet’s Dalai Lama, and China’s Liu Xiaobo are some notable people who fought hard for their causes. None of these people would concede to oppression. Why should they? Elect-able or not is beside the issue for them, or Dr Chee. What if the election is a sham, as in Burma?
It is unfortunate that Dr Chee’s view does not resonate with the locals. It is a direct result of years of fear, propaganda, and media control by the government. If the people start to demand transparency, open debates, and free exchange of ideas, the PAP may actually lose the election. Perhaps that is the main reason that they continue to persecute Dr Chee for actions people take for granted everywhere in other first world countries. Their paranoia and contradiction are in full display for the world to see in the current Shadrake case.
meek,
you talk to much of theories.
just tell pap if they got the gut, revert grc back to single representative constituency ward in this coming ge.
let see what is the result.
Why not proportional representation with party list and the popular votes to determine the number of seats by each party? In this way, the PAP will get 60% of 84 seats at the most? This will give a headstart to multiparty government. The trend in advance democracies is even to have minority government like Australia. See this link:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/files/publications/unit-publications/147.pdf
What is needed is talent but not so much along party lines since the elections year in year out is repetitive of PAP majority. They may try this after LKY is no longer in existence.
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