Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore's state controlled newspaper Straits Times Online edition Jan 04, 2011 has the story "AGC to contest ex-detainees lawsuit". Lee Kuan Yew, present Singapore's dictator and it's Prime Minister in 1964 to 1973, had detained numerous people then under Singapore's Internal Security Act, a law which allows imprisonment for indefinite periods without trial merely on government accusation that they are threats to national security.
One such person jailed under this law was Michael Fernandez, now 77, from 1964 to 1973, a period of 9 years, who, the story says, has commenced lawsuit against the government for his illegal imprisonment, torture, completely ruining his life and career, and for loss of income for the 9 years.
The report states the government's intention to dispute the claim and yesterday, the same newspaper, reports their having filed an application to have his lawsuit struck out because it is frivolous. They claim justification for jailing him without trial because, allegedly, he was a Communist and therefore a threat to Singapore's national security.
A look at Singapore's history clearly shows the jailing of these people by Lee Kuan Yew was illegal. None of them were threats to national security, and if they ever were threats, it was only to Lee Kuan Yew's dictatorial power. And if indeed they were in fact threats, why did Lee not produce the evidence in an open trial instead of jailing them without ever giving them any opportunity to defend themselves.
Even the South African government during apartheid times, when hundreds of political opponents were jailed in Robbin Island, every single one of them was given a fair trial in open court. Mandela who was convicted at the Rivonia trial for treason, had a lawyer representing him in open court. In fact despite the severe repression the blacks suffered at the hands of their government, their courts were a million times fairer than the Kangaroo courts you have now in Singapore.
Operation Cold Store the infamous codename for Lee Kuan Yew's jailing these Singaporeans was a shameful blemish on Singapore's history and the decent thing they should do now is to admit the wrong, apologize to Mr. Fernandez for the terrible wrongs done to him and make amends as gentlemen would. That is what one would expect of a government worthy of it's name, a government which demands respect.
In refusing to admit these shameful injustices in the past, it only shows they have no shame, they are a government incapable of ever being fair and a government completely without class. In other words a government which, out of fear, is incapable of ever admitting it was wrong.
There are of course other nations in the world, respectable nations. Japan I believe has apologized for it's actions during the war, the Americans have apologized for their actions against the blacks, and the Australians to the injustice to their aboriginals, countries which continue to command the respect of the world and what we consider as nations with class, generosity, honest, integrity and magnanimity, while Singapore continues to be a pariah one party state whose existence depends entirely on claiming they can never do wrong.
And that is why, Singaporeans achievements can only be found in their state controlled propaganda press which they dish out daily in large servings. In reality they are sinking faster than the Titanic.
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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4 comments:
The Singapore type of running its country has a profound effect on the people. We are increasing seeing Singaporeans overseas behaving badly and have attitudes that are embarrassing overseas (and they did not realize the offense they caused)
Eg. Singaporeans do not seems to like to open their mouth to ask anything (eg excuse me, is this seat taken, etc) and just go ahead to knock into the other person or occupying seats in fast food outlets and throwing the occupants' bags on the floor when they are ordering food. So, they are seen as rude.
The Internal Security Act is gone pass its use by date. McCarthyism was the grand ploy of the Internal Security Act of the 50s and 60s.
Operation Coldstore and Operation Spectrum were excesses of McCarthyism used in unsubstantiated accusations and demagogic attacks on the character of political adversaries.
More particularly it was used by Lee Kuan Yew to silence dissent. Nowhere else in the world is
there detention without trial for unprescribed periods.
Even in Israel where national security is far more sensitive an issue the detention period is six months.
If in reality there is national security in issue, the military can be easily mobilised to curb those genuine incursions, not to abuse the Internal Security Act to silence political adversaries.
Let the Singaporeans be educated on McCarthyism, why isn't this concept widely publicised in Singapore local press is because Lee Kuan Yew is using it in the true sense of McCarthyism and not all his bullshit communist propaganda. Not once was McCarthyism explained to the people in an editorial in the press media controlled by the State.
The truth must now prevail.
Freedom from dictatioship in Singapore means first of all to get rid of Lee Kuan Yew. The constant drumbeat about communists in the past has made fools of the people of Singapore for so long and it operates to maintain the very unfair state of affairs for his political adversaries.
The Internal Security Act saw willy nilly detention of people like Michael Fernandez without due process by the dictator Lee Kuan Yew. This is only a test case, there were many others who were deprived of their freedom by Lee Kuan Yew pointing a finger at them and branded communists, Marxists, terrorists.
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