Ladies and Gentlemen,
Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore today is abuzz with election fever, an occurrence every 5 years, which always is a bygone conclusion; Lee Kuan Yew's PAP wins and the opposition loses.
This is something which Singaporeans know but the show, which it really is, is put up not so much for Singaporeans but the rest of the world, to hoodwink them into thinking Singapore is a democracy with regularly held free and fair elections contested by multiple parties. Nothing can be further from the truth.
Today, the state controlled newspapers and media is full of pictures stories and interviews of both Lee Kuan Yew's party's people and the opposition people talking to the voters and shaking their hands.
But in the opposition's case, except for a few faces such as Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party, who has been in the news more for the wrong reasons than right ones, being the preferred victim of Lee Kuan Yew's repression, the voters have largely never seen and never heard of all these people who have suddenly sprung up from nowhere demanding their votes!
Those interested in Singapore should be reminded of the impossible odds the opposition faces in Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore elections a task even more difficult than climbing Everest walking backwards.
First the newspapers and Media are all state controlled, which means everyday it only publicises Lee Kuan Yew politicians while the opposition is completely blacked out. As a result they are given no chance to develop or to garner any support.
Second, anyone daring to join the opposition and seriously challenging Lee Kuan Yew faces a dire and gloomy prospect, the prospect of total ruination, loss of jobs and victimization for himself and his family for life. Therefore it is no surprise that no one with any real ability or interest would dare to have anything to do with opposition politics.
Third, Lee's 5th column is very large. Many are planted by him not only in the real opposition parties such as that of Chee, but they also set up other political parties.
Those plants in existing opposition parties report on party activities, while those others who set up their own parties are deliberately left unharmed to give the impression that Lee does not go against the opposition. But in reality these PAP stooges pretending to be opposition do nothing at all throughout the 5 years between elections and only come out of the woodwork at election time for photo ops.
Fourth, he makes sure he sends the message that to really challenge him is to ask for trouble, with the late JB Jeyretnam being repeatedly sued and bankrupted and Chee Soon Juan suffering the same fate repeatedly. This is the Chinese saying of killing a chicken to frighten the monkeys which is why everyone is afraid to enter opposition politics or to have anything to do with it.
With the football field of elections tilted so completely to one side against the opposition, and with the opposition's players legs tied as well, is it any surprise that Lee Kuan Yew wins again and again for the last 50 years.
What annoys me the most is the way Lee goes through these theatricals every 5 years as if the Singapore population are not aware of what it really is. He thinks we are all a bunch of imbeciles.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
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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8 comments:
I just celebrated PAP election win for 2011, with a better margin because the opposition decided to field candidates in all seats and the voters decided that - like a bird staying in a broken cage feel safer than flying away - so more will voted for PAP.
If I am wrong, Singapore will be financially broke.
Gopalan-- time and again, you publish the truth, but you know that nothing can be done about it. Yes, phony election theatrics, a population cowering in fear, excess foreign workers, no jobs, blah, blah, blah--- BUT a resounding win for the PAP and LKY nonetheless every election. We all know why. The question is why do you bother wasting your breath when nothing can or will be done for change?
If you are trying to seek revenge on LKY and the Singapore government for what they did to you, you are not actually succeeding are you? They are winning their game, they have won in the past and they will continue to win, fairly or unfairly. Singaporeans are screwed and that is a fact.
My question to you is WHY DO YOU BOTHER saying the same thing again and again, knowing nothing can be done. Why not move on to bigger and better things? Give up Singapore politics, as you did when you left the country....
PS: I am not a PAP or LKY stooge. I am a Singaporean who HATED them, but like you I migrated abroad and have moved on. I realized the country is hopeless and taking a turn for tehhe worse, but I do not waste my precious time discussing it every day. Why not you do the same?
please Gopalan, get some peace in you soul and let the past go. What they did to you is wrong, but you have a wonderful family and a new life in the United States. Do not taint it with bitterness and pain. It is hard, but please let it go for your own sake.
Please do reply to this... I mean well for you and do not mean any hard feelings or to cause you pain,
Gopalan-- on question. Why do you constantly urge others in Singapore to peacefully protest on the streets, when you fled abroad and do not dare do the same? You know it won't work and the heavy price one will pay, so you do not do it. So, why are you encouraging others to go to the guillotine and sacrifice themselves, while you are unwilling to do so?
Yes you have spoken against the government in the 1990s and wrote the blog comment on the judge, and was punished. Yes we know and appreicate that, but have you EVER protested on the streets? Why are you then asking others to go where you do not dare?
Does this not ring of hypocisy?
To Anonymous Mar 07, 0516,
Thanks for your concern. But unlike you, I think these writings serve a very useful purpose of making Singaporeans aware of their sitution, which will make them take action. They may not be forcing a change now, but I can assure you, in time they will.
To Anonymous March 07,537,
Not hypocricy at all. If it was possible for me to enter Singapore without being arrested; if I was living in Singapore instead of California, I would not only have protested, I would have done it everyday.
At present, I am prevented from entering Singapore without a visa. Second, even if I could enter, I would be arrested the moment I land for my writings in this blog. So protest for me is impossible.
But even if I cannot, I can urge others to do it, becasue that is the only way ahead for democracy in Singpaore just like Egypt and Tunisia.
As for the danger of doing it, I am sure Singaporeans are aware of it too, just like you.
Goplan, keep up the good work. You write well and in times to come there will changes and someone has to contiunously encourage Singaporeans to do the same.
Those scumbags that left Singapore are losers and leave for their own selfish gains. They are the hopeless lot that leave quietly and never want Singapore to be better than the place the migrated.
These cheapsake arseholes want Singapore to fall to make them feel better and think they make the right choice leaving Singapore, but they don't but are just a bunch of scumbags.
Gopalan
Tell your opponents, one of the great Chinese Scholar and Reformer, Liang Qi Chao, also spent 14-year exile in Japan. Liang continued to write fearless which impacted the Chinese people.
Gopalan, no lose to you that you cannot enter Singapore. Indeed, your blog has created a lot of awareness among Singaporeans, both young and old. I am 24 and this coming election will be my first. I want to be an informed voter has I have been reading up a lot online (all other forms of media here in sg is nothing but BS). Have forwarded your blog to my dad who couldn't stop nodding in agreeement while reading. Thank you.
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